REFLECTOR: Making Velocities easier to build?

Tony Babb tonybabb at alejandra.net
Wed Sep 30 17:18:47 CDT 2009


Perhaps someone at the factory can provide more details on these changes,
however when I acquired my fast build SEFG kit in January 2002 I spent a
couple of weeks at the factory in the builders center, learning many of the
techniques I would later use at home. While I was there I met several
builders who were building their projects at the factory. It seemed like
around 6 months full time was needed at the factory with factory support
available on a request basis. I found it very helpful just to talk with
other builders who were ahead of me in the build process. At the time I
think Velocity quoted around 800 hours to build a fast-build kit, I think
that excluded head scratching time.......
 
Tony
SEFG 62% done, 78% to go
www.alejandra.net/velocity

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Reiff Lorenz
Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 2:12 PM
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Subject: REFLECTOR: 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?

 

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

In our business, the time it takes to

build an airplane is critical. The FAA

has allowed certain conditions to exist

now where a builder can come to the factory

and pay for professional assistance

from factory-trained staff. That cuts the

time the builder must spend building

to a fraction of what it used to be, and

that is the most significant change we've

had in the industry. The builder gets

enough experience building to maintain

the aircraft safely and apply, legally, for

the Repairman's Certificate, and he/she

gets an airplane that has been built to

factory quality specifications. That's a

monumental change.

 

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, because

presently the parts we make are designed

where the builder must build 51% of the

airplane using time as the measurement;

now we will go back and modify every

mold that we have so that no longer does

the builder have to do something with

those parts. They will be molded such

that the labor for the builder decreases.

It will be more expensive, but someone

who can afford [a $300,000 project]

does not have a lot of time to build, and

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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