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<< Lancair Builders' Mail List >>
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I've just finished a successful but not inexpensive trip to a builders
support center. I brought my airplane there in early May and finished in
mid-July. I will be bringing it back home just after Oshkosh. Over that
three month period I worked there for 24 days, mostly in 3-4 day stretches,
and spent between 180-200 hours on my project. I also paid for about 70
hours of labor at $50 per hour, plus had them coordinate a few contract jobs
(making hydraulic hoses and anodizing some aluminum parts).
The work accomplished on my Lancair 360 included finishing the wheel wells
(which were largely done when I got there), skinning the stub wings, and
closing the main wings. I should point out that the wings on this fast-build
kit were untouched when I started, so I installed all of the fuel tank
components, painted on the sealant, and glued on the skins.
I was going to close and attach the horizontal and vertical tails, too, but
that would have taken too long and cost too much.
Here are my reactions:
1) The workmanship of the guys at the builder support center was impeccable.
I have nothing but superlatives to say about this aspect of the project.
2) The technical advice given was extremely valuable, too, although a good
EAA chapter in combination with good A&Ps can do almost as well. However,
you get the advice from the builder center "right now" rather than over the
course of several days or weeks if you get it through your chapter. It
speeds things up considerably. This center also had a composites specialist
that has worked at the Lancair factories for a decade. You probably won't
find that at your EAA chapter....
3) When you need extra hands, like to bolt on a wing or flip the plane, you
get that "right now" also. A huge improvement over my situation at home.
Again, work goes faster.
4) You can run up a big bill in a big hurry if you're not careful, but with
a few simple steps you can avoid nasty surprises. When you task the center
to do something for you, make sure you know approximately how many hours they
will spend and make sure they understand when you need it done. Provide a
written list of the tasks you want them to do if you won't be there. With
this level of communication, nobody gets surprised. It's also extremely easy
to say "Could you please do this for me?", which is good and bad. If you're
on a budget, as I was, make sure you only buy what you really need. I
indulged in a few extravagances -- buying work I could really have done
myself -- which is why I spent a little more than I had planned. However,
all the work is superb, so I'm not really upset.
5) Overall, I got a lot accomplished, learned a lot, had a great time, and
now have the confidence I need to finish the rest of the job myself. It was
a great experience that I'm pleased I had the opportunity to do.
One last thought -- I originally thought that builder support centers were
only for rich guys who wanted a kit airplane but didn't want to actually
build it. There may be some of those, but there are really three classes of
customers who would benefit from builder support center services.
First is the guy who wants to do much of the building, but not all of it, and
wants the airplane finished relatively quickly (couple of years) without
devoting all his waking hours to the project. This guy will spend a lot of
money, but will have a nice airplane sooner than I ever will.
Second is someone like me, who wants some help on a critical short-term task.
I was basically trying to recreate the factory "come for a week and close
your wings" program, and that's basically what I got. Unlike the 4's and the
Legacy, the 360 isn't set up to close the wings from a standing start in a
week, so it took a little longer even though the cost was about the same.
The third category, and one I hadn't considered before, is the buyer of a
completed homebuilt who wants to do some heavy maintenance, modification or
upgrade. This guy may know nothing about homebuilding and be afraid to
tackle it unassisted. In fact, he may not even legally be allowed to do so,
since he normally won't hold the Repairman Certificate for the airplane or be
an A&P. I watched a pair of new owners install wingtip lights and landing
lights (on a 235 not set up for them -- this was a new installation) while
the center experts repaired a seeping fuel leak. The new owners were smart
and enthusiastic guys, but they needed guidance. They had never worked with
composites before but ended up doing a great job, and having fun to boot. I
hope my lights look as good when I'm done.
Anyone wanting more info can e-mail me directly.
- Rob Wolf
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LML website: http://www.olsusa.com/mkaye/maillist.html
LML Builders' Bookstore: http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair
Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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