W h a t o ur M e m b e r s a r e B uil d in g
Rob's RVX, ready to fy.
X Marks the Spot!
A "combo" RV
By Rob "Smokey" Ray
What do get when you cross an RV-4 with an RV-6?
The RVX, as I call it! Over the past 20 years I have
been privileged to help build and rebuild three marvelous personal aircraft. Markedly different, but marvelous nonetheless.
Krueger and Ken Scott agreed when they built their mini
masterpiece, the KK-1. The Onex and Thatcher CX4 all
follow this concept.
High Admission Price
Why build the X? Mainly to practice what I was preaching and get a cool airplane out of the deal—a low-cost,
fun, efficient airplane. Building a viable, efficient, and fun
personal machine for low dollars isn't a new idea. Bernard
Pietenpol originated the concept, John Thorp perfected it,
and Dick Van Grunsven, John Monnett, and others have
refined it. So how can you keep costs low, performance
high, and investment sound in today's economy? Answer:
Scrounge! Yes, you have to shop around, search for used
items for some things, new for others, lower your sights on
expensive things, and get back to basics.
In recent years I have noticed a trend. The rise in the
cost of aircraft is double what I spent in 1996 dollars to
finish my RV-4. Some instrument panels cost more than
my airplane! My HR2 was a rebuild and a wonderful
airplane but with a healthy appetite and costly support
structure. Flying has to become less expensive, or it
will simply become a luxury of the wealthy. Having lived
in Japan and having seen its version of GA, or the lack
thereof, I can assure you the alternative is gloomy. Ken
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The Mission?