@ccarlson wrote:
The following questions (rhetorical, really) give me great pause:
If laser cut parts are truly okay, and the only issue was QC with a specific vendor, why did Van’s stop producing them instead of just addressing the QC issue?
Sadly it’s way worse than that. If this was a single vender issue, caused by a programming change, why is nobody saying they have a “good” laser cut part? More importantly, why did they not identify and correct the issue a year ago when it was brought to light? Extremely disturbing stuff.
LeSving wrote:
. A finished RV will easily represent a value of €100k and up on the market for instance.
With the laser cut parts buried somewhere in the structure it will easily represent a value of zero + whatever you get for the avionics + the fuel in the tanks. The builder will be “doomed” to fly it until the end of times. Not that bad a fate considering they are still very nice aircraft, and with a bit of monitoring the actual risk may be manageable, but a buyer who has alternatives probably won’t touch them.
There have been fatal RV accidents while “maneuvering” at very low level. If there is any possibility that there were laser cut parts in the aircraft, some lawyer will argue that was why the wing came off when it hit the power cable.
(When the Prowler and Mirage hit chairlift cables they landed safely.)
Vans recently put out this video 
It’s starting to get interesting. Lots of people on VAF stating they are going to return parts or whole kits to Van’s for a refund. Of course VAF is deleting most of those posts. For some reason I feel this is just the beginning. Sad to see so many ruined dreams over Van’s reckless decisions.
Yes, things are heating up… and I’ll repeat here the text of one of my deleted posts: Vans is now running a war of attrition.
Quite a few people in my area are also affected. Vans is in total communication silence, and there are probably hundreds of builders now in the hold… imagine yourself having dreamed about that RV of yours, knowing you would put all your pride in the workmanship, saving or maybe borrowing to buy that kit, and now…
The ones with quickbuilt kits are the worst ones off. The more so in EU. Vans mentioned repairing those kits, which most buyers will refuse. Another problem is who will (or rather not…) cover the shipping and tax costs…
Quite a few open ends…
I think most people have been through all the phases by now. You know, denial, anger etc etc Some will never get over it of course, but most will. Then they realize it’s only one way forward, and that is together with Vans.
@LeSving wrote:
I think most people have been through all the phases by now. You know, denial, anger etc etc Some will never get over it of course, but most will. Then they realize it’s only one way forward, and that is together with Vans.
Most will not finish their project even without the 3+ year delay. Now there will be a few that are not going to finish as a direct result of these delays and loss of trust in Van’s. One thing is for certain, that is all of the people who are not going to finish are going to blame Van’s. Obviously that isn’t necessarily fair but it is going to happen.
Van’s has gone completely quiet re solving the LCP problem. People have sent queries to multiple addresses to the company for weeks, no answer, just nothing. Latest official update from the company dated October 8, 2023.
Now, following multiple deletions of posts, VAF’s owner demonstrates that there are different ways to rule a site…
Thanks @Peter for having this site as it is
Dan wrote:
Thanks Peter for having this site as it is
Indeed!
It’s a bit disconcerting when the forum owner calls members “guests” in “his virtual living room” rather than contributors.
