Flying Raccoons · Rob & Kelly Kochman
We built our Van’s RV-10 between 2007 and 2011, mostly in our garage. This is the story of the build and the flying since, drawn from our original blog.
From Rob’s “Build Your Own Airplane!” talk, last updated February 2022. RV-10 figures are for the type; the engine, panel and costs are ours.
Chosen to be boring on purpose: new, standard design, standard compression.
Struck-through items were the originals. The KT 76A was a gift.
Hourly cost includes saving toward the next engine overhaul.
Surprises along the way
Glad we did
Split the forward tunnel cover. Cutting it in two ahead of the fuel valve means the front half comes off without removing the seats and fuel valve, so checking the tunnel for fuel leaks is easy, and we actually do it, which matters most in the early hours of flying.
Would do differently next time*
Skip the “Safety Trim” controller. It limits trim to a few seconds at a time, which guards against runaway trim but makes re-trimming on a go-around take forever. The two speeds aren’t needed, and it’s more weight, more cost and one more thing to break.
* There will not be a next time, according to Kelly.