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Fuselage Ship Date
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:18 pm
by bmurrish
Yeah!!! I got my ship date from Van's. Looks like it will go out their door around Mar 13th. That gives me roughly 2 1/2 months to finish my wings and get a fuse jig build. I am a happy camper.
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:21 pm
by cjensen
that's awesome bill!! does it feel real yet? like a real airplane!
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 8:50 am
by captain_john
Congrats, Bill!
Inventory it well!
Inspect the welds closely. I had rejected two of mine, but they were replaced promptly by Van.
My guess is the sub contractor they have doing the weldments needed a little quality control check?
The replacements look GREAT!
CJ
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:43 pm
by Spike
For some reason I thought Van's did the welding themselves. No?
-- John
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:58 pm
by bmurrish
cjensen wrote:does it feel real yet? like a real airplane!
Like CJ says, that probably won't happen until I have something I can set my butt in.
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:27 pm
by Lorin Dueck
Bill,
If you want it to feel more real... You can always stetch your arms out wide, run around the house, and make airplane sounds!!
PS - Seriously -> Congrats!!
Keep poundin' them rivets - and soon it will be real
Lorin D.
9A Wings
(N194LD reserved)
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:34 pm
by bmurrish
Well Lorin, I actually did that when Thomas and I got our custom bent control sticks. Mine had guns and his didn't.
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 8:26 pm
by captain_john
Spike, I dunno for certain...
But I doubt it.
There is more to welding than buying a welder and hiring some guys to sling slag.
I would be suprised if it is an in house operation. Does anyone who has been there know for sure?
CJ
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 10:23 pm
by jim_geo
I don't think they weld their own parts. They send out parts such as ribs to be cryo formed from what I was told while on tour. I didn't see any welding area or ability to do much in the way of welding at the Vans factory. The bulk of work in house seems to be CNC cutting of sheet material and the associated hole punching and of course design. The factory is itself very impressive. In the office lobby there is a plaque with the 10,000th elevator control horn set manufatured by a company in or around Portland and given to Van as a "Thankyou for your business" they're chrome plated no less. It doesn't surprise me that there would be many places to sub out to for quality aeronautical related work. Northern Oregon is very much in the Boeing footprint.
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:28 pm
by 4kilo
My fuselage is scheduled to ship the week of March 20.
I'm right behind you Bill.
Pat
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:55 pm
by tshort
I just got my ship date .... AUGUST!
It's that special QB thing...
That gives me plenty of time to finish the shop, then the wings, and then to save the cash to pay off the QB!
Thomas
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:41 pm
by bmurrish
Don't sweat it T, before you know it we'll be diving in the tropics.
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:44 am
by captain_john
Count me in on the dive!!!
...and the ship dates are always off. Stuff usually come early!
CJ
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:43 am
by bmurrish
captain_john wrote:Count me in on the dive!!!
Cool CJ, I'm sure T's friends won't mind a few more divers. Heck, we're pilots after all.
Diving
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 2:52 am
by aparchment
Got room for another diver?
As soon as this sucker is done I am going to do both the Cayman Caravan and the Turks and Caicos islands. I love diving Cayman but have not been to the Turks.
Too bad Bonaire is so far away.
Antony