Ordering
Knowing Van's is flat knacker with orders, i enquired with them in April 2021 on the lead time for the Fueslage kits. They advised in April that if i wanted the kit before the end of 2021 (or indeed, before the start of 2022) i better make an order forthwith!
So even though it feels like i have heaps to go on the wings, i decided to send the order anyway. The fuselage order was placed on the 31st May 2021.
Since i have no idea what i am going to do regarding an engine, it seemed silly to purchase many of the items in the fuselage kit now. Some of the items were quite high value and it seemed silly to order them, have them sit around for a couple of years, only to never use them. I also made some other kit changes as follows:
1 - Andair Fuel selector - deleted as i may need one with a duplex function in the future.
2 - Andair fuel pump and filter - i may go with EFII etc so no point in getting these now.
3 - Flap Motor - i liked the PH Aviation Flap Actuator better from reading on the forums. So i deleted this and will order the alterante one (which includes internal position sensing).
4 - Vents - i have been told by multiple people that the plastic vents in the kits are rubbish. So i went ahead and ordered the aluminium SV-6 vents. I got the clear anodised vents.
5 - Power Module Install - the power module install kit is a 45 degree circuit breaker panel which is under the panel on top of the centre tunnel. I really like this idea, so this was added to the order. This did not come with the cover plate which was also ordered.
6 - Park Brake - i think i will have a park brake, so ordered the park brake valve and a button lock cable along with cable end hardware.
7 - Access Panel Kit - i am pretty certain that i will want to install the access panel kit in the forward upper fuselage skin, to save me laying on my back all the time.
8 - Steps - and i definitely wanted the step kit to help people get in and out.
9 - I added an addional trim bundle kit, as these are useful and i had run out.
10 - I added an extra coil of 3/8" soft aluminium fuel tube as i think i will need some practice in making the fuel lines.
11 - Instrument Panel - i was very surprised to find that the aeroplane does not come with an instrument panel. So i ordered 2 x left and right panels and 1 x centre panel. (this unfortunately comes with a hole for the jettison handle, but hopefully i put an instrument where this is located).
finally,
12 - Jettison Handle - i was SUPER suprised that the kit doesn't come with the canopy jettison handle
After i placed the order, I saw a post on VAF about how Van's had said in their presentation at OSH, they were going to release a kit for a remote mounted canopy release handle. This is an AWESOME idea, so i emailed Sterling who sent me a copy of the plans. This is a really neat install, and it ties in nicely with the power module install - so i am almost certain i am going to do this.
In addition to the above:
13 - Door Handle - i ordered and have already recieved a red anodised JD Air Canopy Latch
Shipping (hold on tight)
I was very pleasantly surprised to hear from Van's in October 2021, who advise my kit would be able to be crated in the middle of November. So i had to go and look for a good deal on shipping. Last time, through a connection at work, i got a very very cheap airfreight deal for the wings through Gibson Freight. I considered asking them again, but the freight prices and lack of airfreight space at the moment due to COVID was ridiculous.
So i contact the very affable James Fisher, from https://swishprojects.com.au/ to see if he had any containers coming to Australia. He is running an amazing business where he purchases a whole container of aircraft and engines from Zenith and Viking and brings them to Austrlia. He then sells them in Australian dollars (so no surprises or headaches) and even drives them to your house for you! (even the whole way across the country). He must love driving. He's in Melbourne just up the road from me.
He very happily allowed me to fit my fuselage crate into a container ready to ship early december, and coordinated everything with Zenith - which has blown out now to January 2022. As at the writing of this post, my fuselage has already been road freighted to Zenith and is waiting (hopefully safely) there to be put into James' container. Hope to see it soon..
Backorderd Parts
In a funny turn of events, there were some backordered items in my order. These included the brake master cylinders and both sets of rudder pedal powdercoated steel parts. There was also a few bags of hardware. Van's advised at the end of November (a few weeks after my fuselage crate had left), that the parts were in stock. At their own expense (i had to pay GST on arrival), they came via FedEx in a few days. So my back ordered parts arrived before the main part of the kit. :)
The packaging wasn't steller but no major damage.
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| No major damage. |
I thought i better inventory the kit, and almost everything was there - including a bolt which did not have a head formed on it! Never seen that before.
So now the search is on for a spanner to match the round head bolt!
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