I've had the same itch for a few years now.

Another +1 for going to OSH and attending the builder's workshops. You can get some firsthand experience and it's really neat.

Then you can walk around the experimental section and look at some completed versions, in person, and usually even sit in them. I did it last year.

I didn't like the process to get in and out of the RV14, which requires stepping down onto the seats with your shoes, but it's great once you're inside. The cabin on the Sling TSI was much smaller in-person than it appears on YouTube. I was glad I tried both on because before sitting in them I thought I really might want to build one of either. Now I'm not so sure.

Wrong time in my life to build anyways.

much like having kids - there is always going to be something making it the "wrong" time. If you wait for the "right time" pretty soon life will have passed you by.

Almost everyone I’ve known who successfully built an airplane was an engineer, a machinist, or someone with an extensive history of building complicated things.

In the other homebuilt hobby world, there’s a saying: before you build the boat that you’ll sail around the world, build a dinghy for it.

Oh, and a partially completed project is a terrible starting point for someone who’s never built an airplane. It’s probably a bad starting point for someone who’s never built that exact type before.

One more thing: Van used to say that airplane building takes a lot of time and it takes it from something you’re already doing. Before you start the kit, identify the activity you’ll give up for it.

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Stu, who started an RV-6 and an RV-8, then bought a flying RV-7.

I heard they don’t handle crosswinds as well, any insight on this?

I don't think this can be highlighted enough. If you can't say where the time will come from, you won't find the time.

A lot of good advice and to add some technicolor I am not worried about the skills needed to do the work. I grew up on a farm and have built several items from scratch and repaired things that probably should have been scrapped. However, I’m more concerned about the process and making a mistake which is why I mentioned the quick build route with supervision. I will try to get to OSH this year and check them out. I think this is good advice because they all look good on YouTube

You may consider a factory build assist program.
Arion Aircraft here on the field at SYI does full builder assist projects, there may be someone similar near you.
They essentially supervise and make sure you're doing it right and make sure you "build" 51% of it. Depending on the program the 51% can be pretty stretched, I've seen builder assist where the plane is done in a few weeks. They do most all of the prep work and menial labor and you do the physical rivets etc.
Not really the same experience as building it in your garage but it definitely has it's advantages (speed and guaranteed to be done correctly)

You'll make lots of mistakes. We all did.

Most of them you'll see as soon as you make them.
You'll find a lot when you go to put tab A into slot B and you start swearing because you find out you put in flange C upside down.
Some you'll find when you invite a factory rep or experienced builder of your type over for a beer and he looks for common mistakes in the type.
Some you'll find when you invite an EAA technical rep over for a beer and he looks for common mistakes in your particular fabrication method.
You can repeat the previous two steps as many times as you like.
The last few you'll find when you have the DAR over to give the final blessing.

You'll do all the work yourself, but you won't build it by yourself.

You may consider a factory build assist program.
Arion Aircraft here on the field at SYI does full builder assist projects, there may be someone similar near you.
They essentially supervise and make sure you're doing it right and make sure you "build" 51% of it. Depending on the program the 51% can be pretty stretched, I've seen builder assist where the plane is done in a few weeks. They do most all of the prep work and menial labor and you do the physical rivets etc.
Not really the same experience as building it in your garage but it definitely has it's advantages (speed and guaranteed to be done correctly)[/quote]

Thx Justin, that’s actually what I meant to say instead of quick build. That would work good for me at least for the first time. I would feel more confident in the plane knowing experts were keeping me on the right path

Van's sells a toolbox kit to practice your build skills before you work on your plane. There's one youtube builder out there who actually suggests buying 2, and by the time you're done with the second you'll really have decent sheet metal skills.

One of the advantages to the Vans line is that they are so ubiquitous that there is an insane amount of builder support out there, including builder assist centers. They have the tools, the space, and the expertise, and you go there to build your plane with experienced help.

If you want to have a Sling TSI and a data plate that says you built it but know absolutely nothing about it and have developed no new skills and I mean zero, zilch, nada, then do the factory assist program in Torrance, CA. The world has changed and not always for the better. Good luck.

The one thing I like about the Vans is the option for being a tail dragger. I have never flown one but would like to be able to land on a grass strip with out worry

Lots of good advice here. I am building because i enjoy building stuff as much as flying.
On a beautiful warm day/evening, flying wins, but here in colder dreary country, there are plenty of days where flying isn’t fun. building in a warm dry space is.

I looked at experimental planes for decades, trying to decide which type to build. I saved Berkut pictures and magazine articles for years. Got a test flight in a vans RV-6 thinking an RV-8 would be fun.

In the end, I settled on a low/slow simple tail dragger - Bearhawk LSA. there was plenty of work to do and a lot of new skills to learn. Airframe is a robust design, and it has a very low stall speed. I wanted a plane that if I lost an engine, I could get to the ground as slow as possible (without a parachute.)

The Bonanza is fast and hauls lots of stuff. the cub is just fun. The bearhawk will replace the cub when it’s done, but that will be some years away. i’m having too much fun in the build to rush things.

Example: making up cables for rudder pedals. didn’t like the tight clearance to the sidewall, so made up a new bracket for the rear pedal. better, but still not right. It took five iterations to get what i wanted but i'm happy with result. and making a small bracket five times with basic tools makes you really good. This is why i like building. If this story frustrates you, then building anything other than a highly refined quick build with assist may not be your best path. if, on the other hand, you find this kind of stuff fun and rewarding, then by all means go for it.

Oh, cost…

When i’m all done, i’ll have a plane comparable to a small engine super cub at a cost of about what it would take to buy a small engine super cub. building doesn’t save me any money. if i add in the cost of all the cool tools i get to buy, it gets ugly fast…

Heard this from one guy:
"I feel like I built two airplanes. One that actually flies, the other is the pile of scrap aluminum."