REFLECTOR: Making Velocities easier to build?

[Douglas Holub]

I would vote for pre-fabricated strakes. I'll bet I spent as much time building the strakes as I did installing the engine. (But my tanks leaked the first time I sealed them up; I had to open them up and do it again.)

Doug Holub
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Andy Millin 
  To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list' 
  Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 3:31 PM
  Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Making Velocities easier to build?


  I'm not sure the current builder community is the target.  There are some for sure.

   

  The factory was looking at making a pre-molded, ready to install set of strakes.  They would have integral fuel tanks and would be molded to shape.  Slip the back end on the spar, set the length and incidence and bond them on.  I believe they had other ideas that would allow them to compete with the 2 weeks to taxi options offered by other kit manufacturers.

   

  The new options might make Velocity an option for those that have the money (bags and bags), want the plane, and don't really want to build.

   

  I wanted to build my plane.  I didn't buy any fast build options.  I would not be the target audience.

   

  Andy

   

  From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Reiff Lorenz
  Sent: 10-02-2009 3:55
  To: reflector at tvbf.org
  Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Making Velocities easier to build?

   

   

  My original thread got hijacked by the where's-the-part-I-ordered concerns.

   

  Back to the topic: How many Velocity builders (current or future) would be willing to pay more for parts that take a lot less time to finish and install? The original quote implied that it would cost Velocity HQ around $200k to develop the tooling and procedures to offer an extra-fast-build kit or an accelerated builders-assistance program. Is it worth the time and expense for them to do this?

   

  Scott, Thanks for the info on the FAA standardizing their regulations between offices. It sounds like some west-coast kitplane manufacturers have been able to offer their customers more help than the Florida companies. 

   

  Reiff Lorenz

   

   

   

  From: Reiff Lorenz 
  Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 5:12 PM
  To: 'reflector at tvbf.org'
  Subject: Making Velocities easier to build?

   

   

  I downloaded the November issue of Kitplanes an came across this quote by the CEO of Velocity on page 33. It was in response to the question: How has the homebuilt aircraft industry changed over the last 25 years?

   

  ====================

  The FAA has allowed . . . 

  a builder can come to the factory

  and pay for professional assistance

  from factory-trained staff. . . .

   

  It will be a benefit to any manufacturers

  that can afford to set up this kind of

  builders assistance program. We estimate

  for Velocity it will cost upwards of

  $200,000 to set up the program. . . 

  go back and modify every

  mold that we have so that no longer does

  the builder have to do something with

  those parts. . . .

  the labor for the builder decreases.

  It will be more expensive, but someone

  who can afford [it] . . . 

  will see this as an attractive program.

   

  Velocity CEO Duane Swing

   

  =================== 

   

  He seems to be talking about changes ahead for the Velocity builder who wants to assemble an aircraft but not fabricate as many components. Anybody heard of the program that he mentions setting up? This seems to run contrary to what the FAA has been saying in their recent review of the 51% rule. I'd love to hear all your opinions.

   

  Reiff Lorenz

  Velocity builder wanna-be

  (hoping to hit the lottery for  $300,000)

   



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