February 20, 2020.  Issue #5,023.
  Of note:  The Mothership has (7) open employment positions.  A/C Systems and Structure Assembler, TIG Welder, CNC Punch Press Operator, Drafter/Technical Writer, Engineer, Sustaining Engineer and Manufacturing Engineer (link FMI).
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

"Buck's" replacement comes home ...Av8safe

Well, the story finally comes to a happy conclusion, as I returned home on Friday with my new RV-7 to replace the one I had a deer strike with in November.

This gem was crafted by a retired orthopedic surgeon who was an electrical engineer before he went on to medical school. Roger is now 86 years young and slowing down a bit...I am honored to become the new steward of his fine work.

Many thanks to those in this community who helped me along the way. Especially thankful to DR for putting my story front and center when I first shared it on the forum. [ed. My pleasure Sir! dr]  That lead to Oly Olson reaching out and helping facilitate the match, thanks Oly. Then there is Vic, who came out for a second time to do the pre-buy. You cannot help but be impressed with Vic and his passion for safety and this sport. Finally, thanks to my friend Terry who was with me when I took out the deer (and first RV) for agreeing to come down again and fly off my insurance familiarization with me.

Beautiful weather Friday in the Midwest for the solo flight home...but a tad chilly even for a Minnesota guy! Went up today to do some pattern work and still smiling as I make this post!

Now it's time to learn some more about this beautiful bird and make some great memories.

Mitch

RV Flight Time-lapse Video ...Michael Jensen RV-7A

Heres another time-lapse of a recent flight to get some cheap gas. Filmed with the GoPro Hero 8 and undistorted in post.

Bonus points to anyone that can guess the airports.

Build Update ...Todd N. RV-14A

Rudder assembly Part 2b
I put a strip of painter's tape down the trailing edge then labeled the holes 1 through 10 and then repeating. I also taped the edges of my back riveting plate to avoid scratching, even though I have already rounded them off and polished them.

Now for the task I had been apprehensive about. I loaded the holes with rivets, applied rivet tape and flipped it over. Starting in the center, I partially set every tenth rivet following the instructions in Section 5. After the first few, I started to get the hang of the process, starting perpendicular to the back rivet plate, then smoothly pivoting to perpendicular to the trailing edge wedge in one motion. After each round of rivets, I eyeballed the trailing edge to ensure it didn't start creeping out of straightness. So far so good.

After getting all the rivets 90% set, I went back over the trailing edge and finished setting them in the same every-tenth pattern, checking for straightness along the way. I ran my fingers along the rivet line, finishing any that felt like they were proud of the surface more than others. The final results turned out better than I expected. I suspect the tank sealant and the leisurely cure time helped keep everything together well during the riveting. Nothing shifted at all. Any tank sealant that squeezed out was cleaned up with acetone, and the rudder was put on the shelf with the other mostly-completed parts. On to priming the elevator and tailcone parts and waiting for spring. In the meantime I am starting on a PVC tubing spray booth in the garage.

My RV Weekend ...Flash

Quick 3 ship run for petrol to Lago Vista on a beautiful day! Only bad thing was no pics of the photo ship!

February 19, 2020.  Issue #5,022. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

My RV Weekend: Max's Glider Rating  ...RV8Squaz

Then

Now

Garmin Pilot v10.0 ...announced.

Below are a few highlights:

• With the latest Garmin Pilot upgrade, pilots experience a near-seamless transition between Garmin avionics and the Garmin Pilot app when performing common functions
• Pilots now have the option to load or activate departures, arrivals and instrument approach procedures within the Americas
• Using the vertical planning feature within Garmin Pilot, pilots can more easily input and adhere to crossing restrictions in a flight plan
• The new visual procedure selector allows pilots to simultaneously view departures, approaches or arrivals on a map alongside a flight plan so it's easier to visualize and select the most appropriate procedure
• Pilots now have the flexibility to easily build customized holding patterns within the app
• Route data packages within Garmin Pilot help ensure pilots have downloaded all of the data required for a flight plan
• The newest release of Garmin Pilot on Apple mobile devices is available immediately

Video: https://youtu.be/utQXERhBf_s

Panel Status ...kiljoy RV-14

Why we have engine monitors ...douglassmt

I haven't posted in a while but thought this might be of interest. I fly an RV-10 Aerosport Power IO-540 with a slick mag and a Lightspeed Plasma III ignition. Everything has worked flawlessly for 1300 hours until a recent flight. I didn't notice the behavior when it first started but on a subsequent flight I was descending into my airport, lean of peak but still plenty of throttle, when I noticed the #6 EGT went into the yellow - high temp while all the others were normal. I downloaded the data and saw this:

Panel Milestone ...Bill Woods 7A

Arrived today, Got plenty wiring to do now. Steinair is the best.

My RV Weekend ...bruceh

Flew up to Santa Monica on Sunday to deliver some repaired wing tips. Got those installed, and we were interrupted by a pre-TFR fly in of the Marine One (sans POTUS) and the backup helicopter, along with 3 Ospreys. It took forever for them to open up the field again for arrivals/departures. I was idling in the run up area for 30 minutes!

Pine Bluff, AR Formation Pics ...Mark Burns

Upcoming Webinar ...vic syracuse

Just a reminder that I will be giving another EAA RV maintenance webinar this coming Wednesday, Feb 19, at 7 PM CST. I will highlight some more areas, clarify some common questions from the last webinar, and discuss new issues not covered in the prior webinar. Hope to see you there!

February 18, 2020.  Issue #5,021. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

What did you do with your RV this Weekend (2/15-2/16) ...crabandy

I was fully planning on working on my master bath renovation project but, the wife needed her glasses at work and we were out of dishwasher tabs. Pie and I loaded up to deliver the glasses and stop by Wal-mart for dishwasher tabs. On the way out of Wal-mart I saw several familiar cars at Burger King for the 3ish coffee break. The hangar talkers usually meet at BK in the afternoon and Pie was able to score a couple "sympathy" dollars to buy a soda.

A little hangar talk along with mid 50's led to "I probably better stir the oil" and a .5 flight with Pie, calm winds and a greased on wheelie to finish it off.

Make sure to check your tire pressure! ...greg_gfeller

I feel the need to tell this story so others don't have to.

First of all a little context. I had been laid up with ankle surgery and had not flown for the past 3 months. My goal after being released to full weight bearing was to get my 12 back in the air before my condition inspection which expired February 1st and charge the Dynon back up battery so I could do the annual battery test. Excited to finally get back in the air on a clear cold January day I preflighted the plane, glanced at the tires (which always look low under the wheel pants and went flying). After getting the backup battery charged I returned to the airport and landed. Upon landing I noticed the plane decelerated faster than normal and taxied off the runway. While taxiing down the taxi way my plane made several 360 degree turns around my left main landing gear. I thought it was my brakes but instead it was my completely flat left main tire and I was grinding up and cracking my wheel pant. Laying on a cold frozen taxiway trying to remove my wheel pant was a total pain, but finally got it removed. Since I didn't have any appropriate way to jack up the wheel and was blocking the taxiway I was lucky the airport staff was able to assist me lifting the wing by the handhold on the end of the wing while I shoved a dolly underneath the flat wheel. Wasn't at all keen on how we lifted the airplane but all went well and towed the airplane back to the hangar. Turns out I spun the tube. So after a new tube, some fiberglass repair and color matched paint I am back in the air. It would have so much easier to lay on the cold hangar floor and check tire pressure before the flight!

Turner Billingsley's RV-14A Power Module

...Van's part #AV-500003)

IAS Error ...RV7A Flyer

Flying next to a friend in his new-to-him RV-6A (I believe he has an O-320 FP prop), I asked why we were going so damned slow...I was showing 100-110 KIAS, and he was showing 20 knots or greater *higher*. I *know* my airspeed is correct, by comparison with numerous other RVs in formation flights, at all sorts of altitudes and power settings. So this is a problem with his airspeed. But what?

BOTH his mechanical ASI and his D-10A were showing the same IAS. He has just had a pitot/static/XPDR cert done and passed, but I know this won't detect installation error that can only be found in flight.

He performed some stalls in order to find the *indicated* stall speed, for safety of flight on T/O and LDG, and says he stalled at around 65-70 KIAS, clearly way too high.

What could cause this? FWIW, his static ports are flush rivets, but I've only heard of problems with flush rivets causing an IAS that is too *low*, and it's almost impossible to think of an installation error with the *pitot* tube that would make it read that high.

Anyway, looking for troubleshooting advice to help out a buddy...TIA!

 

Upcoming Webinar ...vic syracuse

Just a reminder that I will be giving another EAA RV maintenance webinar this coming Wednesday, Feb 19, at 7 PM CST. I will highlight some more areas, clarify some common questions from the last webinar, and discuss new issues not covered in the prior webinar. Hope to see you there!

New Guy: Initial Contact ...Gregg Larson (Canton, GA)

I'm just beginning my RV 7A build, though I purchased a second hand nearly completed empennage kit and wing kit. I'm looking for someone in my area who might be interested in being a mentor for me as I get started.

Trial Fit ...David Paule -3B

The aft deck needs three holes cut in it for access or lightening or something. The location of those depends on where the horizontal stabilizer goes. With the aft deck clecoed to the longerons, I pulled the stabilizer down from the rafters and clamped it into position. Except for fore and aft, I made no effort to align it. I even left the protective bubble-wrap on.

The forward flange of the inboard nose ribs on both sides are flush with the skin. These interfered with the aft top skin, the turtledeck. The interference was small, maybe .090 spanwise and perhaps 1/4 inch long, and just on the bottom of the stabilizer. I trimmed these with a Dremel and a sanding drum, finishing with a small fine file.

Later, talking with my mentor, I learned that this is common on RV-4s and Rockets, too.

After clamping the stabilizer in place I measured where the various mounting parts will have to go and took this photo.

While I was tempted to bring the vertical stabilizer down from the rafters and clamp it on, too, I refrained. We all know where that would lead: lining these parts up and hanging the elevators and rudder. One of these days, but not today. Instead, I put the horizontal stabilizer back up in the rafters for now.

February 17, 2020.  Issue #5,021.
  This past Friday I was offered a part time right seat gig a couple mornings a week at a local DFW simulator in their Embraer Phenom 100/300 program.  Maybe the occasional evening.  This to aid in my lifelong quest for continuous family food and shelter, and hopefully some retirement.  So this will be concurrently-running job #3 (VAF 80%, PC-12NG side work 5%, Sim 15%).  The life of a self employed person is never dull <g>.
  The second 'interview' was 0700 Friday in the sim complete with V1 cut and ILS - managed not to embarrass myself too badly (first V1 cut in a modern sim).  Exciting stuff!  The Caravan side jobs last year laid great groundwork.
  If I'm honest, our family's RV-6 glass panel really did help prepare me for this - a LOT of that Phenom panel felt very familiar.  I thought he was crazy when two years ago a friend said if that I got my instrument and commercial in my RV I could easily get side work.  I guess all this is food for thought if you're living in the movie 'Office Space' like I was back in the day.  I very much did use my RV, which I thought was a hobby for years and years, as a vehicle to take a sort of career side tangent.  Another unintended consequence of getting into the world's greatest hobby!!!  You never know where RVs will lead ;^).
  This sim side gig should not affect VAF in any way, but it will give me possible side work opportunities down the road (you can 'cash in' 80 sim sessions for a PIC type rating).  Self-employed long enough to jump at those things that reduce financial and career risk.  Grateful and Blessed.  Grateful and Blessed.
  Hope you had a wonderful RV weekend. 
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Ready for First Engine Start ...kbalch

Ready for the first engine start yesterday. Inspection is scheduled for next week (2/20).

Trek to Nogales - More AZ Flying ...Capt Sandy

Ahoy VAF'ers!
More Arizona fun! Roy and I heard from a (Cessna pilot) friend that its an easy trek across the border to Nogales. The possibility of finding good street tacos appealed, so we headed that way.
Very fun to fly by Kit Peak observatory.
There's no courtesy car at the Nogales airport. I negotiated a round trip taxi fare. There is a circle drive where folks are dropped off and picked up at the border crossing (lots of shuttle buses to Tucson). Super easy to walk across the border - in fact no one looked at our passports.
We walked around town, did a little shopping, and found a terrific restaurant for lunch. We did not get tacos. Always a good sign when we are the only gringos in the place.
Lunch for both of us was $12 (plus tip)
Purchased two Mexican "hoodies" $20
Taxi to and from $40
Fuel... well, let's swag $75 (round trip from Ajo)
Pretty close to a $100 hamburger, but tons more fun.
(Note - getting back to the U.S. was not so easy. Global Entry cards made it easier.)
On our way back we flew over a mine just south of Tucson, that was so huge, the entire state of Delaware would probably fit inside. There are many open pit mines in Arizona, but that was definitely one of the biggest we've seen.

Valentines Day ...crabandy

I know there's a thread around here somewhere about RV tools being used about the house but I couldn't find it.

We tend to avoid the crowds on V-day and cook at home. I destroyed the kitchen shears trimming fiberglass years ago.......Happy Valentines Day to all the significant others that put up with this airplane hobby!

RV-3B Status Report ...David Paule

Waiting for drywall compound, aka "mud," to dry means that I needed to find something else to do for a while. The F-319 (or it might be F-317 or F-318, it's called all of those. But on drawing 22, it's F-319) aft deck was cut out a while ago but not drilled for installation. It's intended to be riveted to the longerons and the F-309 bulkhead. On my plane, it'll be attached with screws so that I can remove it for access to the area.

I measured where the holes should be and marked some to avoid drilling until later, just in case the horizontal stabilizer blocks a portion. Then since the .040 aft deck was opaque and I couldn't verify the longerons under it, I overlaid a bit of that .030 Lexan that I'm using as patterns and transferred the hole locates to that. Placing it over the longerons, it was obvious that I needed to shift the hole locations just a bit outboard for better edge distance. No problem, since I could see exactly where to put them.

The .030 Lexan is sourced at McMaster. It comes with a matt plastic protective layer, much like the blue vinyl we enjoy so much, except that it's translucent. It easily holds the Sharpie marks and the sheet is stiff enough that It makes superb patterns.

Once the Lexan template was overlaid on the aft deck, I used my handy Verits optical hole punch to punch through the Lexan into the aft deck. The next step was to drill the holes to #50. Why #50? Because that's small enough that if necessary, I can walk the hole to a slightly better location, and also because a Sharpie just fits and I was able to mark the longerons with the hole locations.

Removing the aft deck, I checked the hole locations on the longerons and verified that they were acceptable. Then I pilot-drilled through both the aft deck and the longerons with a #4The large access holes still need to be made.

Dynon is Looking For People ...Dynon

We're growing!

Dynon currently has career opportunities available across the company.

Open positions include:
Software Engineer in Guidance, Navigation & Control
Software Development Engineer
Aircraft Mechanic
Avionics Repair Technician
Staff Accountant
Supply Chain Manager
Facilities Specialist   ...

RV-8 and the Day Off Work ...ArlingtonRV

Monday 2/10 was far too nice a day to spend at work, so I decided to call in healthy and go flying instead. It was the best day of the year, so far. We went to Richland for lunch, but took a different route. We went south to Monroe, Duvall, Carnation and past Snoqualmie Falls and followed I-90.

With all the rain we have had this year there was a lot of water on the ground in those areas. It turned out to be a really nice trip.

New optional kit: ACCESS PANEL KIT for 7/9/10/14 ...mothership

Hi All,

There's a new optional kit available to order form the Van's web store as of last night. We have several in stock now. It's called "ACCESS PANEL KIT" and is designed for use on the RV-7/9/10/14. It can be used during new construction, or as a retrofit installation (in which case you'll drill out two applicable rivets so you can fit the template).

The kit sells for $19.00, so let's face it, it's a freakin' bargain. Try that, certified world!

This particular kit was initially the work of our friend Joe Blank, who worked in technical support here at Van's and unfortunately passed away a few years ago. We were able to pick up his work and finish it off so we can share it with you.

This kit was created in response to customer desires/requests over the years. Our engineering team has worked recently to select and deliver a handful of these smaller enhancement requests when they can find a few cycles (and that doesn't happen often - did I mention we are hiring engineers?) with the goal of delivering options that people can choose from if they wish. Other recent examples include this kit, the cowl louvers kit, the AHARS mounting bracket kit, RV-12 step plugs and optional style throttle handle, etc. You'll find those on our web store in the "New Products" section.

What this kit does: Allows the builder to put a couple of access panels in the skin ahead of the windscreen, which can be removed in the event there's a need to get into the area between the firewall and the subpanel located at the back of the avionics bay. Some builders want this so they can get access without having to contort themselves upside down under the instrument panel while doing maintenance. You do need to use a sealant when installing the panels, so the primary tradeoffs here are easier access vs. the potential for leaks if not properly sealed when closed up.

The instructions page (OP-43) is linked from the kit's web store page, and that document should answer any questions you have about how one applies this kit and how the parts fit, etc. There are template instructions for each of the airplanes it applies to, all explained in the OP-43 document.

Again, this kit is designed for and includes templates for the RV-7/7A, RV-9/9A, RV-10, and RV-14/14A.

Mothership Closed Monday

February 14, 2020.  Issue #5,020.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend!
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

N1402 is Officially an Airplane! ...azflyer21

-814 Days (QB)
-Several Pints of Blood
-Gallons of Sweat
-Many Sleepless Nights
-Threw-in-the-towel (numerous times)
-Maybe even a few tears

100% satisfaction receiving my Airworthy Certificate!

Time to Build ...asw20c

I figure it's time to re-calibrate my expectations again. I'm building an RV14A slow-build, and currently have over 1100 hours expended, and I'm only just now getting close to finishing the wings. Granted I had to build the flaps twice and lost about 3 months doing so, but the Van's website says the modern matched-hole RV14 kit might take someone 1000-1300 hours to complete. Based on my experience so far, that is wildly optimistic. I consider myself a very careful builder, but not obsessive. In other words, I want everything to be airworthy, but gave up on perfect a long time ago. Mine will be a very capable aircraft (i.e. autopilot and fully IFR), but I'm not adding any capability that most other builders aren't. So far the only thing I've done that is "off plans" is installing the heated pitot with AOA, and yes, that ended up taking a lot more time than I would have guessed. I'm also priming everything that is interior to the aircraft, so I know that is adding to the build-time, but I figure it will be well worth the investment when I'm too old to fly anymore and it comes time to sell.
Looking ahead to what is left (fuselage, engine, avionics), and basing it on my progress to date, I'm guessing I will have at least 2000 hours or more before it leaves the ground. I'm even planning on leaving it unpainted until after it has been flying and all the bugs worked out so paint isn't factored into the build time. So, what's a realistic build time for the 14A? Just curious what other builders expended now that we have several 14s flying.
__________________
Empennage Complete Except for Tips
Wings Underway

Micro Consistency Update ...Trent Stewart

Thought i would update the thread with my massive learning curve - satisfying when i get a nice smooth surface though!

Erratic RPM sensor - Saga continues could it be the Lightspeed

Ok am so perplexed by this. I believe my RPM sensor is built into the Plasma II+ CDI with Direct Crank Sensor. Would that be correct. I haven't not been able to trace a RPM sensor anywhere else. I am running a Slick Mag and the Light speed. for the 4-500 hours my RPM gauge was spot on, now it has been slowly becoming more erratic, now bouncing between 0-3000 (it is def just just sensor/monitor, and not prop). It is wired through my GRT 4000 and and the GRT Horizon WS screens with the first problems showing at the GRT 4000. I have cleaned all the spark plug wires and thought that might have fixed it but to no avail. Now I am thinking it may be the Direct Crank sensor and a bad electrical lead (however the engine is running great and mag checks are normal).

What am I missing? Sometimes I hate electronics.

Jon
_________________
N122EF RV7A

Panel Porn

100% FAB'd center console upgrade for RV-4.  Randy Richmond's work on James Walsh RV-4 panel improvements.  Fuses inside...

click to enlarge

Mothership Closed Monday

Antenna Question ...asw20c

Q: I figure there are folks on this forum that understand antenna voodoo and can explain something that makes no sense to me. When I started on my slow-build wings, I knew that I wanted ground-based navaids as a backup for satellite navigation and approaches; i.e I wanted to be able to navigate by VOR and make ILS approaches if I had to. Stein was happy to sell me a Bob Archer VOR antenna that fits in the wingtip (pick one) that they said would do VOR navigation and ILS approaches.
Fast forward and I'm now at the stage where it is time to install the antenna. I did a quick internet search and found that VOR frequencies are 108-118 MHz, and the instructions that came with the antenna say it covers that range and more (I think 108-136MHz) so I know it is good for both VOR navigation as well as localizers. However glide slope frequencies are 329-335 MHz which clearly this antenna was not designed to receive.
I called Stein today to ask them about this and they said that if you have a modern navigator, like a GTN650, that it is able to sort out the localizer and glide slope frequencies from this one antenna and that they said other people have been using these same antennas with no complaints.
Can anyone explain this? Is there a misunderstanding between me and Stein? Can anyone here vouch for the fact that they have one of these antennas and can make an ILS approach? i.e. a PRECISION approach?

A: The Glide slope frequency is near the third harmonic of the localizer frequency and antennas perform fairly well on odd harmonics, an antenna designed for 108 to 118 MHz will also be useful on 329.3 to 335.0 MHz.
The ground based Glide Slope antenna beams most of the 40 watt signal toward the aircraft which is only about 5 miles away so it does not take much of an antenna to receive the signal.

A: As Don said, antennas that are resonant at half-wavelength are also resonant at 3/2, 5/2, etc., wavelengths, so they work well at 330 MHz. The 50 ohm matching network may be off a bit, but, as Don said, the GS is relatively strong. There are 1000's of flying airplanes with dipoles for 110 MHz up on their tails that also use the same antenna for 330 MHz GS. My SL30 doesn't even have a separate GS antenna input - it expects to use the nav antenna. BTW, I have an Archer in my wingtip, it works fine - vor, loc, and GS.

February 13, 2020.  Issue #5,019. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Engine Failure Video: RV-12 ...Felix1973

Hello fellow RV-12 pilots:

Yesterday I had an engine failure right after takeoff. I turned around, declared emergency and landed her safely. It was pretty scary though.

This happened at 300ft and all engine instruments were in green. I did do pre-flight and run-up and had no prior indication for that. Ambient temperature was 82 degrees with 70% humidity. I am running 93 auto-gas.

I uploaded a short video of that incident I would like to get your feedback, maybe anyone can determine from sound of the engine what kind of failure this may have been?

Thanks
Felix

Emergency tire repair in the boondocks????

Having a flat tire in an RV in an out-of-way place can be a nightmare...envisage no tools, no jacking equipment, no spare tube....and maybe no people prepared to provide assistance.

Is it possible that any of the current automotive tire repair kits could be used to fix a puncture temporarily so that the aircraft could be flown home or to an airfield where there is appropriate maintenance support. We're talking here about tires with tubes, which is what most of the RV fleet has.

Has anyone had success with any of the tire sealants such as Slime etc?

I'm interested in all comments on this subject.

My RV Weekend ...Roy Thoma

Sierra visited us in Ajp for the first time. Friday, when asked if she would like to fly over the mine to see it she said SURE! First time Sandy or I can remember her going for a flight "for fun" rather than to get somewhere.

Saturday I flew to Copperstate and had a nice time. The dirt parking lot was dusty, not rough. It was nice to say HI to Shane from uAvionics and Kevin from Tosten Manufacturing (aircraft stick grips). Nice low key show.

 

RV7 IO-360 M1B Engine Mount Query

Hello

I have the IO-360 M1B as supplied by Vans with the matching firewall forward kit and I am currently bolting up the engine to the mount. On the bottom 2 isolators and mounting lugs they are not sitting flat as the oil sump casting sticks out past the flat engine mounting face as you can see in the photo attached.

In my firewall forward kit I received the 4x isolator kits which each included a large flat washer which is under the head of all 4 bolts and mounts, and then separately with the engine mounting bolts in the Vans kit there were 2 slightly smaller diameter large washers included, as you can see in the second photo.

My thoughts are that I could use these 2 washers on the front side of the BOTTOM isolators to space the engine mounting lugs out and clear the sump casting .. but I am conscious I could be adding up-thrust by doing so.

What are you guys doing with this?

Thanks,
Jonathan

Houston area monthly lunch (February 2020)

The time cometh again. Aviator's Grill at DWH, this Saturday (15th), 11:30.  Last month we had a pretty good turnout - let's keep it going!

Panel Update

Progress slow due to the cold I had, some fam vehicle issues I'm working on fixing, the normal computer things and more.

Tony Kirk sent me an updated 507 mount pic slightly lowered to facilitate easier wiring.  Like it!  Maybe next week I can make a dent in the project some more - the Wx here has been lousy and cold for days (rain finally stopped Wed afternoon).  That hangar is cold.

February 12, 2020.  Issue #5,018. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Quick flight to the OR coast to see the king tides from the air...mill2978 RV-8

During a break in the clouds on Sunday AM I got a quick flight out the coast to see the surf. Density altitude was reporting at -2300ft, the Dirty Bird lept off the ground.

RV-10 Status Report ...andrewtac

Getting started, hopefully picture comes through

Tail Wheel Fairing Update ...lucaperazzolli

Hi everyone,

yesterday I finished the tests of the fairing and from now the company is ready to ship it.

First of all, I checked the first pre-production (X) - great in shape but a little too light. Strong but with vibration (0.22 lbs/100gr.)

I added some American Tape and vibration disappear.

Here the videos

Takeoff : https://youtu.be/JNRstSSjuxo
Gs and Vne : https://youtu.be/tUjjSdDzmeI
landing: https://youtu.be/G41yInZ0z6A

Then we added more layer to increase the weight and after some prototypes and flights, the right one is #2 wit a final weight of 0.35 lbs/158gr.).

Taken just prior to first flight ...leok

Keep workin'. Like getting old, one day you look up from the work bench and realize you are done!

I have 15 1/2 hours on the plane. It would be more if the weather would cooperate

Nice connector for stick wiring ...Draker

After some searching, I think I found a connector I'm happy with for wiring the Ray Allen grip on my -7's removable co-pilot stick. My requirements were:
Both male and female connectors to fit entirely inside the stick tube
At least 6 contacts
Locking
Reasonably weathertight

Enter the Switchcraft EN3 series. 6 soldered contacts, keyed so they fit one way, and locking. And everything fits right inside the stick grip.

February 11, 2020.  Issue #5,017. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Fresh Paint ...Aviaman 9A (KLOU, Louisville KY)

What RV For Me? (New Member)

Hey all,

Been lurking for a while and finally joined to start posting. Recently graduated college with my mechanical engineering degree and have started work. Im working on my private pilots license still so building may seem like a jump to some so let me explain.....I have always had a passion for DIY and building.I have pretty extensive experience restoring cars and building a wide array of things by hand (current project is the renovation of my first home). New and unknown things are a challenge I enjoy diving into and learning. As such I want to build my first plane to have the experience and learn. I am well connected in my local aviation community via my work (in aviation) and have several people who have built many planes to access for help and guidance. I wanted to come here to ask a few questions as I begin to gather and plan to start this project in the coming year or so. Below are my thoughts and points to consider for picking the right RV:

1) My general mission for the plane will be fast cross country, I live in Ohio and have friends in DC, Michigan, New Mexico, and Florida and want to make the time gap between us as small as possible, so speed is a strong desire. Most flights will be solo but I want the ability to take a passenger in relative comfort and still fit a bag for each of us for the weekend.

2) I plan to get my IFR rating after completing my private and I want the plane to be a good IFR platform and am looking for suggestions for avionics.

3)I plan to take 5-6 years to finish the plane

4) Obviously I will probably be pretty low hour when the RV is finished ~200-500 im guessing based on my plans to fly rentals available to me. So the RV I build needs to be friendly to someone without 1000s of hours.

5) I plan to buy the kits in succession, that is I plan to buy one kit and as I build it I will save for the next. So the air frame will be paid for when complete but I need to figure out financing to afford engine, avionics and prop. I am an engineer so I have some means but im not in a position to rock up to lycoming with 37k in cash for an engine.

So I am looking for advice on what RV is right, and then what Avionics, engine, and prop to pair with that RV to best fit my mission as well as advice on how you paid for your project.

Panel with Lighting Now ...Dave Ford

3D Audio Yaw Cues ...Vac

To avoid an unintentional loss of control, the pilot has to properly control AOA, sideslip and energy. Our basic tone logic addresses AOA and energy; so recently, we've begun experimenting with 3D (stereo) audio cuing to move the tone with the ball in the slip/skid indicator to provide yaw (sideslip) cues.

Turns out the human brain is remarkably good at picking out the direction that a sound comes from. In this case, the Gen 2 box uses EFIS input or internal accelerometers to measure yaw, and when yaw is present "slew" the sound of the tone to provide the same information as the ball, i.e., what rudder input is required to eliminate sideslip. To minimize sideslip, you "step on the tone" the same way you "step on the ball" to center it up.

This feature requires either a stereo ICS or stereo headphones with bluetooth capability. The gain (i.e., how much and how perceptibly the tone moves) is adjustable. Since I'm used to flying the tone, my preference is subtle, accurate cueing; but some folks might prefer more (or less) perceptible shift.

Here's a short video clip of the system in action (you have to use a stereo speakers/headset/ear buds to hear the tone shift): https://youtu.be/3HRWToFA0dM. In some of the video, it's not possible to see the actual ball in the EFIS display due to lighting conditions, however I'm flying down-sun and my shadow on the instrument panel is helpful as is noting the motion of the aircraft nose relative to the horizon.

Thoughts or comments on the yaw cuing logic are appreciated.

Cheers,

Vac

Fuel line - severe abrasion

A second owner aircraft. previous A&P inspection. flying for a couple of years. owner inspection found severe fuel injected fuel line wear abrasion. in true honesty, perhaps the best inspector is the guy behind the stick. not much time left for this hose.

Canopy Latch - Supertracks ...SuperCubDriver

I had the Supertracks Canopy Track Extension laying around for over a year now. My prop is removed for an overhaul so I thought this is a good time to do the installation.
It all went smooth however I'm missing a canopy latch to hold the canopy open a few inches during warm weather taxi, the one I had cannot be reused with the track extensions.
So I came up with two solutions, here is the one I finally realized:

I reamed the WD-644 canopy roller just a bit for a smooth inner hole. I then fabricated an aluminum slider which goes inside the canopy frame and is springloaded. It is hold in place with the AN525 screw and can slide a litle more than 1/8 of an inch. The slider is held in the up position with a springloaded round handle which locks itself in a small cutout in the canopy frame. Pulling the handle out a bit lets the slider pushed down by it's spring and a locking pin locks the canopy in a drilled hole to the C-657 Canopy Roller Track. The locking pin is actually a set screw and can be adjusted with an Allen key from the inside.

First Flight at Jay Pratt's RV Central

My RV Weekend

I flew my homeward commute on Friday afternoon in the Carolina ugliness that Catmandu mentioned in his post.

Preflight was interesting in the high wind. I had to think about which tiedown to leave for last so I could unhook it and scramble into the cockpit to get my feet on the brakes.

Fully moderate turbulence as forecast but it slackened a bit west of Winston (INT) which reduced the workload for about 15 minutes. It started picking back up as I approached the mountains. The Mt. Mitchell complex looked down right menacing. Dark. Rocks all the way into the shredded cloud overcast.

I hedged south of my normal route to distance myself from them. I've been severely banged around by that set of mountains before.

Landed with little fanfare. The AVL valley really guides the wind straight down the runway. Parked and plugged in the heater.

This morning, on the commute out I matched my highest groundspeed at 230 kts with a glass smooth tailwind. Not nearly as high as others have done but it did make me smile.
__________________
Bill Pendergrass

Panel PIREP ...RV10Man 9A

February 10, 2020.  Issue #5,016.
  Spent the weekend battling a monster cold and up to my eyeballs in computer hardware and software.  Yuck!  Making progress on both.  Hope you had a nice RV weekend.  I'm hoping to work on the RV-6 panel this week some.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

N84TH Flies! ...sapeloson

April 23rd, 2010 the tail kit for my RV8 arrived. After almost 10 years of building, she flew for the first time yesterday. Even though I have had my transition training and are quilified to fly her. I don't have the tailwheel experience nor the understaning of the intracacies of engine performance "should and should not's". Knowing I would have Vic Syracuse be the DAR, I had him come down a few years ago to make sure I was headed in the right direction.

Last month when I put in the paperwork for an inspection, I asked if he would be the "test pilot" for my maiden voyage, he agreed. Yesterday, I received my "airworthiness certificate" and Vic flew the plane. All was good! I plan to get a few more hours of training over the next few weeks and begin phase 1.

Huge shout out to Vic and "BaseLeg Aviation" for keeping me headed in the right direction!  ...

Dog Gone Good Day! ...petehowell

Saturday was cold and clear in America's favorite Twin Cities, so Bernie and I decided it might be a good time to turn liquid BTUs into decibels and fun. We even brought some friends along for the ride!  ...

RV-8 and the Day the Rain Ended (Briefly)...ArlingtonRV

It has been a really wet winter here in the upper left hand corner. Today was only the second day this year I have been able to fly. At that, I didn't think I would as it still didn't look very good, but Carl suggested we try and that turned out to be a good suggestion. Our original target turned out to be not practical, but an alternate presented itself along the way.

It was a bit gloomy looking getting back home, but it all worked out well.

What did you do with your RV this weekend (2/8 - 2/9'ish) ...SPX

So, what did you do with your RV this weekend? Flew it? Built some more of it? Just went to the airport to look at it? Let's hear it...

Me? I flew from my home airport (CRQ) to San Diego Brown Field (SDM) for the Young Eagles event. Flew two Young Eagles around San Diego, both who seemed to enjoy it very much, as did I. Everywhere I go, the RV attracts attention...

Flying the work airplane tomorrow, so that concludes my RV weekend. But, looking like two, possibly three RV flights coming up this week/next weekend, one of which will introduce a corporate pilot friend of mine to the RV. He thinks that he "might" want one. Who wants to take a bet on how long it'll be before he owns one??

Vlad's entry...

Catmandu...

humptybump...

RV Stories: Guil Barros and his RV-9A ...mothership vid

Status Report ...David Paule -3B

Mud on Foam
After some more work shaping the foam, I was ready to seal it. The main issue was that I'd shaped it a bit too far on the sides in the middle, losing some of the compound curvature that you ca see in the top center. I needed to build that up and fill in some gaps that remained in the foam mold.

Drywall compound is the answer. It allows a build-up, the consistency is the same across multiple layers and that avoids sanding discontinuities. Also, it's cheap and I didn't have to mix it. Normally, I would not permit this anywhere on the plane, but since this is a mold, not a flight part, it's okay here.

This is after I'd just started on the right side. Previously, I'd verified that the drywall compound will stick to the foam. I'm just using a yellow plastic epoxy squeegee for this instead of my drywall tools. They can't handle compound curves.

James Aircraft Update

James Aircraft, home of the Sam James Holy Cowl has had a tremendous year of change. Mark and I, Mike, purchased the company from Sam and Will James in February of last year. I thought it would be good to update everyone on what's been happening with the company since we acquired it.

Mark and I both have nothing but gratitude to both Sam and Will James whom we purchased the company from. They are awesome people and have been there for us any time we have called for help or just to chat. Sam is now officially retired and refurbishing his boat at his home in Florida. Will moved to Vermont and is enjoying a life of nature, cold weather, and snow.

After purchasing the company, we moved everything from Sam's place in Florida up to Maryland and set up a new shop. By the time this was accomplished we were well into May and sitting on a huge backlog of orders that had accumulated since well before we took over. This presented some extreme challenges for us. Sam and Will spent a week training us in Florida but we still had a lot of learning to do on the product manufacturing techniques and on accelerating production throughput. All this had to be accomplished while more orders continued coming in.

In our first six months we manufactured and shipped a large number of cowls, plenums, induction systems, and wheel pants to customers all over the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Our customers included builders of RV's, Mustang II, Glasstar, Glassair, Bearhawk, a variety of canards, Reno air racers, an air show performer and another kit manufacturer. With the help of our distributor's tech rep, we re-evaluated the resins and processes that we were using. One of the big changes that we made was to move from a very difficult to work with high temperature epoxy resin used on the plenums to a hard to find and obtain high temperature vinyl ester resin that retains the strength and heat characteristics while at the same time reducing weight and working viscosity. This helped significantly in wetting out the fabric and in improving product quality. It also lays the foundation for moving to vacuum infusion.

We have a number of changes and projects on our plate right now:
- We very quickly outgrew the relatively small space that we have been leasing in a large community hangar shared with a maintenance shop and aircraft owners. On March 1st we will be moving into our own substantially larger and fully insulated hangar which will house the business and our two RV's. While we may have to temporarily reduce our production volume during this move, the new facility will benefit us tremendously as we scale up our production volume.
- We are also collaborating with a couple builders in the design and development of a cowl for the RV14 and RV10. Computer aided design and simulation will be used during the development of these new products.
- We are sourcing new materials and resins to improve product quality and gain efficiencies in production.
- Several molds that we have been using need design improvements or are at the end of their useful life so we are making new molds that can be used for vacuum infusion of fiberglass and carbon fiber parts.
- We have plans to purchase a larger curing oven so that we properly ramp cure some of the resins we are moving to and also the ability to produce parts from carbon fiber prepreg.

At times we get an abundance of calls and emails which we try to get answered as quickly as possible. Please give us a ring back if you have not received a response from us in a reasonable time. It is difficult for us to break away while manufacturing parts so please leave us a message if you get our voicemail.

Thank you to all our customers and if you plan on becoming one please order them early in your build. There is currently about a six-month backlog in our production queue. We do not take any payment up front so it does not hurt to get your name on the production list as early as possible. We look forward to the future and to the opportunity to provide products that perform well and look great.

For more information please visit our website www.jamesaircraft.com

RV-8 25th Anniversary this year at OSH ...mothership

The RV-8 turns 25 years old this year, and Van's and EAA plan to work with members of the community to celebrate the anniversary at AirVenture in Oshkosh! Planning to fly your RV-8 to OSH this year? Sign up at this link to join in the celebration.

Note that when you're filling out the form if you see a reference to "RV-4" just double it and pretend it says "RV-8." That'll get fixed sometime soon.

We will announce events and plans here as they solidify.

This year will be the first one in many that we have had an RV-8 in our Van's booth. John Stahr plans to be at our booth his well-known and amazingly painted RV-8.

We look forward to seeing everyone there!

New RV-14A Build Site ...kbalch

While my project is nearly done (inspection scheduled for 2/20/20), I've only recently completed a build site for it. Prior to this, I've been posting photos to my personal Facebook page and sharing those posts with the Vans RV-14 group.

The URL is: RV-14a.com

Take a look; I hope it's of use to the many -14A builders still working on their projects.

Mounting a removable tablet in my 9A panel...MrNomad

I finally replaced my Lowrance with a Samsung tablet for ADSB In and Out using echoUAT, Avare, Garmin GTX 327, CMAX serial to Bluetooth, sniffing, wifi, Dynon 100, 180 & AP74.

I preferred a method which enabled me to remove the tablet after each flight for charging and update. Here's a pic.

Second, I prepared a WORD narrative during the gradual installation of ADSB. I am not an EE so lots of the jargon was foreign to me. As each step was accomplished, and as my understanding of the components improved, I constantly rewrote the narrative. Anyone with the same equipment who would like a copy of my narrative, PM me and I will send it out.

Flap motor arm cover ...Carl Froehlich

A good friend and RV-8A driver, Tom Doran, came up with this slick cover. It needs a #8 nutplate on the arm rest and a #6 nutplate on the rear seat bulkhead. It shares a #8 screw on the top aft of the side panel cover.

Attached is a template I used to make this out of 0.032" aluminum.  ...

February 7, 2020.  Issue #5,015.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Went Shopping 2 ...Vlad

Very recently I've moved. My village doesn't a grocery store residents usually drive to either Vernal or Green River WY to shop. I looked at the map checked the turbulence forecast and decided to fly to Lander KLND. Road to my airport was passable.  continue

SB 20-01-17 -- Safety Wire Engine Plugs (RV-12/12iS)

Van's has issued a short Service Bulletin, SB 20-01-17, which directs owners to safety-wire specific plugs on the Rotax engines used on the RV-12 and RV-12iS.

"The magnetic plug, oil pressure regulator plug, and oil tank drain plug on Rotax 912iS and 912ULS engines should be safety wired to prevent loosening."

We've also published the respective kit assembly instructions (KAI) pages, which now include the steps to safety-wire the plugs. The timeframe for execution of this service bulletin is at or before the next annual condition inspection (or next 100-hour inspection for RV-12s under a commercial 100-hour inspection program). This relatively simple set of steps to follow can be done when the engine cowling is off the aircraft.
For RV-12iS using Rotax 912iS engines, perform all steps on KAI page 46iS-11 to safety wire the engine plugs.
For RV-12iS using Rotax 912ULS engines, perform all steps on KAI page 46U-17 to safety wire the engine plugs.
For RV-12 using Rotax 912ULS engines, perform all steps on KAI page 46-22 to safety wire the engine plugs.

RV6A Dynon panel ...Zero4Zulu

I've been working on this RV6A rebuild on and off for many years. I mounted the Dynon HDX recessed in my panel with some custom machined brackets. Switch guards are my design and possible product for sale. Not sure whether that is worth while. Getting closer to flying this thing...

Seat Rail Advice ...rvanstory RV-10

Installing seat rails today. In the process I had 2 of the corner nut plates "bend" as I attempted to insert the screw to hold them down. Removing these is a little bit of a pain, not to mention the repair of the 2 corner nutplates which are in the worst possible position. Question.... Would you build on and simply have 2 missing screws (one out of left seat, one out of right seat), or would you take the time to replace? I'm leaning toward leaving as is, but thought I'd get others opinions first. Here's some pics...  more

Status Report

Slowly but surely Vlad.

February 6, 2020.  Issue #5,014.
  Friday's edition might be a couple hours delayed - I have an interview Thursday afternoon at a sim here in DFW to be a body-when-they-need-one if they have an odd number of students during dial-a-disaster sessions.  Throw the gear, read checklists, get 'em a new spoon if they drop theirs, etc.  Potential extra paper route $$$ and continued learning that the RV-6 started. 
  Haven't been on an interview in 27 years.  People still shake hands and smile, right?  Hope so. ;^)
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

From the vault. Smokey Ray in the 'X' (full size)

The Mystery of the Missing Brake Fluid ...bkervaski

Gang,

Last October during a taxi I noticed my brakes getting mushy.

Upon inspection, the brake reservoir was empty.

This is the Beringer brake system.

I check the brake fluid at least once per month and the last check, a few weeks prior during the annual, it was the normal 3/4 full.

Here's the mystery: Beyond one tiny drop on the reservoir connection there was no leaked break fluid anywhere. I checked everything. Every connector in the airplane, the entire path of the lines. Nothing. Just a small drop on the back end of the reservoir but nothing pooled up. No stains in the plane or on the hangar floor. Nothing.

I didn't post then because I wanted to see if it would happen again and it hasn't, the reservoir has maintained 3/4.

The only conclusion I can reach is that perhaps there was a large volume of air somewhere in the system that finally cleared itself, however, prior to the magic disappearing brake fluid the brakes were working great, no issues and very consistent.

Thoughts?

Tips needed for dimpling completed firewall ...dwranda

I am trying to hang my oil cooler and would like to put nut plates in so removal will be easier in the future. Want nut plates behind everything on the firewall to ease removing from the front only. I would need to dimple the firewall where there is the angle support behind it. Obviously I can't just use the dimpler that uses the rivet puller. Is it OK to countersink these even though the firewall is so thin?

Engine quit while practicing stalls ...Strappe

On a clear sunny Groundhog and Super Bowl Day I went for the first test flight to set up SV-AP-Panel and AoA system.
Barometer was 27.81, OAT 54℉ on the ground, winds calm.

Equipment:
2015 RV-12
ROTAX 912ULS
Dynon Skyview Touch with 2 axis-AP
SV-Knob Panel (installed 5/2019)
Gen3 HACman mixture control (installed 7/2019)
Silent Hektik VR (installed 9/2019)
SV-AP-Panel (installed 11/2019)
AoA retrofit kit (installation finished 1/28/2020 - required removal of wings and fuel tank.
Scenario:
In level flight at 6500 MSL, OAT 29℉, electric fuel pump on, HACman mixture set to full rich, I lowered engine RPM to 3,000 and began first stall to calibrate AoA. With RPM at 2500, nose up steeply and near the stall, the engine RPM fell and the engine began to run roughly. I lowered the nose right at full stall, logged the stall in Skyview (of course), lowered the nose, eased throttle forward then leveled out after full recovery. Engine recovered full RPM and smooth running, but only after 30-45 seconds of roughness with nose level.
I decided to add a second stall to the calibration. Entry to stall was similar, but of a longer duration and at full stall, RPM began to fall and in 2-3 seconds, the engine quit. By full recovery from the stall, the prop stopped. Initial attempts at using the starter failed to restart the engine. I did the usual system checks (fuel on, electric pump audibly clattering away and making good fuel pressure, all active engine monitors in the green, HACman still full rich) and began to set up an approach and landing at the paved airport less than 3 miles away. My altitude by then was over 5,000 MSL, about 3500 AGL. After several more attempts with the starter, the engine roared to life after about 3 minutes in glider mode. I re-established cruise RPM slowly and leveled off, only to have the engine quit again. This time it restarted within 10 seconds or so of running the starter.
.
I flew back to my home airport (> 30 miles away) without further incident, did a full stall landing. The newly calibrated AoA and the stall warning agreed on the moment lift was lost. The engine ran fine during landing stall and taxi.

The electric fuel pump appears to be running fine, with good pressure at all times (although, I did not check it during the drop in RPM/rough running moments; only after stall recovery). The fuel tank was full at takeoff and I have no evidence of any leaks in the fuel system, but I have not yet removed the cowling or floor boards to do a full inspection. I completed last CI in late August and two carb floats were heavy, so I replace them with new.

I emailed Green Sky Adventures on Monday and am awaiting a reply. One local RV-12 owner with HACman installed has never noted any issues like this. Reading the install instructions and operational information (and warnings) however, engine stoppage from what they state are incorrect installations can occur. Obviously, I need to check the entire fuel system if I can't find an issue with the mixture controller. Carb floats seem always on the list of suspects. This doesn't seem like an ignition issue, however. Or does it?

I'm looking for suggestions. I do not want to fly the plane until this is resolved.

Thank You Again

Occasionally somebody will include a note with a donation, and sometimes it will reference Ace and the Tater (nicknames for our kids). I want them to share in the kindness, so I took a picture and forwarded.

The VAF family brings our family great joy and happiness, and I thank you again for that. We are Blessed.

February 5, 2020.  Issue #5,013. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Status Report ...Vernh59

3-Blade Sensenich Prop - Now available for RV-12is/RV-12 ...mothership

Van's has published updated RV-12/12iS powerplant kit order forms, a new plans section (47AiS/U) and a service letter (SL 19-12-31), all of which are related to the now-available optional 3-blade Sensenich propeller kit.

We displayed this prop on a stand in our booth at Oshkosh last year and flew it to the show on one of our factory aircraft. It garnered quite a bit of interest. Now that the engineering has been completed and testing of the final install package is all wrapped up, the three-blade prop and spinner kit is available to order as an option on new powerplant kit orders (you'll get to choose either a two-blade or three-blade prop when you order). You can also place a stand-alone order for the prop without the rest of the Powerplant kit (just use the powerplant kit order form and select only the 3-blade prop option in that case).

Note that when building your airplane, in order to register ELSA the parts - including the propeller - must be bought directly from Van's and tracked in our records under that aircraft serial number. Once an aircraft has been licensed and registered ELSA you may, of course, make any changes as you wish.

People will, of course, want to know what's different between the two-blade and three-blade prop. Our testing experience showed that:
Cruise performance was the same (at lower altitudes)
Climb performance was greater
Propeller braking action was slightly greater, which allowed a slightly steeper descent angle in the pattern
The sound/pitch is different, although the measured noise level is about the same (they are the same diameter).

And, of course, there's the aesthetics: The blades are wider on the two-blade prop. Some folks prefer the look of three blades, while others prefer two. Some people like a thinner blade, while others prefer the "beefier" look.  more

 

Big ole dent in prop leading edge ...JackinMichigan RV-10

...I noticed this little surprise during my condition inspection. It must have just happened because I didn't notice it during my last preflight, and I make it a point to check the prop leading edges.

This is an MT constant speed 3-blade composite prop with all of 53 hours on it. The edges don't feel sharp and it didn't break thru the protective aluminum leading edge, so what should I do about this? Do I do anything?

Ground Question ...AndyRV7

I've mounted my ads-b equipment under my panel and run my power and ground wires toward the avionics bus. I've also added a wire from the harness to my GRT efis for "IN." I've also installed the GPS antenna. I'm very happy with the result so far but locating an appropriate ground is keeping me from powering the system.

I pulled the cowl and mapped out my electrical system as needed. I have no grounds returning to the firewall in groups or individually. My battery is grounded to the air frame at the upper, passenger side engine mount bolt. It does not project in any way by jumper or otherwise, to anywhere on the cockpit side of the firewall. So my individual ground wires seemingly have to be terminated at some location on the air frame (in groups or individually).

I am going to attempt to cut open some of the wire bundles this weekend so I can attempt to trace a ground from a single avionics device, from the unit to its termination point. This has been very difficult so far but I hope that opening some of the bundles of wire might help in that regard.

I have 2 different types of "junctions" for groups of wires. One is a metal unit that wires screw into at individual screws. If I check continuity from any single screw, wire, or the junction unit itself, to the firewall, they indicate ground. I presume I am not learning anything from this other than that that block of wires is grounded "locally" thought the metal block. The other type is a plastic looking unit with pairs of screws in two rows. Some of these screws indicate ground while others do not. So I am assuming these pairs of screws are merely isolated links in some part of a given circuit. Some ground and some power. These can probably be viewed in my original pics. Some have already commented on them.

My question is is this a normal and acceptable way to wire a plane's electrical system? And if so, what is the logic? If everything is grounded locally to the air frame, I would presume you would have a ton of noise in the system.

When I began trying to figure this ADS-B install out, I figured I would just have to trace one installed ground wire to locate a good ground for ADS-B. But it has proven to be much more difficult than I thought it would be.

Lastly , it seems as though I am not going to discover a mythical central ground. If that's the case, Should I just ground the ADS-B next to the unit, or possibly all the way back to the firewall near the battery??

Sorry for the long and confused post. Thanks again. Andy

201kt GS ...Justin RV-10

Went up the other day and noticed a strong went so decided to make it a tail wind!

February 4, 2020.  Issue #5,012. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Formation aeros

Eddie Seve, Mal Kains, Glenn Bridgeland and I brought Jeremy Miller and Michael Jorgensen to train us in formation aerobatics this weekend.

The most intense training experience I've ever had. 115*F in the shade on Saturday, shooting 30 minute sorties all day. Very early starts to "beat the heat." I lost count of the number of water bottles and Hydralite tablets I went through on Saturday. We worked hard for this rating.  ...

Roll Bar Bolts

I'm suprised you couldn't hear my cursing all the way from Estes Park.
The Aft bolt (1/4") on each side of the 7 roll bar has a washer and nut installed under the longeron. It has a special aluminum shim then washer then nut. It was easy with the fuse upside down but right side up, gravity is not helping. Somehow this has to be done in a space barely big enough to get my catcher's mit fingers in the space. The aluminum shim stays put pretty well without persuasion, but the washer wants to fall off before the nut can be slipped into place.*
I needed a trick. Neodymium magnet to the rescue. This time two of the uncoated magnets. Place the magnet on the bolt head. Slip a washer on the bolt and it stays put. Slip the nut in the space. Say a prayer to the Nut Gods. Stick your toungue out so words don't offend same Gods, then gently rotate the bolt with an open end wrench (magnets are stuck on the bolt) till it grabs a couple threads.
Yes, I've heard of builders glueing the assembly then turning the bolt into the part, but one mistake there and a cross thread nightmare ruins the day. After years of wrenching in cars, I learned to always use human fingers to feel the threads engage properly.
__________________
Larry Larson

2019 Ground Tracks ...Dee Cee 57

Finally found the time to compile the 2019 data courtesy of the bad weather around here. Who's next?

 Trek to Eloy, Arizona ...Capt Sandy

Hello VAF'ers, There is a long time lag between our treks to getting the video posted due in part to poor WiFi and too much fun-having doing other things. Roy and I have been having FUN here in the Arizona sunshine, including taking advantage of clear, calm air, and exploring the neighborhood. We recently went to Eloy (E60) where there is a HUGE sky-diving center, complete with restaurant, swimming pool, massage studio, and gear shop. Food was good - not great. The real fun was watching people jump out of perfectly good airplanes.
I hope the video shows the highlights.
(Disclaimer - I'm new to the Go-Pro thing, and its a bit of a learning curve.)

Upholstery input sought ...Bill Boyd

I'm deciding on interior for the -10 build now. Some time back I snagged a "deal" on rear seat back frames originally made by Cleaveland but no longer in production. I was hoping to have these covered and have rear 60-40 sets matching the profile of the fronts. After research I've learned that none of the major vendors besides DJ at Cleaveland will do this for a price within market.

I have enjoyed talking with DJ and feel she would be easy to work with. I'm just not sure I like the way her 10 seats look in photos. Something about the horizontal seams in the center part of the seat backs doesn't look right to me somehow. I think since I'm not willing to experiment with finding a local shop to do the rears and try to match/complement aircraft vendor-done front seats, I'd be better off selling these rear seat frames unless I have Cleaveland do all four seats. DJ has offered to bid just doing the rear seats. AeroSport has declined to do only the front seats - no reason offered. South Florida Sport Aviation never answers the phone and has not returned by voicemail message from a week ago.

This has proven to be the most challenging part of the build to out-source professionally, and I really don't want to be stuck with buyer's remorse on this. I'd appreciate private message honest feedback about RV-10 seat experience from those who've 'been there.' I'm not interested in calling anyone out or starting a vendor-bashing thread. I'm sure they're all great folks who bring unique things to the table. I just want some good honest feedback before I jump in. PM me if you have some advice. Answer publicly if you wish, just be constructive.

Thanks, VAF hive

azflyer21's Panel Pic ...14A

 Annuals, broken parts, and assistance request ...airguy

I'm currently in the process of conducting my annual inspection and installing the SDS EM5 engine management hardware, and associated with that I needed to pull the flywheel to drill and tap it for trigger magnets. To pull the flywheel I need to loosen the alternator belt first, and as soon as I took a look at the alternator, before I even loosened the first bolt I knew something wasn't right. The belt angle was wrong and the alternator was obviously not hanging correctly, and as soon as I started to loosen the first bolt the problem was obvious.  ...

Rudder malfunction??? ...mturnerb

So today the "genius" operator of my aircraft learned something new. I did my usual pre-flight and started up the airplane. On the taxiway by my hangar (stopped and holding brakes) I did part of the checklist that I don't like to do in the run-up area as the airport is crazy busy on a beautiful VFR day like today. One of those items is an autopilot test (G3X touch) to check that I can overcome the servos and that my red button (autopilot disconnect) works as it's supposed to. So far, so good. My next action is always to turn off the flight director as the G3X autopilot leaves it on and I find it annoying while taxiing. Today I forgot to hit that button until a bit farther down the taxiway.

As I approached the point on the taxiway where I usually contact ground control (they have no visual contact with hangar area taxiways), I noticed that my rudder pedals felt "stuck": gentle force against the pedals gave me the sensation that the cables were caught/trapped. Strange, since I checked them on preflight and they seemed fine, and felt good when I got in the airplane to start up.

So I called up ground control and taxied back to my hangar using brakes. As I turned on the taxiway to my hangar I turned off the avionics and autopilot switches. Suddenly, rudder pedals are "free and correct". It's about this point that I realize I hit the yaw damper button instead of the flight director button (or both, not sure). Yaw damper servo engaged on the ground pretty much feels like a stuck rudder cable, I learned today!

It was a perfect day for the flight that then ensued after shutting down, checking everything on the ground fully, and making my way back to the starting point....
__________________
Turner Billingsley
RV-14A FLYING

February 3, 2020.  Issue #5,011.
  Saturday the Wx was as good as you could ever get in North Texas.  00000kt and CAVU for hours and hours.  Not a cloud in the state.  As you might suspect, the airspace was clobbered with people going through their flying toybox.  Danny and Ned launched for a lunch up around KGLE and I caught their takeoff in slo mo.  Link below.  Saturday (23+) Starlink satellites came over the house after sunset in trail around magnitude 3 - right at the edge of what I can see from our near-the-city location.  If you're in N.TX HERE are the orbital elements through the 11th.  Dig around at the link to adjust for your location.  Pretty neat to see so many satellites in a line.
  Hope your RV weekend went swell.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

 
Watch Video "SloMo#6"

Exhaust hanger critique

Wanted to see if the more experienced than me on here thinks I did this somewhat right. It's a Vetterman trombone exhaust. Upper support connected to oil sump bolt. I tried for at least 1/2 inch of clearance around anything. I'm not sure how much this will move on start up so is 1/2" enough? There are some temporary bolts holding things together so don't critique me on using the wrong hardware . Thanks!!  more pics

Van's Engineering and other positions just posted ...mothership

www.vansaircraft.com/careers/

"We've just posted three new engineering jobs at Van's. Many may realize that these positions don't come open often, but we are growing our team - so if you know someone that should be aware, let them know!

We are also currently recruiting for a couple of experienced welders, plus technical drafting and aircraft assembler jobs.

We have a great team here, and we're looking to add some more great folks!"

Titan specific engine for VANS Aircraft

The VANS community has many options other than the traditional engines that are offered by VANS. Continental Motors manufactures the Titan engines that have many beneficial features that increase durability and reduce weight. Continental has configured some of the Titan engines with that, dimensionally, are the same as the VANS standards. Information on those is found HERE.

The Titan engine can also be built with a variety of upgrades of both performance and modernization. The basic engines at the link are available at very competitive prices. We don't get a lot of traffic on that site so this post is to increase awareness.
__________________
James Ball (J.B.)
Continental Aerospace Technologies

Maintaining Sanity ...ShortSnorter

How to maintain sanitry when you realize you've already had dinner, watched a movie, and realize you still have 10 hours of the same left....

Leaking primer solenoid ...Joe

On a refurbishment project I installed a new fuel primer valve, a Parker 12V solenoid valve from Aircraft Spruce (part number 05-04368). From the get-go, in the "OFF" position (no voltage to the solenoid) it leaked badly causing the engine to run excessively rich.

I removed it and can verify it leaks sometimes and it seals at other times. Aircraft Spruce is willing to give me an RMA but it will take 4-6 weeks to hear back from Parker and issue a credit if they deem it defective. I'm inclined to just order another and get on with it but first ...

My question for experienced users of this particular valve is this: could it be an installation issue (e.g. is one port an input and the other an output). An additional question: how does one non-destructively open this particular valve to examine the viton plunger and its sealing surfaces? I don't want to apply any heat to break the locktite for fear of melting something inside.

RV-7 Video ...SuperCubDriver

Couldn't sleep tonight and the weather is miserable so I put some RV-7 footage together:

A Journey of Self Discovery  ...frankbrown

Building a plane is a Journey of self discovery.
What I've learned so far:

*I can't rivet.

*Vans is really great with sending new parts!

*Changing one thing can really lead to a lot of work.

*I need to loose 50 lbs to crawl around the fuse like a teenager.

Decided to go with fuel injection.
Led to new fuel pump, learning soft tubing skills, cutting and building for new housing for new fuel pump, changing to electric trim since I would need a larger trim cable any way.
New lower cowl for the FI engine is also in my future.
I would say '1 step forward, 2 steps back....but I have not gone forward'

I have been soldering my Fly LED's for the wing tip lights and that has been really cool. That is a really great kit if anyone is thinking of them.

What will I learn next week?

Eyes Inspected

Been five years since the last visit to the eye doctor.  I have an interview this week for some possible part time work in a sim to help the fam out (fingers crossed), so I thought it might be a good idea to get the eyes looked over beforehand.  Checkup Friday.  New glasses ordered, fresh prescription and the OptiGrab 1000 checked to look for problems in there - all good (pic below).  Boy, glasses and visit and the works are expensive.  Nice to know at least the vessels and retina are good. 

She didn't find any evidence of a brain.  I asked.

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RV-4 runs rich at cruise. ...71459

Hi, was wondering if anyone here could help with an issue re a rich-running RV-4.

Airplane starts right off, idles fine, run-up is perfect. T/O proceeds alright, maybe power isn't 100% there, but good.

After about 1/2 hour, engine starts to run rough. Gets rougher over time. Able to smooth it out by leaning, but shouldn't have to at 2000'. Airplane has run perfectly smooth for years, but now something is not right. Head back to the field pronto. Back on the ground, plugs are completely blackened with soot - definitely showing over-rich mixture.

Recently changed out to new plugs, new harness, new mechanical fuel pump, and overhauled carb. I did open the carb and change the float to the blue epoxy model. Float level checked 10 times - seems to be perfect (on the ground).

Did I screw up the float installation? Is the overhauled carb the wrong model for an RV-4? But it's the same model I've used for years without any trouble (10-5009).

Out of ideas, getting nervous to fly it.

Thanks for any insight..

January 31, 2020.  Issue #5,010.
  Well it finally happened.  I got an AARP membership application in the mail Thursday.  I'm gonna go watch Golden Girls and then it's off to bed at 7pm.  My childhood is officially over.  ;^)
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Wallpaper Calendar for February

...Ed Hicks photo.

Ridge in Grove Rim ...Janekom

Posting on behalf of a friend. He is in the process of installing Grove wheels on his RV10. The question is if the ridge that can be seen in the rim, will damage the tube by any chance? That is the ridge running through the stem hole. Thanking you in advance.

Oil Change Time Lapse Video ...PixelWorker

I recently had some new camera gear to test and naturally made my RV the subject. So not wanting to let the footage go to waste I threw together a time-lapse edit of the RV getting the oil changed:

New Guy Chimes In ...RV-14A Build in KY.

Build Status Report ...vernh59

Many pics...

1998 RV-6 'Choud Chasers' ...mbauer

Here are photos of "Cloud Chasers" after adding a graphic design.

Tail Art ...ShookieRV7A

This is to go with my Arizona Flag theme....

January 30, 2020.  Issue #5,009. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

My RV Weekend ...crabandy

Loaded up the RV with lots of Lake Cabin supplies and headed south for sunshine and warmer temps. My first weekend (Mon/Tues) in months without OT, Lil' dude called in sick from pre-school to join me.....  more

[ed. I missed this yesterday - apologies.  Obviously top shelf story!  v/r,dr]

January 29, 2020.  Issue #5,008.
  There was a bird in the hangar when I arrived Tuesday morning.  It was in the low 50's outside so I wanted to leave the door down for another hour or so until just before lunch.  I'll let it out then.  Turned on the space heater, pulled the laptop out of my backpack, logged into work and started to go through the morning list. 
  Three minutes later a blob of bird shit landed on my shirt.  From 22' up.
  On second thought I think I'll open the door now.  James later said it's considered good luck in some cultures, so I got that going for me....which is nice.
  About-to-order-RV10-kit David L. got after the panel with the grinder and drill (pic) while I wiped up bird feces.  He wanted the practice and I didn't.  Win win! <g>
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Imperial Valley ...Chino Tom

It's nice to be able to use the RV in some work related activities. The Imperial Valley in California's south east is one of the most fertile ag areas in the US. Also, home to many future rib-eyes. Feeding those is part of what we do....

Glamour Shot...Colin P. RV-6A

Q: Pushing and pulling via the prop.

Hello all,

Just getting an idea on if it's bad or not to gently push/pull the airplane by the root of the prop close to the spinner to move it around. Airplane in question is an RV-6A with O-320 H2AD fixed catto prop.

Thank you!

A:
I push and pull my RV-6A by the prop and was told to do so by my mechanic. Think about it, the prop is pulling the plane through the air so there is much more load on it when flying than you could put on it on the ground. Now I do like you said and push/pull near the hub not way out at the tip, even though I doubt even that would cause any issues.
__________________

A:
Approximate percent of people who use prop to pull their Hartzell (and others) equipped RV's is 100%

A:
There is a thrust bearing in the engine but on the ground it has no oil pressure.
If you can push or pull without turning the prop it's probably ok but if it turns as you are pulling it could damage the bearing. So why not just push on the cowl and pull with a tow bar?

RV-12 Service Bulletins 19-08-26 (New) and 16-05-23 (Updated) Published: Nose gear leg and fork replacement

Homemade gust locks...

...like these are what we used on Navy flying club aircraft for years. Cheap, easy to make and spreads stress loads from sudden big gusts over larger areas:

Garmin GTN 6XX/7XX Software 6.70 Now Available for Download (1/24/2020)

The GTN V6.70 EAB Service Bulletin and software were loaded to the EAB Software Download Area today.

There are two different links on the download page for Service Bulletin 2010. The first link is the Service Bulletin documentation. The second link includes the software file. Please see the Service Bulletin documentation for complete details and make sure you are familiar and comfortable with the software update process outlined there before attempting it on your own aircraft. If not, the option of seeking assistance from a dealer is still available.

We mentioned when V8.40 was released that you can now view and tune the NAV radio on the GDU (as shown below), much the same as you could with a COM radio, but that the feature was only available for the SL 30 NAV radio. With a successful update to GTN Software 6.70, NAV tuning will now available for the GTN 650 and GTN 750.  ...

How Mickey Coggins ...

...wired the ignition on/off switches for pmags to allow to check to see if the internal alternator is working

January 28, 2020.  Issue #5,007. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

RV-6 Rebuild PIREP ...James

With the kind assistance of fellow RV owner (and builder, and ex C5 crew chief) Curt Pullen, I moved the battery to the engine bay. We built a rather beautiful box for it, and attached it to the right side of the engine mount with Adel clamps.

Photos to follow when I remember to take some.

In the meantime, here's a shot of my 4 looking lonely

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (1/24-26/2020) ...SPX starts the thread

(SPX)
How did your building/flying go this weekend?

Friday was a clear day at CRQ, so I gave the boss of my wife a ride in the RV for her 74th birthday. We went southbound along the coast, over Coronado, San Diego Bay, and then reversed course back to CRQ. She mentioned it being nothing like she had imagined, claims it's even better than a massage, and can't wait to go again. She wasn't the greatest passenger, as she would grab onto the stick, and press the rudder pedals occasionally, but she has a blast, so I am not complaining!!

Today was about 1500' OVC, so the options were more limited. My wife and I decided to head south along the coast, over Torrey Pines to see the golfers playing and the crowd watching, then came into Montgomery Field (MYF) for some Mexican food for lunch. After lunch, we headed back north along the coast, and stopped in Oceanside (OKB) for fuel, and for some aerial sightseeing. Shortly thereafter we headed back to the hangar in Carlsbad (CRQ)...

Great weekend, one new RV grin, and two old ones

(Plummit)
Headed down to Bermuda Dunes for the local EAA fly-in on Saturday. A very nice turn out of Experimental, Light sport, and Spam cans. My friend Richard showed up in his very nice Skywagon, along with Ted and Cindy Gablin in their RV-7A and this beauty:

(airguy)
I had set the hook on a new-to-the-RV-world recruit last month with a ride down to Houston for lunch with the D.W. Hooks crowd, and this weekend I gave him another ride down to Houston (La Porte this time) to inspect, buy, pack up, and ship home a partially built 9A kit purchased from Mike Miller.

Please welcome Mike Crowley to the fold, mcrowley screen-name on here, as he ventures into the RV-snobbery we all enjoy.

After that, I proceeded to do major surgery on my engine, installing the SDS system.

(Dugaru)
Another Allentown PA trip
IFR on the way up from New Kent International Aerodrome (W96) -- freezing level was high enough to mess around in clouds if needed, although as it turned out we were VMC the whole way, albeit with a touch of rain that left a bit of water in my baggage area like it always does.....

VFR on the way back Sunday -- freezing level wasn't nearly high enough to chance any IMC. But the ceilings were high and stable.

Sometimes the most scenic trips around the Chesapeake Bay area are under a broken or scattered cloud layer:

Foam Continued ...David Paule -3B

I'd noticed that the foam block was sliding side to side as I carved on it. Not surprisingly, since the bottom was flat and resting on the fuselage longerons. Its shape prevented fore/aft motion and rotation but nothing kept it from shifting laterally.

Two small foam blocks took care of that. This photo shows the bottom with the foam blocks in place. We're looking at the bottom and the back of it. I'd brought it into the house for the glue to set up, the house being warmer than the shop.

Blocked Pitot ...me too.

I did the same dumb thing recently. I have Dynon HDX and a backup Dynon D6. I realized just as I was lifting off and decided to continue once around the pattern. I got GPS assist indications on the HDX and the D6. The only other thing of note was the Dynon giving me a warning to turn on pitot heat (I guess it assumes it is iced over). .... Classic distraction during preflight inspection kind-of-thing. A non-event, but I don't plan to repeat the "experiment".
__________________
-Joe Wilbur (N520LW)
Phase II - 11/2017

Wear on spar rib angle rivets

I'm currently doing the annual inspection on my 10 year old 320hrs TT RV12 and discovered wear on the LP4-3 rivets that connect the inboard rear rib to the left main spar. .../more pics

After an Unairworthy Condition Inspection ...Pilot135pd

Was hangar flying with a friend the other day and the topic of the Annual Inspections and Condition Inspections came up.

On a Standard Airworthiness airplane the Inspection is done and there are 2 options that usually happen:

1- the discrepancies (or squawks) get fixed and the Annual Inspection is signed as Airworthy and returned to service.

2- the discrepancies get written up (squawk list) and the logbook is signed as Unairworthy with discrepancies given to owner. Then at least an A&P will correct the discrepancies and sign the logbooks with their certificate as done. That brings the plane back to Airworthy.


Then we started talking about Experimental airplanes:

All maintenance on my Experimental plane can be done by me. I'm not an A&P and don't have a Repairman certificate of any kind.

In Experimental airplanes the Condition Inspection must be done by at least an A&P.


Here's were we got stuck. Say an A&P does my Condition Inspection and finds some deficiencies. Can he sign the logbook as Unairworthy and give me a squawk list like a Standard airplane or does he have to repair anything and sign it as Airworthy?

If he can sign it as Unairworthy and give me a squawk list, can I fix the squawks and return it to service or does it have to be another A&P?

Please include FARs with your replies so I can research it further and learn from you. Thanks !


(*** In MY specific case it would most likely get fixed by another A&P because depending on what it is I probably don't have the expertise, but I'm asking in general terms. ***)

RV-4 Five Point Harness Pic Request ...Stewbronco

(Nick)
Forgive the nastiness that is the Tunnel, it is in the middle of being cleaned.

January 27, 2020.  Issue #5,006. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Yup...

Foam Fun ...David Paule -3B Update

The fiberglass canopy fairing needs to fit the skin, and there were clecos poking out of it, holding the front top on. Time to screw it down. On the RV-3B, this skin is attached with a lot of #8 screws. The side screw holes got dimpled for #8 screw heads as you'd expect. The instrument panel flange wasn't wide enough for #8 dimples so I decided to use NAS8702U1 8-32 screws instead. These screws are really good: the material is 160 ksi A286, strong enough to survive a number of installations and removals, corrosion resistant and very tough - cracks don't propagate easily in that material. It's the material that many spacecraft screws are made of.

Quick Fuse Update ...Pilotjohns

So I have been working on the tail fairing now that the tail mechanical attach is done. I figured I would get it done before the tail comes off. The stock fairing fits really nice; much better than older posters have led me to believe. I used the cut lines, but these were too severe in the rear, so next time, I would leave a little extra there and trim, fit, trim, fit, etc. Nothing major for mounting, just takes time to find the underlying holes in the fuse. I measure the location of the holes in the fuse without the fairing; added the fairing, marked the hole locations on the fairing, then drilled a #50, then a 3/32 hole in the fairing, cleco'd and moved on to the next. Next I will enlarge the holes to #40, countersink the fiberglass for the #6 flathead screws, then enlarge the holes to #6, remove the fairing, and install the riv nuts.

Weekend Panel Love

Susie and I spent most of Saturday at the hangar fiddling with stuff.  I made a little more progress on widening the holes for the upgraded G3X touch screens.  I work slow. ;^)   Lots of people on the field aviating and a nice lunch. 

Smokey Ray stopped by, the usual suspects were doing RV stuff and it went too quick.  Saturday was nice.

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Fuel Tank Leak ...jahoosafat

Hi - My 2013 RV-10 is about to be re-painted,*and I found multiple fuel leaks on both the right and left tanks just as I dropped it off at the paint shop in Alabama. I previously had a few leaks, and my A&P applied epoxy to the tank exterior in order to avoid the higher cost of removing and re-sealing the tanks.* This approach worked ... until now.* My question is what's the best course: 1) Remove the tanks and send them to Paul Beck (http://www.weepnomorellc.com/), reinstalling them before final paint work. 2) Remove the tanks and buy new tanks from Vans, getting an A&P connected with the paint shop to build and install them.* 3) Something else?* Since I'm an owner rather than a builder, could anyone provide info about potential timeframes for Weepnomore to turn these around (I've emailed Paul and am waiting to hear back) or a decent A&P to build/install new tanks?* Thanks for any info!

DanH Annual PIREP

Annual time, so as promised, I stuck a borescope down the fuel servo and intake throat to look in the sump plenum. Ran it for a hot leakdown, then took the photo 30~60 minutes after shutdown.

For those new to Lycomings, the horizontal intake sump has an upper chamber full of oil, and a lower chamber for intake air. Unlike the vertical draft sumps, the air passages do not pass through the hot oil. Instead, the intake tubes enter the air plenum from the sides.

Part #10 is the sniffle valve.  ...

Left Tank Leak - Looking like a new tank ...Saville

Well this was the year for the prop inspection and as that was going to take several weeks I decided to so the annual 4 months early - lousy flying weather in January and February anyway.

But the other reason I downed the plane was that I had developed a small leak in the left hand tank. You'd wipe the underside of the wing clean and the next day there would be a track a few inches long. Nothing major but enough to bother me.

So the prop came off and and the annual completed (few minor adjustments to be made), and the tank came off.

The leak is in the lower seam about 3/4's the way outboard:  ...

January 24, 2020.  Issue #5,005.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

From the photo vault:
4 RVs left downwind Big Creek, ID.
 

RE: Formation Clinics and Cards? ...Check6

I have had a couple of conversations around Falcon Flight's Formation Clinic coming up in April. I wanted to write a universal response:

Stu "Falcon" McCurdy started Falcon Flight in 1993 as a way to demonstrate the precision and safety of flying in formation. Falcon Flight was the first FFI team. He would soon thereafter start FFI (Formation Flying Inc.) to set a "standard" and get more pilots flying formation safely. I believe the history and legacy of Falcon Flight continues because of his dream to teach, demonstrate, and provide a resource for those motivated to fly formation.

The questions have ranged from "What if I don't want to be a "Carded pilot"?" to "If I don't have a "Card" I can't be in the "club". The goal of FFI is Not for everyone to get a card and we are not a club. I think I can speak for most FFI formation clinics with the exception of the advanced clinics which are designed to get pilots carded for Airshows/routines. So you do NOT have to be a carded pilot to fly formation! The goal of FFI is spread the precision and standard of flying formation to those interested in learning a new skill, training to the same standard and holding those they fly with to the standard. This allows the pilot to show up with others that have been trained to the standard to get together and go formation flying safely - That truly was "Falcon's" goal! There are lots of reasons to fly formation, which I will not go into here - that is for a clinic.

There are those who want to get a card as it demonstrates a lot of energy, effort and training to get "carded" as it is not an easy process in that it takes time and lots of practice. But here again the only reason you MUST have a card is to perform in TFR's and/or Airshows. So if you have 4 RV buddies in this case that have been trained to the FFI standard and you wanted to go do a local missing man for a veteran etc. none of you would need a "Card".

Hopefully, this answers some of the questions/perceptions around RV Formation Clinics and will serve to encourage more aviators to learn this skill. Please feel free to take a look at the upcoming Falcon Flight Clinic in the above posts or any others that are held around the country. I think you will have lots of fun, be challenged and learn/polish up a great skill.

January 23, 2020.  Issue #5,004.
  The plan was to work on the panel for a couple hours during the rain showers Wednesday, but the 25+year old garage door opener on my side give up the ghost Tuesday.  So, Wednesday was spent installing a factory referb belt driven replacement.  Boy have garage door openers improved over the last two decades.  No oiling, silent belt drive, wireless controls, web app and plug in cameras and parking lasers (not kidding).  It's possible this thing gets the History Channel.
  The old unit was rebuilt at least three times with new gears.  If you look close you can see aircraft safety wire below holding a contact in place for the up/down micro-switch contacts.
  It was a good run... (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

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AOA confession ...sailvi767

As a Navy trained pilot I have had AOA available in most aircraft I have flown. My first RV was a RV6 with AOA. I liked it but never had a occasion where I felt it provided any type of save or a warning that the aircraft was not in the state I wanted it at. Still I liked having the extra level of protection.

I purchased a F1 Rocket that did not have AOA or any stall warning. That bothered me a bit but I quickly found the aircraft to be very honest and easy to fly in the patten at the proper speeds. I had planned a panel upgrade shortly after purchasing it that would include AOA. In Nov when the aircraft was getting a new panel I considered dropping the AOA option to avoid a pitot change and cost. In the end I kept the AOA. (Dynon HDX system with Dynon pitot)

On Tuesday I was out flying after a frontal passage. On return to my home field which involves a slightly overshooting approach as the norm to avoid tall trees I needed to also compensate for a strong overshooting crosswind in the pattern. (30 Kts at 1000 ft). On base to final I found myself with more overshoot than planned and wrapping the turn up. Normally I would have been at 75 knots at this point but was actually targeting 80 knots with the bumpy conditions. Just after crossing the gap in the trees still turning to align with the runway at about 250 AGL I got a beep from the Dynon AOA. Unloaded, leveled the wings and went around. Glancing at the airspeed I was at 67 knots. In one G flight I get the first AOA beep at 56 Kts. I was slow, wrapped up and visually 100% outside watching the trees. I should have abandoned the approach prior to that point and gone around. I now embarrassingly have my first AOA save in 7 years of flying RV's.

I don't know how much margin was left but I am now very glad I went with the AOA option. I fell into a trap many pilots get into and needed the AOA tone to jolt me back into reality. Spend the money and put a AOA system into your aircraft!

George

January 22, 2020.  Issue #5,003.  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Creative Tail Trim Tab  ...Carl Froehlich

My RV Weekend ...RV8Squaz

I had a productive weekend.

I departed Thursday morning for a 3-leg day. First was a stop in Marianna, FL (MAI) to visit Air Prop Specialists. I've been using this shop for 12+ years. My Hartzell has an old hub which has an AD that requires an Eddy current inspection every 100 hours or annual whichever comes first. In my case it works out to about every 9 months. It's really not as obtrusive as it sounds. It's about an hour flight, takes me 5 minutes to remove the spinner, 10 minutes for the technician to do the inspection, 5 minutes to install the spinner, and 10 minutes for the paper work. The cost... let's just say I can do a lot of inspections for the price of a new prop! I usually combine it with a BBQ lunch or a visit to the nearby Florida Caverns State Park. Not this time though; I had places to go and people to see.

The 2nd leg took me to 28J, Palatka Muni to see a couple of Extra's that were for sale and being re-assembled. It was great to see them with all of the panels removed so that I could inspect everything. They looked good!

The 3rd leg (my first VFR leg of the day) took me to PMP, Pompano Air Park in S. Florida to visit with my brother and his family for a few days. PMP is home of the Good Year blimp. My brother and I enjoyed some seriously good donuts.

January 21, 2020.  Issue #5,002.  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Motivation  ...jrtens RV-12iS

Beautiful today in Utah - here are the Timpanogos mountains.

January 20, 2020.  Issue #5,001.  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

First Flight of N20GL ...leok RV-10

Short take off roll, a little waggle to confirm controls, then up to 3500' to orbit until everything stabilized.
Only surprise was when the panel went blank and rebooted without the #2 radio. I'll have to sort that out- perhaps a loose connector. I had anticipated the possibility of EFIS glitches, so it was a non-event as far as flying. I had my iPad ready at hand but the system rebooted before I even had time to reference it.

Landing was smooth as well.

January 17, 2020.  Issue #5,000.
  Today is a bit of a milestone for our family's small business here.  The best I can calculate, this is the 5,000th edition of what is currently known as the 'Van's Air Force News'.  It goes back 19.25 years to the first M-F online editions of the 'Van's Air Force - North Texas Wing'.  If memory serves, for over a decade I would wake up at 0445 and work on 'the site' until 0545 (many years with a 9600 baud modem), then shower and go to my I.T. job at 0630.  Don't wake up the baby!  Work on the RV in the evening a little and then some more 'site work' before bed.  VAF has been my full time job since 2007, and a wonderful teaching tool for my kids on what hard work and determination can achieve (like building your own plane!).

  Let's do 5,000 more - I'll be 73 in 19 years <g>.  I started this at age 31.  Thank you to all those who make this place so special.  I'm honored to call so many of you friend, and I'll keep trying my hardest to bring you a quality product.  One of the great joys of my life is how many friends I have made through all this.
  Wishing you and yours a safe, happy and RV-filled weekend.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Homebuilt Accidents: Focus on Van's ...Kitplanes

The RV series has an excellent safety record. By Ron Wanttaja -January 15, 2020 (with Van's sidebar)

January 16, 2020.  Issue #4,999. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

RV-6 Rebuild Project in Palm Springs ...jamlip

New RV-12iS Throttle Handle Option Available ...mothership

Van's has released a new, optional throttle handle/grip that is now available for all RV-12iS aircraft. The new handle is an alternative "blade" style design that can be used to replace the "T" style handle that is standard on the aircraft/kit, and has proven popular with some of the factory pilots while testing.

Installation of this new handle, which is compatible with the R-12iS airframe only (not an option for the original RV-12) is simple and a kit is available from Van's that owners can use for retrofit. Order "KIT 12iS THROTTLE GRIP" form the Van's online store.

ELSA customers may order and install this option immediately. The kit includes installation instructions as well as the necessary parts.

For SLSA customers, documentation approving and allowing installation of this optional kit on RV-12iS SLSA aircraft is available on the Van's Safety and Service Information page for the RV-12iS under SL 19-10-30 (note: link added)

January 15, 2020.  Issue #4,998. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

RV-12iS Service Bulletin - SB 19-08-06 - AV-60000 and AV-60009 Recall ...mothership

"Van's Aircraft has published a new Service Bulletin (SB 19-08-06) that describes steps to be taken on certain RV-12iS aircraft, in order to capture detailed photographs of two electronic components and then send the photos to Van's for review.

In limited cases, solder on AV-60000 and AV-60009 electronics modules may not have been heated sufficiently to ensure a strong enough solder joint. In those cases, there exists the potential for intermittent electronic issues.

January 14, 2020.  Issue #4,997. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Almost ready to fly! ...leok

Well after 5 years and 4 months I'm almost there. I got my airworthiness inspection yesterday! There wasn't anyone there to take a picture so this is the best we could do. My DAR said I didn't look very happy in the photo. I told him that was my happy face!  ...

January 13, 2020.  Issue #4,996. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

GMC 507 RV-6 Glare Shield Mount Update ...dr

Tony Kirk at Van's (proto shop guy doing this on his own time) sent me an email on Sunday with his first 3D printing of the 507 mount idea.  He said he wanted to tweek something and print it again, but he gave me permission to post this pic.  How dang cool is this thing going to be!?!?!  Very excited!!!!  Per Tony's wishes, when the bugs get worked out the SolidWorks file will be hosted here for free download if you want to print one yourself.

January 10, 2020.  Issue #4,995.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

My RV Weekend ...Northernliving RV-8

Not quite last weekend, but one of my last weekends flying in 2019. Took a flight out to Chatham, MA on Cape Code to take my bride to brunch. First shot it of the Chatham historic Lighthouse with the airport in the distance (CQX), followed by the Cape Cod National Seashore in Wellfleet, followed by the tip of the Cape - Provincetown Aiport(PVC) and then flying through the BOS Bravo back home.

January 9, 2020.  Issue #4,994. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

My RV Weekend  ...Bob Kuykendall

Not that weekend, but in the days leading up to it, Steve Smith flew me from Ashland down to Montague in his RV-8 to see the skunk works shop where he and Bob Mills are making the tapered carbon fiber wings that will be going onto Bob's Rocket Six. The day started with an overcast, but cleared up for a beautiful trip across the Siskiyous.  ...

January 8, 2020.  Issue #4,993. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

My RV Weekend ...KatanaPilot

Flew with my son and did some formation with a neighbor in a Cessna 195. One of the other pilots took a few photos.

January 7, 2020.  Issue #4,992.
  Welcome to Tuesday.  The Wednesday edition, which would usually be pushed out around 0000Z, will instead be pushed out sometime in the 1300-1400Z timeframe.  I'm working a supplemental income side paper route in the PC-12NG Tuesday.  Learning hat on.  I'll be far too confused, possibly lost, to type.
  Sid put out a food trip vid in his 7A recently, and Monday I happened to be near both the tripod and radio when he entered the pattern.  "Touch down at Charlie if you can."  Within about six feet of the center of Charlie is pretty dang good.  Slo Mo video.
  See you Wednesday morning sometime.
(Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

Weekend RV Activity ...DanH

evening in Alabama, so I got in some formation practice. Quick over the shoulder shot from Stan Tew, passenger in Kirk Harrell's Mustang II:

RV-6 engine replacement ...pros and cons

My RV-6 is on about 1830 hours. I'll have an annual condition inspection in October, then I think there'll be engine work in 2021.

Current engine is a carburetted O-320-D2A with a Sensenich fixed-pitch cruise prop.

I didn't build the aircraft.

The current fuel system has plumbing feeding an Andair valve supplying the suction side of a Facet fuel pump on the inside wall of the fuselage between the pilot seat and the rudder pedals, with the pump discharge feeding a gascolator on the engine side of the firewall, which in turn runs to the engine-driven fuel pump.

It's still more than a year and a half away, but planning is good, and the direction I'm tending towards now is to take the O-320-D2A off and replace it with some variant of an IO-360, probably also with a fixed-pitch prop.

The change from carburettor to fuel injection is going to involve fuel system modifications: I'm anticipating that the Facet pump will end up in the trash, with a new high pressure fuel pump and new plumbing.

I'm sure someone has gone down the path of carb to fuel injection before, and if anyone has advice I'd love to hear about it.

Are folks generally keeping high-pressure fuel out of the cockpit, so where's the right spot for the electric pump? Is the gascolator necessary? Considerations for routing fuel lines to avoid vapor lock? How are fuel systems handled in modern certified aircraft? Anything else I'm not thinking of?

Thanks,

- mark

Got the panel put together ...Rons

Nothing is wired yet but I cut the panels, covered them in flat black vinyl wrap, and labeled them. Then I got everything mounted. Tada!

Thanks to Jared Solomon for the inspiration on this (Okay... I more or less just copied his panel with a couple minor changes. It's hard to argue with success. )

Let me know what you think.

Possible mistake on RV-14A Rudder Spar Reinforcement Plates ...jdog0411

Wanted to get the forum's opinion on the following...I've sent this to Vans technical support for their opinion as well, but in the meantime thought I would ask here also.

I recently completed riveting the Rudder Spar Reinforcement Plates onto the rudder spar for my RV-14A. I riveted them to the spar with the shop head on the spar side of the spar, when in retrospect I probably should have riveted them with the shop head on the plate side of the spar since that is the thicker material. The plans didn't specify, so I didn't think it would matter one way or the other.  more

Hartzell Engine Technologies Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

HARTZELL ENGINE TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES IT IS NOW THE EXCLUSIVE SUPPLIER OF PLANE-POWER ALTERNATOR ASSEMBLIES FOR LYCOMING FACTORY OVERHAULED AND REBUILT ENGINES

Under the partnership agreement with Lycoming, beginning January 06, 2020, Lycoming factory overhauled and rebuilt engines will no longer be shipped to the end-customer with alternators or accessories. Going forward, customers will now purchase Plane-Power components directly from Hartzell Engine Technologies.

Montgomery, AL (January 06, 2020) --Representatives of Hartzell Engine Technologies (HET) announced today that the company has partnered with Lycoming to now be the exclusive direct-to-customer provider of Plane-Power alternators and alternator assemblies for a factory overhauled and rebuilt engine.

"As the manufacturer of Plane-Power alternators and components, we have been providing alternators and accessories to Lycoming for all of their factory overhauled and rebuilt engines for a long time," stated Keith Bagley, President, Hartzell Engine Technologies. "The primary reason that we are now transitioning to the direct-to-customer supplier for these components, including full alternator assemblies and pullies, is to provide much better delivery and direct factory support to the end-customer."

"By eliminating the added steps of shipping to Lycoming and then to the customer, we can respond to the customer's needs, and correct any problems, faster and more efficiently," he said. "In addition, should an owner/operator want to upgrade their Plane-Power alternator, the factory-direct order model will make that process a lot easier."

Bagley also explained that while customers will now buy their Plane-Power alternators and assemblies directly from Hartzell Engine Technologies in the majority of cases, there are some unique situations where, depending on engine model and configuration, alternator brackets and belts will continue to be installed and/or supplied with some Lycoming factory overhauled and rebuilt engines.

Because the transition is happening very quickly, Bagley provided additional details that will help clarify some key points:

- Customers who take delivery of their Lycoming factory overhauled or rebuilt engines, prior to January 06, 2020, which include Lycoming factory-supplied alternators are still required to return an alternator with their exchange core engine.

- Customers who order Lycoming factory overhauled or rebuilt engines on or after January 06, 2020, may keep their existing alternators or replace them at their discretion based on either the condition of the alternator or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) where applicable.

- Lycoming Service Instruction No. 1154, FAA-Approved Starters and Alternators, will continue to be an active document.

- The next revision of Lycoming Service Instruction No. 1154, (S.I.1154W) will provide additional HET part numbers for alternators and alternator assemblies available directly from Hartzell Engine Technologies.

"The end-goal of this process is to ensure that aircraft owner/operators and their maintenance providers will enjoy a greatly improve overall customer experience when ordering and installing our Plane-Power alternators and components," Bagley said. "In addition, should they ever experience an issue, having direct contact with our technical experts here at the factory will make that whole process easier and more efficient."

Link to Lycoming Service Letter No. L277 explaining the transition: here

Dale Smith
Media Relations Representative
Hartzell Engine Technologies
904.400.1000
dalesmith206@comcast.net

January 6, 2020.  Issue #4,991. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

RV Flying I Did in '19 ...plehrke

I did not do any cross countries in 2019 but did do a lot of local flying around STL.  49 flights, 50.4 hours, >7000 nm.  Not a typical year due to loosing 3 months of flying due to airport and hangar flooded this summer.  Can you tell where the control tower airports are in STL?

Time for year 13 numbers! ...petehowell 9A

The morning was a bummer with the funeral for a co-worker's fiance, but clouds were clearing off, and I thought I would take the -9A up to get some yearly performance numbers......

Lower layer moving East - pretty nice day up at 7500! Pic looking south, you can see KANE in the distance.....  more

New Years Day 2020 ...newt in Australia

Our formation group has established a bit of a tradition over the last few years, of meeting up late in the morning on January 1st and flying somewhere "interesting," usually for a spot of lunch.

This year was slightly different: Glenn volunteered to lead, and planned to take a 6-ship around Sydney Harbour.

It started with a formation briefing, six pilots and six passengers. Half a dozen RVs departing runway 11C at Bankstown in two elements of three, with yours truly leading the second element.  ...

Oil Change Results

Still waiting the Blackstone results for this change but wanted to share my results and get some feedback...

RV-9A
O-320-E2D
No air-oil separator on breather
20W-50XC
~30 hours on oil
Used about 1qt in that 30 hours with level kept at 6-6.5 qts.

Prior analysis showed "upper end" (Blackstone comment) corrosion which coincides with limited use while the aircraft sat for sale with limited flying last year. Jug was pulled during pre-buy to look at cam and tappets, which were normal.

I flew aircraft for 45 mins and drained oil. This was an easier than expected, but a little messy pulling screen.

Here's what I observed...
Oil was remarkibly clean looking for 30 hours. With the limited burn I would guess this means the upper end is runing tight with limited blow-by.
Screen caught a small amount of carbon and what seemed to been some old rubber gasket/seal material. Total...it was an immeasurable amount with no metal
Oil filter - Filter media inspected and run over with strong magnet, no metal found
Oil filter media washed with mineral spirts and fluid was strained in coffee filter, no metal, and only few small specks of carbon found
Strong magnet was placed in jar while washing filter media to pick up anything ferrous. Only a very small amount of ferrous material was found (see picture).
The ferrous material collected by the magnet was very fine...like dust, but there was a couple small flecks of metal < 0.5 mm wide and very thin.  more

My 2019 flying stats ...Bruce Hill 9A

I got a chance yesterday to add up my logbook hours for 2019 and review some of my flying memories.

Status Update ...David Paule -3B

Here's the stack with some work ahead, like gluing, filling, shaping, smoothing, etc. You know, like all the work. But at least the void is filled.

RV-6 Rebuild Project Update ...jamlip

Still going with this thing...

Removed and de-sloshed the fuel tanks. They've been built oversize to 28 gallons each side, and when you stand them on their end, they're about as tall as me. It took me about ten hours per tank, and I used $150 of MEK.

Today I fitted new wing spar cover panels. The aircraft didn't come with any, depite there being evidence that there were once some fitted. Took ages - really annoying. At the same time, I made a centre section for the floor, since I've done-away with the standard battery box.  ...

Initial Contact ...Phil

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking on these forums for a number of years now and have gathered a ton of knowledge from all of you. There is a lot to absorb and I can say that this forum was one of the reasons I finally decided to start my RV-7 build.

I ordered and received my empennage kit back in the spring of 2019 and have been (very) slowly progressing on the build. I started with the wing and toolbox practice kits and learned a lot working through those "tutorials". Currently I'm working through the horizontal stabilizer, which is teaching me even more!

Being up here in the Great White North, the colder temperature in the shop in these winter months slows progress a bit. Working with what feels like (and probably is!) frozen aluminum requires a few more breaks back in the house to warm up!

Thanks again to all for sharing your experiences on the forum, it is an invaluable resource for RV builders!

Anyhow, just wanted to give a quick intro and I know I will be posting with more questions during the course of the build!

Cheers!
Phil

Mystery Airstrip ...Vlad

Is this a reasonable way to wire up my landing/taxi/wigwag lights? ...N546RV

The struggle to nail down my electrical system continues; let's talk about how I want to do my landing and taxi lights.

The light units will be Flyleds combo units, one in each leading edge. For those unfamiliar, each unit has four projectors, one of which can be separately switched and aimed to act as a taxi light. Since I'm building a TW aircraft, I intend to use that functionality. I also want to have wigwag functionality for these lights, and I intend to use the Flyleds wigwag module to do this. What I want is to have two switches: one three-way switch with OFF/TAXI/BOTH positions, and one two-way switch to enable wig-wag.

The first source of interest here is that the wigwag module only has single power outputs, one for the right wing and one for the left. I want the wig-wag function to power both the landing and taxi units, which means at that point the landing and taxi circuits must be tied together - which means I lose the ability to apply power only to one of those circuits when I want the TAXI/BOTH switch on.

The second is sort of the other side of that coin; if I want to have a single switch for OFF/TAXI/BOTH, then the power outputs there for landing and taxi are electrically tied together, which prevents the wigwag module from being able to only apply power to one wing.

Basically, the issue is that every circuit can backfeed every other one.

Now, I'm a bit naive when it comes to electronics, but offhand this seems like a problem that can be solved with diodes - strategically placed diodes prevent any leg of the circuit from backfeeding any other one. The only practical problem I see is that I'll incur a voltage drop at all times to these circuits. But some annoying part of my brain wants to think that this isn't the way this should be done.

So what I'm asking is: is this a reasonable approach, or not?

Initial Panel Ideas ...kentlik

WDYDIYRVTW

(Vlad)  I was exploring new to me vicinities. Looking for a good ice in Wyoming

January 3, 2020.  Issue #4,990.
  It's amazing what you can capture in slow motion with just a modern smartphone and a tripod these days.  The mic picked up the tire squeal...pretty neat sound in slo mo.  These from my home field (52F) and my phone hardly trying - I'll work on my technique.  Simply amazing.  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV filled weekend. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

Slo Mo 'Crazy Woman' RV-8 Landing

Slo Mo Kay F. RV-8A Takeoff

Slo Mo John Goodloe RV-8 Takeoff

A Silence ...Scott Chastain RV-8

The sun was already high up and shining brightly when I finally decided to get out of bed. It was the year 2020, and the percussion of mortars from the night before still punctured my memory like the blind bursting of complete darkness, of a part of my life that had been blown away, hopelessly and irrevocably, as into a void. There was that hollowness in the gut that often precedes a flight where uncertainty must have its way no matter how well-planned the flight is. The mortars reverberated in my brain as if exploding on some great battlefield where the world itself was tenuously hinged, and as I packed my gear and headed out the door, my dog was whining because she had to stay home without me.

I was airborne out of Merced (MCE) less than an hour later heading south at 11,500 feet. The Sierra Nevada range rose snow-capped to the port side, and further south, a portion of the San Joaquin Valley lay buried under a pale scab of fog.  continue

RV8 going IFR ...Jimmie Kemp

Q: I'm installing a pair of garmin G5s and a GNX 375 in my RV8. I would like some advice on where to mount the garmin antenna and magnetometer. Thank you.

A: (rv8ch)
For the Magnetometer, I went with the end of the left wing. I've got a GRT, so not 100% sure that Garmin wants theirs to be as far away from ferrous metal like GRT, but physics are physics.

The magnetometer is attached with double sided tape inside the 2nd hole in this picture.

Recent Additions to Mothership First Flight Page

January 2, 2020.  Issue #4,989. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Last Flight of 2019 (RV-14) ...Georges Grenet pics/vids

Spoiled Rotten ...Robert M

While in the midst of helping my wife get some "Pinch Hitter" training at a local airport, I let MY BFR lapse. So, I set up an appointment with one of the local flight school instructors to renew. Went through the usual "ground school" chat and headed for the C-172. Again, the usual pre-flight. Taxied out, rolled onto the runway and started the takeoff roll. Oh my gosh, was I dragging the fuel truck? Was the engine not delivering full power? I was concerned we weren't gonna be able to even rotate the nose wheel before running out of runway.

AND......during the initial ground roll, I told the instructor; "in my RV, we'd be off the ground by now". And when I got the 55kts to rotate the nose wheel, I told him; "in the RV, we'd be above pattern altitude by now". Then there was the, (what felt like), endless climb to the maneuvering altitude of 3,000 ft. Jeez, I don't remember it taking that long back when I rented 172's.

Please understand, I wasn't trying to brag although it sure sounded that way. No..... it was more like I was complaining. I have been so spoiled with how quickly the RV-9 can get up on the mains, rotate for takeoff and climb to altitude. Spoiled Rotten!

In retrospect, I can see more clearly that things happen SO much faster in the RV and a greater need for due diligence is required for all aspects of operation.

Status Report ...goatflieg

Panel Layout Feedback ...N546RV

OK folks, I think I've finally firmed up this panel design to the point where I want to get some feedback. Intended use case will be primarily day/night VFR. The aircraft will be IFR capable, even though the pilot probably won't be for another couple years.

Broad strokes of the setup are pretty self-explanatory: two 10" Skyview HDX displays, plus a Garmin GPS175 to fulfill the TSO'd GPS role. After much thought, I decided against a second COM radio; it's not depicted on this image, but there will be provision for connecting a handheld transceiver into the ship's antenna, and that'll be my backup COM solution. Other redundancy will be provided by the Skyview backup batteries and dual ADAHRS. Also seen here is a controller for the SDS CPI2 ignition, which will also be equipped with its own backup battery.  more

Jan Wallpaper Calendar

...Ed Hicks pic

Status Report ...jcarne 7A

It's been cold in the garage lately but no excuse not to get out there!

Decided to finish up the FlyLEDs kit. Soldering these things together is probably the funnest part of the build to date. Very well thought out kits and I highly recommend.

The classic inside view. Those heat sinks mean business!

300mph Groundspeed ...sailvi767

Leaking Fuel Tank Rivet ...f14av8r

Okay, so I've tried all the tricks to get this rivet to quit leaking. No amount of pressurized cattle syringe injection of any type of sealant has worked. They slowed the leak quite a bit but have not stopped it completely. So, I'm ready to take the plunge, drill this sucker out and replace it with a new, sealant coated rivet so I can get the leak stopped and the paint back in order!

The plans call for a AN470AD4-4 rivet. Obviously, I'll need a blind countersunk rivet for the replacement. To save me having to learn all about Cherry Max rivets again, would one of you rivet wizards tell me what I should use here please?
Thanks,
Randy

December 31, 2019 - January 1, 2020.  Issue #4,988.
  Dec 31 is a sad day for me now - my dad passed on this day in 1999 age 69.  I was 34.  Today it's twenty years, and it still sucks.  So today, as I've done for the past two decades, I once again tell the world how incredibly grateful I am for the RV community and Van's Aircraft.  This company and these people have kept my life full of cheer, amazement, hope, compassion, wonder and fulfillment.  I'm continually amazed at my good fortune to be associated with such people.  Both my family and I are indeed Blessed to be a part of the world's greatest hobby.
  I'm taking January 1st off just like the mothership (actually I'm flying right seat as an unpaid 'intern' in a King Air 200 for experience), but I'll be back on Jan 2.
  Happy New Year everybody and God Bless all of you.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

Harness Porn*

The more I look at these didn't-give-it-a-seconds-thought pictures I took the other day, the more I like them.  Click on full size to make them your wallpaper.  SteinAir does amazing work, and I couldn't think of a better splash image to ring in the new year.  Going into buddy James' RV-4...

*If 'Harness Porn' isn't a thing, I call dibs.  v/r,dr

Motivation Pic...74-07's RV-8

Christmas Pic for the RV ...Gagarin737

I bought myself a Christmas present; an insulated engine cover from Aircraftcovers.com. The red bag is the storage bag. I'm really impressed by the quality and fit (even a protrusion for the exhaust). The Reiff preheater is switched by a WiFi switch (DRH-704). Will take some temperature measurements next week.

My birthday present ...agent4573 (Paul Mantegna)

Got this from the girlfriend today. We've been talking about building a plane for a while now, and about a month ago I asked her this question. We placed the deposit 2 weeks ago for an RV7.

December 30, 2019.  Issue #4,987.
  We're in the flare in 2019 now, and Susie, Audrey, Tate and I hope you enjoyed our family business here over the last twelve months.  We thank those that sent in their honor system donation, those folks helping us keep it online while we try our hardest to motivate and entertain this amazing RV community.  We will keep on keeping on to bring you a quality product worthy of your kindness.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

RV-8 and the White Christmas ...ArlingtonRV

2019 brought about the kind of white Christmas that I prefer. The kind where I go to the white and not have the white come to me. Snow is fun to see in its natural habitat, but I don't like it so much down in the lowlands where I live. That's not entirely true, I enjoy it for a day or two, but after that I have to leave the house. People around here don't know how to drive in good weather, throw in some snow and it's best to stay on the sidelines.  more pics / video

Clarifying What You Get With the RV-14 RE: Baffles ...greg and scott

RV Holiday RVating ...TShort

Flew to IA for a couple days before I had to work the holiday (KUMP->8C4)  90 minutes in the RV is far better than 5.5 in the car each way!

Sunset crossing the Mississippi over Quad Cities:

N14ZM New Panel ...Danny (F1)

N14ZM is finally flying again with her new all Garmin panel. This was a major project that (as always with me) had some major scope creep. The original panel was a mix of 1st generation Dynon, Tru Trak, and Garmin radios. The electrical system was all CB's located on the panel. What originally was planned as a Dynon display update and ADS-B install quickly turned into a completely new all Garmin panel, which then turned into a re wire of 90% of the airplane. Every switch was replaced and the electrical system split between a new fuse box and a few panel mounted CB's. Lots of work for sure but well worth it.

Slow Cranking Results Found ...74-07

Read up on all of the other threads. RV-8, 320 hours, IO360 200 hp., one blade and stop then, next try would crank. Used all the info here and once again, like many others, found starter contactor burned and pitted. Replacing both contactors. I do have one question. The airplane has EXP2 Bus system. Starter contactor has diode but master does not. Any reason they both shouldn't have a diode?

Stall Spin in the Base Turn Video ...Vac

Recently there was some excellent discussion regarding slipping RV's that evolved into discussion about stalling while slipping. As a result of participating in that thread, I thought it might be helpful to put together a short video demonstration of slipping and skidding "departures" (the airplane doing something I don't want it to do) in the base turn:  more

Battery relocation, G3X Wiring diagram ...jamesrw2002

Monk found a brilliant fix to a possibly sticky scenario, the plan for the center radio stack pretty much hinged on relocating everything under the floor that would be affected. So the Battery and relays needed to move - the firewall seemed like a good place because this would help with the aft CG of my airplane and free up some much needed space. The only issue is, apparently on my airplane there isn't any room to do this so Monk devised a genius plan and mounted it on the engine mount, it will sit in the cheek of the engine cowl. Barring any unintended consequences of placing it here, it should be perfect!  more

Only an RV-9 Can Do This ...Steve Melton

Wichita full tanks, 36 gal
Cincy travel 3:43 hr, 610 nm, 20 kt tailwind
then local flights:
local flight 1
local flight 2
local flight 3

and still 9.6 gal in the tanks.

that means all of that flying on 26.4 gallons.

Three Cheers for the 9!

On Fire! ...Square Feet

The last time I was in the RV-6, it was on fire. *That was 12/26/2019 about seven hours and three beers ago.

I headed out west to the Lake Michigan coastal airport of Frankfort to fly the RV a couple weeks ago. *There was a small, dried puddle of something around the right wheel pant and the right brake pedal was mush. *The right line from the master was visibly white, and empty to the reservoir. *I removed the right pant and inspected the caliper and brakes in place. *Line and fitting were dry - the caliper had fresh 5606 drops dangling, the pads were wet and there was 5606 mud in the bottom of the wheel pant. *But no real culprit at this point. *I clipped the safety wire and plucked the caliper thinking the piston o-ring must be misbehaving.

Incidentally, the return from annual inspection was the last flight, and more than a month ago, where we had installed new tires, tubes, etc., and packed wheel bearings. *At the time, the left brake pads looked new, with the right showing slight wear, but definitely serviceable.

Back to the shop a week ago, an inspection of the cleaned brake assembly showed absolutely no signs of wear on the piston, nor the bore of the caliper. *The original o-ring had no visible defects, or stiffness, but it was likely 20 years old. *While I was at it with a new o-ring, just for good measure, I installed new brake pads at the shop then took the clean, fresh package out to install in today's 50+ degree balmy weather. *With the hangar door open, the bright sun lighted my workspace and warmed the recently-frigid wrenches and pliers to the bone. *The classical music station (keeping the mice out, because mice have no class) still played Holiday music; even the day after. *Bing, and Nat. *I was loving life.

We know that our phones will answer any question on the spot. *This would be a good time to take a micrometer to the brake disc, and compare to minimum thickness from Cleveland's specs. *The mic in the box was metric, but translated to .175-ish on a couple spot checks with min. spec for the 500x5 in the .160's. *Installed, the pad-to-disc clearances looked like a new installation.

I gas-ragged the 5606 mud (dirt and hydraulic fluid) from the belly of the right pant, pumped new brake fluid into the right bleeder, tested the right pedal until rock-firm while letting the volatile blue 100LL flash off before final installation of the pant. *Many brake cycles, no leaks, so on went the pant.

Now, back to the phone for a reminder of the Cleveland brake lining conditioning sequence... Oh yes, taxi 1500 feet with engine at 1700 rpm and brake(s) applied. *Stop. *Let cool 3 minutes, then test the brake-hold at a full power run-up. *If it holds, go fly. *If not, repeat process.

So that I did. *Sort of. *The frisky wind on the 15-33 runway was 200-240 at 12G22, so I thought maybe I'd just break-in the brake today instead of fly. *AWOS was showing an enticing downward trend of wind however, and I was being tempted to fly as I taxied in the stiff-ish left crosswind. *Dragging the right brake for the prescribed 1500 feet I couldn't hold 1700 rpm. *That's nearly take-off power in an RV-6 with a 160hp Lycoming 320. *Sub-1400 rpm *was getting me there just fine. *And largely because I was only breaking one brake in, (the right) as the left pads were fine, remember? *Everything was splendid. *The right brake was holding my taxi straight in the stiff left crosswind. *And braking was firm and effective. *I probably *ran an extra 500 feet to the run-up area with the break in procedure to generate glazing heat because of the cold.

When I finally slowed, then stopped at the runway end I could, not surprisingly, smell a little heat from the right brake side. *Then maybe a glimpse of smoke? *Or was that my imagination? *Nah, couldn't be that hot. *Then, at this stopped position the right brake pedal suddenly went limp. *#*!$$@. *Now what's going on? *And I'm 3000 feet down the runway from the barn. *Well, the now-right crosswind was a blessing having no right brake, I was able to idle very slowly, cautiously and carefully back to the hangar-ish. *All left turns, and all very slowly, and deliberately, because once the tailwheel unlocks, any asymmetrical braking situation, as in this case, makes this plane spin about aimlessly like a dazed housefly. *I was actually wondering about my insurance coverage as I straddled this delicate situation.

I did seem to get an occasional whiff of heat on the way back, but certainly no additional heat could be generated by the now-dead right brake.

I taxied to within 50 feet of the hangar before I ran out of directional wind benefit, and it's maneuvering luck. *I stopped, and now saw another puff of smoke. *Or not? *Could it be? Fuel off! mixture lean! electrical off! *key off! I hopped out and rounded the beak only to see the right wheel pant of my favorite airplane burning like yesterday's Christmas hardwood in great-nephew Kenny's home-heating fireplace. *I mean really burning, and right under the wing tank. *Yes, very momentarily, but there was again denial on my part. *Then an immediate *sprint to the hangar looking for something wet - yet not frozen. *Nothing in the wash bucket... Windex won't be adequate... WD40? *McGuiars won't ever put a shine on this again... the 5 gallon can of 100LL avgas sure ain't gonna help this situation!

"You idiot. *You have a fire extinguisher in here somewhere." And there it was., by the door, where it's supposed to be. *Dated, but there. *I grabbed the extinguisher, pulling the pin as I sprinted to the burning airplane. *You know, an extinguisher about 4" in diameter and 18" tall isn't quite adequate to put out a wheel pant, and now, tire-fire. *In retrospect, I wish I had choreographed this moment ahead of time to include time for a quick photo, or video, or selfie of this persistent, olympic torch. So a sprint back to the hangar for the bucket hoping the frost-faucet at the terminal building is working. Then a sprint back to the rekindled campfire with five gallons of water. *Boom! went the new $350.00 tire and tube combo with the five-gallon surgical douse of cold water. *And it wasn't out yet. *So, another sprint to the terminal building and another wet five, which got things under control. *Then one more, walking this time in disbelief of what just happened, and what nearly happened.

Well, with a little neighborly help, Richard, the Airport Manager, and another neighbor were able to help get the right gear on a dolly and back into my hangar before dark. *I still have a plane, but also a boatload of redundant, needless work.

The way that fire-retardant 5606 hydraulic fluid and fiberglass combo burned has me re-thinking the aluminum vs. composite construction world. *My wheel pant was very difficult to extinguish, and turned into a literal dishrag that I simply ripped from the mounts before dollying.

What a day. *Now, I need to think about *the root cause of this event. The quick answer may be that there are times "to go the extra mile" but riding the brakes on break-in, or ever, ain't one of 'em. *Funny, it could even happen in a fiberglass sailplane with no fuel aboard. *Some have disc brakes, and of course, that flame-retardant 5606. Dang, I always felt safer with no gas aboard. Does that even make sense?

Parachutes, Baby!
Happy New Year.

Miketitan

December 27, 2019.  Issue #4,986.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

In the RV Over the Holiday ...RV8JD

Christmas Eve proved to be a great day for a sightseeing flight over the central Washington Cascades while listening to Christmas music on the iPod. It was clear, smooth, and quite serene. Beautiful, actually. The low Winter sun angle illuminated the South facing slopes of the mountains well.  many more pics

G3X ESP Learning Experience ...Aaron RV-10

Thought I would share a recent experience with the G3X in the interest of safety. Last Saturday, I got distracted during the preflight and forgot to remove the pitot cover. Realized my error on the takeoff roll but decided to continue the takeoff and return to the airport. I know the sound and feel of the plane well enough that flying without airspeed is not a big deal.

At 500 feet the ESP system kicked in. It seems like it saw the zero airspeed, and aggressively started to push the nose down. It automatically turns on the autopilot to do this. Best I can tell it then started to trim nose down as well when I started fighting the autopilot. Fortunately it appears you can override the G3X trimming with the trim button on the stick, so I trimmed nose up, and then pulled the trim circuit breaker.

At this point, I was on downwind and still fighting the autopilot. My first thought was to turn off the master and kill all the electronics, but then I remembered the ESP turn off switch wired on the panel. Flipped the switch and all was well from there.

So my lessons learned:

- Make sure you understand the ESP system and how it works
- Know how to turn off the system, especially if you don't have the cockpit switch
- Know how to quickly turn off the trim motor. I have a yellow cap on my circuit breaker that allowed me to quickly pull the correct breaker
- Make sure the autopilot torque is set so you can override in flight
- Fly the plane

I consider myself lucky that I have significant hours in the RV's and had the bandwidth to fly while dealing with the issue. It all happened very quickly and near the ground. For this to happen on a first flight that near the ground, it could have quickly become dangerous.

(g3xpert reply) Agree with Walt that we would like to review the log file to confirm what happened with this aircraft that was flown with no airspeed.

Back in V8.50 software we also made improvements in the ESP logic to prevent use in a blocked pitot scenario, so it will also be good to learn what software was being used in this aircraft.

ESP correction activities do not result in auto-trim being run like would happen when the autopilot is engaged, so it is unlikely that any pitch trim changes were occurring.

A reminder to everyone that pressing and holding the AP DISC button that everyone has on their stick activates circuitry in the GSA 28 servos that physically disables both the servo motor drive circuit and the trim motor drive circuit, so no matter what the servo processor might be trying to do, there will be absolutely no way for any control forces to be initiated by the servos.

Mr. X Early Morning Thursday ...over the Gulf of Mexico

Fuselage crack RV4 ...Stewbronco

Hi and seasons greetings. I recently bought an RV4 with O-360 and the newer style fuselage weldments. Wish I could post a picture but there is a vertical crack in the right fuselage skin that extends about 2-3 rivets above and below the lower edge fibreglass cowl cheek extensions. It is JUST aft of the cowling . Of course looking to fix but wondering how extensively ( if at all ) I should extend the patch (.040) past the standard 3 rivets beyond the crack . The fibreglass cheek extension will have to come off and be modified to go over the patch .
Once again. Wish I could post a picture but I thought that given the perpensity for hard landings to wrinkle firewall maybe something that goes a bit lower picks up the rivets that tie skin to lower weldment might help ? The minimum upper limit will be about 2/3 of the way up inside the cowl cheek extension to extend 3 rivets past the end of the crack .But maybe higher to balance load .... structure still needs to flex for sure . Obviously will be stopdrilled .
I have a picture of problem and outline of my proposed fix that I can gladly email to anyone willing to offer an opinion and again apologies for not being able to post that picture.
Could be just overthinking this but I believe that overkill is right where I like to be ! Many thanks in advance Stew. stewhansen 'at' shaw 'dot' ca

Birds Wing In Sync With Frame Rate (video) ...DanH sent me this

Rare for KDFW...the other morning.  0 miles viz.

December 26, 2019.  Issue #4,985. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

 
My family described in one picture. ;^)
One gift tag...four years and counting!  dr

Buck Meets RV....the Next Chapter ...Av8safe

Well today Santa delivered a check from AIG for my RV7. I am told the aircraft will be going up for auction on the AIG site in January. If you are a builder (and I wish I was) looking for a project this would be worth checking out. The avionics and engine alone would be a bargain...

N5559B is sporting a dual Garmin G3X Touch system with a GTN650 navigator and an XIO-320 (360 case, 320 cylinders, angled valve, fuel injected, P-mag) engine with less than 140 hours since overhaul.

As for me, I am going to begin the search again. Quality craftsmanship is the top priority, with IFR current panel that is either a Garmin integrated system or similar. Vic will be doing the pre-buy...again, so that tells you how much I value his experience and safety mindset. Check your jam nuts (and everything else on his recent video) before we arrive! So if you have an exceptional RV7 and are eyeing that RV14 kit to start building, or you're just looking for a new home for your pride and joy...pm me.

Mr X Pic

"Worst rime ice I've seen, yesterday...."

enlarge

RV-7 AOG West Memphis

Need suggestions!

RV-7 configuration
- 0-360 Titan
- Constant speed prop.
- 900 hours
- Left standard mag
- Right electroair electronic ignition
- upper spark plugs Bosch Automotive
- lower spark plugs Regular champion aircraft

Symptoms:
- Engine stumbling on cruise power settings, max power seems better.
- Stumbles - power loss for 1to 2 seconds and then runs smooth for 45 seconds (all times are not exact and varies unpredictably).
- Fuel pressure reads good and even during the event.
- Manifold pressure drops during the event.
- Doesn't seem Mag dependant. Run-up mags check fine.
- Run-up no problems.
- #1 cylinder few hundred degrees higher EGT than other three on takeoff and climb out

Things checked and flew again with same symptoms.
- Gascolator checked filter -good
- Carb checked filter -good
Both little debris was found but nothing concerning.
- Lower Spark plugs cleaned removed and cleaned - normal for hours
- Very careful checked manifold pressure lines aft of firewall and all good.

Currently talking with a mechanic on field but will not be able to help for several days.

Hospitality has been great and someone is loaning us a hangar while trying to figure this out.

HS-609PP ...RV701775

I just finished rounding and beveling the edge of the HS-609PP that fits against the rear spar. I am curious if I beveled it too much where it could have removed too much material. I still have 1/4in edge distance to the last hole, but the thickness at the edge is only 0.14in vs. 0.1875 in thickness. I did not want to bevel it too little, but it was difficult to judge what was sufficient.

I would appreciate any feedback

Thanks!

Lycoming Engines Vans Fly-In/Tour ...May 15th. 

Mark those calendars!

(Devin Albrecht - Sr. Design Engineer Small Engines. Lycoming Engines, Textron Systems)
Good morning and Merry Christmas VAF-ers!

I am organizing a fly-in/tour of my new employer at Lycoming Engines 652 Oliver St, Williamsport, PA 17701. I have locked in the date for the tour with Lycoming Marketing as May 15th, 2020. The current plan is an arrival on Thursday May 14th in the afternoon/evening and then a 9am plant tour of the engine shop and manufacturing facility May 15th. Those choosing to fly into KIPT will have ramp space at the Lycoming hangar available for the weekend for as many airplanes as we cant fit at no charge (bring tiedowns and chocks). Overflow can check in with Energy Aviation. I would also encourage an evening out on the town Friday night followed by maybe a fly-out to breakfast Saturday morning.

December 24-25, 2019.  Issue #4,984.
  Susie, Audrey, Tate and I would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.  We thank God every day for the friends we are Blessed with, and wonderful people we get to interact with in this amazing hobby.  We are a lucky, lucky bunch.
  As I was typing this I got an email invite for an interview in six weeks at a local sim for some possible side work that could maybe lead to some possible jet SIC side work.  And the kids are both home.  Did I mention how grateful I am?  Now where did I put that suit...
  God Bless you all and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

 
Merry Christmas!

RV-12 Build ...mwjohn63 video

One year after my first flight and 80 + hours later, I finally have a video of the build. The plane is still flying great and currently going through the CI, but hope to be back up soon. I still can't wipe the grin off my face thinking that I'm flying something that I built. Over the past year I completed the all test cards, made it to Oshkosh (survived the storms), gotten the plane painted, and made it over to the east coast a couple times to visit family. This plane was a joy to build and even more to fly. Thanks to all those who supported me along the way.

Mothership Hours

[ed. Related, no VAF edition Christmas Day. v/r,]

RV-12 In-flight Photo ...mwardle7

RV-12 over Canyonlands National Park - Maze District (Utah)

James' Christmas Stuffed Toy...courtesy Cathy (hand made)

Deaf pilots ...Bob Collins questions

Just wondering if there are any pilots here with severe hearing loss using two hearing aids who've come up with a solution to properly amplify the radio.

I ask because yesterday I flew with a friend in his RV-7 for the first time since I lost (most) hearing in the remaining "good ear" and while I could make out what he was saying on the intercom (it helps that I could see his lips while trying to make out what he was saying), the calls on the radio were another story entirely.

We could boost the radio to a higher level (I had the level on my Zulu II headsets pushed all the way up), but at that point, it was too distorted to be able to understand anything.

The hearing aids I have can receive a Bluetooth signal, which I use with a device (ComPilot) for my cellphone, pushing the audio directly into the hearing aids, but I'm unaware of any similar device for flight radios.

I know deaf pilots are probably a very small number but I'd be interested in any experiences anyone on here has had on the subject.

Santa Checks His RV Sleigh ...TimO

(Tim) "Every year just before Christmas, Santa has to take his sleigh out for a pre-Christmas check flight. Sometimes that fat and jolly old man has a lot of fun. Enjoy watching this pudgy and jolly moron play around for a couple minutes."

RV-8 Interior Finished ...rv8ch

Really happy with how mine turned out - only took a bunch of years (won't even say how many). Can't believe it's done!

December 23, 2019.  Issue #4,983.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

The back of the Christmas card AX-O
sent our family.  It's on the fridge now ;^).

B-double-E-double-R-U-N Beer Run ...petehowell 9A

Nothing says Christmas like a few rounds of New Glarus' finest, and what makes it more fun is you have to FLY to get it. You know what that means.....BEER-RUN!

1)Daughter Kate in tow - check
2)Bernie on the wing - check
3)My college buddy Ken and his son Justin (Kate's college buddy) inbound from Iowa- check

We had the makings of a fine day in Badgerland!

The scenic Upper Mississippi was our guide on the way down. We were IFR....wait for it.....I Follow Rivers......  more

Totals updated 12/22/19 1946Z

Dear VAF site/forum readers,

December is pledge drive month and as you know we use the honor system. If you are a regular VAF reader and haven't donated yet in '19, PLEASE consider it (how to). Working VAF full time while trying to get a part time commercial side gig thing going (haven't broke even yet but am embracing the suck) and putting some resumes out there for a possible third part time gig in a sim (fingers crossed). Small business owner life is stunningly expensive and 24/7, and there is very little down time (flown the RV 39.8 hrs in '19).

Bill Gates I ain't and donations really, really matter in our family.

Please take two minutes to read the 'Support VAF' page if you haven't, and thank you if you are one of the 1,908* people who have sent in a little over $27K after taxes so far this year. We're approaching 28,000 registered forum accounts. Call it 5% donated so far, half that if you include unregistered 'lurkers'.  Pie chart at right...

I'll never swamp you with emails, letters or pop-up ads. I'll NEVER track or sell your keystrokes and clicks like all the other social media sites, and I'll never ask for more than $25. Two bucks a month...a cup of coffee...for a nice, civil, non-politics (a rare thing) virtual watering hole promoting the greatest hobby and people on earth. 

Please help me keep it afloat.

I hate having to even have a pledge drive, but without it we're in the red as a business. The margins are that tight. Thanks again to those who help keep this site going...and my family fed and sheltered. I'll keep trying my hardest to bring you a quality product.

Kindest and best,
Doug (and Susie, Audrey and Tate).

*as of 12/22/19 1946Z
(Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Santa visits my neighborhood ...dr

December 20, 2019.  Issue #4,982.
  The RV-12iS demonstrator reflecting blue sky and clouds during a Texas visit awhile back - might make a nice wallpaper for your desktop (proof mine).  Click on pic below for full size.  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

2,560 X 1920 enlargement

RV-10 Engine Data Review ...RV-10

I had and episode yesterday in the -10. Entering the pattern, the engine started running very rough and had a significant loss of power with EGT spikes over 1600 on four cylinders and EGTs gone cold on two cylinders. Understand there is a user on VAF named "Marion"?? that is willing to review engine data logs. I would like to pass these logs on to him/her for review.

Thanks to all
Frank

RV8 Video - in 360 view ...sjhurlbut

Hope you enjoy the latest video. Its intended to show the capability of the 360 camera. While its good at adding cool views to a video it can get a bit overwhelming (the cuban 8 is barely tolerable). I won't post every video like this but the post processing (labour intensive) is a significant amount of work. Enjoy share and subsribe to the channel.

The rudder movement on landing is more than expected hahaha

Vernatherm Oil Leak ...Mark Dickens

I have an oil leak around where my Vernatherm screws into the oil filter adapter. It's a 90 degree adapter. I've retorqued it to 25 ft/lbs and it still leaks. So I bought a replacement gasket and I note that, like the spark plug gasket, one side is flat and one side has a little bulge to it. Is it correct that the flat side of the gasket is against the Vernatherm flange and the bulged side against the oil filter adapter? Or do I have that backward?
__________________
RV-8 #81077 Super Slow Build

Robert (Bob) Snedaker GONE WEST ...Steve Barnes post

With great sadness I received the news that Bob passed away this morning at 80 years from a short illness. Bob was living in Everett WA near his family. Bob was the founder of Fairings-Etc. and supplied hundreds of builders with various fiberglass intersection fairings for their RV projects till 5 years ago when the business was sold. R.I.P. BOB

Crack Discovered During Install of AOA Retrofit Kit ...Strappe

Yesterday, while routing 1/4" tubing during the installation of the AOA Retrofit Kit, I discovered the crack (complete break) in the bearing brace Part# F-1206F affected by SB 14-12-06. We bought the plane from its builders in 2017 and have put about 200 hours on it. The aircraft documents reflect compliance with the SB via replacement of the brace. I have done two condition inspections, most recently in September, and never noticed this crack, though I admit I was not looking for it. I had checked the torque seal on each occasion, but I believe the crack would have been hidden behind the flaperon push rods.

This break looks to me to be the result of a rather violent force. The support tech at Van's thought it the result of a direct blow of some sort. He shared the photos with their engineers, and they arrived at the same conclusion.

That seems very odd. That's not a place where it would be easy to strike the brace with enough force to break it. Even so, the dent in the brace away from the crack and what looks like a scrape in the metal are hard to dismiss.

(I have also posted an image of a problem I found at the last inspection in September where 3 of 4 rivets were missing from a rib.)

Anyone have other thoughts?  ...

Carbon Plug&Play Tailwheel Fairing ...lucaperazzolli

After a long development process, I'm happy to let you know that I've completed the Tailwheel Fairing with the plug & play installation on the very common Screaming Eagle Retrofit Tailwheel Fork from Flyboy Accessories.

You catch the fairing, enlarge a bit the axis hole, probably file a little bit the top big hole (just to clean the fiber) and you are ready to install.

This is the first production prototype ready to start the test period in the concrete and grass airfields.

Let me know your opinions.

December 19, 2019.  Issue #4,981. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

From the vault...

N11LR is officially an airplane ...RV-10

Brought the plane to the hanger a couple weeks ago and received my A/W cert yesterday. Very exciting. I hope to be doing the first flight this weekend or early next week. I will post a pic once I get the hanger door open later this week.

Would love to hear any pearls of wisdom on first flight. I have read numerous docs on the subject, but was hoping for some specifics related to the 10. I have a few hours in another 10, so comfortable with the transition from the 6.

Thanks,
Larry
__________________
N64LR

New SidVid  ...Veterans Day Flight

Sent by a friend today...dr

John Bright receives Van's $750 "Golden Ticket"... donates it to ENP!!!

Eagle's Nest Projects
December 17, 2019

This was the year of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' at Van's Aircraft with Charlie being played by none other than our very own John Bright (johnbright on VAF). Like most of us, John ordered his calendar in the usual manner and with little hope of also receiving a Golden Ticket. John's calendar arrived postage paid by Van's a few days after he placed the order. Upon opening the envelope, John noticed something peaking out from behind one of the calendar pages. Yes!, it was a Golden Ticket... and not a ticket for just a shirt and cap. It was the big kahuna... $750 towards a new tail kit!

"The rest of the story" is that Eagle's Nest Projects received an email from John offering to donate his good fortune to help in the continuing success of our program. Thank you John!!! The kindness and support from individuals like John is what keeps our program strong; inspiring and empowering high school students to become good citizens and leaders in their chosen field.

In appreciation of John's generosity and in recognition of the support this forum provides to our community, we've forwarded a portion ($100) of John's generous gift along to Doug in hopes of keeping VAF and our community strong. From the entire Eagle's Nest team... Thank You, John!!!  [ed. Thank you!!! both John and ENP!!!!  v/r,dr]

Anthony's RV Weekend ...RV-6A

Ok, a little late to the party here, but on Saturday myself and a safety pilot went practicing under the hood for an hour and a half.
Three RNAV approaches at 3 different airports with a hold and circle to land. I let the autopilot take the easy parts and hand flew down the glideslopes. (you can tell by the squiggles) Fun stuff!!

Flying with the dog: funny but serious ...Ed 9A

From NASA ASRS: I departed this morning on a Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) flight plan, and my intention was to maintain 1,400 feet until [laterally] clear of [Class] B airspace, which would keep me clear of the Flight Restricted Zone and all [Class] B airspace. At approximately 1,200 feet in my climb, my dog, which had been harnessed in the back seat, leapt into the front passenger seat. In doing so, he hit the dash, somehow managing to clear my flight plan out of my Garmin 430. He pulled my GDL 39 out of the cigarette lighter (my backup navigation), he knocked my tablet (also my backup navigation) onto the passenger side floor, and he ripped the microphone port of my headset out at the connector. I didn

t initially realize that had happened, and I could still hear the radio because the listening port was still plugged in. In trying to keep my dog off of the controls, and flipping the autopilot off to hand-fly, I inadvertently made a climbing turn to 2,200 feet and may have broken into Class B airspace. Upon recognizing this, I immediately descended and made my initial radio call to Potomac. At the time, I thought they had acknowledged my call, but in retrospect, I don't think they did. A few minutes later as I was still trying to re-trim the airplane, Potomac was trying to reach me, and it was clear to me they couldn't hear me. It was at this point that I realized my microphone port had been unplugged, and the cord was now wrapped around my 50 pound dog, which was dead weight on top of it. I finally freed the cord and made contact with Potomac. In doing so, my concentration was broken, and when I looked at my position, I was either in or very close to violating the FRZ. I immediately turned around and again made contact with Potomac. At this point forward I stayed clear of Bravo and the FRZ

Rudder Cable Chafing ...avrojockey

After watching Vic Syracuse's webinar on eaa.org the other day I did an extra detailed preflight to catch any of the common maintenance items talked about. Didn't find any loose nuts but I found the rudder cables chafing on fuse skin where they exit under the cable fairings at the tail. I didn't take a picture but I can tell you that it's been happening since the airplane was built 600 hours ago.

The cables look okay other than the coating of aluminum built up over time. The fuse skin has worn down to sharp edge where the cable is chafing. There's no mention of this issue in any of the conditional checklists in the aircraft records.

Questions:
Is there an issue with galvanic corrosion with the buildup of aluminum, assuming the cable is stainless or galvanized?
Should one worry about the stress point on fuselage skin? Repair or monitor?
What fixes are folks employing to prevent chafing? I've seen a couple solutions in the picts below...

December 18, 2019.  Issue #4,980. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

New Build Site ...Bruce Lane RV-14A

"I am building an RV-14A (or more correctly I purchased a partially built project).  I hope to be flying by late summer 2020.  Here is my builder's log: http://RV14A.brucelan.com

Cheers,
Bruce (Richmond, VA)"

[ed. You know, sometimes you see a picture and you think, "There's no way this isn't the splash image in the next edition."  v/r,dr]

New RV Stories Video ...mothership (Robert and Gail Cutter)

"When you watch Robert and Gail Cutter of Columbia, South Carolina tell the story of building their RV, you'll understand what we mean when we say RV building can be a truly amazing and personal experience! You'll never meet two nicer people, and we're so glad they're part of the Van's Aircraft family!"  watch

GMC507 Mounted on my RV-6 Tip Up Glare Shield

Tony Kirk sent me an updated SolidWorks model last night (Van's employee working on this after hours at home).  This thing is getting pretty close to drop dead awesome.  I'll let you know when I have a GMC507 in hand with a 3D printed prototype mount.  Expect pics.

(5) full size pics HERE.
Related: What is a GMC 507

Houston area monthly lunch (December 2019)

Last one of the year! With the demise of Weiser, I suppose we're going to be sticking with Hooks for the foreseeable future, at least if we want to preserve the possibility of flying in...

With that in mind, let's grab some B-52 burgers at the Aviator's Grill this Saturday, the 21st, at 11:30. And wonder of wonders...I'll actually be there this month, and I have actual airplane building to talk about.

See you all there!

Cool Old Clamp Seen on the Bench ...at Monk's

Waiting for the warm weather ...(7A)

Bad timing: I'm ready to start working with canopy plexiglass but it's in the freezing middle of winter. Nope! Gotta look for some other stuff to do in the mean time. Looks like there is plenty of canopy related work, but the plans have you doing them after the plexiglass is in place. Any reason that some or all of these can't be done before the plexiglass work? Canopy reinforcement brace kit, side skirts, canopy lift struts, aft canopy latch lugs (the parts that engage with the latch "fingers"), interior canopy handle. Do I really need the plexi fit to do these?

If I really have to wait, I guess I can set the canopy frame aside and work on the engine mount or something. Or start fiberglassing the empennage. Or start installing avionics. Or the wiring harnesses. Or the stick grips. Or pull the trigger on a panel. Come to think of it there's plenty of stuff to do at this stage!
__________________
Ryan Drake

December 17, 2019.  Issue #4,979. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Hangar floor reflection.  dr pic.

GMC507 Glare Shield Mount Update (related: thread)

Tony Kirk, Van's Aircraft proto shop guy, sent me a few screen grabs of a 3D printable housing for a GMC507 that he mocked up over the weekend from home (non-Van's time).  A work in progress, and a few back and forths via email, and I'll keep you in the loop.  If I can make it work in my plane and there aren't any hiccups, Tony would like to share the model with the community.  There are many business that will do the 3D printing for you if you hand them a file.  I'll keep you in the loop.  Very exciting.

Tony's 6A build pics (link)

Pete's RV Weekend ...petehowell 9A (MN)

Little Lunch Down South
Temp was a little above zero in Minne, but we had not flown in a while, so we set up a lunch with a RV7 builder and college buddy down in Iowa where it was a balmy 10 or so.............
Gotta Shovel out......
Minne looks awfully cold........

With pics: EarthX EXT900-VNT in aft battery location...jliltd

I have been following the Earthx discussions and have a friend whom I helped install an EXT680 on his RV-8 firewall after Oshkosh 2017. It has worked great for him.

My RV-8 had the aft battery location with a Concord AGM aircraft battery. The airplane was down for a few months while Barrett Performance went through the engine. The battery didn't fare so well sitting around and had to be replaced. I opted to try one of the newer vented battery versions of the EarthX, the EXT900-VNT. I chose this vented model because of my battery location and wanted any smoke that might arise to be contained and vacate the fuselage. I added the optional EarthX vent adapter kit that takes both vent tubes and combines them into one larger tube. Included with this option is a machined vent port to send any smoke overboard.

Fluting Issue ...BobbyLucas

These parts are far from flat/straight and the instructions say to flute, but how in the world are you supposed to flute material that doesn't exist due to the scallops? Am I supposed to flute closer to the holes? Or do I need to grind down the tool so it reaches further in on the flange?

Paint Work and Canopy Done ...Sibirsky

Jim's RV Weekend ...jliltd

Dana and I flew to Prescott, AZ to watch my niece graduate from Embry Riddle with an Aeronautics degree. Weather was awesome. Winds stiff out of the West. Hit 260mph ground speed on the way home.

sjhurlbut New Video ...Canada

Status Report ...LCampbell RV-10

I was going to let the last update stand for the end of the tailcone work but thought someone mind find some use out of this addendum fiberglass update...

I will totally come clean that when it comes to aluminum metal working, I'm at the bottom of the learning curve. But when it comes to fiberglass, I've been working with it for ages... different cloths, e-glass, s-glass, carbon, Kevlar, different resins, additives, micro-balloons, cabosil, cotton flox, vacuum bagging, etc.

So, after spending the last year being blown away with the incredible accuracy of every prepunched, bent or formed piece of aluminum, I was surprised that the fiberglass wasn't up to similar standards. Two photos below show how out of shape one of the worst was. I know that shipping or not storing it properly can deform it over time, but still, some of these were quite out of shape. I decided to solve it 3 ways... First I clamped it for several days in the shape it should be. Then for the worst of it, applied gentle heat while clamped and pushed into the shape it should be. I've found you have to be incredibly careful here, but it can help. For example, the HS leading edge fairing pictured below, I applied 150 degrees (the most I would feel comfortable with) for about 5 minutes with a heat gun (monitoring with a temp gun), then let it cool down on its own for the next hour with the clamps still in place. After that process, it retained about 80% of it's new, proper shape.

First Flights Added...mothership

James' New Panel ...on-the-bench pics courtesy SteinAir

December 16, 2019.  Issue #4,978. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Chris Johnson (9A) from the 'What did
you do with your RV this weekend?' thread.

Close to First Flight (RV-7).  Question ...Kays

Hi All,
i started the standard build 7 back in 2009. Made good progess but then i stopped working on it for seven years due to life and stuff. Last year i called a buddy of mine who had a truck and we picked the airplane up from the farmers barn where it was sitting in the corner for all those winters. Since then i worked on her a lot and now she's really not far away from first flight anymore. Wings are mated, all systems (seem to) work and there are just some "cosmetics" left, like sanding some fiberglass here and there. At least i think so.

Long Story short...after seven years of zero acticity on the project it was not hard to dig in again. Just needed several weeks and i was back on track. Problem is that i forgot all those things that i wanted to check before first flight. So my question: Is there some technical checklist prior first flight for the RV7 available? Like "check bolt so and so, put this piece into that place etc..."?

Status Report ...David Paule -3B

Thanks to a couple of friends, Dave Dooley and Glenn Potter, the last skin on the plane was riveted today. It'll still be a while until I can do some riveting, so these guys came over and finished riveting the turtledeck to the fuselage. They riveted the right longeron and all four bulkheads. The left longeron had already been riveted, thanks to Dave Dooley, who helped me do it.

Here's Glenn riveting one of the bulkheads.  ...

Uncommanded Trim Tab ...beneditoangelo RV-12

My RV 12 has just over 35 hours flown
Everything was working fine but on the last few flights I've been having trouble stabilizing the plane.After takeoff and with the plane in level suddenly it assumes a strong nose down.Using the trim up I can stabilize the plane but the same happen again other times. Can someone help me?

 

Don't Do This ...Plummit

A few weeks back I had a dead battery (don't ask) So I pulled out my trusty jumper and connected it in to a charged Odyssey 925 battery. The jumper cables and my plane have the Cessna/Piper 3-pronged plug. I had used this once before in 2015 but this time it didn't work. The Volt meter showed no voltage at the plug so I opened it up:

Annual Findings and a Question ...Tacco

Annual - wow, that took a while!

Found I had not primed inside counterbalance arm but no corrosion visible. Left it for now. Anyone else forget to do this?

AoA failed leak check. Tracked down the fitting at the ADHRS box. Just reset it, passed fine.

Do yourself a favor, replace the Phillips head screws on all the cockpit panels with Torx....soooomuch nicer to deal with.

Autopilot Guidance Panel on Glare Shield ...Mona44

I did exactly that with my Dynon boxes when I upgraded the panel. The location works very well from an ergonomics POV and doesn't impede on visibility in any way, regardless of flight conditions. Including aeros.

December 13, 2019.  Issue #4,977.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Kicking Around an Idea I Have For My RV-6 ...dr

I'm thinking of maybe mounting a GMC 507 dedicated autopilot control in a cutout on my glare shied - centered in the middle.  For the last decade I've been turning on AP modes with a series of soft keystrokes at the bottom of the PFD.  Hear me out on this for a bit before you form an opinion.  It's only an inch deep, weighs almost nothing, and I think I might be able to find somebody in the interwebs to 3D print me a mount that would allow both securing the 507 in the mount, and the mount to the glare shield.

While talking with Brad from Garmin over lunch he mentioned something about some people 3D printing switch housings for stuff.  Later in the day it dawned on me I could use this maybe as a GMC 507 solution.

The edges could be tapered down to a point on top and bottom to make it look a little more professional in appearance.  You could put holes on the side for pencils.  Horrible rendition here...

- will it compromise the structural integrity of the glare shield.  I don't think so but I'm not sure.  I'll call the mothership during non-peak hours.
- will it impact my FOV on T/O and landing (NO - I made an actual-size cutout and sat in the plane (more pictures HERE).  Put the camera lens right in front of my pupil on one of the pics.
- will it impact my ability to see the switches (NO - see above)
- it would travel up/down as the canopy is opened/closed.

Anyway, I'm still thinking this through.  It sure would make interacting with the AP more similar to the stuff I've been flying lately on extra paper routes.  99% of that flying is spinning HDG and ALT knobs and pushing buttons on that panel.  Commonality of workflow...

Has anyone done this in a side by side RV?  Fun to think about.

More to come and happy to hear feedback.  I created a thread.  v/r,dr

Supporting images:

AFCS control panel on Pilatus PC-12NG

Guidance panel on Falcon 900 (EASy II)

Flight guidance panel Cessna Caravan

Old Farts Flying Club OFFC '19/'20 Season  ...turbo

"...this is all from our fearless leader roger. florida flying at its best every thursday wx permitting. message me and i will get you on the email list for the greatest show going. Turbo out.

Old Farts...
Here's a quick recap on our Thursday, December 5th Lunch at Aero Acres (FD88). The weather was just about perfect... so 52 fixed wing and three whirlybirds showed up. WOW! All went without a hitch. The food was catered by the nearby Carter's Grocery. It was incredible. If anyone went home hungry, it wasn't our fault. Ribs, chicken, potato salad, baked beans, green beans, collard greens, cornbread and peach cobbler. The early arrivals went through nearly 100 cups of coffee and two big trays of pastries. When we tallied up the money... it showed that we fed 110 people and cleared $130. That goes into an Old Fart reserve, to help cover the dreaded event when WX causes a bunch of no-shows and a catering bill to pay."  continue

Seen at Monk's

I took this picture of a mod'd brake fluid bottle Randy uses around his shop (he goes through a lot of brake fluid working on planes).  He added a valve so he can easily pressurize the bottle.  Said that 30 pounds is perfect - if you put in 31 the escape valve on the right side pops up.

James' New Panel

...it begins (RV-4).  Out with the old.  Developing....

December 12, 2019.  Issue #4,976.
  Brad and Justin from Garmin were in the area Wednesday visiting dealers (Walt at our airport) and looking for BBQ.  Some of the locals tagged along and had a nice visit over good food at Hard 8.  We discussed a little shop, like me finally getting off my buttocks and squaring away an ADS-B OUT solution for my RV-6 before the end of the year.  World's worst procrastinator, this guy.   I've got a plan now on ADS-B OUT, AND got to eat BBQ with interesting folks.  A good, productive day.
  Justin and I have some similar interests in space it turns out.  Always nice to meet another astronomy/space fan.  Made me think back to the time 22 years ago I tried to stuff a 10" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope into the passenger seat of my under-construction fuse in our garage with dreams of flying to dark skies.  If I tried that today I'd need a new spine, not to mention I sold the telescope two decades ago. ;^).  A guy can dream...and I miss that telescope sometimes <g>.
  You meet nice people in this hobby.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Southern Arizona Teen Aviation | Tucson, Arizona
RV-12iS #121042 ...reported on mothership

Congrats to the Students and Mentors of Southern Arizona Teen Aviation who completed their new RV-12iS!

We are an organization that works with High School students. Thank you Eagles Nest and Teen Flight for the inspiration and coaching. Over the course of 2 1/2 years 15 students and 7 mentors worked on the plane. With much fan fare, with about 50 parents, students and donors watching and the TV station cameras rolling our first airplane took flight. Our #2 airplane has a tail, wings, a 50% complete fuselage and a finish kit on the way. We are having so much fun we ordered a tail kit for our #3 airplane.

More first flights on Van's mothership

Tom Checks In ...his wife passed recently

All---again thank you so much for the very kind thoughts and support during this very difficult time. It doesn't matter if you have a loved one pass suddenly or have 2 years to prepare, the void is very real. Some of you already have known that, and have offered much appreciated advise. In laws left for home this morning---house very quiet. Even her dog is looking for her. (Guess thats why I'm up at midnight writing this.)

Suzanne beat cancer at it own game-----it can't hurt her any more, cant weaken her because she's in heaven---or at least has a ticket to go. Right now she's flying higher than I ever have, looking down on us. At least I believe so.  Babe----make room for Tim----he's on the next shuttle--.

For all of you----I'm working. I may not be myself, but will try to give the best service I can----Steve and our team have been awesome and have given me the flexibility to take care of Suzanne, and now me during this time. But---we must go on. The one thing constant in life is change as we all know. Mine just changed dramatically, but I'll come out better, stronger, probably not taller, but better able to help all of you. Going to take some time, and I greatly appreciate all the texts, emails and phone calls.

Tom
__________________
Tom Swearengen, TS Flightlines LLC, AS Flightlines
Joint Venture with Aircraft Specialty
Teflon Hose Assemblies for Experimentals
Proud Vendor for RV1, Donator to VAF
RV7 Tail Kit Completed, Fuse started-Pay as I go Plan
Ridgeland, SC
www.tsflightlines.com, www.asflightlines.com

RV-4 Oil cooler location vs cowling

I heard Vic Syracuse at Oshkosh say NOT to mount the oil cooler on the cylinder 4 baffle (I think he meant for any RV model), but Van's baffle kit (RV-4, Lycoming O-320, fixed pitch, carbureted) was so straightforward I put the oil cooler there anyway. Now starting the cowl fitting, I don't see any way the top cowling will fit with the oil cooler there. I've begun trimming the top of the baffle metal and there doesn't seem to be any way to leave the oil cooler on the baffle. Would anyone share their experience with this issue? I can fairly easily move the cooler, but maybe I'm missing something simple. Thanks for any feedback.
__________________
Wyn

(Axel)
lots of picture in the "engine" section of my pics. Look below at my signature for the links. 260 hrs in this configuration. I did re-enforce the baffles around #4. Currently remaking the baffles as I am in the process of installing a 360, but I am doing the same thing.

Taxi with Doors open? ...RV-10

Q: If you own a RV-10, then you know all the other door issues. My questions concern taxiing.

1. Is it safe to taxi with the doors open slightly? If so, do you hold onto the door handling while taxiing?
2. I've heard that some pilots taxi with the doors fully open. I would think that adds far to much stress to those 2 hinges at the top, and a gust could potentially take a door off. Also, the prop wash could stress the door hinges. Thoughts?
3. What do you guys do when taxiing and it is really hot?

A: (rvbuilder2002)
The factory Demo RV-10's are regularly taxi'ed with the pilot side door slightly open and held by the pilot.
Taxi'ing with the passenger side door slightly open might be done if the seat is occupied by another factory pilot or experienced employee, and they are holding the door.

The doors are never fully open for taxi or engine start.

Engine Out Pictures

(RV4/6 owner DeeCee 57)
"...had an engine out experience a few years ago on a Falco equipped with a Lyco O-320 coupled to a Hartzell prop, pics HERE.  Conrod failure during climb out with associated oil loss. Prop kept windmilling and the resulting braking effect had us rejoin Terra Firma in a short time. The ROD was way higher than anticipated = rapidly diminishing options...

Still thanking my guardian angels."

[ed. Takeaway:  I need to practice engine outs more often.  Amazing pictures sir.  Thank you for sharing.  v/r,dr]

December 11, 2019.  Issue #4,975. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Hello World: Joseph Rodney Haines ...'goatflieg' first grandson

It was a tumultuous weekend for me. At 0230 EST Saturday, Pearl Harbor Day and coincidentally my father's birthday... it was also the actual birth day of my first grandson. Joseph Rodney Haines has landed safely; he and mother Naomi (the rosy riveter that helped me put the top aft skin on my RV-8) are doing well.

Maxing Out the Fun Factor ...Vic S. on Kitplanes.com

For those who have experienced it, the fun of going on a flying trip with your friends and their families in the airplanes you built comes pretty close to maxing out the fun factor for many of us. What really makes this experience enjoyable is being able to share it with a group of competent pilots who understand that the key to making the trip enjoyable is all about the preparation, especially as it relates to maintenance. Having just returned from one such trip again where we had 100% dispatch reliability across 11 airplanes over the course of a week and 25+ hours of flying, I want to share with you some ideas, learnings, and observations for those of you who might be considering such a trip.  read more

Tater Early Christmas Present ...

(Encouraging the technical skill set)

I bought him a new screen (was cracked) and battery (was almost dead) for his phone off iFixit.com.  The catch was he had to do the swap out.  He watched the online videos, read the instructions, and absolutely crushed it.  He was done in about an hour.

Of note the piece of paper with tape folded over sticky side up to hold the screws in place.  That iFixIt.com site is pretty awesome if you've never heard of it.

December 10, 2019.  Issue #4,974. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Grinning Again  ...JTJones RV-14 (Haleiwa, HI)

Well, after removing my engine in January in compliance withe the XP-400 Recall/Buy-Back I have finally received my replacement engine. I went with an IO-390-X built by Barrett using my Superior case and sump. First flight on the new powerplant was 12/07. Flawless. It has been a long wait but I got the grin back!

My RV Weekend: Operation Good Cheer  ...Dennis Glaeser RV-7A

I joined about 250 of my close personal friends flying Christmas gifts for foster care kids all over Michigan for Operation Good Cheer. My flight was from the PTK base to Holland MI, (KBIV).

We were blessed with good weather, and a whole bunch of controllers with a huge amount of professionalism and patience

My RV Weekend: Finished up the Condition Inspection  ...crabandy

Finally finished up the condition inspection (5 weeks), my lil' dude helped me grease wheel bearings and inspect the landing gear portion of the inspection.  more

Learning for Almost Free ...

There are some sites online that will generate flash cards for study, and I found a few for the PC-12NG limitations (the plane I'm 'interning' on now and hoping to start getting paid down road in for some side money).  Problem is, understandably, these sites want $$$ to show me the answers.  They show me the questions, but not the answers.  Soooo, I went to the Pilatus site and downloaded the 1,336 pg PIM PDF for free and got those answers on my own.  Now I have something productive to do when the urge to look at the phone pops up.  Surprising thing:  They work!  I'm coming up to speed fast on the limitations.  Behind that 'Max ITT T/O Temp' card?  850*C <g>.

Set the pile in my lap and begin flipping over towards me.  Answer to the previous card appears magically.  No internet connection needed.  Write the page number of the answer in the bottom left for more detail.

I should have made hundreds of these for my instrument, commercial and multi ratings.  Total outlay....about a dollar on flash cards from Walgreens (lifetime supply).  And I bought a candy bar...SKOR.  Tate called it an 'old man candy bar'.  What does he know...

RV-9A Status Report  ...PilotjohnS

It has been a while since I posted; its been a fun summer, not much building thou.

Brakes are in as shown below. Still have a question if I will stay with the plastic, or move towards the AN lines. I guess the first fill tests will determine if there are any leaks. I used the solid stainless rods for the brake pivots. The brakes are very nice with good return force. I have a set of helper springs which I do not plan on installing; the pivot rods worked out so well, I don't see a need for helpers.  more

Stearman Field Update: KS ...swaltner

Just an FYI that they've recently poured some more concrete to roughly double the ramp parking here at Stearman.The parking issues should be addressed.

Watch out for the VASI lights on the East side of the runway that poke up through the center of the new concrete area between the restaurant and the runway.

This was done due to all the jet traffic that is here during the week. They were always short on overnight parking for the jets that would get staged on the ramp for early morning flights.

Christmas Ideas from Aircraft Extras, Inc.  ...Rich Meske

"Center Consoles for RVs
A new batch of center consoles just arrived. Purchase now before price increases in 2020! Please check out our NEW Center Console for the RV-14. We now have two models of the E-Z out center console. They will fit the RV-6, 7, 9, and 14.

Tip-Up Slider
We still offer the Tip-Up-Slider option for RV-6, 7, and 9s. This is a great add on for already flying RV aircraft. It allows you to load all that baggage with great ease.

Interiors
We offer seats, stick boots, armrests, and center consoles. If you haven't seen our interiors lately, please check out some of our new pics.

Stocking Stuffers
Don't forget our Stocking Stuffers! - No Weld Grip Handles - Tire Valve Extensions - Relay Boards, and more. . .

For details and more GREAT PRODUCTS, please visit www.aircraftextras.com."

December 9, 2019.  Issue #4,973. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

RV Smiles!  ...Rob Traynham pic

"My son had the next generation of family pilots at the airport today helping to get our new (to us) RV-8 even cleaner! In exchange, they get a little stick time. With RVs, even hangar flying brings on the smiles!"

Rest in Peace:  Mrs. Suzanne Swearengen

(from Tom)
All of you are family, so I wanted to let you know that my wife Suzanne passed this morning. It was a fight to the end, but her passing was peaceful.  She loved aviation, experimentals, and loved interacting with all of you. She did meet some of you at various events, and considered you all family.

So as family, I just wanted to thank all of you for the calls, emails, and cards of support. It means so much to us.

Yes----I'm ok--and will carry on the work of TS Flightlines/AS Flightlines--she helped get it going and was instrumental in keeping me straight. She insisted that I work during her illness---That our clients deserved the best effort we could give. WE will carry on the promise we made to her to do just that.

Steve H Build Video

Rest in Peace: Mr. Dwight Smith

(Mark Dickens post)
I haven't seen anyone post this yet, so I thought I'd just let everyone know that Dwight Smith of Williston, TN passed away last week. He built and flew a very nice RV-4 and was based at our airport at Fayette County, TN (KFYE). Dwight acted as a Tech Counselor in the local EAA chapter and was active for many years. (Obituary)

What did you do with your RV this weekend (12/8-9/2019)?

(Greg Niehues 9A)
Made a hot round trip from Midland to Houston and back yesterday to sign the papers on a shiny new ride for my wife. She'll pick it up in a couple days. You can't do that without an airplane!

17,000 on the way down there with 30 knots on the tail, 10,000 on the way back with about 15 on the nose, 5.2 hours roundtrip.

(Dan Langhout)
A group of us from Moontown (3M5) planned a flyout Saturday down to Gulf Shores, AL (KJKA) for some seafood at LuLu's. Problem was, the weather turned crappy in south Alabama. What to do? Why - fly north instead to Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge (KGKT) at the foot of the Smokies of course!

Greg Walker RV-8A First Flight

What a day! Conditions could not have been more perfect. After almost 20 years of off and on building the time finally came!

Configuration: Lycoming IO-360A1B with Dual EMags and Backup Alternator, 3 Blade Catto Prop, Dynon Skyview, iPad running Foreflight and Stratux as backup instrument.

Started the day tidying things up in the cockpit, making sure cowl was secure, and fueling up. Did a short high power run to make sure my recently overhauled fuel injection servo would hang in there. (ACI at Clark Field in Justin, TX does great work!). Did a warm up flight flying right seat in an RV-7A to fly the first flight profile and remind me of emergency landing sites. Upon return checked cowl and underside for any oil or fuel leaks.

Took the runway at KGDJ and climbed up to 5500 feet and made many laps around the airport. Don Christiansen pulled up behind me in Yellow Bird to look things over. Andy Duff provided ground support. Oil temps stayed 190-200F. CHTs 330-350F. I do have a very heavy left wing that will need a remedy. Descent, landing, and taxi back were uneventful.

One Duh moment. Kept the plastic on Dynon Skyview since build. Screen looked great with it. Thought I would take it off for first flight. Could not see anything with polarized sunglasses! Put plastic back on but it came off in flight with cockpit air. Another pair of glasses to buy!

So many people to thank:

Ed Stout - Uncle who gave me my first airplane ride and taught me a bunch
Don Christiansen - Tech Counselor
Patrick Richardson - RV Transition Instructor
Pat Stewart - KGDJ Airport Manager
Kliff Black and Andy Duff - RV Building Motivators
Chapter members at EAA 983

Greg Walker
RV-8A (N528GW)
Aledo, TX

Large baffle leak ...vernon smith

The picture below is the baffle at the rear of the engine with the top motor mount protruding through it. I'm looking for an easy effective way to plug up/cover this huge pressure leak.

Webinar on RV MX  ...Dec 11 7pm CST (Vic Syracuse)

Vic Syracuse will help educate builders and non-builders on the various common problems across RV aircraft that he sees as a DAR, prebuy inspector, and maintenance shop owner. The presentation will educate and motivate attendees to go take a close look at their airplanes.. Vic is a designated airworthiness representative, and has built 11 airplanes, and is chairman of the EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council. Qualifies for FAA Wings and AMT credit.

Borescope #3 - Any comments? ...Ross

Hello,

My #3 has burned cooler than the rest since I bought the plane. The temp difference is around 50-70 degrees. 1, 2, 4 all seem to run pretty similar. I ruled out the sensor.

Just wanted to see what people thought of the borescope. Specifically the oil on the top of the piston, and jagged edges on the valve. (last shot)

My airplane uses lightspeed ignition with automotive plugs on top and mags with aircraft plugs on the bottom. Top plugs look new. The bottom is a bit oily but not fouled.

December 6, 2019.  Issue #4,972.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

Cold Lake, Long Shadows ...petehowell (MN)

Good to get out on a short day.......

N86TF First Flight ...Zazoos RV-6

I was very excited and nervous but the weather was perfect for my first flight today. I received tail wheel and transition training with Jan Bussell last week and that was a fantastic experience. I highly recommend it. I had never even flown in a tail wheel aircraft prior to meeting Jan. We flew 10 hours over the course of 3 days and it really paid off for my first flight.

I would say the biggest stress factor of the first flight was the glass panel. My limited flight experience has always been with conventional instruments. I managed it but for the next flight I am going to have the Dynon display the traditional six pack on 1/2 of the screen and the engine monitoring on the other half. I had the map up on the first flight but really didn't need it as I was just circling the airport at 2500'. After I get a bit more comfortable I will transition back to the tape layout.

I did have a fair amount of shimmy at about 20kts on takeoff, but it lessened around 40kts. Thinking maybe the tubes where getting situated in the tires. Pressure set to 38psi. No shimmy noted on landing.

Fuel pressure with boost pump on and rpm's low in the pattern result in a high pressure. Around 8psi. Is that ok ? If so, for how long? If I turn the boost pump off the pressure drops to about 5 psi. Otherwise engine parameters where all good. (0-320)

I flew about 45 minutes and while I didn't really do any testing the plane did fly very nice and didn't seem to have any issues.

Looking forward to the second flight.

Thank you to all the VAF members for all the help.
__________________
Trent Flemming
Hallsville, TX

RV-8 Status Report ...goatflieg

Been awhile since I contributed to this thread. I'm between blogspot updates, but thought I'd share a recent panoramic photo I took with my iPhone during initial cowling fitment.

RV-10 Build Status Report ...LCampbell

When coming to a close of the tailcone section, you really have a sense that you're building an airplane, which is fun when it starts to come together. At this point, it's all done except a little of the fiberglass work, which should be done in short order. My Tech Counselor suggested that I leave the top rear skin only clecoed in place for now, to simplify access to wiring and other things for later. Since he's navigated numerous RV's and several RV-10's specifically, it sounded like good advice.  continue

No oil door.... judoka5051

I was hesitant to post this. What seems like a great idea to one guy... Anyway my recently finished RV8 doesn't have an oil door. It does however have an oil access hole; with a gas cap in it. Not only will I never have an oil door pop open, if I ever break or lose a gas cap it's no big deal, got a spare right there! I figured I'd post this since two other Rv'ers wandered into the hangar and thought it was a good idea.

Truth be told, I went a little crazy on a number of things. Moved the baggage door to the left side, made my own fastback turtledeck, hinge pins go in from the back, fiberglass wing fairings etc.

Just got it flying, and yes, I'm wearing the grin!

Milestone: Emp kit ....... Finished. ...Pittsartist

My 5th build / 2nd RV.

Planning a '7 with Slider / 180hp V/P and Night VFR clearance here in the UK.

I'll do wings next winter and Fuz & finish the winter after. No rush as I have my '6 and a Pitts to fly meanwhile.

The '7 kit is noticeably better than the '6 I built in 2016 ... I'm guessing things will have moved on again if I ever do a '14

Panel Upgrade Experience: Very Positive ...RhinoDrvr

As I've posted earlier on the forum, I am the happy owner of N88MJ, Michael Robbin's RV-8 built in 2002. I bought the airplane from Mike in 2017, and have been flying it for 2 years all over the Western US, and to Oshkosh twice. It's been a terrific airplane, and dispatch reliability had been excellent.

With the upcoming 2020 ADS-B mandate, I wanted to bring the airplane into the 21st century with a glass panel, and see how much weight we could scrape off her somewhat portly 1177lb empty weight. I did countless hours of research during my two trips to Oshkosh, and settled on a Garmin G3X touch system for the airplane.  continue

December 5, 2019.  Issue #4,971. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Charlie Kearns photo.
Dawn flight. (full size)

First Flight Video ...Chris McD

This is a video documenting the first flight of my Vans RV-7 and the years leading up to it.

RV-12iS Mandatory Safety Directive SD 19-12-03 (supersedes SB 19-10-11)... mothership

RV-12iS Safety Directive SD 19-12-03 was published this afternoon by Van's Aircraft. This document directs owners to newly-updated Rotax documentation covering mandatory replacement of affected fuel pumps on certain Rotax 912 iS aircraft engines.

Note that this Safety Directive refers to the same Rotax 912 iS electric fuel pump issue as, and supersedes, previously-published Van's Service Bulletin SB 19-10-11.

As was indicated in the Service Bulletin, compliance per Rotax is required and must take place before further flight on affected aircraft.

RV-8 Build Status Report  ...MDeCraene13

Started this summer on an RV-8. Sort of had QB empenage since I bought a partial kit. Working on the wing rear spars now.

A pretty impressive use of the internet

RV-4 buddy James Walsh sent me this link he found to help in my search for PC-12NG study aids online.  Just so happens their demo is the PC-12NG (a plane I'm hoping to do some side gigs in for extra $).  You click on buttons and switches and it shows you how items in each system is changed.

Got me thinking how cool it would be to have some graphics like this describing some of the RV systems.  RV-12iS electrical, constant speed prop, etc.

Anyway, I thought it was a cool use of the internet.

PS: If anyone has PC-12NG manuals lying around (QRH, AFM, etc) I know a guy who would like to borrow them <grin>.

Her Name is Lexie  ...flysrv10

A Day in the Life of a Formation Flying Team

Teresa De Mers travels to the Wings Over Camarillo air show to take us backstage with the Lightning Formation Team. Team lead, Bob "Nasty" Mills, describes the events, and team members introduce themselves. ....the team flies a fleet of experimental RV aircraft.

More milestones achieved! ...Daniel McCaffery (about to order RV kit)

Passed my written exam today! And the concrete foundation for the shop is supposed to be poured today. And big shop tools were purchased on black friday. Things are getting closer!

Edit: Oh! Forgot, I have also requested a N-Number reservation.

December 4, 2019.  Issue #4,970. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

RV-6 Oil Cooler w/Adjustable Exit Setup

...a pic from an RV out at Monk's the other day.  If you have the monitor size, 
2,560 x 1,920 pixel version HERE.  dr

B&C Alternator on IO-390 Bracket Issue ...TimO RV-14

After just installing B&C BC460-H alternators, I ran into a consistent problem in mounting on the RV-14's IO-390 and I thought I'd mention it here in case any of you used that alternator on your install.

The issue is this: When you order the alternator for Boss mount, you choose if you have a dual groove or single groove pulley, and that determines which U-shaped boss mount bracket you get. The 2 brackets they have, have slightly different fore-aft hole alignments that determine how well the V-Belt centers in the grooves of both pulleys. If you are not in alignment you will for sure wear the belt worse, but also have a much higher chance of belt breakage.

When I ordered my alternators, I ordered the standard Single groove bracket because that's what I have on both my IO-390 and IO-540. My IO-540 is a narrow deck older engine, but my IO-390 is new from Lycoming in 2015.

In fitting the alternator to the engine, the only way you will get a good accurate look at the alignment is if you use some sort of alignment tool. Eye-balling won't get it, because you can move your head around an convince yourself that you're off to the forward side, dead on, or off to the aft side, all by just moving your head a little or switching eyes. Fortunately the alternators ship with a flat but dog-leg bent adjuster arm that makes a decent tool to verify the alignment. You can lift the alternator to its highest position, and run that tool around the large pulley and see where it hits in the alternator pulley.  continue

RV-10 Begins in Boulder, CO ...AlpineYoda

The adventure begins! Just gave my credit card number to someone at Van's for a Tail / Emp kit, and to a tool maker for a full set!

If anyone has any reason why this man and this plane kit should not be together, speak now or forever hold your peace.

I chose the RV-10 because I need something that will clear the mountains in CO for family trips with MEAs of 16,500, can carry my wife and at least one kid, plus ski gear or the dog. I can't afford a Cirrus or Bonanza and I love to build stuff - I've built or remodeled major parts (incl water, electrical, HVAC) of three houses in the last 20 years and I'm hoping that this isn't too much of a stretch for my tool and construction skills.

My plan is:
- Quickbuild wings and fuselage - cutting a year or more off this schedule seems like a good spend of $15,000.
- iO540 Thunderbolt - 260 hp. Unless Bye comes out with a compatible electric system really, really soon.
- Dynon IFR capable glass cockpit with synthetic vision (I'm IFR and Multi-rated already)
- BRS parachute - there are very few places to land engine-out between my house and most of Colorado.
- Maybe or maybe not will do therm-x for the wings. Not sure if 85 pounds is worth it for some ice protection that falls short of FIKI. Probably better to avoid the ice altogether! I've heard about ice-resistant paint. Not sure if it is real thing yet.

If you see anything in the above that I'm missing - or anything I shouldn't do, please let me know before I get too far down the path. Will update here as I go.

RV-8 low pressure plastic brake lines ...rv8ch

I have not been able to fix this leak for some reason. Left leaks, right does not. Tried both the plastic insert and the brass. Cut the hose to ensure a straight connection. Made sure it's clean. Very strange.  continue

December 3, 2019.  Issue #4,969. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Starting the RV-10 Rudder ...vinzer

Lots of cutting is involved in this part Looks like VAN's moves me to a new level where I have to cut parts out of bigger parts and at some point I will not be surprised to see one huge part for complete step and instructions: Cut to your needs and use file to make it to desired shape <g>

Buck meets RV...looking for QB wing ...Av8safe

[ed. Putting out feelers to hopefully help our friend out.  v/r,dr]
"You may recall my post in lessons learned a couple of weeks ago about my deer strike with my RV7. I am posting this inquiry to see if there is anyone out there with a left QB wing available for purchase or trade delivery positions for a replacement? This might help me get going on repairs faster, given the back order time for a QB wing. Quotes for building up a standard wing, as part of the total repair estimate, may be prohibitive due to labor cost. Hope to find the best way to get quality repairs without having the insurance company push to total the aircraft.

Send me a PM if you have a spare wing <g>"

RV-8 and the Day After Thanksgiving...Steve Rush video

It is unbelievable how beautiful the 4 day Thanksgiving weekend was in the ordinarily drab and rain drenched Northwest. Most years I am lucky to get one day of flying, this year I got three, just over 8 hours in three days.

Friday we went out to Forks for lunch and up the coast to Tatoosh Island and Cape Flattery. The low sun angle created some interesting shots along the north coast.

Monument Valley Webcam ...Larry Woodall

New webcam at Monument Valley at Gouldings.  Can see runway and parking, restaurant, lodge, and John Ford museum area.

webcam link

Tubing Swaging Dies ...Sam Buchanan

..."Here are the tubing swaging dies I made from aluminum angle to make a swage that isn't prone to stress cracks"

Put them in the vice and squeeze the tubing.

3/8" steel (not the soft, easily bent stuff) brake line purchased from the aviation aisle at the local auto parts emporium makes great exhaust hangars. I carry a pre-swaged and drilled piece in my flight kit for away-from-home replacement.

Dan Horton Custom Exhaust Hanger

...from the 'cracked exhaust hanger' thread.

December 2, 2019.  Issue #4,968.
Dear VAF site/forum readers,

December is pledge drive month and as you know we use the honor system. If you are a regular VAF reader and haven't donated yet in '19, PLEASE consider it (how to). Working VAF full time while trying to get a part time commercial side gig thing going (haven't broke even yet but am embracing the suck) and putting some resumes out there for a possible third part time gig in a sim (fingers crossed). Small business owner life is stunningly expensive and 24/7, and there is very little down time (flown the RV 39.8 hrs in '19).

Bill Gates I ain't and donations really, really matter in our family.

Please take two minutes to read the 'Support VAF' page if you haven't, and thank you if you are one of the 1,397* people who have sent in a little over $27K after taxes so far this year. We're approaching 28,000 registered forum accounts. Call it 5% donated so far, half that if you include unregistered 'lurkers'.

I'll never swamp you with emails, letters or pop-up ads. I'll NEVER track or sell your keystrokes and clicks like all the other social media sites, and I'll never ask for more than $25. Two bucks a month...a cup of coffee...for a nice, civil, non-politics (a rare thing) virtual watering hole promoting the greatest hobby and people on earth. 

Please help me keep it afloat.

I hate having to even have a pledge drive, but without it we're in the red as a business. The margins are that tight. Thanks again to those who help keep this site going...and my family fed and sheltered. I'll keep trying my hardest to bring you a quality product.

Kindest and best,
Doug (and Susie, Audrey and Tate).

*as of 11/30/19
(Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Wallpaper Calendar for December

...Jay Pratt photo

Because I Fly! ...Scroll's new videos

[ed. Our 52F buddy Sid is pursuing a side hobby of his (video editing, etc), and these two videos are his first stab at it using his RV-7A.  Multiple cameras, nice audio and more polished than anything I could do.  Sid's the man!  v/r,]

Grass Strip PIREP: Cedar Mountain Utah  ...Vlad the Amazing

18 nm southeast of Huntington 69V at 7600 feet elevation there is a well groomed airstrip over two thousand feet long. It's called Cedar Mountain if you are ever in Utah and looking for an adventure go there you won't regret. Just know your aircraft limitations.  continue / many pics

Update Bob Kelly  ...Ross Porter

Small update, I've been visiting Bob when able around my crazy work schedule. He is slowly but surely making progress, he has made a lot of big strides from where he started. God is good, continued prayers.....

Thanksgiving Sunset  ...ArlingtonRV post

My flyin' buddy, Carl, looked far and wide to find someplace that was open for lunch on Thanksgiving. He found it, in Albany, Oregon, at the Cascade Bar and Grill. They are open every Thanksgiving from 11:00 to 3:00. Hey, it's only 220 miles, about 90 minutes by RV. Let's go!

Since we headed home late in the afternoon (3:00), the sun was at a really good angle for Carl to get some shots of his old plane, my "new" plane. Taken from his "new" RV-8.

Cracked exhaust hanger ...Bruce Hill

I was doing an oil change today, and as usual, I give the entire engine a really good look over. I found one of the exhaust hangers had cracked.

The hanger is made from thinwall stainless steel 3/8" tubing. I know I can source this stuff locally, but making the end flattened looks like it might require some special skills/tools. I don't want to just beat it flat with a hammer. My vise is probably not sufficient to pinch this, and I don't have a hydraulic press.

Any tips, or should I just call Vetterman Exhaust and get a replacement?

Would you replace all hangers, or just the one that is cracked?

Panel Status Report  ...Al Karpinski

Yep.. The center panel is removable...

Used two 24 Pin vibration resistant plug/receptacles
PT#'s on wiring diagrams in google photo drive...

One feeds all power and grounds..

Second for "Signals" (Audio/CAN)

As it turns out I have all the avionics except the two GSA28's roll/pitch servos...
The GEA24 and GMU11 mounted on/behind the main center panel.

So basically .. only audio in/out and CAN needed to come off the "Signal" plug
(See PDF's of wiring )

... Progress coming fast now...

My first serious Oh S&^*%$ moment ...blucllrplt

Have gotten thru the empennage with only a couple of tiny smilies with minimal drilling out poorly set rivets. Received my wing kit in August and have made it to the top skins on both with only a couple of "character" marks in the skin; one where my father-in-law was daydreaming and started bucking a rivet without me calling out "Ready" and another when I dropped my tungsten bar into the leading edge. None of these were significant and overall I have been pleased with my progress.

I have skipped the fuel tanks for now and started work on the ailerons. Making good progress during my break from work and congratulated myself yesterday on how nice and straight the trailing edge turned out on the first specimen. Got the top skin riveted on number 2 aileron and was admiring how good I was getting at bucking rivets. The 470 4-4 rivets holding the main rib to the spar were a little tricky to set on the first aileron so I decided to ask my wife for help holding the bucking bar. She's not a good bucking bar holder and during the operation the bar slipped and created a split rivet. No problem as I could just drill it out as nothing was damaged.

I got impatient and rather than wait for help I decided to attempt the task using my offset rivet set. I had to hold the gun in my left hand and bar in the right due to the orientation of the main rib. I wasn't holding the gun with the rivet set perfectly on top of the rivet and put a huge smiley into the side of the main rib which telegraphed into the spar. As past posters have observed, you feel all kinds of emotions after a major oops.

The rivet was able to be cleanly removed. I took some detailed photos of the damage and have sent to Vans for their opinion. Certainly not the worst mistake ever made but sure did knock me down a few rungs. Building will sure keep you humble.

RV-8 Interior Update ...Chris Pratt RV-8

After 14 years it was about time to refresh the seat cushions in my RV-8. I've been extremely happy with the sheepskin covering of my original seats - my Goldilocks seats as I call them -- they have never been too hot or too cold but just right. The sheepskin has never torn and has held up extremely well. I figure, however, the foam has probably deteriorated over time and certainly the original sheepskin coverings have faded.

As a side note, I'm surprised more builders don't opt for the sheepskin - not as sexy as leather but they sure are comfortable. Price is about the same as leather.

I opted for Flightline Interiors to produce the new seats and I can certainly recommend them (see photos below).

Abby did a great job and I appreciate the quality of the build and the advice in selection. I discussed using the comfort-foam for the core material as opposed to regular foam. Abby advised me that for the RV-8 Flightline uses comfort-foam as standard for the upper layer of the build and it was unlikely I would notice the difference to add it for the lower layers. [Note: I'm not sure if this holds true for the side-by-side aircraft seating.]

The lateral and lumbar support of these seats is a big step up from my previous set. They are very comfortable and fit like a glove. I hope I don't fall asleep when flying . I know my wife will like them.

Kudos to Abby. Thanks for the great work. I'm ready for another 14 years of RV fun. Perhaps new side panels will be next on my wish list ;^).  more pics

November 29, 2019.  Issue #4,967.
  Execute CONSUME LEFTOVERS Subroutine.....
  Orange/walnut/cranberry and peanut butter half sandwich.  My family thinks I'm weird.  I think they're weird <g>.  Hope you and your family and friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving and wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend. (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Trim Cable Routing ...ORen RV-10

I routed the trim cables as shown in picture attached . through the small hole, while seen other routing through the big round lightening hole.  Is this acceptable?  It seems like vans also changed the rib over time, it had only one hole once.

Suggestions?

Pro Tip ...rockwoodrv9a

I have been using hotel type card keys for years to spread epoxy, bondo, and pro seal. They work great.

Tips for Filling the Front Canopy Skin ...some ideas

(Draker)
Saw a cool solution for the skin-to-tube fit in Bruce's build log here. I think I'll give something like that a try. Looks like it relies on a "friction fit" against some aluminum epoxy for the pull rivets.

(nilberg)
I took a slightly different approach and filled the void with flox (the coloring it's just me testing and not needed).

7A Rebirthing Status Report ...kentlik

I had a bit of time and ran my AOA and Pitot lines. Hope this works as not sure of the throw of elevator bell crank...

Thanksgiving Day, 2019.  Issue #4,966.
  The mothership is closed Thu/Fri for Thanksgiving:   "The Van's Aircraft offices, factory and phones will be closed this week on Thursday and Friday, November 28-29, to allow our staff to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. We will re-open as usual bright and early on Monday, December 2nd.
   At Van's, we give thanks to all of our customers, partners, friends and the Van's Extended Family. We would not be the company we are today without you! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!"
  That last paragraph?  Ditto!!!  Chances are better than good I'll push out a Friday edition, FWIW.  Home office and all...  Happy Thanksgiving to all the readers of VAF and hope you get to spend the day surrounded by family and friends.  I'm thankful for all of you...
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

So, Did you Ever See That Episode of 'The Office' w/the Golden Tickets?...mothership

"So, we've stuffed all these Golden Tickets in our 2020 calendars, and there's something we want to explain. Some of these tickets may or may not have fine print on them, which may or may not entitle the holder to something more than was originally intended. Are we in Scranton or something? Sure feels a bit like an episode of The Office!"

Order a calendar HERE

Whit and I flew the VFR Corridor ...Nived17 RV-4

This past weekend, I flew my RV-4 from WBW to N43 to Pick up Whit while his RV-4 was down getting new brake lines. He flew me from N43 (in my plane) to breakfast at N40. From there we swapped seats and decided to fly the VFR corridor in NYC. Whit is a 767 FO at United Airlines. He's very used to the view only 4,000 higher on the visual into JFK. We also flew the coastline at 400' in the small area that allows you less than 5 miles away from JFK without talking to anyone. Pretty awesome experience and we've already began to plan a four ship RV-4 formation flight up the corridor in the spring. We will surely share those pictures when the time comes!  more

Q: Why Castle Nut on Vert Stab & Rear Spar attach?

Why are Castle nuts used on Vert Stab and rear wing spar attach points? I am following the plans but trying to understand why a standard Nylon lock nut is not used? Is there some type movement between these mating parts?

A: Self Locking nuts are not used where rotation of the joint is possible. The wing can flex up and down in flight depending on weight of the aircraft and load on the wing. This can over time, loosen the rear spar nut.

Yes you have self locking nuts called out on some of the control bellcranks. The location of these self locking nuts are where bearings are used and the bearing take the rotation and not the bolt - nut.

A: The fasteners you mentioned can be subject to rotation (as Gary already mentioned).
We often think of bolted assemblies on aircraft to be entirely static but they can move under certain load conditions.

For example - Under high G's, wing tips can deflect up to 1.5 inches or more depending on load and model. If the wing is deflecting, there would be a very slight movement at the rear spar clevis joint, so a castelated nut and cotter pin is used.

Seen From the RV  ...RV8JD

A Ballistic Missile sub (and its entourage) returning to Naval Base Kitsap today: more

DIY Tail Lift  ...DeeCee 57

I have a bad back which as as strange as it sounds doesn't heal with age. Since Tailmate has gone awry, I decided to build a replacement whilst trying to minimise the amount of work...

Bought a MoJack EZ - Residential Riding Lawn Mower Lift as they call it, and had some welding done to it.
Christened it yesterday for a 50H inspection and this gadget works real good <g>.

Initial Contact: Brian McGrath  ...RV-10 future builder

This is my first post on VAF, but I've been here lurking and (I hope) learning for a little more than 6 months.

Initially, I wanted to build an RV-14A, but in the ongoing conversations with my better half, the mission has moved somewhat to favour the RV-10 (potential for grandchildren and friends travelling with us vs. the ability to do limited aerobatics from time to time - I'm 65, after all).

I am fortunate to have a large 2-car garage and am in the process of prepping it as my workshop. I have joined the local EAA chapter. I've run the numbers for both AC as carefully as I can based on the experiences that have been shared here at VAF and the plan is realistic. I know it's a daunting prospect, but I'm also looking forward to the whole thing!

So I've got some questions for those who are well beyond my stage. First, tools. I live in the Niagara area (Southern Ontario) quite near the US border, so I wanted to ask the community whether it made sense to buy tools from a Canadian supplier, or order from one of the popular US suppliers. I could easily ship to a US address nearby and import it myself, but I'd like to hear about other experiences before pulling the trigger. Also, did you buy the full RV kits or get a starter kit and then get additional tools more or less as you needed them.

Second, shipping. I'd love to hear experiences about having Van's ship directly to your shop vs. bringing the kits across the border yourself vs. acting as your own broker to clear the kits from the bonded warehouses.

Third, before I pull the trigger on the tail kit, I'd love to have the opportunity to see an RV-10 up close. YouTube is a great resource, but nothing beats sitting in the aircraft and talking to the person who squeezed all the rivets. I know there are a few RV-10s in Southern Ontario and my wife and I love to take long drives together. I'd be happy to come to your hanger if anyone is interested in showing us your pride and joy.

Anyway, thanks for reading my rambling and thanks in advance for your comments. I have learned that people who build airplanes are some of the most helpful and engaging people I have met.

Thanks!

Chekov Checklist App ...VAF advertiser

I've had several beta users of FlightView ask about integrated checklists, so I've been working on adding checklists. Just displaying a checklist is pretty cool, but I thought it might be more useful to make the lists interactive so...

I ended up building a voice-enabled interactive checklist system. You create lists using a simple editor which lets you set both the display text ("Master on.") and the audio prompt ("Set master switch on."). When you run the checklist you can respond to the audio prompt by voice, saying either "check" or a custom acknowledgement. (E.g, prompt: "Set flaps to 20 degrees." response: "twenty" or "set".)  more

The 2020 Van's Calendars are in stock and shipping!  ...mothership

The 2020 Van's Aircraft calendars have arrived and are now shipping! Randomly inserted into the 3000 calendars we've received are more than 60 Golden Tickets, which represent prizes including $750 or $250 off an emp/tail kits, a couple of our new Light Box Signs, a few $100 Van's gift certificates, and a whole slew of shirt/hat giveaways. We sold out of calendars last year, so we ordered about 500 more this year. Be sure to get your orders in early!
- $5.00 each
- $4.50 each if you order 5-10
- $4.00 each if you order 11 or more
The prices are the same as last year and shipping's included. We've kept the prices low for ordering multiples, and hope you enjoy the calendar and give some to your aviation friends - including people who don't (yet) have RVs!

Nov 27, 2019.  Issue #4,965.  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Deer on Runway ...Steve H.

Initial Contact...Brian Shrader

I wanted to take a second and quickly introduce myself and say just a word of thanks for all of great information I've received on the forum so far.

I joined the website several years ago...long before I finally got my PPL and thought "wow, wouldn't it be great to build your own airplane".

Fast forward a few years, add a great and encouraging wife, and I now have a PPL, instrument rating, and an RV14 empennage kit, unpacked, and currently being inventoried in my shop.

I really do appreciate the help and indirect encouragement so far and have no doubt I'll be asking for A LOT more in the coming days and months.

Seen at Monk's (Richmond Aircraft Service) ...patina

Came off an RV.  Of note the corrosive effects of rotors getting too hot....heat burns off paint, corrosion sets in.  No post-processing...this is the original as shot.  Enlarge/Whole Pic

Please Pray for our Friends Tom and Suzanne Swearengen

(Tom)
  "For all of our friends, clients, and members. I just wanted to give you a brief, non RV related update on Suzanne's condition. As several of you know we took some time off to celebrate her life and allow her to see Hawaii, one last time. WE had a great time, seeing the Na'Pali coastline from the air--Thanks to Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. Little did we know that it was probably the last really beautiful place she'd visit on earth.
  We knew that her cancer was beginning to overcome the treatment, but really were stunned to see the blood tests and the CT scans. The amount that this spread in 6 weeks is unbelievable. So with it zapping her strength, the chemo dropping her HG levels, and the CT revealing new and fast spreading areas of damage in her ribs again, Suzanne made the decision to stop the chemo. Seems the treatment was probably going to be worse than the disease.
  She went on Hospice this morning--although we all know that its a formality and not indicating anything is immanent. She's comfortable, or as comfortable as I can make her. One day at a time-----her vitals are about the same as they have been for the past 6 months. Good sign in my book.
  So what does that have to do with the VAF and Experimental community? Well, of course she comes first, BUT there is the wonderful invention of a laptop and something called the internet that allows me to continue to work--mostly-- and take care of her. I'll still get to do tech support, and as I can some prototype stuff. So, even though I may not get to the shop for extended periods like I do, I can continue to service you. Steve and I actually considered this (and other possibilities) when did our merger 3 years ago. So orders get processed despite a family emergency. So for most of you, you wont notice much of a difference.
  I just felt is was necessary to let you know the situation, and to let you know that things will carry on. I'm not going anywhere.
  Thanks to all for your support, thoughts, and prayer in this really trying time.
Tom and Suzanne."

My RV Weekend ...various

(Malndi - Australia)
Red One in the right seat
We had the honour and pleasure of being joined by a former RAF Red Arrows lead who flew right seat with Eddie for some formation followed by a nice lunch at the HARS museum.  https://hars.org.au   A thorough gentleman and very generous with his knowledge. His insights were greatly appreciated and will no doubt assist us to enhance our own flying.  A new RV grin was firmly installed!

(swjohnsey)
Flew the newly acquired RV-4 from Bishop, TX (07R) to Fredericksburg (T82) to check out the Hanger Hotel and eat breakfast at the diner then on to Uvalde (UVA) topped off and back to Bishop. I was trueing out around 170 kts at around 8,000 ft at 2400 rpm and 21 in burning about 9.5 gph.

(crabandy - a weekend of MX)
I strategically waited till the wife was at work to sneak the seatbelts into the washing machine after a brief pre-treat, they made a lot of noise but came out nice and clean! They were pretty dry out of the washer but I laid them over a chair to air dry completely. Pretty sure the only dirty spots came from maintenance.

(hpdmp3486)
Finally cut the two wing spars bolt that were found loose on inspection. The washers were not put on so you could never tighten them to torque specs. I have the RV9A so getting to them was difficult, forming a wrench to fit into the opening was a task. We got the right side off but the left side nut was rounded. Had to use a Dremel with an extension, a few carbide bits, two hours of laying in a difficult position, and finally got the nut off. New bolt, with a washer, and nut tightened and torqued. Huge step out of the way. Finally can get the mechanic back out to approve the changes.

 

Grease Gun Woes ...cdeerinck

Ok, I admit it, in some areas I seem to be a total fool. So I'm asking for some advice as I obviously have no clue on this one.

I have a grease gun, with appropriate grease for my wheel bearings. I also have a grease packer, that worked great. I filled both with grease when putting my wheels on a few weeks ago.

When I look in the packer today, the grease looks just like it did when I loaded it. So I know that nothing was exposed to unusual heat.

Next to the packer, in the same toolbox, is the grease gun. I bought a new one, because my old gun leaked. This new gun has now made a mess of my toolbox. It appears as though some of the grease in it has turned into oil. A little ran out of the threads near the top of the gun, and a ton just poured out of the back end. If I pump the gun, good grease comes out.

Q: Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? Am I not supposed to store the gun under pressure? Why did the grease turn from a gel to a thin fluid?

A:  I learned this the hard way too.

When you're not using the grease gun, make SURE you pull the plunger back and lock it so that there is no pressure on the grease. If you keep that constant spring pressure on the grease, it will eventually separate the oils in the grease, and you will be left with grease that is not only too thick, but lacks some of those oils.

The first time this happened to me, I was sure the reason my grease gun wasn't working was that it was a crappy gun. So I bought a couple nice new ones. Turns out that didn't fix it. The grease had lost it's ability to easily be squeezed. A fresh tube fixed that.

A:  Live in AZ and find keeping the packer and guns in a Frig works like a charm. Rubber gloves, batteries and ETC. as well.

A:  All my grease guns and grease tubes reside in a 5 gallon bucket, and in clear plastic bags. Never do I leave it in hot place..stays in the cool as much as possible...and FAR from any toolbox !! Grease is like Proseal..just look at it and your guaranteed to have some kind of mess.

Garmin G3X Touch (GDU 4XX) V8.50, Nov. 25, 2019 ...g3xpert

We released G3X Touch Version 8.50 to the software download area today. Please note from the list at the bottom that many devices have new software including G5, GSA 28 servos, GEA 24 engine module, GDL 5X ADS-B receiver, GMC 507 autopilot control panel, and GMA 245/245R audio panel. After updating the software in the PFD1 with the SD card, the display will reset, and at that time it is best to hold down on the Menu button while it starts up in Configuration mode. Go to the System Information page on the PFD1 and watch all devices completing the software update before taking the PFD1 out of configuration mode and verifying proper operation for the updated system.

While the majority of the changes are behind-the-scenes improvements, there are a couple of items worth mentioning.

Simplified Fuel Flow Calibration
All of us have probably gone into configuration mode, done a little math, and made adjustments to our fuel flow calibration (K) factor to make the fuel totalizer more accurate.

This is significantly faster/easier now since you can do this after fill-up from the normal mode fuel calc engine page. Just press Menu on that page and select "Calibrate Fuel Flow" and a pop-up window will show you the fuel used and allow you to enter the actual fuel added to correct the calibration. In this example, the fuel totalizer measured 35 gals since our last fill-up, and we just added 33.5 gals to fill-up.

You can do this as often as you like until the desired accuracy is obtained.

Improved NAV Radio Tuning Support for GNC 255
We mentioned when V8.40 was released that you can now view and tune the NAV radio on the GDU (as shown below), much the same as you could with a COM radio, but that the feature was only available for the SL 30 NAV radio. We are pleased to now offer this capability for the GNC 255 using currently released V2.20 software in that unit. We will add this support for the GTN 650/750 when new software is available for those units.

Touch and Change Wind Speed Field
We have received quite a few requests to be able to touch the wind speed/direction field on the PFD and quickly change the format between speed/direction and heading/cross-wind components. This can now be done.

Changes from V8.40 to V8.50
o Add support for fuel flow calibration adjustment from Engine page
o Add option to change fuel calculator units (e.g., lbs/hr)
o Add configuration of fuel type
o Add ability to touch PFD wind field to toggle its display mode
o Add support for Piper Altimatic IIIC autopilot
o Add ability to display weight & balance envelope as moment versus weight
o Add ability to configure best-glide sink rate based on distance versus altitude
o Change low-airspeed ESP to remain disarmed until airspeed exceeds minimum limit
o Improve GSU 25C/D static pressure calibration procedure
o Improve configuration for Beechcraft 102-389012 fuel flow sensor
o Improve autopilot operation during on-ground tests
o Improve engine gauge visibility configuration on 7' displays
o Improve display of GPSS data field on 10' displays
o Improve selection of AGL height data field
o Improve NAV radio tuning
o Improve verification of LRU software update data
o Improve editing of complex weight & balance envelope points
o Improve ADS-B status display in config mode
o Improve traffic data processing and display
o Improve checklist file processing and display
o Improve chart data processing
o General improvements to system operation.
o Includes update to G5 software version 6.40
o Includes update to GDL5x software version 2.13
o Includes update to GEA24 software version 3.70
o Includes update to GMA245 software version 2.70
o Includes update to GMC507 software version 2.90
o Includes update to GSA28 software version 4.50

Thanks,
Steve

Typical good Van's support and lesson learned!

We found an aileron bracket issue on my condition inspection that was unexpected. We could not find anything obvious amiss, but I took some video and photos and sent some links to support@vansaircraft.com this morning. I got a reply this early afternoon, and all is well. BUT, during all this, I got a call from an unidentified number, which I of course ignored, since that is always spam, right? On reflection, I googled the number, and you guessed it: The Mothership! I immediately programmed in a new contact for Vans Aircraft, don't want to miss those calls in the future.
Mike C.

Closed 28th/29th ...Aerox

Nov 26, 2019.  Issue #4,964.  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Patina

Seen in an flying-two-decades RV-6 during annual.  Click for 2,560 x 1,920 pixel full size - it looks even better....or worse if you're not into the whole 'proof of enjoyment' thing.  dr

Flight around Southern/central Alberta ...TroyBranch

It has been a while that I have had time for fun stuff. Been years since I even wrote a post here. I think I have a good excuse.

We bought land late fall of 2016 to one day build our dream home and have our own runway. Spring of 2017 we began work but manage to slip away to the Maritimes for what would be our last vacation for almost 3 years. (Still need to take a break) We built a Barn, fencing, runway and just recently finished our new home all while going to my day job. All done by my wife and I along with the kids, no contractor. I thought airplane building was a lot of work. Our old home will soon get on the market then we will build the last step when it sells, the hanger at home!  more

UK RV-8 Reborn ...10w

Back in late 2017, we were fortunate enough to buy RV-8 G-JBTR from Bob Ellis. The aircraft came with a good pedigree, having been flown by Bob in the UK Royal Aero Club Air Racing events and winning the 2015 Air Racing Championship. We had a good year of flying her from our base in Scotland, where she picked up the nickname 'Wee Vans', including a European trip covering Belgium, Germany, Italy and France, as well as many excursions to strips throughout the UK, Ireland, and the Channel Islands.  continue

Hat Sighting / Brenham PIREP  ...tcard

The Brenham Diner had closed down for a while, but they are open and in full swing, including the wait on a Sunday for lunch. We joined our Vagbond friends, Sandy and Roy. We caught up with them on their latest trip.  ...

My RV Weekend  ...many

(Philip 8)
Hung the vertical stab. Was all ready for yesterday to end with me riveting the splice plate on and having it attached by just bolts, only to find edge distance issues with the rivet holes at the end of the forward spar.

So instead I ended the day with an email to the mothership. Pretty sure I can just add another row of rivets here and be OK (I found a post here where someone said they got this exact suggestion), but given the part of the structure we're talking about, I want to hear directly from home base on this one.

Next up: putting those flappy things on the back and getting them connected to the waggly thing in the cockpit.

(Jim Bedsole 6A)
Got it back from condition inspection on Friday (thanks Vic Syracuse!) and flew it home after a brief stopover at 6A2 to check on the status of my instrument panel upgrade order. On Sunday after church, flew with the bride to Barnstormers Grill at Alexander Memorial - GA2 - formerly Peach State Aerodrome for Sunday lunch buffet. Beautiful fall weekend in the south.

(swjohnsey)
Flew the newly acquired RV-4 from Bishop, TX (07R) to Fredericksburg (T82) to check out the Hanger Hotel and eat breakfast at the diner then on to Uvalde (UVA) topped off and back to Bishop. I was trueing out around 170 kts at around 8,000 ft at 2400 rpm and 21 in burning about 9.5 gph.

Help with firewall oil cooler mounting  ...dwranda

I have a bracket that the flange of the cooler will rest on. Should I run a bracket from the forward edge of the cooler to the firewall or would an adel clamp be good enough hooked to the engine mount where you can see the piece of foam in the pic?

Panel / Avionics Status Pics ...Al Karpinski

RV8 panel /avionics fun stuff.. so far.. With GTN750 on top.. Just clears the RV8 cross bar.. First power expected 12/1/19

Rudder Stiffener Rivets - Drill Out?  ...RV701775

I finished setting the AN426AD3-3 rivets on that holed the rudder stiffeners to the skin. I did the math and these rivets area almost exactly the correct length for a 1.5 diameter head. About six of my rivets fit in my cleaveland rivet gauge tightly, but are not significantly over driven. The issue is that on one side the rivet may be 0.033in height and on the other side the head height may be 0.045+. The rivet looks acceptable except for on side of a head is a bit short.

Should I drill these rivets out or is it acceptable to have one side below the Mil-R-47196A minimum head height of 0.038in for a -3 rivet? Not sure how much this matters on the stiffeners.

E-MAG Service Bulletin

E-MAG Friends and Fans:

We just posted Service Bulletin 11_25_19 to our Service Notes web page (https://emagair.com/service-notes/). The bulletin addresses a situation with E-MAG 113 and 114 Series ignitions when installed on 24-volt systems. We estimate the number of 24-volt installations to be relatively small - fewer than 50 out of 6000 (less than 1%). That said, the one installation where failures have occurred highlights a risk to others that needs to be addressed (24-volt installations only).

Please feel free call if you have any questions.

Brad Dement
E-MAG Ignitions

Nov 25, 2019.  Issue #4,963.
  So our son called from the college Saturday and said he was thinking about driving up for a short visit, and would I be interested in helping with the gas?  Absolutely!  Send me a picture of the pump when you've topped it off and I'll send you some cash...and I'll round up to the next dollar.  Here's the picture he sent.  It was worth .97 just for the laugh.
  I know he's a chemistry major for now, but I think he'd do OK with business <grin>.  Hope you had a nice weekend and got to spend some quality time with your RV.
  (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

My 5 Year Old Bird Left Home Today  ...steve murray RV-10

Made it safely to the hangar today. Best $75 I have spent so far on this project having a professional move it to the hangar.

On the road... I mean, In the air again  ...Capt Sandy

We departed Ajo, Arizona this morning, beginning of a three week trek. Ajo will be home base for a few months this winter. Side note: Last year I purchased a Card Machine Works head set. I'd had a nagging problem with my left ear, and could not hear ATC over the radio, even with my (popular name brand) noise-canceling, over-the-ear headset. Besides that, the headset "bar" was super uncomfortable on my head on our longer flights. The Card Machine Works CQ1 headset was a life-saver. Oh so comfortable, and I could hear the Controllers (and my hubby) again.
My ear is a little better this year, and Roy put new foam ear tips on my CQ1 headset before our flight this morning, so I am READY to FLY!!  continue

Phase 2! ...RV-7 Status Report  ...Floog

Over 40 hours on Seven now! I'm number 4 builder on a 2002 kit. It's a flying unpainted rat rod but it sure is fun! Only 2 (common) issues remain:

1) Tendency to roll left in straight and level cruise flight. Right aileron is always about 1/8" down compared to the left 1/8" up???????

2) No shimmy on landing roll out. Then around 10-15 mph ONLY when I'm braking the mains start shaking!

Comments/suggestions appreciated.

Made my first long XC a couple of days ago across the Cascades from central Washington. WOT (20.3/2,380) @ 11,500' @ 7.8 GPH = 190 mph TAS. I'm pretty happy with that!

Buck Meets RV-7 ...Av8safe

After about a year preparing and searching for my RV, it was finally time for the flight home. I had done everything the right way and taken no short cuts. Flew Vic in for the pre-buy and had my friend and experienced RV and test pilot Terry there to get me transitioned on the way home. First two legs were a dream...the RV grin in full display. And then the dream turned into a nightmare when a 7-8 point buck darted across the runway chasing a doe just after I had made my second three pointer with my new purchase. It was all a blur, and thankfully I was able to maintain directional control and get it stopped on the runway and shut down in seconds. It was after we quickly got out of the aircraft that we saw the extensive damage, including a massive hit to the left fuel tank. We were very fortunate as it could have been much worse. The plane is just a thing (and fully insured) but the most important thing is Terry and I are fine. Now I get to gain the experience of working with the insurance company and a host of others to see if we can get my 7 back in the sky with me grinning again.

RV-3B Vs Extra 300  ...rph142

Earlier this year I was unexpectedly given the option to buy a 25% share of a 300hp mid-wing Extra 300, and as luck would have it the plane was based at my home field. The rub was that I already owned a plane (my -3B) and I recently bought into a local flying club with an RV-7, C-182 and an A36 Bonanza. So technically I had four planes at my disposal; insurance requirements notwithstanding. This number far exceeded my golden formula: The minimum number of planes one should own is one. The correct number is n+1, where n is the number of planes currently owned. This equation may also be re-written as s-1, where s is the number of planes owned that would result in separation from your partner.  continue

New Throttle Handle ...Paddy

While avoiding yard work work this weekend, I decided to make a new throttle handle. I never liked the way the original felt and the fact that it wasn't centered over the quadrant. This handle is made from some 25mm OD 23mm ID tube from eBay. The end caps were turned from some 1" 6061 stock and there's another piece of it turned down and tapped 10x32, bonded inside the tube to attach to the throttle lever with the same hole as the original. Works great and has added 5kts and reduced fuel flow by 1.5gph. ;^)

Progress Report (7A) ...motodave

Great day of progress, drilled the longerons to the side skins (only drilled my finger once) and have the firewall in place and ready to drill.

Thoughts on Panel Upgrade Ideas ...James 6A

Hi Everyone,

After owning my RV6A for about 1.5 years, I am finally starting to think about a panel upgrade (in conjunction with addressing ADS-B).

Right before buying my RV6A, I got my instrument rating. Therefore, for my panel upgrade, I would like to have it be IFR capable (in good weather for proficiency and maybe marine layers). I would also like the panel to qualify as TAA for my commercial rating (essentially PFD, MFD, dual axis autopilot).

I currently have a six-pack "steam" panel with KX-125 VOR/LOC, KLN 35A VFR GPS and KT76 Transponder.

I am going to replace the KLN35A and KT76 with a GNX375 (on order).

That leaves the rest of the panel to figure out what to do with. I am going back and forth between two paths (Dual G5, G3X). Cost difference is not a real big factor, so really I want to figure out what would be the best long term for usability (not go obsolete). (Switches and breakers and radio stack location are generally laid out according to current panel)

Pic from Mr. X...Chicago

enlarge

Nov 22, 2019.  Issue #4,962.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

Hidden Splendor Airstrip, Utah  ...Vlad the Amazing

Hidden Splendor Airstrip is located about 15 nm northwest of Hanksville KHVE. Its location is in the ForeFlight database and any search engine could yield a lot of information. The elevation is nearly 5,000 feet and the runway is over 2 thousand feet long. Its also wider then RV9 wingspan.  more pics

Legacy RV-12 ADS-B Service Letter [D-180/GTX 327]  ...mothership

Van's has posted a service letter (SL 19-06-27) and associated new wiring diagram for original-model RV-12 owners who wish to add ADS-B Out capability to certain early models equipped with D-180 EFIS and GTX 327 transponder avionics. It leverages Garmin's GDL 82 hardware.

Eileen Collins (Mom to our RV Friend Bob Collins) Has Passed

[ed. Please do yourself a favor and visit the links Bob posted.  I think you'll find, as I did, that it is time well spent.  Bob, your mother did a great job of raising a good son.  What a touching tribute you've written!  v/r,dr]

Van's Vent Knob  ...08FATBOY

I have a legacy 12 and just got the vent knobs. Q: Can someone supply the KIA page for installation, possibly post it. Concerned about drill size and if they need to be tapped. Thanks,

A: (Greg @ mothership)
Sorry for the confusion - I'll be taking a look at our communication around this one. Note that the new knob can be used anywhere this style door is implemented - Typically used in the case of the RV-12, RV-12iS and RV-10 rear passenger seats. We will release the proper documentation to allow factory built (SLSA) aircraft modification in the near future.

The installation is documented on page 08 of RV-12iS Section 23iS/U. That document has been posted to the service information page for the RV-12iS, so you can now access it there. Below is a link to that section plus a screen-grab of the pertinent instructions. If you ordered the knob but do not have the screw that's needed, drop me a PM and I will make sure you get what you need.

Conical Bends done!... getting bigger every day  ...Dave -7

I joined the tail cone to the mid fuselage temporarily at least until I disassemble for riveting.

Shooting Headset Jack Wires - Chasing Ground Noise  ...Tim Huneycutt

I am getting a static noise in sync my strobes and constant when nav/landing lights are on in my pilot headset jack. I have been able to isolate the noise by controlling my PDA360R via AFS5XXX screens. The back seats can't hear it at all when in Crew mode and the copilot can't hear it at all when it's in ISO mode. The pilot can hear it at all times. That tells me (correct me if I'm wrong) that the issue is with the pilot's jacks.

I do not believe it's lights related as in flight I'm getting a slight alternator whine on the pilot's headset (again, can be isolated to just pilot) as well.

I'm going to finish visually inspecting the wire tonight for nicks or obvious issues, but how can I accurately shoot the wires? I know shield will obviously have continuity with ground, but I'm also getting that with the blue wire for each mic and phone jack. How do you tell if those are good or shorted to ground?

I'm thinking my issue is at the shell connector on the tray as I haven't seen obvious damage to the wire itself and haven't really messed with it since it went in and was tested originally. I did take the backshell apart for the tray during a idiot moment to add a comm swap wire (I should have and wound up putting that comm swap wire to the comm!).

I've searched, but any other advice for just one jack getting static?

RV-4 Status Report  ...Frank

Vertical Stab complete and rudder almost done, its a real life exploded view at the moment

Pre-Order IronFlight's Book

Our buddy Paul (RV-3/6/8) has written a book, and you can pre-order it.  Release date July 14, 2020.

"In the tradition of Chris Kraft's Flight and Gene Kranz's Failure Is Not an Option, from the longest-serving Flight Director in NASA's history, a revealing look at the high-stakes work of Mission Control that tells the inside story of the Space Shuttle program that has redefined our relationship with space.

Offering a compelling look inside the Space Shuttle missions that helped lay the groundwork for the Space Age from the perspective of those tasked with making them happen, Shuttle, Houston explores the determined personalities, technological miracles, and eleventh-hour saves that have made human spaceflight possible.

Relaying stories of missions (and their grueling training) in vivid detail, Paul Dye, NASA's longest-serving Flight Director, examines some of the highest-stakes split-second decisions that the directors and astronauts were forced to make in a field where mistakes are unthinkable, where errors lead to the loss of national resources -- and more importantly one's crew. Dye's stories from inside Mission Control explain the mysteries of flying the Shuttle -- from the powerful fiery ascent to the majesty of on-orbit operations to the high-speed and critical re-entry and landing of a hundred-ton glider.

The Space Shuttles flew 135 missions -- surviving initial test flights and the early days of deploying satellites as well as enabling the assembly and servicing of the International Space Station. Astronauts conducted space walks, captured satellites, and docked with the Mir Space Station, bringing space into our everyday life, from GPS to satellite TV. Putting readers in the shoes of Mission Control, the hub that made humanity's leap into a new frontier possible, Dye gives readers his own front-row seat on the missions that changed our world."

Nov 21, 2019.  Issue #4,961.
  Very-near-future RV-10 builder David Lee spent some time at my hangar Wednesday morning helping me start an oil change.  The miserable host I am, I left the power screwdriver at home.  Old school....sorry David.  TBO'd socks were converted into oil covered rags.  It's the cycle of life for an airplane owner's wearables.
   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

My RV Weekend  ...crabandy

More condition inspection items completed. Carb and gascolator screens were clean, the inline filter after the fuel selector seemed to have grabbed the gunk.

Milestone: Vlad (vinzer) First Big Step  ...vinzer

First big step: assembly of my vertical stabilizer has been completed today!  Now I am officially have first airplane part assembled on my own.  ...and still so many to assemble

Helicopter engines in planes  ...Radioflyer

Q: I noticed an RV-6A had an HIO-360-B1A engine. (The engine has close to 11,000 hrs total time on it!) How suitable is a "helicopter" variant engine for use as an airplane engine?

A: I have an HIO-360-A1F6D variant in my 7, but it now has a carb and electronic ignition.

Lovely Cockpit Patina ...

I was at a maintenance facility recently and took a peek in a cockpit of a turboprop aircraft getting some work done.  A panel was off and I got a glimpse...and immediately smiled and opened my camera app.  A CCD (cursor control device) rests on top of this spot, so thoughts of hundreds of T/O and landings, and fiddling with STARs and tens of thousands of trackball movements and the debris associated with it came to mind.  This is splendid proof of a workhorse being used exactly how it was designed - kicking ass and taking names all day long, in all weather.  Enlarging the pic to full size only makes it look better.

I'd buy a coffee table book of pictures like this....but I admit I have odd tastes.  I'll shut up now... ;^)

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-7 Flap Lip too Close to Upper Wing Skin  ...mfleming

I have my flaps installed for the first time. Cut the flap push rod holes and trimmed the flap skins as needed. In the up position they line up pretty good with a neutral aileron and the bottom flap skins fit nicely against the bottom of the fuselage.

I measured the flap down angle at 45* which section 15 says is the max.

The concern is, the flap lip is very close to to the top wing skin. I understand that if the flap lip pops over on top of the upper wing skin and the flap is retracted much damage ensues

My question is...how do I limit the flap travel like Mel suggest to 38*?

It seem that once the flap up adjustment has been made...the down is what it is.

A lot of people say they limited the down adjustment but don't say how the did it

If the answers really simple, my apologies ahead of time

Here's a video of the flaps in action just for fun...doesn't really show the lip issue

Quirky Thing Seen From the Air  ...crabandy

Saw while holding at a missed approach point on a training flight.....

Nov 20, 2019.  Issue #4,960.   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Pre-Order IronFlight's Book

Our buddy Paul (RV-3/6/8) has written a book, and you can pre-order it.  Release date July 14, 2020.

"In the tradition of Chris Kraft's Flight and Gene Kranz's Failure Is Not an Option, from the longest-serving Flight Director in NASA's history, a revealing look at the high-stakes work of Mission Control that tells the inside story of the Space Shuttle program that has redefined our relationship with space.

Offering a compelling look inside the Space Shuttle missions that helped lay the groundwork for the Space Age from the perspective of those tasked with making them happen, Shuttle, Houston explores the determined personalities, technological miracles, and eleventh-hour saves that have made human spaceflight possible.

Relaying stories of missions (and their grueling training) in vivid detail, Paul Dye, NASA's longest-serving Flight Director, examines some of the highest-stakes split-second decisions that the directors and astronauts were forced to make in a field where mistakes are unthinkable, where errors lead to the loss of national resources -- and more importantly one's crew. Dye's stories from inside Mission Control explain the mysteries of flying the Shuttle -- from the powerful fiery ascent to the majesty of on-orbit operations to the high-speed and critical re-entry and landing of a hundred-ton glider.

The Space Shuttles flew 135 missions -- surviving initial test flights and the early days of deploying satellites as well as enabling the assembly and servicing of the International Space Station. Astronauts conducted space walks, captured satellites, and docked with the Mir Space Station, bringing space into our everyday life, from GPS to satellite TV. Putting readers in the shoes of Mission Control, the hub that made humanity's leap into a new frontier possible, Dye gives readers his own front-row seat on the missions that changed our world."

Where's Vlad? ...many pics.

Mystery airstrip.  Where?  Anybody been here? Smokey its your bandit territory. Don't tell me you don't know this one.

RV Weekend Fun ...von_flyer

Took some air to air shots of my son Justin in his -4 and Gary, builder of my -7 in his -10. A whole lot of RVing going on.

My RV Weekend ...AAflyer

Flying for food.  Attended my second South Carolina Breakfast Club meeting in...  North Carolina?! KRUG, aka Mid-Carolina Airport. Delicious, well-attended gathering on a chilly day in the "Eagles' Nest"...EAA Ch 1083's insulated hangar. Clear, but lumpy skies...dodging the Charlotte Class B airspace.

First Flights Added

...to the mothership.

Nov 19, 2019.  Issue #4,959.   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

Milano Air Show 2019...lucaperazzolli

This past October we had the opportunity to display with our team at Milano Air Show. I like to share the video, hope you enjoy it.

Rudder Damage from Wind ...sinflrobot

Some wind got a hold of my rudder during the last front that came through. Overall it still appears straight, but I am a bit concerned about what to do with two small tears in the trailing edge. It doesn't look horrible, but I was wondering what more experienced folks think the best way to repair this is.

My RV Weekend ...thunder669

"..flight tested the new mechanical fuel pump, a quick bit of rough speed tests and a few practice landings."

Remote Avionics Mounting Ideas ...Rob Lasater RV-14 PIREP

One solution, which lucky for me was done automatically for by Aerotronics was to build a tray that mounts to the panel on the outside of your screens to mount all your boxes too. With my panel, the only things I had to mount was the remote transponder and the backup battery.

My RV Weekend ...control RV-14 (Sweden)

https://youtu.be/BeFqo3o12SA
Moved my RV14 to a new airport (much closer to where I will move to in spring/2020)

Nov 18, 2019.  Issue #4,958.
  Spent a chunk of Saturday getting an early start on the Monday edition, as Sunday was mostly all extra paper route.  Traipsed all over Kansas, Louisiana and Texas.  Pilot milestone:  FL290 in the left seat - never been that high before while up front.  Now have 16.2 hours in the PC-12NG as 'the new guy'.  All those years behind the Garmin glass in the RV is really helping with the transition - thinking a hundred miles out is a new concept for me, but I'll get there.  Not single pilot yet, but not that far off.  Baby steps and learning a LOT about aviation that I was clueless about.  The RV prepped me pretty good.  Brain still hot....need sleep <g>.
  Hope you had a great weekend.
   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

My RV Weekend ...Jvon811

Sorry to hear about how cold it was in Texas this morning, DR... [ed. :^)]

15*F when I got to the airport this morning in Michigan. Super smooth air and amazing performance in the cold air. Local group of our guys went out to breakfast at Brighton, Michigan (45G) for breakfast. Tomorrow is Owosso, Michigan (KRNP) for anyone interested!

Milestone: HS Done ...2 of 5

At least as far as I can go until the pre-closing inspection:

November 9-16: After clecoing in the 905 nose ribs, I riveted them into place. Then the completed front spar/interspar assembly was put into place and clecoed in. Skipping every other hole, I still managed to run out of silver 3/32″ clecoes. I ended up working from one side to the other, moving clecoes to the other side as I completed a section.

Aviation Nation - Bob Kelly is in need of our thoughts and prayers...

Bob Kelly (videobobk on VAF) is the President and Founder of Aviation Nation and is one of the early pioneers who paved the way for many of the RV-12 high school build programs in existence today. If you've been to OSH in the past six or seven years you've no doubt seen him always busy leading large groups of mentors and student-builders to various meetings and vendor exhibits. During the other 51 weeks, Bob stays busy organizing new build projects or assisting one of the many Aviation Nation build projects. Get well soon, Bob! /reb

RV-6 Approved for Launch ...Zazoos

This RV-6 was started in 1994 by Denny B. and I purchased it from him in July of 2016. The first 15 months the project just set in my shop for 2 reasons. One was I really didn't have a clue where to jump in and get started. Second, was I only had a light sport license for a powered parachute. I took those 15 months and researched where to get started using VAF (which has been very helpful). I also bought a light sport fixed wing and used it to get an endorsement for LSA fixed wing flying. Then built time towards the private ticket while building on the RV-6 and earned my private pilot license earlier this year. Well today the RV-6 was approved for flight. Next week I go to Okeechobee, Florida to get transition training with Jan Bussell. Obviously, I am very excited. Thank you to VAF members for your help and to Doug for this great tool.

My RV Weekend

Flying with no particular destination ...plehrke
Just flying around enjoying the smooth, cold air.

First Night Flight...rcsilvmac
Spent Friday night doing 10 takeoff/landings in my RV-6A. My first night experience as PIC...it was quite a challenge and thrill. My instructor had to save me on the first landing as I wasn't flaring soon enough, but I got the hang of it after that. I am looking forward to getting out there again at night for my cross country!

New Plugs....jeffkersey
Had not flown in almost 2 weeks as wife was out of town and had to be home monitoring and ailing dog. Starting the plane had been getting more difficult. Put in new plugs. It started in 2 blades. Leaned back to 3 1/2-4gph and putted around looking at property. Decided to sign my name in ADS-B. My skywriting is almost as bad as my penmanship...

RV-12 Greetings from Eastern Tennessee!

Hello to all my friends here on the RV-12 forum...a few people have asked about it, so thought I would post a quick update. After living in California all our lives, my wife and I bought an airpark home in Eastern Tennessee! It has been a dream of mine since learning to fly over 40 years ago, and we are loving it. If anyone on this forum ever needs a place to land/hangar for a night or two, you are welcome (Hensley Airpark 04TN). We have been in the process for a year now, but officially moved in about 3 months ago. It's a great house on over an acre, but the hangar/runway are what sold me. The hangar has a full bath, radiant heat floor and great lighting (and about 2500 sqft). I can walk out my side door and be in the air in 15-20 min (and as you 912ULS pilots know, 5-10 min of that is just waiting for oil temp to hit 120F).

I flew the plane out in late July, so I could stop at Oshkosh for a few days on the way. A new neighbor was kind enough to let me keep the -12 in his hangar until early Sept when we moved in. Anyway, I can't believe how beautiful the flying is around this region, and what an amazing place to live. Thanks to the few that wondered where I had moved, hope to see you around!!

Paul

Milestone: First Completed Part! ...Ryan V.

Air/Oil Sep Experience ...DanH PIREP

Rather than "100 hours or annually", I'd suggest developing a cleaning schedule based on early observation of the particular installation. Technically, it is not the valve which needs cleaned, but rather, the tubular tap into the exhaust system. There have been reports of total blockage at less than 50 hours for Anti-Splat RV-10 exhaust taps mounted on the tailpipe. Even after establishing a rate of accumulation, I'd keep an eye on it, as it may accumulate coke more rapidly as the engine ages and puts more oil out the breather. A change in the usual operating RPM can also make a difference.

Exhaust tap on my 390. It's welded, not clamped. Note bracing; I'm not a big fan of just welding a tube into a hot, vibrating header pipe and allowing it to cantilever without support. The disk is a heat sink; the reed valve stays cool (yes, I measured).

Nov 15, 2019.  Issue #4,957.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
    (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

Paul Straub Living Room Art ...RV-12

Eagle's Nest Projects - Central HS (WI) - Tyler Moats 1st Solo Flight

After about 19 hours of flying, I (finally) soloed. All around, it was a pretty cool experience. I did a few takeoffs and landings with my instructor and then he hopped out and it was all me. The solo wasn't too bad... it was a little bumpy but nothing to complain about. However, it felt pretty great to know that I had the skills to operate an aircraft and the confidence to actually do it. Now that I'm done with my solo I can't wait to pursue and eventually get my license. -Tyler   more

Tips for fitting the front canopy skin ...Draker

I think I've had this thing off and back on 10 times in the last three days trying to get a better fit and it's not cooperating. Any tips for what to bend, stretch, file or pull to get this thing to line up with the rest of the airplane? There doesn't seem to be much build log wisdom out there on this topic--seems like people get it close and build on.

First up is the fit between the two top skins, shown below clecoed on:  continue

Do all RV's fly about the same?

Q: I have heard it said that if you learn to fly one RV, you can fly any RV. Obviously a tail wheel aircraft will be different from a nose gear type, but is there some truth to this? For example, if you train on a -9A, are you ready to fly a -6A as well?

A: Many

Barrett Precision Engines

...dyno pic from today (VAF advertiser)

Since 1984, the most discriminating pilots have chosen Barrett Precision Engines for their engine needs. Barrett Precision Engines is proud to service the RV community with new experimental four cylinder engines and custom engine builds and repairs.

Barrett Precision Engines, Inc.
2870-B N. Sheridan Rd.
Tulsa, OK 74115
www.bpaengines.com

On the dyno today...

Tailwheel training in a Super Decathlon for RV7 suitable?

Hi All,

my tailwheel RV7 (IO375/CS prop) is not so far away from first flight. There are still a lot of things to be prepared, including myself. I am a low time pilot almost entirely with tri-gears (Katana, 172, PA28 etc.). Lately i had the chance to make ten T/O and landings with a flight instructor in a Grob G109. Fortunatly humans and aircraft were not damaged at the end of the day. I did not feel well at all in the G109. So we can assume that i am not qualified enough to do first flight/phase1.

Now there's a chance to get tailwheel training at a flight school nearby in a Super Decathlon. My question to the ones that are more experienced... is the Decathlon suitable enough get qualified to ride the RV7? Is it similar, easierer more difficult to take-off and land?

There are sveral adresses in north america to get flight training especially for RV's, but we don't have that luxury in Europe (i am based in Germany).

Best Regards
Kay

New First Flights Added ...mothership site

Nov 14, 2019.  Issue #4,956.   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

John Goodloe RV-8

Sept. 14, 2019 Open Canopy ...mbauer

Sept 14, 2019 was a very nice day here in Kenai, Alaska. Temp was mid 60's, a great day for washing and waxing the RV6 before winter sets in.

A full day was spent at the tie-down. Finally finishing up around 1830 hours decided to take a short flight as it was still in the 60 deg F range.

Just washed and waxed, so had a great pre-flight completed for the controls/skins.

After moving my vehicle to the parking area, walked back and did a "quick" pre-flight, just in case.

Feeling a little tired, decided it would be a short flight. After attaching myself to the RV using my seatbelt/shoulder harness, grabbed the checklist and read through it.

Did not verify a couple of items, just read through the list......Was tired and wanting to fly, but ready to go home as well. Once again verified this would be a short flight, conditions were as perfect as you can get in Alaska this time of year, so lets get moving!

Called Ground and received taxi instructions. Run up and time to take the active. Tower cleared me for takeoff and away I went.

Smooth air no bumps, what a great day for flying. No clouds the view was excellent. Now where to go?

Flew North towards Nikiski where my home is, then decided to fly over and see if a friend was having a barbecue. Sure enough, a couple of friends were parked in his driveway, decided to get some speed up for a fly by.

A slight descent and soon was doing 200mph. BANG!

At first I thought the RV had exploded! Wind noise was present, just sat there thinking the plane was finished, it was very violent experience.

As the senses came back realized the canopy was open. How did that happen?

The RV was trying to dive rather abruptly. Applied normal back pressure on the elevator to correct. There was no pressure on the elevator, it did not work. That sensation created the urge to pull the stick all the way back "FAST".

While this was happening decided I had better make a call to the Kenai Tower and explain what was happening, loss of elevator effectiveness. Left finger on the push to talk, right hand reducing power.

Tower replied and cleared me to return to any runway.

I remember looking at the airspeed while in the nose tuck, it was extremely close to redline.

Approx. 2/3 of elevator pulled and the RV leveled and then started a climb. Once leveled I reached up with my right hand and grabbed the d-latch for the roll bar and pulled like crazy, it came way down and the elevator came back with a rush.

Now established in a climb, was able to almost close and re-latch the roll bar handle. As the airspeed dropped below 140mph, got the roll bar latch to close.

Now time to get scared. Looking around it was very obvious to see why the canopy opened.

Reading the checklist and not verifying that the side latch was closed, caused a very sobering lesson. Pay Attention to the checklist!

Being tired, fat dumb and happy is not a very good reason for reading a checklist and not checking physically what you are reading.

Good thing I had plenty of altitude for the flyby, main reason why was able to spend precious seconds wondering what had happened, during the nose tuck.

Was caught flat footed, head not in the airplane.

Interesting thing, I could hear each of the several instructors, from years past, who admonished to keep flying the airplane.

Boy did I get my head back into flying quickly, as everything was going downhill!

Rather embarrassed, when arriving at the runway with fire trucks and ambulance waiting for me. Even after calling to let them know the canopy was closed. The ambulance followed me to parking, after a short conversation all was good.

A week later received a call from the FAA located in Juneau. Not much to talk about, the caller said he had investigated a couple of fatal RV canopy open accidents, and was very happy to be able to talk with me.

One thing, was not able to latch the side lock. It just wouldn't close in flight, flew back at 80kts to ensure the roll bar stayed shut. Actually held it closed most of the way back!

Performing a post flight inspection, the struts were bent a little. No, problem as I have new ones ready for installation.

After an evening thinking about what had happened, decided to go back and do a very through post flight. The last I looked the airspeed was near redline, not sure if RV reached it, so decided to check everything with a flashlight and magnifying lens.

Besides the struts, found out that it warped the front edge of the aluminum canopy frame. Popped paint loose on the canopy frame, it was catching on the fuselage lip where the canopy rubber seal is. Using a screwdriver to re-shape the aluminum fixed the issue.

Been up several times since then. Each time before taking the active, verified that the yellow ball is LOCKED!

Best regards,
Mike Bauer

Subpanel repair question ...kaa RV-7

Hi all,

So, last week my vacuum pump failed and I took it as a hint that I should finally start my panel upgrade. The plan is to go from steam gauges to G3X. Now, I haven't built an airplane, and while I'm pretty comfortable with the electronics and wiring, metal work is fairly new to me. So I'd like to ask a few potentially dumb questions if you don't mind.

In looks like in the course of years the subpanel on my RV-7 (slider) endured some surgery:

I now need to patch at least some of these holes to mount G3X components onto. What would be my best course of action? My current plan is to make a patch out of a 0.040 sheet and rivet it with a combination of AD4 where I can squeeze them and cherry rivets where I can't (I'm not set up for riveting with a rivet gun). Would a single row of rivets be sufficient? Given how decimated the subpanel is, it's probably not very structural?

Also, F-712A-L was also cut for some reason without any reinforcement. Should I do something about it? Maybe add a angle stiffener or something?

Thanks for any advice!

Down for Maintenance a Bit:  Maintenance Debate ...Ironflight

So we live at an airpark with 30 homes. By my count, 17 have or have had experimental aircraft, 11 do right now. 18 have had certified - so its about an even mix. Of the current aircraft, 25 are certified (one guy has five Stearmans) and we've got about 15 Experimentals (Louise and I count for five of those...).

Yesterday I had some maintenance performed on my (personal) belly substructure - a non-organic doubler was installed using standard techniques, and recovery is better than expected, with only minor nuisance problems due to my intestinal system being shut down and waiting on a successful re-light (dang anesthetic!).

But now we have a neighborhood debate. We have about eight licensed senior nurses among our population, and four A&P's - no admitted medical doctors, and no IA's. Some nurses might claim that I need to stay on the ground for several weeks, and then get surgeon's clearance before flight. I informed the surgeon that since I rarely pull more than ten pounds (current lifting limit) on any flight control, I should be good to go when I am ready to eat an airport breakfast or burger. The A&P's are questioning if this is a 'Major Mod', since it involved primary structure, but I pointed out that while all human beings in the US are certificated at birth, no one can produce a TCDS for said certificate - therefore, we must all be Experimental (and I'd strongly argue Amateur built...), so Part 43 doesn't apply, and we don't need a 337.

So, I contend that since flight characteristics shouldn't have changed (there might be a temporary restriction on G's of course), no return to Phase 1 is required, a simple logbook entry should suffice, and the normal medical community's generic "wait a week" should be fine. Mel, Joe, Vic.....any arguments from the DAR community?! <g>

In good fun,

Iron

Roll-Your-Own 4-place Oxygen System...Paddy

I've built both a 4-place portable system and now a built-in system in my -10, both roll-your-own style. The portable uses a Jumbo D cylinder, 4-place regulator, 4 flow meters and 4 oxysaver cannulas. The system worked fine for cross country trips with 2 adults and 2 kids, but was a bit bulky with all 4 of the lines in use. It's for sale if anyone is interested...

BLACK FRIDAY SALE ON EARTHX JUMP PACK ...VAF advertiser

Hello Van's readers,

The holidays are upon us and we are alerting you first that we are having a black Friday sale, effective now, while supplies last, on the EarthX LiFePo4 jump packs. And we are including free the 12V charging adapter for a savings of $42 off.

https://earthxbatteries.com/shop/earthx-jump-pack

This is a great gift for yourself or any one else on your list!

RV-7 Build Status Report ...vernh59

Starting to assemble the HS forward spar.

Our RV Weekend ...Mike K

My wife and I took our first trip in our just out of phase one RV14a to Memphis. Flew into General Dewitt Spain M01. Great service at the FBO and hanger space available for only $25 a night. $8 Uber ride to Beale street. Great BBQ and music!

Nov 13, 2019.  Issue #4,955.   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)

The story on how I got to this point ...rolick22

This is the story on how I got to this point on my Kit build RV-12iS ELSA. I will take you back to 2013 when I first had the idea. Come see how I built two fuselages and why.

Weekend flight up the Hudson ...Squid

Okay, so it was two weekends ago, but such a good flight it's worthy of mention. While we still have the privilege the wife and I took the RV-6 up and down the Hudson, past NYC at 1100'. Circled the Statue of Liberty at 900' as well. If you haven't done this, I'd recommend giving it a try. A total blast!

My New NEBO Flashlight ...a short review.  Mostly pics.

I bought this online last week for my extra paper routes (needed big red light for filling out forms while in cruise at night).  You recharge with your USB port, you could probably blind someone at night with it (might be more useful than a knife for protection) and more.  I took some pics and added some captions.

Probable Cause List Updated

(7) new probable cause documents published by the NTSB since the last update here.  Knowledge is power....read and fly safe.

5MB page.  You'll want to be on your WiFi.

NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report - RV-12 Fatal, Fishers, IN, 08/31/2017

This was brought to my attention by Tom Prevost, and it didn't show up in the export of NTSB data when I searched for 'RV' and 'Probable Cause'.

Here's a direct link so you can read it while I figure out why it didn't show in the query.

Probable Cause and Findings
"The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The pilot's failure to latch the canopy before takeoff, and his failure to maintain pitch control following the in-flight opening of the canopy during the initial climb resulting in a subsequent impact with terrain and ground fire."

Nov 12, 2019.  Issue #4,954.
  At 0937 local Monday the cold front arrived at our home field - went from 60*F and 00000kt to 25G37 from 340 in about sixty seconds.  I had taken off thirty minutes earlier looking to hand fly the practice VOR/DME RW17 approach at nearby Decatur.  Airliners overhead were visible above 3,000' while I pre-flighted, but as I took off I could see pretty fast that I wasn't going to get to 3,000' without filing - things were lowering quickly.  You could see angry clouds off to the N in the shape of a big fist, with my name on it, so I turned back.  Got in a quick VOR check off of DFW's TTT over our field and called it a flight after 11 minutes.  It sure got cold fast.
  Wrapping the pipes and dragging out the cold Wx gear.  So long Fall...
   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

WDYDWYRVTW Entries

(Dan Langhout) ...RV-7
Took my 29th instrument lesson. Nothing like learning in your own airplane!

(crabandy)
Condition Inspection time week #2 for me, I drug my oldest out to the hangar to help me with the compression check for the second year in a row. She learns something, I learn something and although she won't admit it she feels more accomplished and a little sassy for the experience. Dad's also glad to have her along. ...

(MarkW)
Bahamas.  Had a business conference to attend in Nassau this weekend and all was included but the flight. Not a problem as I prefer to fly myself anyway.  Short two hour flight from Sanford to Nassau. Lots of over water time but not a problem. Straight Thursday from Sanford to Nassau on a perfect day then back on Sunday with a stop in Ft. Pierce for customs. US customs has actually made the process easier and now there is not even a form.

Icing Heads Up ...bmarvel

When we built our -14A I put a short piece of black electrical tape on the outboard leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer as an ice indicator. Since the surface with the tightest curvature is generally the first to get ice, I reasoned that this would be the likely place. When the black surface started to become white, it was time for Plan B.

As it turns out, we found out there is another location that gets ice first and is much easier to see. In our airplane we stuck with the plans as written and installed the landing lights in the wing cutouts. These in turn are covered with Plexiglas lenses which are mounted on the inner surface of the leading edge wing skins around the perimeter of the cutout.

A few months ago on a trip from Colorado to Oklahoma we had an icing encounter but the first indication was not on the electrical tape. As I turned my head to inspect the tape on the horizontal stabilizer, I noted a dim glow from the left wing landing light area that was clearly visible in daylight. My wife saw the same thing on the right wing.

As it turned out the tiny ridge between the plexi and the wing skin is the smallest radius on the airplane and true to predictions was the first place where ice formed. Each time the landing light pulsed there was a dim glow from that area, giving an early indication of even the smallest amount of ice.

An altitude change solved the problem but I thought this bit of information would be a good thing for the rest of you to toss into your bag of aircraft knowledge for the future.
__________________
Bill Marvel
Grand Junction, CO
RV-8A N751MB -1700 hours, sold
RV-14A N465MM

Aera 660 v3.7 is out

Horizontal stab attach - sanity check ...N546RV (RV-8)

OK folks...so I'm at the point of fitting the horizontal stab and getting the attach holes drilled. I did the holes between the rear spar and the vertical attach bars tonight - those are pretty much a piece of cake after checking level and alignment about 400 times. The holes in the forward splice angle, though, I'm spending a whole lot of time reasoning things out before I drill, since it seems like this is an area where people frequently encounter problems.

The main thing I'm running into is that, as far as I can tell, it is 100% impossible to drill these holes and maintain "proper" edge distance (that is, 2x from the center of the hole). This seems to be a fairly well-known issue, and digging through past discussions indicates that a) the mothership knows this and reassured builders frequently and b) since the bolts are loaded axially (vs in shear), edge distance is less critical.

In an effort to be super thorough with positioning these holes - as opposed to simply taking the measurements from the plans as gospel truth - I did a whole lot of drawing on the aft deck with a Sharpie. With a little work in Photoshop for some colored overlays, we can end up with a nice little visual representation of all the pertinent pieces (I've omitted the spacers since they don't seem likely to have edge distance issues):  continue

Nov 11, 2019.  Issue #4,953.
   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

ADDRESS TO FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN

The White House, November 11, 1919.

A year ago today our enemies laid down their arms in accordance with an armistice which rendered them impotent to renew hostilities, and gave to the world an assured opportunity to reconstruct its shattered order and to work out in peace a new and juster set of international relations. The soldiers and people of the European Allies had fought and endured for more than four years to uphold the barrier of civilization against the aggressions of armed force. We ourselves had been in the conflict something more than a year and a half.

With splendid forgetfulness of mere personal concerns, we remodeled our industries, concentrated our financial resources, increased our agricultural output, and assembled a great army, so that at the last our power was a decisive factor in the victory. We were able to bring the vast resources, material and moral, of a great and free people to the assistance of our associates in Europe who had suffered and sacrificed without limit in the cause for which we fought.

Out of this victory there arose new possibilities of political freedom and economic concert. The war showed us the strength of great nations acting together for high purposes, and the victory of arms foretells the enduring conquests which can be made in peace when nations act justly and in furtherance of the common interests of men.

To us in America the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service, and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations.

WOODROW WILSON

RV-8 Memphis ...Jeff RV-8

Just home from the paint shop. Thanks to Mark King and his crew at GLO for her new dress. Walt at EXP then knocked out a new W&B and dialed in the 200RV prop with a dynamic balance. The flight back home was second only to my first flight! Also, a big shout out to Karl Richcreek (RV-8) for blazing the trail on this scheme. I added some personal touches to keep my Navy flying days close to heart. First flight was late Sept 2018 and still lovin' every minute of it!

WDYDWYRVTW* ...11/9-10/2019

Flew a friend over to KADS in the RV-6 Friday afternoon so he could re-position a PC-12NG. Having not been there for many years, I'd forgotten how busy it is on the ground at Addison. Waited at the departure end for 20 minutes to take off.  How in the world do students endure that environment?!?!

There were (7) airplanes in front of me (and maybe ten behind me) on the ramp when they called my N-number for position and hold. I jumped on that like a duck on a june bug <g>.

Saturday and Sunday I spent about twelve hours studying PC-12NG POH manuals - all related to trying to earn some side money for the fam.

*What did you do this weekend with your RV?  Chime in...

Crater Lake Oregon Pics ...vgb

Q: What is the end goal of a build?

A: It's different for everybody.

I am working away, making rather fast progress on my RV-14 kit. Days go by as I build, and I feel on top of the world. Other days, I feel completely incapable.

I am learning so much about myself through this build. One of the things that has really hit home and become apparent is that I am a perfectionist. Except I have never built an airplane before, and I am doing a far from perfect job with my build. I am not capable of doing a perfect build. Is there even such a thing I find myself wondering? I am building an airplane that's going to be safe and certainly won't fall out of the sky, but I don't think that I will ever have a showpiece on my hands.

Some days, I am pretty down on myself, wondering if I am really cut out to be doing my own build. But I want it. I want it more than anything. This build for me is more about learning some life lessons, having some fun (it is hard sometimes), and in the end, having something that I can be proud of to fly around.

As I find myself missing the PERFECT mark, I wonder what's out there? When it comes time to sell what will eventually be my airplane, do people expect perfection? Is an airplane that's 'safe' what people want? Or am I building something that nobody will want, despite it being safe, yet not perfect? Truly, what's the end goal of a build .. an airplane that is perfect, or just an airplane that is safe?

I doubt I am alone in how I feel. I suspect many builders have been right here before. I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts on anything that I've brought up.

She comes to life! ...sapeloson

After 9 1/2 years of frustration, aggravation and unbelievable excitement, she comes to life!

PPL Checkride Passed! ...Stitch462

After a long time, a few false starts and a lot of cash; finally completed my training and passed my Private Pilot Checkride, Sunday Nov 3, 2019. Just wanted to share that with the group.

Next step: Come up with the cash for an RV-

Happy Humpday everyone!

My RV Weekend ...Jonathan Alvord

Thursday my hanger partner and I took N122EF (RV 7a) from Prosser Wa (S40) Ogden Utah (KOGD) via Gooding Idaho (KGNG) to go to the I-FLY Utah. Then Ogden to Alvord Desert, landed for a pee break and then back. RT 949miles. Friday I flew my wife to a business meeting in Spokane WA. Landed Felts Field (KSFF) then flew up to Sandpoint Idaho (KSZT) to trouble shoot some items. While there we pulled the lower plugs, cleaned (and dropped one, which then meant cleaning 4 new plugs and putting it all back together. Flying back to KSFF to pick up my wife and returning home S40. Total milage 1248 hours and approx 8 hrs flight time.

Valve wobble test out of spec.

Just did a Valve Wobble test and all 6 ECI cylinders are out of spec. Max wobble per lycoming Service Bulletin 388C for my valve is .035. Cylinders 2,4 and 6 were between .045 and .050. All other cylinders were near or at .035 limit.

I do not have any issues but decided to do the test due to the hours on the engine. The IO540 engine has 1400 hours from brand new ECI cylinders and has been running well. Oil consumption has been 1 qt per 10 hours and borescope shows good symmetrical pattern on all valves.

So my question for the engine experts is what to do next? Rework or replace the cylinders that are out of limit? I hate to do major surgery on a perfectly good running engine but want to the right thing. The SB, although it indicates upper limits for valve wobble was issued to check for tight clearances and sticky valve issue.

Thank you.

A: I would not call it a good running engine. You are wearing out valve guides like crazy. Why? I am no expert but something should be done. New valve guides seems like a good idea.

A: How comfortable are you that your jig or your technique is not the source of the high readings? Just a little looseness of the jig on the valve stem, or a little too much force when applying the side load can make a big difference. It seems a little odd to me that 3 cylinders would go bad at the same time. (The ones are limit are not bad. They could have left the factory that way).
If it were me I would fly another 20 hours and then re-test them. At the same time I would remove the intake and exhaust and do a visual inspection on the valve stems. If the first test is correct I would fly another 50 hours and see if the wear continues.
The test is meant to find tight valves due to carbon/lead build-up. A stuck valve is the real enemy. You have good oil consumption. Worn valve guides should show an increase in oil consumption.

A: How old is the engine? Old exhaust valves can have corrosion issues.

Pneumatic Squeezer Injury Lesson Learned ...mulde35d

Lesson 1: Take your finger off the trigger of a pneumatic squeezer while adjusting the ram depth.

Lesson 2: If your going to accidentally squeeze your fingertip, try to have flat dies installed rather than dimple dies. Had this been dimple dies I likely would have lost the fingertip.

This is what a flat die squeeze looks like on the middle meaty part of the fingertip. Luckily it was set for AN426AD4-5 rivets and the dies had about 3mm space between them when fully pressed.

Hopefully nobody needs to repeat my error to learn this lesson.

Milestone: Rivits! ...Ryan V.

Elevator Stiffener Oops Question

While match drilling the aft undrilled hole on a center stiffener I elongated it in one direction significantly. I re-drilled it up to #33 for use with a 7/64 (half-size) oops rivet. Two questions:

1) because this is the last hole on the stiffener and not supported by a standard 3/32 rivet is use of an oops rivet suitable or should I drill it up to 1/8 for a -4 rivet even through this will not be aesthetically the best option?

2) If I use a -4 rivet will the shop heads of the two stiffeners touch since this is right at the bend in the trailing edge?

Thanks

A: Proseal the stiffeners to the skin and never look back...

I did this to all of mine and the structure is rock solid. Good way to get your "feet wet" with the proseal (flamemaster... whatever) before you're mucking around inside of a tank.

A: I would use the oops rivet and call it good.

No need to mess with pro seal just for this. The prep to the surface you would need to do for proseal would be a much more work than just using the oops rivet. If you're worried about the shop heads touching...just over buck both of them a tad. DO NOT use epoxy.

A: Try presqueezing a 3 to fill the hole you made before final set in position. You'll learn this technique later if not now (Murphy is an optimist). If it looks like too little grip, jump to a shortened 4-4. A dab of proseal on a 3 wouldn't hurt. I believe Van's still wants a dab of some stick-um at the ends before closure. That'll help, also.

A: That's how I did all my control surface stiffeners. Not a sealed install. Just a thin layer spread with a popsicle stick. I used a section of particle board, match drilled and just clekoed them to the skin against the board. Left for several days to cure. Stiff as a proverbial board.

Nov 8, 2019.  Issue #4,952.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend!
   (Need a part-time contract pilot?...DFW area)
 

Ed Hicks photo.

Correct terminology with ATC or Tower

Q: When under ATC control and changing frequency what is the current correct terminology to announce your presence on the new frequency, I have recently read that "with you" is not correct and "up" is also not correct.
Tks
Figs

A: Helpful links:
- FAASafety radio comms phraseology and techniques
- ATC Phraseology (Wiki)

A Few New First Flights

...recently added to the mothership.

Grass Strip / Homesite Planning ...crabandy

Looking for advice in planning our Grass Strip/Homesite, it's 660'x2640' (40acres longways north) and relatively flat. I'm trying to draw up my proposal to send to the county for the Special Use Permit and want to be as accurate as possible.

I've walked the property with my "Dirt Guy" and his advice was to put the runway next to the west side of the property to work with the natural drainage. There is a tree row along the north half that I don't want to tear out as well as I would much prefer the house/hangar on the West side of the runway.

I was hoping to put the runway on the east side of the property, this would require a several small culverts as there is not enough slope for the larger ones needed. The smaller culverts would also require vigilance as the adjacent field debris would be flowing into the culverts. More expensive to build and work to keep up.

Pics of the property after 8 inches of rain this spring, You can see the drainage looking north.  ...

An initial sketch of a compromise trying to meet our Wants, This configuration makes it runway 02/200. "Dirt Guy" thinks this is a good plan, the south half of the runway would be built up slightly to funnel the water into the finger of trees on the south side. It would also dry out the southeast corner.
--Length--depends on the layout but 2300'+ is doable in all configurations
--Width--60' is a good compromise on cost, use and maintenance
--I'm told I want to use Bermuda grass (Kansas)
--Obstacles--Bury powerlines on north, live with trees on the south. House, Hangar, Trees 100' laterally from runway centerline.
--House--500'+ off the road
--Zoning requires 150' laterally for house from property boundary
--House and hangar on West side of runway, Hangar door facing east to the runway to avoid the prevailing north/south winds and summer evening sun.
--Retain some crop land for income.   continue / chime in