Like many Van's Aircraft experimental builders I'm on hold waiting for Van's to wrap up their chapter 11 bankruptcy and start shipping the Laser Cut (LC) part replacements in bulk. I feel so lucky that I had only 72 parts that need to be replaced and none of them were already installed. Just under half of my laser cut parts (33) are on Van's Red, Yellow or PURPLE lists and will be replaced at no charge. My remaining 39 laser cut parts fall into two categories. Either they are dimpled and attached to a skin or they are just crappy parts and I'm replacing them.
I had a total of 111 LC parts and many of them are absolutely fine. If they are NOT on Van's suggested replacement list or dimpled and attached to a skin I'm not replacing them unless they need lots of work to clean up and make serviceable.
While waiting for Van's to figure everything out I ordered 29 parts in three batches so I could keep building and I was so happy getting back to building it's not even funny. Yes, there are all kinds of small projects you can work on while waiting for your Van's bulk LC shipment but those small projects are not very rewarding.
One of my biggest decisions regarding the bankruptcy was canceling my Quick Build (QB) wings and likely forfeiting $1,650 of my $5,000 deposit. There is a $13,300 price difference between the new QB wings and slow build but this will allow me to complete a few mods and I really enjoy building. You know you are a sick puppy when you like working with tank sealant. As of now I have 43 laser cut parts outstanding and like most Van's builders I'm patiently waiting for Van's to acknowledge and complete my order.
PS Turns out my 1st order consisted of 11 RED parts. My 2nd order was 8 YELLOW and my recent order was 10 BLUE. I spent $421.51 on RED and YELLOW parts that I could have gotten for free if I was willing to stop building months ago. Furthermore, who knows when the rest of the LC parts will be sent by Van's. With a typical build time of 3-5 years, at 59 waiting wasn't wasn't an option.
Note: March 8th, 2024 Van sends the email I've been waiting to get for over a year. Van's has asked me to submit my Laser Cut replacement order!
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| My last order was 10 seat ribs $477.79 |
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2nd set of 8 parts arrive - PERFECT
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| Tail cone up out of the way |
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| The horizontal stabilizers new home |
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| Making tools... |
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| 1st batch of 11 replacement parts! |
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| Forward main spar looking good |
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Example of a bad Laser Cut Hole...
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