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I've been watching the 'net
lately, interested in the debut of the new Legacy FG model, and in particular
the comparison with the RV-7A. In one of the posts the other day, someone
mentioned that the factory had about $75K in the new Legacy model.
Hmmm...... I'm scratching my head:
Legacy
FG RV-7A
Kit price
$32,900
$17,000+-
Engine 38,500 32,500
(Same engine - go figure!)
Prop
6,000 6,000
Prop gov
1500
1300
Panel,
instr's 20,000
20,000
(Could be much more or less)
Misc.
5,000 5,000
Paint
5,000
5,000
Interior
3,000
3,000
Crating, frt.
1200
850
Total: $113,100
$90,650
Time,
hrs:
2500?
1400?
Time, $$ @$20/hr
50,000
28,000
Grand
Total: $163K
$119K
Sure, you can quibble with any
of these numbers, but who doesn't value their time at something? Kit and
engine prices are from the respective companies' web sites; the rest of the
numbers I made up. So . . . For about $44K more than the RV you get a
plane with about the same performance. Plus, you get to spend a couple or
three more years of your spare time to get it. Actually, few RV's
are tricked out like the above numbers would indicate. You can put a in
180hp engine (new) and go with a more austere suite of avionics and have a nice
airplane for something on the order of $70K to $80K. Maybe that's why
Van's has sold over 3000 of 'em.
Sorry, but this just doesn't
seem like a stroke of marketing genius. Yup, the Lancair looks much
sexier, but . . .
Jim Cameron
(And I'm a Lancair guy, having built two so
far.)
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