Building Stats

As of September 2008:  I was shocked to see I'm up to 2700 hours on the project.  It'll be 3000 by the time I'm finished.  Twice as many hours as I initially thought it would be.  I really picked up the pace in December 2007 when I practically doubled my hours per month.  This moved my average up to almost 50 per month.  I lost July 08 because of a long family vacation. 

Clearly, my productivity is nothing to brag about.  But what can you do?  Everyone goes at their own page.  When building an airplane, obviously you want to build at a pace that is comfortable to you. 

Month	Hours Worked		Year Total	Cumulative	Average
Jan 04	6
Feb 04	49	1		49	49
Mar 04	35.5	2		84.5	42.3
Apr 04	37	3		121.5	40.5
May 04	38.5	4		160	40.0
Jun 04	45.5	5		205.5	41.1
Jul 04	28.5	6		234	39.0
Aug 04	32.5	7		266.5	38.1
Sep 04	38.3	8		304.8	38.1
Oct 04	52.5	9		357.3	39.7
Nov 04	24	10		381.3	38.1
Dec 04	46.5	11	427.8	427.8	38.9
Jan 05	96.5	12		524.3	43.7
Feb 05	53.5	13		577.8	44.4
Mar 05	32.5	14		610.3	43.6
Apr 05	29	15		639.3	42.6
May 05	14	16		653.3	40.8
Jun 05	50.5	17		703.8	41.4
Jul 05	29.5	18		733.3	40.7
Aug 05	45.5	19		778.8	41.0
Sep 05	21.5	20		800.3	40.0
Oct 05	37	21		837.3	39.9
Nov 05	44	22		881.3	40.1
Dec 05	93.5	23	547	974.8	42.4
Jan 06	86	24		1060.8	44.2
Feb 06	72.5	25		1133.3	45.3
Mar 06	49.5	26		1182.8	45.5
Apr 06	32.5	27		1215.3	45.0
May 06	37	28		1252.3	44.7
Jun 06	0	29		1252.3	43.2
Jul 06	4	30		1256.3	41.9
Aug 06	39	31		1295.3	41.8
Sep 06	25	32		1320.3	41.3
Oct 06	65	33		1385.3	42.0
Nov 06	48.5	34		1433.8	42.2
Dec 06	43	35	502	1476.8	42.2
Jan 07	69.5	36		1546.3	43.0
Feb 07	45.5	37		1591.8	43.0
Mar 07	70	38		1661.8	43.7
Apr 07	41.5	39		1703.3	43.7
May 07	50	40		1753.3	43.8
Jun 07	44	41		1797.3	43.8
Jul 07	67.5	42		1864.8	44.4
Aug 07	37.5	43		1902.3	44.2
Sep 07	46.5	44		1948.8	44.3
Oct 07	34	45		1982.8	44.1
Nov 07	55.5	46		2038.3	44.3
Dec 07	93.5	47	655	2131.8	45.4
Jan 08	91	48		2222.8	46.3
Feb 08	74	49		2296.8	46.9
Mar 08	90.5	50		2387.3	47.7
Apr 08	91	51		2478.3	48.6
May 08	85.5	52		2563.8	49.3
Jun 08	47	53		2610.8	49.3
Jul 08	13	54		2623.8	48.6
Aug 08	77.5	55	569.5	2701.3	49.1

As of 1 January 2007:

I havn't looked at the stats in a while.  I've been working on the project three years now.  Almost 1500 hours actual building time.  Roughly 500 a year.  I average a little over 40 hours a month.  I definitely get more hours in during the winter months.  The Oregon Trail trip in June cost me about two months. 

I'm hoping to average 60-70 hours during 2007 which would put me over 2,000 hours total and perhaps completion.

As of March 2005

I worked on the RV over 450 hours in the first year.  Which surprised me.  That's a lot of time for a couch potato like me.  The bad news -- given that only the empennage and left wing are done -- is that I have a long way to go.  My numbers for the empennage and one wing are close to Dan Checkoway's.  So I'm going to use his numbers as a yardstick for the entire airplane.  The airframe took him 1200 hours and the powerplant, avionics and miscellaneous items took another 800.  I doubt if it will take me any less time than he.  Probably more, since I know he worked more efficiently than I do, or will.  Even so, figure about 2000 hours total, which means at my current rate, I have another three years at least to go.  That's OK.  I enjoy the building process, I'm learning every step of the way, and I have a plane I can fly -- the Citabria.  That said, I can't wait to fly my RV!