Sling in Burlington, ON

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_harolde
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:39 pm
Location: Milton, Ontario

Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by _harolde »

Hi all,

Been looking at starting a build in the next year, once the pandemic has eased pressure on the paycheque. I have been considering the RV-14A or the Sling TSi to be built at or near CZBA (Burlington, Ontario).

I have joined the local EAA chapter and there seems to be a lot of RV-14's and a few other builds but no Sling yet.

I lean towards the TSI but I worry about the lack of local knowledge. While I appreciate it's a growing community this forum isn't super busy yet.

Has anyone had issues where these factors negatively impacted their build?

Thanks in advance for any information you can share.
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ibgarrett
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Location: Westminster CO
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Re: Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by ibgarrett »

Welcome to the group.

The Sling community is rather small now only because it is rather new. When I chose to build the Sling I would have been the first person in my region to build one, but one of the builders moved mid-build to my area and we have connected to fly and I help out when I can.

I'm not sure I would let the lack of Sling builders in your area sway you away from building one. The online community is quite strong and help isn't very far away here. The RV-14A and the SlingTsi are quite different airplanes (2 vs. 4 seat, Lycoming vs. Rotax, Buck rivets vs. pulled rivets), so some of this would depend upon what your mission is - primarily with the available space. If you are only looking for a 2 seater then the RV14 is probably the best plane. But if you are needing/wanting a 4 seater, then the closer comparison would be the RV10 to the SlingTsi.

If you haven't flown the Tsi - it's VERY crisp and nimble. I flew another one this past weekend and realized how I'm going to need a little extra time to get used to how crisp the controls are vs. a Cessna.

Either way - the one thing that both airplanes probably are experiencing right now is very long delivery times. If you put your order in now it is unlikely you will get the kit before next year. I put my Tsi order in last September and I "might" get mine by late May of this year - and my order got bumped up.

Either way - absolutely best of luck in the process. Both are great planes.
Brian Garrett
_harolde
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:39 pm
Location: Milton, Ontario

Re: Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by _harolde »

Thanks Brian!

I currently have a P35 Bonanza partnership which I would be keeping, but I rarely ever need more then 2 seats anyways. This is more so I can have something just for me that I can use/design/setup to my preferences.

Prior to the pandemic I was ready to order the RV-14 but decided to wait to see what the impact was. I know the RV-10 matches the seats but it's not something I am interested in for a build.

Due to the impact on my career/income I suspect it will be at least 6 months before I feel comfortable ordering and I will deal with the wait times that result from that.

With the downtime of wait, I found more and more that I liked about the Sling TSi and probably will go that direction. I have watched tons of build videos and flight videos and it seems like it would suit me well.

The pulled rivets vs bucked is a big part of the argument for me, as I prefer to not have to rely on having someone available to help with the areas that need two people to do it.

Did you order the whole kit at once, and if so was that part of the delay (pandemic notwithstanding)? I will definitely be doing it section by section.
Cyrus
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:38 am
Location: KTIX, Cocoa, FL

Re: Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by Cyrus »

Welcome! I was comparing the RV-10 and TSi, but made the decision to build a Sling base on a few different factors:
Pulled vs Bucked rivets - not a deal breaker, and on an RV, you can (mostly) do it without a helper, but I can still pull 10x faster than I can buck, and they're perfect every time. I assembled the flaps in less than an hour (not including all the prep, total time was nearly 15)
Price - once you start pricing out options on an RV, or stuff not included in the kit, it's a wash. Why would I choose a less-complete kit for my first build?

You're spot on about lack of local support (right now) - everyone from my local EAA chapter wants to learn about the Sling, and no one has experience. However, I now have a few RV guys that pitch in and offer advise, plus the online Sling community, I feel well supported.

Kit lead times can be an issue, but as long as you plan ahead, they're not too bad. I say that as I'm waiting for a few ribs from SA, and have no idea when they'll arrive. :?
Cyrus
Sling TSi in progress.
_harolde
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:39 pm
Location: Milton, Ontario

Re: Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by _harolde »

Thanks Cyrus.

I think that is likely here too, other builders will be curious and they will be happy to lend some advice when necessary.

As the aircraft continues to be built the online community should continue to grow as well.

Now the waiting game starts, until I can confidently place my order.
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msejourne
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Re: Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by msejourne »

Welcome to the group! I also plan to build one next summer, and it will most likely be the 1st one in Canada... The Sling High Wing in the Ottawa area.
_harolde
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:39 pm
Location: Milton, Ontario

Re: Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by _harolde »

We used to live in Ottawa.

What airport are you planning for a home base once you get to that stage?
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msejourne
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Re: Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by msejourne »

Gatineau or Carp
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ibgarrett
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Re: Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by ibgarrett »

_harolde wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:02 am Thanks Brian!

Did you order the whole kit at once, and if so was that part of the delay (pandemic notwithstanding)? I will definitely be doing it section by section.
Sorry for the delay on the response. There is a discount when you buy the whole thing at once, so I went ahead and pulled the big trigger. I'm really glad I did it that way given the lead times for all the big parts.

Vans just put out a video this past week talking about their delays given the pandemic and all of their quick build kits went to greater than 12 months lead time with their slow build being 8 to 10 months or so. IMHO I'd rather have all the parts sitting here staring me in the face vs. having to time my next order so the parts arrived about the time I needed them given the completion of the current item I'm constructing.

Engine and avionics aren't any better. I'm hearing 12 months for the Rotax engines and 7 months or more for the Garmin panels. I'm likely to pull the triggers sooner rather than later on those items for the same reasons. My kit should arrive late May/early June which should give me an idea of how much I can get done by the time Osh is around and then I'm going to hit up the folks at the show to see if I can get a better idea on delivery times and if not order them at that time. (come onnnnn show discount!).
Brian Garrett
kkim1972
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 12:08 pm
Location: Vancouver Canada

Re: Sling in Burlington, ON

Post by kkim1972 »

Congrats ibgarrett. I am in Vancouver Canada, and I plan to order the tail kit for evaluating and also because I am hoping that the tail kit may deliver earlier than the complete kit. How is the payment schedule structured? 10% down at the order, and the rest at the shipping notice?
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