Stjohn's RV-7

4 hours.
Ahh, the excitement of inventory! Most of this was done last thursday, after the kit arrived, but I procrastinated a little when it came to all those little bags of parts and hardware. I was unsure how to do this at first. The packing list seems to reference all the sub-sub-subkits, so you get a lot of the same hardware in several different bags. Do I organize a particular fiddly bit based on its relation to the kit, like Van’s packing list or do I just file everything in its appropriate drawer based on AN/NAS number? I went with AN/NAS number, because the packing list is the only place where the relation to the kit is mentioned. The manual and the plans don’t care. So I bought some stacking hardware drawers from HD and started labeling. It sits well with me. The plans call stuff out and I know which drawer to open. it’s good, and I’m sticking to it. it also has the added benefit of letting me know when I need to order more of something. I’ve already cannibalized a couple of plastic bushings for the wiring of the HS trim servo. You actually get two packing lists. One itemizes the total contents, listing the bags of hardware, the other itemizes all the bags of hardware. So my system is this:
1. Check off the parts and bags of parts on the first list.
2. Check off the contents of each bag on the second list
a: put parts in appropriate drawer
b: mark bag off on list and throw bag away.
Anal, yes, but I realized that the number one time-waster on this project (besides blowing it off and raging about town with my friends) is the act of looking high and low for something that should be in a well-marked and easily accessable place, all the time, every time. Same goes for tools, but I’m trying to keep everything I need for a day’s work in a big Stanley toolbox and only go for the rollaway when it’s time to do some specialty work. The fewer places I have to search, the faster this project will get done.

Here’s an overhead shot of the canoe. For most of the inventory, I was able to sit in the pilot’s seat and mark off the packing list. Not nearly as comfortable without seats, these RV’s.