Is homebuilding right for me?

[Joe LaMantia]

This is a Great Thread!

I'm not a builder, but I'll add my 2 cents worth of advice. Having taken the "Introductory to Homebuilding" course with Sportair at Oshkosh can you answer this question? "What is the mission of this project?".
Based on your opening statement, quoted below, I get the impression you've decided you want to be a builder first and foremost and want to start with something easy.

"This will be my first time home building an aircraft, and looking through the many kit aircrafts, I've settled oin the Vans RV-12. I've settled on the RV-12 because I like it's easy to assemble design and the fact that Vans now offer a Skyview panel".


Well, I have spent many hours looking at RV's and following Van's design and build philosophy. The RV-12 was designed for first time builders who wanted an LSA. People who have enough $ to buy a kit and want to fly this aircraft ASAP. It is designed to be easily built and meets the manufacturing standards for this segment. If you don't have a need for the LSA, (third-class medical) then your money is better spent on an RV-9/9A. The dollar difference when the whole project is completed will be minor and the aircraft performance will be "different" then the RV-12. You can have the fuel in the wings (where it is safer), without any modification or changes in the CG or structural integrity. As for engines you can mess with that up to 160HP and I think you'll find some fuel injected models with long flight records available. Yes this will burn more fuel, but if you don't need the LSA, is the lower fuel cost that big a deal?

If your really interested in building for the sake of building, then by all means take some Sportair workshops b/4 you start writing checks. Bill and Steve have given you some super advice, if you want to experiment get some hands-on experience b/4 you go out and screw around with an aircraft with a narrow CG range and a very light structure. One more thing, do you intend to sell this aircraft some day? If so, do you think you will be able to get more or less for "Experimental" version vs the factory E-LSA? Having said all this please answer the question, "What is my mission?", when I did that I found that for me flying a 40 year old "span can" is just fine.

Best of Luck on whatever you decide!

Joe

[FlyingRon]

Looks to me your proposal is going to have definite CG problems. Adding 13 pounds to the FWF and moving the fuel weight forward are going to move the CG substantially forward.