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Kit Arrival = Disappointment

M

mvs163

Well Known Member
Picked up my QB Wings and Fuse kit today. 12 weeks past the predicted delivery date. The wings look good but the fuse kit had 1/2 of the seat back bulkhead back ordered (F305) and was missing the Main Spar Bulkhead Sides (F303s). These weren't even on the pick list.
Pretty difficult to start on the fuse without the center section bulkheads.
I know the -3 isn't high on the priority list but I'm really disappointed in the service.
Mike
 
Don't dispair, find something else to work on while the parts get there. There will be lots of things you can do to keep you busy. You don't have to follow the book step by step. You can move around and do things out of order, just be careful to understand the effects of doing so.
 
I don't think I ever got a sub-kit without something missing. It usually showed up at the front door within a week. If not, a quick call always results in polite service and same day shipping if it's early enough in the day. If you picked up your kit from the factory you might have seen how crazy it is back in the shipping department. I think I'd go nuts if I worked there more than a week. =o
 
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Talked to 3 people at Vans today
The fuse bulkheads are stamped by an outside contractor.
The center section parts are supplied by another outside contractor,vans doesn't check these bundles for completeness, they just put them in the crate.

No estimate on delivery....we don't stock -3 parts...we don't sell many -3s.
"Please be patient"
This is definitely not the experience I expected.
Mike
 
mvs163 said:
No estimate on delivery....we don't stock -3 parts...we don't sell many -3s.
"Please be patient"
This is definitely not the experience I expected.
Click to expand...

FWIW, when I purchased my complete "all at once" RV6A kit, excluding the empannage; it had been in production for a number of years. The only "screw up", out of the entire kit, was one smaller skin, that Van's replaced without a need to send the other one back.

Seeing how the "3" is very limited, as is the "6" these days; I can easily see how a few parts may not be on hand. Personally, I wouldn't stress, as I would no longer expect a "6" part on demand, as I would the current models; where parts are just waiting in the bins. Yes, I really think you need to be a little more patient, as requested. Or.............build a current model.

L.Adamson
 
No estimate on delivery....we don't stock -3 parts...we don't sell many -3s.
"Please be patient"

I am certain that Van's alerted everyone, they sure did in my case, that the RV3 kit was available from them only as a favor to builders like myself who thought they wanted the little single seat aircraft.
What that meant to me was that we all would be fortunate enough to get a Van's RV3B kit BUT we needed to be understanding enough of the effort on their part to supply us one.
 
Small Potato's

It was reported in Oregon Business Magazine this month that Van's Aircraft does $30-35M in annual sales. Wow!
If they sell 10 RV3B kits a year I would be surprised. We are a very, very small percentage of what they are making thier money at. I am surprised they support the kit at all anymore. I am sure they are surprised that nuts like us are actually buying them.
 
Attention to detail

mvs163 said:
Picked up my QB Wings and Fuse kit today. 12 weeks past the predicted delivery date. The wings look good but the fuse kit had 1/2 of the seat back bulkhead back ordered (F305) and was missing the Main Spar Bulkhead Sides (F303s). These weren't even on the pick list.
Pretty difficult to start on the fuse without the center section bulkheads.
I know the -3 isn't high on the priority list but I'm really disappointed in the service.
Mike
Click to expand...


I know how you feel, but rest assured Van's will take care of the problem. This kind of thing irks me with all kinds of things in life, I had a house siding crew forgetting and messing things up even after I pointed them out.

I think about my job, (air line pilot) then I think if I did my job with the lack of attention to detail some companies operate on we would be crashing airplanes all the time.

Van's has a heroic job getting all the parts corrct every time when you think of the number of pieces each kit contains. I think you will be pleased by their response with your situation. I know it seems irksome now but like others have posted, skip ahead in the instructions and you will find more than enough to keep you busy. Besides my missing parts showed up in a few days.

Happy Building
 
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