The construction of my RV-14A began with the order for the tail cone kit from Van’s in August 2020.
I spent the first three years building alone, at home in Founex, in my two-car garage.
My wife, Sandra, and a few friends assisted me with specific operations, such as parts inventory, riveting, and threading into the tail cone.
This build is a “Slow Built” because I wanted to experience every step of the manufacturing process.
Furthermore, I also treated all the aluminium parts with Diatex two-component primer. I must say that the steps I was most worried about, such as the fuel tanks and the canopy, are the ones where I encountered the fewest problems, certainly because I had specially prepared and documented them.
For the last two years, Gérald, a friend from LSGP, who maintains the Antonov, joined me about one day a week.
Following the advice of my Builder Advisor, Laurent Calame, I painted the aircraft as it was built in my body shop in Geneva, and everything was done in the paint oven and sprayed by Carlos,  a professional painter.
The Avionic part came from Steinair, and I received help from a professional, Didier Perrenoud, for the connections and configurations. I gained a lot in quality and confidence with his invaluable assistance.
The estimated time for this build is given by Van’S at around 2,800 hours, and if I add up my hours, those of the painter, and external helpers, we’re roughly in that range. Add to that almost as much time spent on the internet.
Since I’m based at LSGP (La Côte) with a PA28 and live nearby, it made sense for me to finish assembling the aircraft on site and conduct the tests from my final base. The first flight took place on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at La Côte, with Laurent Calame at the controls, and then I flew a few laps.
No problems to report, and it was certainly thanks to all the help and advice I received from my friends at the EAS and the thoroughness of their final inspections.
At no point did I regret the choice of my aircraft, nor that of the manufacturer, although there was a bit of stress when Van’s was placed under Chapter 11. But in the end, they are still there and have delivered everything that was ordered.

HB-YOT Blog: https://www.hotel-oscar-tango.com

Bernard Thuner