May 14, 2019.  Issue #4,824 

Come See The Mothership RV-12iS at the Van Cave in N.Texas Tuesday ...May 14.

09:00am Tuesday.
Map. 
Most recent updates at the end of this thread.
v/r,

From Greg's new camera toy....

Young Eagle Flights ...turbo (RV-6A and other toys) update

saturday was an epic day for our eaa chapter 692 at stuart fl airport. 200 kids flown, pizza, donuts, hot dogs, all types aircraft including 2 rvs and one helo. these kids bring so much fun and enjoyment to me introducing them to there first flight. some start out a bit scared but they all have been cured by the end of a flight. check the little girl with her blanket and white dragon. she was a blast to be with. thanks to the jet center for a hangar and some fuel. all food contrbiutions, local pilots and eaa volunteers. most of my 300 + flights have been in the rv but the r44 is a great aircraft to do the job too. if you ever get a chance to fly with me in the r44 do it. all rvers welcome any time.

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Mothership RV-12iS Visiting the Van Cave Monday (or Tuesday) ...May 13 or 14

Depending on Wx between Michigan and Texas (per Greg).

I'll update this thread with more info when I get it.  Greg from the factory texted me Sunday morning (May 12) with the plan of arriving Monday or Tuesday dependent on the usual variables. I’ll keep you in the loop.

So if it all works out, and you would like to see the RV-12iS up close and personal, and meet Greg, stay tuned to this thread. I’ll update it when I get more info.

Might be Monday....might be Tuesday.

v/r,

(update from Greg 2212Z 5/12)
"Hi Everyone. Weather has been a real bear this trip (go figure eh?). It’s affected a couple of us flying RV aeroplanes around this fine country of ours. Right now I’m in a family restaurant in Rantoul, Illinois. Weather forced me to land at a former Air Force base here. It’s a combination of impressive buildings and sad emptiness. Someone needs to open an aviation business here. The empty hangars are just huge!

I’m enroute to Texas to meet up with DR, and while I’d originally hoped to be there today [ed. Sunday.] it’s looking like Monday morning weather here will be the best bet and arrive Texas sometime on Monday. Having spoken to Doug many times on the phone but never face to face I’m really looking forward to it.

After Texas, if all goes per plan (and almost none of the plan has worked out so far...) I’m most likely heading to Colorado for a quick stop or two, then to Salt Lake City if the weather allows, and then home to Oregon.

I’ve had many more calls, emails, forum PMs and text messages than I ever imagined I’d get and I’m sorry I can’t stop everywhere. I have no idea how I’ll manage Colorado for example. Many invitations there! I guess I’ll need to figure out how to convince the boss that a six or eight week trip to visit people and talk with them about RVs would be a good idea! Wish me luck, hah.

So for those in the Dallas TX area - still trying to get there. I’ll let DR know once I have an idea about when/if I can get through this weather."

 

Passed my AW inspection today ...Colin P.

Mel came and inspected my 6A today. I now have a fresh AW cert. Im looking forward to the next step!

One switch to power two devices

I want to install a switch that will supply power to two devices (in my case, GNX 375, and GTR 200), in lieu of a separate avionics bus with relay. Together they would typically draw 4.2 amps (9.3 max). Essentially, this would be my "avionics master", being the only two devices I would want powered OFF until after engine start.

Will a normal SPST switch work for this? I am using fuses, so separate wires from the fuse block, then spliced together to connect to switch?

Electrics aren't my forte, so please excuse my ignorance here.

Console ...RV7 To Go

I installed a quadrant but no console. The quadrant is great except when I have to get under the panel...

Eagle's Nest Projects - Mallory Rhodes / EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship Winner

It's my honor to announce that Mallory Rhodes, one of our build students, has been chosen to receive the 2019, EAA Chapter 302, $10,000 Ray Aviation Scholarship. She will use this to train for her private pilots certificate. Her stated goal is to complete her requirements prior to venturing North to Oshkosh this summer in EN-24, the "Purple Bearon". That's a lofty goal but in reviewing her resume and having the opportunity to interview her it was obvious that she has been a goal setter and achiever for quite some time.

Mallory is a Senior this year and will graduate with a 3.84 GPA and 36 hours of college credits. She will enter San Houston State in the fall as a sophomore. Her exposure to Aviation through our class is what provided the spark to set her sights on a professional aviation career. You guys made a difference!

In addition to Mallory, we had 4 other highly qualified candidates, 2 of whom are in our build class. Morgan Whitaker from last year and Dustin Dillon from this year. I wish we had enough funds to sponsor them too.

If you see any of these fine students, let them know how proud we are of their accomplishments.

Lost fuel cap

I flew from Fort Worth, TX to Orlando, FL overnight. One of the crew memebers notified me after a day that one of my fuel caps is missing. I usually take a extra fuel cap in my plane kit but this time I forgot to bring it after reorganizing. What are my options? I need to fly back tomorrow. Anyone close by I can pick up a fuel cap from? Or just put some tape and run with it, calculate for just one tank
__________________
Rajiv Chalasani

Longest flight to date - 935 miles ...Ron Schreck RV-8

May 9, 2019: Sherman, TX to Gold Hill, NC non-stop. Covered 935 miles. Got to love these RVs!

(more date from reply)
It was 4 hours, 37 minutes. That's an average speed of 202 MPH. I burned 40.4 gallons for 23 MPG. I have a 5 gallon header tank in the forward baggage compartment. Total fuel = 47 gallons. I ran at peak on EGT with CHTs about 360 degrees.

RV Series - RV/IAC Aerobatic Competition Standings

A busy weekend for RV aerobats! (Is that a word?) We have two new RV contestants: Jacob Stinton campaigned his RV-8 at Sebring and flew a very respectable 74.31% while Deidre Gurry flew her RV-6 to a 68.80% finish at the Lone Star contest. Welcome Jacob and Deidre. We hope you had fun and return for more. Patric "Balls" Coggin impressed the judges with his inverted spin and placed 4th out of 10 Sportsman flyers at Lone Star. It's great to see Randy King back in the box, though he is going to have to post some awesome scores to catch Coggin. I fought my way to a 5th place out of 8 at the Texas contest. The unknown sequence made me work just to finish the flight without a hard zero.

The contest season is just getting started. Take a look at the schedule and pick one near you. The first step is just showing up.

Milestone ...Stephen RV-7

more time flying than building...

Pretty cool to have more time flying this wonderful airplane than building it!

pound them rivets and burn that avgas

Lots of cool Places in MD to Visit ...Vlad

Garrett County 2G3 is the highest airport elevation in Maryland. Very cool runway you see only half of it when you land. They do have their annual fly-in sometime in the summer.  ...

Tate's Mothers Day Gift

Our son made this in his welding class.  Tell me THAT is not going to be on our living room wall for the next several decades!

Seventh Annual Mid-Atlantic Gathering of RV's - June 15th

For the seventh! consecutive year, EAA Chapter 1384 is sponsoring the Mid-Atlantic Gathering of RV's at the Carroll County Regional Airport (KDMW - Westminster, MD) on Saturday, June 15th (Rain Date - Sunday, June 16th). The event will start at 1000 and go until 1500.

Ice on Antenna causing transmission lost?

Hi

I recently had a transmission issue with my comm radio while IMC. Based on the following, I'm guessing it was just ice on the comm antenna? Any other thoughts on what it could be?

RV-7, flying for seven years, no issues in the past with the radios. I went for a short IFR flight to stay current on a nice IFR day (2000 ft overcast), no rain, good visibility underneath. All was normal before entering IMC, I was able to contact clearance on the ground at my non towered home base. Took off and communicated back and forth with departure several times. A few minutes after entering the clouds, my transmissions starting getting intermittent and then stopped transmitting. No side tone in my headset and also tried switching to the passenger headset. Same issue. The controller could hear me trying to call, but couldn't hear me. I could receive him just fine. I acknowledged his directions using ident, and I returned to my home field. About a minute after clearing the clouds, I could transmit again. Temps on the ground were right about 40 degrees. There was no ice on the canopy, and I didn't see anything on the wings, but didn't get a could look. If there was anything, it was unnoticeable at quick glance.

I checked the antenna on the ground (it's mounted on the belly), no obvious issue that I could see. I cleaned the antenna (I was able to wipe some dirt off of it) and went up again later in VFR conditions, no issues and haven't been able to repeat the issue.

Based on the above, I figure it has to be something external/environmental, but icing seems to be the only explanation I can come up with.

Thanks
Vince
RV-7

 

3B Update ...David Paule

With the help of my mentor, I made a list of things that need to be done before I glue the turtledeck on.

1. Cut the slots for the shoulder harness. They need to clear the as-yet undesigned canopy frame.
2. Install or at least prep for the transponder antenna. Install the transponder mount if access will be restricted later.
3. Make and fit the baggage compartment aft bulkhead.
4. Install the ADAHRS mount and maybe the ADAHRS, too, depending upon access.

You might recollect the ADAHRS brackets I’d made earlier. ...

Yabadaba DO!

Somehow managed to get the RV smile to grow.

Been taking some aerobatic lessons. My instructor has a Citabria, after the spin training took place, decided it was time to try some simple maneuvers in the RV.

Boy, what a difference!! Loops are easier, aileron rolls are faster (don't blink), hammerhead vertical is incredible.

Every loop had a slight bump at the bottom.

Seems natural to look at the ground/horizon when passing through the vertical, just feels good; a peaceful zen moment.

The best part is the view, don't have to look through a bunch of structure to see through the top, like the Citabria.

Bought the Vans Construction plans and manual on-line as a download before buying my RV. Remembered reading somewhere in the manual about aerobatic entry speeds.

After a search found them on the second to last page of the manual in the flight testing section. Perfect!

Best part is now after more practice, plan to do a vertical roll, the grin began growing the second the manual showed the entry speed.

Read the part where the RV isn't so easy to spin. Probably will stay away from doing them until more tolerance built up to the G forces.

Wondering why the manual said they are difficult to enter and that most RV pilots do the vertical maneuvers.

Any advice on doing spins?

Don't plan to take the instructor up, would be over the weight limit of 1375lbs. Meaning will be learning them by myself in the RV.

The landing afterwards was an example of the grin getting in the way of the landing.

Winds 30 deg from centerline 15ktsgust27.

Had to do a go around: bounced, added power, flew down the runway, tried again, flared way to high, ASI was at 60mph 4 ft above runway, RV felt like it was "floating", did not like that at all, decided to do go around at that point, wheel landing on second try was rather smooth (had to get my head pointed in the right direction).

Sobering lesson at the airport was a good reminder to keep, mind on task.

Best regards,
Mike Bauer

 

Mr. X

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DAR's - Does Adding Wheel pants require phase one? ...Ralph Ketter

Q: I am listing an airplane for the family of a deceased friend. As far as I can determine he never installed the wheel pants before or after completing phase one. The current and original W&B notes that is is without wheel pants. I am wondering so I know what to tell prospective buyers.

The W&B would need to be updated of course but I am wondering if installing the wheel pants is considered a major modification requiring another hour or two of phase one?

A: (Mel).  Adding wheel pants should not be considered a major change.
The change will affect speeds somewhat but not enough to justify a new Phase I.
Revise W&B.

DAR Complete ...Craig Rufi RV-10

Howdy to ALL,
Our DAR inspection went well yesterday on our RV10. Our inspector had given me a 4 page document of the things that he was going to look at which made our job and his job easier. No surprises for either of us!
So now after 13 + years it is on to the fun stuff. 40 hours of testing that I hope goes well...

Keep pounding rivets, ask a lot of questions, but most importantly enjoy the journey

 

First Mistate: Right of Passage ...Roarks

Made my first mistake. HS Fwd spar. Match drilled through the HS-810-1 and got that on the other side

Emailed tech... not sure what I did wrong.

OSH'19 NOTAM ...download

Trip Update ...Mothership Greg

It’s been a great trip so far. I’ve met with a bunch folks in Georgia and South Carolina so far, all awesome people of course!

Thanks to the many, many people who have contacted me to offer a place to stop. I’ve received many more invitations than I can possibly take folks up on, but I plan to keep the info Incase we can do this again sometime!

If you’ll be in Frederick look for the yellow RV-10 they’ll have there. Stop by and say hi, that’s where I plan to be most of the time. Some cool stuff going on there!

Thanks!

Greg

Mr. X ...over the top KDFW E to W.

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Ice on Antenna causing transmission lost? ...n567vb

Hi

I recently had a transmission issue with my comm radio while IMC. Based on the following, I'm guessing it was just ice on the comm antenna? Any other thoughts on what it could be?

RV-7, flying for seven years, no issues in the past with the radios. I went for a short IFR flight to stay current on a nice IFR day (2000 ft overcast), no rain, good visibility underneath. All was normal before entering IMC, I was able to contact clearance on the ground at my non towered home base. Took off and communicated back and forth with departure several times. A few minutes after entering the clouds, my transmissions starting getting intermittent and then stopped transmitting. No side tone in my headset and also tried switching to the passenger headset. Same issue. The controller could hear me trying to call, but couldn't hear me. I could receive him just fine. I acknowledged his directions using ident, and I returned to my home field. About a minute after clearing the clouds, I could transmit again. Temps on the ground were right about 40 degrees. There was no ice on the canopy, and I didn't see anything on the wings, but didn't get a could look. If there was anything, it was unnoticeable at quick glance.

I checked the antenna on the ground (it's mounted on the belly), no obvious issue that I could see. I cleaned the antenna (I was able to wipe some dirt off of it) and went up again later in VFR conditions, no issues and haven't been able to repeat the issue.

Based on the above, I figure it has to be something external/environmental, but icing seems to be the only explanation I can come up with.

Thanks
Vince
RV-7

RV-10 elevator trim bracket dimensions

Q: I bought some aftermarket trim cable attachment brackets to replace the stock WD-415s that came with the kit. Like a bonehead, I pitched the OE brackets before realizing that the base dimensions are different. Now, I don't know the dimensions needed to calculate their position on the E-616 cover plates, since the plans on Page 9-7, step 4 only show the distance from the opening to the furthest edge of the bracket!

Would anyone happen to know the dimensions of the WD-415 bracket base (OR their distance from the opening to the nearest bracket edge)?

Worst case, I could spend a few extra bucks on my "next" shipment of "replacement" parts to get another bracket, but was hoping someone would have easy access to the answer (and help me save a few $$ on something I would discard again anyway)...

A: They're 1"x1". The angled nut is welded flush with one edge.

A: I second that 1"x1". This one still needs to be replaced w/the nut welded on both sides (not flying).

RV-8 flap removal to replace SS tape ...gnuse

Dragging this thread out as it is one of many on VAF that is timeless.

My RV-8 has this stainless tape and an edge has come loose. Efforts to reattach it were unsuccessful, so I am OK with replacing it.

I have purchased a roll of the SS tape, but am not clear on how to remove the flap to clean off old tape and install new tape.

As I didn't build this plane, I am not sure where the flap mechanism is shown in the plans.

I also don't know the best way to disconnect the flap rod.

Thanks.
__________________
George

PIREP RV Safety & Maintenance Presentation by Vic Syracuse at KFFC (Atlanta area)

...Vern

The Falcon RV Squadron Safety meeting was very well attended with at least one attendee from Oregon-Greg from Vans Aircraft, and a San Diego RV'er.

Vic presented about thirty items that he says show up repeatedly in his work doing RV maintenance, pre buy inspections, and DAR aircraft certifications. He showed us photos all taken in 2019 and explained what was and what should be. Most of us will probably be looking closely at our RVs to make sure our birds are safe.

Here's the list of what Vic covered:

++++++++++++
Jam nuts loose on control systems
Fuel systems/carb linkages not adjusted, preventing full travel to the stops and causing overheating.
K & N Air Filters shrinking over time and not being replaced> Silica levels increasing in oil samples
No safety wire on wheel pants
No safety wire on Brake calipers
ELT's not armed
Service bulletins pencil whipped and not performed
Inadequate stop drilling on cracks
Controls not labeled
Fuel caps not labeled for fuel type and capacity
Broken throttle sheaths
Unsupported P-Mag wiring.Wires dangling
Water entrapment in static lines
Use of plastic caps on fuel system spiders
Slick mag 500 hour inspections and parts replacement
Spark plugs not gapped properly and worn out. Should have ohm checks too
Key ignition switch failures. Pilots not doing Service bulletins and AD's . No grounding checks
Lightspeed coils / wires bulletins
Copper spark plug gaskets should be used on auto plug adapters. Concave side towards engine.
Missing baffle bolts. Cylinders structurally joined. Should be individually free to jiggle.
D sub connectors with no support or back shells
Fittings without all bolts installed
Missing cotter keys
Worn tires hidden by wheel pants
Airboxes need two drain holes. One inside filter, other on downhill side of airbox
Inadequate oil cooler supports. Cracking

Then Vic presented a few closing remarks. He encouraged oil changes at shorter intervals
Don't let brakes wear until they squeal
Put annual ELT test into logbooks. Use 406 test procedures given by manufacture
Operational Limitations in aircraft
New weight and balances after painting
Hartzell Constant speed prop overhauls at 2000 hours/ 7 years

Suggested that the Challenger cleanable element oil filters might be a value for some

Fellow attendees: I invite you to jump in with your comments and take aways.

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Help me think an RV-10/RV-14 Purchase Through

Hi Folks,

I have been a lurker for awhile and might be interested in a 10 or 14, but I need some help. Warning- may be a long post, but appreciate input.

Anyway, first, let me tell you my history wand what I am now looking for. I have been flying for 30 years. I am a CFI, Multi-commercial, etc. Anymore, the majority of my flying is a 900NM trip from NE Indiana to SW FL 10-20 times per year.

Starting about 25 years ago (for the trip mentioned above) I started with a Turbo Saratoga and as the family grew I moved up into Barons, P Barons, and the Dukes. Once the kids went off to college I bought a couple of Glasair IIIs to make this trip since it was just me and my wife. Before purchasing the G3s, my wife developed general anxiety - not just about flying, but just about everything. Flying in just about anything (even when we take a Citation XLS) scares her; however, she is getting better as time goes.

Anyway, back to airplanes So, I absolutely LOVED the Glasair. 214 knots cruise on 12 GPH making the trip about 4:15 non-stop with 2 hours of fuel in reserve! 28 lb/ft wing loading for an exceptional ride, 2500 FPM climbs, descents at 275 knots indicated, yada yada. However, this plane scared my wife to death. It was just too much airplane for her to control (even more so than the Duke) and just scared her. So, I sold the G3 and bought a Cirrus G2 with avidyne upgrade to help her. Long story short, I absolutely HATED the Cirrus. It was a 166 knot airplane on 14.5 GPH which was acceptable, but nothing to get excited about considering how "clean" it was. The seats were hard, the finish cracking everywhere, the wheel pants were a PITA, flap speed too low, and maintenance cost as much, if not more, than my twin pressurized and turbocharged Duke. I was so unimpressed that I sold it 5 months after buying it for a big loss and was never happier to be rid of a plane. Of the 50 aircraft I have owned it was my least favorite. I bought it for the parachute to make the wife comfortable. I thought I could learn to love it - I was wrong.

Anyway, I know the RV10 and 14 have low wing loading and I think I can deal with that by picking days that all less bumpy, but I would like to hear some real world performance numbers and icing experiences. Yes, I know you are not to fly in ice, but let's face it, if you fly IMC in the winter you will find ice. I'm just curious to hear real world experience of how the RV handles the ice. The Glasair did not handle it well and the Cirrus was only slightly better. It had TKS, but it was a bad design on the early 22s.

I read the article posted about a turbo, flutter concerns, and other non approved modifications. It seems than Van has done well by sticking to tried and true methods. With that said, does anyone have real world experience with a turbo RV10 and also with the RDD electric anti-ice? Is there any real world numbers out there with a 300HP engine in the 10 (especially around 14k ft or so?) A little extra power is always nice in the climb on a bumpy day or to climb out of ice. I'm not looking for more top speed.

Finally, it appears the 14 might make more sense as I really don't need the rear seats, but it appears there are not many flying and rarely do they come available.

Thanks in advance for any input

RV-4 Panel Upgrade Tidbits ...Jvon811

I rebuilt the panel in my airplane about a year ago with many, many pictures of the process. Specific to radio trays, I found they had a to be mounted a little higher than what you can put on the panel because of the cross-member/stringer F-402C.

On my panel, I raised the bottom edge by 1.5" to accommodate knees and longer legs so if you're going by plans built dimensions, you'll have an extra 1.5" hanging off the bottom of the radios other than what I already have.

Rivet Shop Head Cracking (Update)

Resurrecting this thread since I ran into this exact issue with the same AN470AD4-5 rivets adding the reinforcement plates to the elevator front spars.

10/11 I set cracked with 3/11 needing replacement (cracking extends to within 1.1d circle). They exhibited the same odd driving behavior as noted previously (the squeezer didn't set smoothly but instead struggled then finally the rivet gave way). These were also the first time I've had to set the rivets in two stages.

Interestingly enough, only the rivets that I fully set with the pneumatic squeezer cracked. The ones that I half set with the squeezer and then fully set with the gun did just fine.

These were marked AF and have a 2018 date stamp.

 

10 Update ...Brantel

The RV-10 is progressing. I have ordered the wing kit and it should be here in mid June. I have started mounting the empennage onto the tail cone last night.

High CHTs- Going into Condition Inspection, Looking for Ideas

Hi All-

I have an RV9A, bought not built. I've had her about 2 years and put 250 hours on so far.

My CHTs are consistently higher than I'd like, but some associates with RV experience have told me they're warm, but nothing to worry about.

That said, I'm starting to not love what it means for performance, let alone potential safety factors or engine lifetime.

On spring days here in Northern California, I climb out at 105 KIAS and get about 420 CHT on my O-320, 1 p-mag and 1 mangeto. When I come back to 65% power in cruise around 7500, I'm seeing temps like 390. Last week I did a red-line (2700 rpm for fixed pitch) test at 8500 and the temps came up to 416.

I've tried to stay under 400 in cruise always, which can mean I'm not going as fast as I want, especially at altitude. I know the Lyc book says 500 and below is fine, but it just feels totally wrong. Even on climbs to high altitudes, I'm reducing power and climbing flatter to keep the temps below 430.

Anyway, I'm going into my inspection this week and working with a local A&P and I wanted to hear what people think about these temps.

In terms of baffling, there isn't any obvious defects.

Really appreciate thoughts here- is this way warmer than most engines? Something to be concerned about?
__________________
Mike Saltzman
Flying -9A N7KR

Sid's Baffle Improvement

New motor mounts allowed the engine to move around in a different way - and this led to the back baffle turning around occasionally (increased CHT#4 temps).  A couple of extra alum riveted on the top stiffened it up enough to keep working.  No other work needed....

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Most of us local RV builders have "grown up" with Stein Bruch who literally started this business selling aircraft wire out of his house way back when. Stein Air grew and grew over the years and for a long time operating out of an industrial park near the Lakeville, MN airport. Last fall they began construction of a beautiful 16,000 sq foot hangar/production facility about 40 miles south of Minneapolis at the Faribault airport.

Literally the day they started laying the footings for the new building last October, a tornado ripped through the airport destroying the FBO, many hangars, and many airplanes. Fortunately Stein only lost some sand and gravel. Amid the long cold winter and cleanup around the airport, the construction of their building
continued and is now about 98% complete. Here's a photo tour:  continue part one

Stein Air Tour (Part 2) ...dougweil

Mothership News

Van's Factory RV-12iS Tour May 6th-15th - Hope to meet some of you!

Figured I'd post this here and see who might be located somewhere along my path and able to meet up while I'm flying one of our factory RV-12iS airplanes around the country over the next week and a half or so.

I'll be in the Georgia area starting Monday, and need to end up at the AOPA fly-in at Frederick, Maryland by Thursday. After the fly-in, I plan to depart most likely on Sunday and head toward the Great Lakes area for a bit, then south-ish over Missouri and Arkansas and on to DR's place near Dallas, Texas for a stop. After that, will likely hit Colorado and Salt Lake City area before bookin' it on back to the Van's HQ in Oregon by the 15th or 16th of May.

So, that means I can take a couple days this week as well as after the AOPA show, and visit with some RV folks around those places and areas in-between (or reasonably close, RV-12 speeds factored in). I'd like nothing more than to see what you're building and/or flying, to hear your "RV stories," and maybe even record them.

Truth be told, that's my goal: Record some interviews of all you cool people and your RVs! We've been making airplanes for nearly 50 years, and it's high time we started telling your stories more, so that's the plan. Don't be shy, I'll make it easy, let's tell the world!

I'd also be interested to hear what you'd like to see come out of Van's Aircraft in the future. Here's a chance to let us know what you think.

So - Has flying your RV or your build project changed your life? Of course it has - Let's meet up! I'll bring some of our new Van's stickers and patches - they're easy to carry in the airplane on a 10-day RV-12 trip.

The ultimate bonus situation would be finding locations with a group of builders/owners/pilots that need a good excuse to meet up. But, even one person/airplane is of interest. So, if you think you or someone in the area would be good to meet and talk with, please let me know. You can post a reply here, text or call me at 503-410-two-two-fife-four and/or send me an email at greg@vansaircraft.com.

Of course, weather, safety and overall schedule will define exactly where I can/cannot go and when -- and we all know how that goes planning-wise, but please contact me! I'll do my best. As my plans become more solid, I can update them here if it helps.

Thanks - Hope to see and meet some of you!

Greg

 

Motivation ...lucaperazzolli (Italy)

...overflying biplanes field

Check Those Diodes! ...majuro15

Funny story:

I'm ready to flip the master switch for the first time Friday night. I've poured over schematics for years, wires for months, and rechecked connections and pins for days.

My B&C contactor is ready to rock electrons through my $XX,XXX panel for the first time, so nothing more is holding me back.

I flip the switch holding my breath only to hear a pffffffsssssss and see a trail of smoke coming from the firewall. The wife says, well that's not what we wanted to see. Yeah, you're right babe.

A phone call to Parish and 40 minutes of troubleshooting later I realized that one of the contactors from B&C has the diode facing one way while the other contactor has the diode opposite. Which one is right?

Long story short, one contactor came from them with the diode installed backwards and caused a short to ground on the power lead to the coil. Fortunately the only damage was 2" of 20 AWG wire on the contactor itself.

I called B&C and expressed my displeasure knowing that it came that way since it was impossible to reinstall (I never took it off the studs) backwards due to the way the diode had the terminals crimped and heat shrunk.

So, fixed the damage, gathered up all the magic smoke, stuffed it back in the wires and then enjoyed the fruits of my labor watching all of my avionics come to life!

Check your diodes!

 

14 Update ...control (Sweden)

Hey to the new guy

Hey, all! I just wanted to take a second and introduce myself to the group. I recently ordered a -14A empennage kit and the tool kit from Cleaveland will be here Wednesday. I'm a first time builder, but I'll have some help from my dad and my girlfriend, so it will be a team effort. I've ordered both practice kits from Vans so I hope to be driving the first rivet by this weekend. I live in the Pensacola, FL area so if there are any builders - or even just the curious - around that want to check out the build or share tips I'm all for it! My build log is here:

http://7echocharlie.com/

It's not much yet, but soon to be filled with lots of posts about the build! I'm looking forward to building and participating in discussions here on the forum!

Thanks,
Eric

 

8 Update ...goatflieg (Germany)

The latest blogspot blog entry is up. Another long one filled with interesting stuff... especially at the end. Click on the link in my signature. Here's the obligatory teaser photo...

7A Update ...jcarne

After making a little plastic hut around the tail of the plane it was time to layup the fiberglass. I first ran some tests and let them cure for a day so I didn't screw my large hours on making the mold because I knew it wasn't going to make it two rounds of layup. I used 4 plies of 7781 from Spruce for the layup, the part is quite strong after the fact. I waxed the mold after some more tape work and went to town. I used 4 mil plastic and wet the fiberglass between two layers of the plastic. Then I cut the pieces to size (a little larger than needed) and laid them on the plane. I overlapped in the middle by a few inches, it didn't leave as much of a hump as I thought it would, sanding and micro will take care of it no problem. Finally, I applied the only peel ply I had which was two inch (man I wish I had wider for this one!) The next day I popped the part off, the wax I used worked perfect and let the part go like it was no big deal.

Here it is all laid up. If you look closely you can see a bubble towards the top, it came off the VS about 1/16-1/8", I will fill the back a little and sand it down, no big deal. This was the only spot that it didn't fit perfectly to the fuse.

On a side note, it sure looks ugly at this point. haha   ...

10 Update ...T.O. Craig

Almost All Done.  Question to all,
We have complete our RV10 (except wheel pants) and will have the DAR inspection tomorrow May 6th. We are builder 40555 and it has been a joy building this plane, but it did take 13 years plus. Test flight will be soon!!!
Question for today are the RV10 service bulletins. My log book has a place for AD's, but thought that the SB's should not be placed there. Maybe a better place would be in the front of the log book, or does it matter where they placed.

7 update ...vernh59 (Ozark, AL)

Finished riveting the counterbalance skin to the rudder skin and spar. I installed the tip rib and began riveting the skin to the spar. ...

Sunrise from the air never gets old ...crabandy

With kiddo's, overtime, late nights followed by early mornings and working most weekends I savor sleeping in once or twice a month.....but there is something about watching the sunrise from the RV. It's like a re-wind that makes it all worth while.

5 am was a bit of a struggle for lil' dude, but only till he fully realized we were going flying. The overcast layer slid north of our departure by a couple miles and we picked up our IFR airborne on top.  ...

RV-7? LATE COMER

Well my project consists of a box containing a travel drive with plans, the initial pages you get with the jump drive, the two practice projects(tool box and flap). Along with a quote for tools (hoping to pick up around the end of the year) and plans to hopefully purchase the first kit early next year.

but Hey - I have my daughter working on the paint scheme already. I've heard that is a real priority.

can anyone advise best suggestion for builders log?

The RV-Bike ...Thomas L. RV-4 (Darmstadt, Germany)

Ever since I have built my RV-4, I could never really resist the thought to design a bike from aircraft sheet metal.  I just love to work with this stuff.  Several other sheet-metal projects followed and finally the bike got finished.  It is low weight, super stiff and fast, too.

Milestone:  Weighed In! ...Ed H.

Our -8 got weighed this week… and had it its first engine run. Couple of tiny leaks, otherwise all good.

CQ Headset Press Release

Card Machine Works may be a new advertiser on VAF, but we have a history of providing products and services to clients that range from those focusing on materials engineering solutions to major auto manufacturers. We decided to lend our expertise to an issue we've been frustrated with for years and began designing and manufacturing an in-the-ear headset called the CQ1 that resolves some of the shortcomings in the existing market. Scott and I have been part of the VAF community since starting our RV-9A build in 2005.

The design of the CQ1 started from the ground up to include high quality components, a circuit board specifically designed and built for this application, TPU jacketed and kevlar cored cables, a frame that both maintains its integrity but can be molded by the flyer to fit snugly and securely, a volume control pot that doesn't move with every tiny bump, and a very light weight frame so it is hardly even noticeable on the head. With the CQ1, a flyer gets excellent noise attenuation, doesn't need batteries, and can wear sunglasses and hats without interfering with the seals of traditional headsets.

Check out the CQ1 at www.cqheadset.com. While always available in black, we are introducing an orange version of the headset with a limited production run. The regular price will be $465, but if you contact us through VAF before May 15th or until the limited run is sold, you can get the orange version at the same price as black.

Tanya Card

My 49th State* ...joe_rainbolt

*I was recently in Hawaii on vacation where I flew a Cirrus SR22.   This blog post concerns my efforts to fly in the state of Hawaii. The careful observer may spot a VAF cap and read a couple of notes on the differences between a Cirrus and an RV-7A.  ,,,

Panel Status ...Latintan

I checked in with nearby Alliance (KAFW) because I was going to be just outside their airspace near the centerline, and they like when you are reachable.  After checking in and orbiting some of the area creeks, they chimed in with, "Experimental Seven Alpha Romeo I'm showing level one to level three precip to the northwest."  Even though I already knew about it, it was nice that 1) they were watching too and 2) they were looking after me.

A few minutes later, on the ground, these rolled in.  Looks angrier than it really was.  Rained a lot more, and the creeks are that much more swollen.

I may have been the only airplane that flew at 52F Thursday morning.

Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.  Stay dry <g>.

Meeting VAF friends in Florida, from Italy ...Luca Perazzolli

On April 26 driving from Cocoa Beach to Miami I got the chance to meet some VAF friends.

It’s always a special moment to meet guys from the other side of the Pond; coming from Italy with Experimental aircraft and RVs passion in mind it’s a joy to see how things could be easy …..and cheap.

My call from a VAF thread had some answers so I stopped in Vero Beach to meet Dick, Pat and Tom. They have close hangars in what is for me a planes paradise but quite standard in Usa.

Dick built an impressive 8, Pat built a 6 as repeat offender and produces the trim/flap board that I’ve wired almost ten times , Tom won the Kit Champion - Bronze Lindy in Oshkosh 2018 with his gorgeous RV-7. I saw Kenny's RV-10, Kenny is another friend that missed our meeting.

After the visit I pointed to Palm City to meet Lenny, he built a beautiful 10 with a lot of customized items and has another project in his great hangar in a private airpark.

Turbo should be with us in Palm City but time and organization didn’t match.

I saw an incredible level of quality homebuilders and speaking with them was a joy and a great opportunity, thanks a lot guys for your hospitality hope to see you soon.

Luke

Canopy crack help needed ...9A

I just went to the garage to start taping the canopy for the fiberglass fairing and was absolutely disgusted to find this crack. After all the trouble I have had with the canopy part of me was going to be surprised if there was no crack when I was done. Well now what to do? I obviously have to stopdrill it and have read through a bunch of posts on others cracks. I have to get a plexi bit, but where do I get it and what size? I used sika so I haven't drilled any holes in the canopy. Any help or tips is much appreciated.

Regulator Problem Or? ...MVPILOT

I have dual Skyviews in my 2015 RV-12 SLSA Rotax 912 ULS. I am concerned about the readings I’m seeing for battery volts and battery amps.

RPM VOLTS AMPS
1850. 12.8. -6
2400. 13.0. -1
3000. 13.4. +5.

Voltage regulator, alternator .....?

Status Report ...vernh59 RV-7

Deburred, dimpled and ready for clean up and prime.

Advertiser Special ...PCU5000X 15% off

What are my batteries trying to tell me? ...E. D. Eliot

I have two PC680 batteries - one that a kind gentleman gave me as he retired it i n serviceable shape from his RV-7 after three years and the other is one point five years old - came from Van's with my finish kit. I've been charging them with the Odyssey recommended charger once a month and both start out before charging about 12.95 and end up after 20 or so hours on the charger at about 13.04.

Question is - what are they trying to tell me? The older one takes a few hours to show fully charged on the charger and the newer one from Van's shows as fully charged on the charger in about one hour.

Second question is should I continue to charge these batteries after they register 'fully charged' on the Odyssey charger or ? Thanks for your knowledgeable replies.

Emp Kit in Back: Milestone ...ryanflys

Empennage kit made it home from factory pickup. Tesla makes great tail hauler

The wife also got her first ride in an RV. RV grin was quite evident for the rest of the day!

F779 and tailwheel spring ...galt1074 7/7A

I'm having some fit issues in the tail and I know some other folks have had some similar issues.
The problem I'm having is with the spring itself. The weld at the front doesn't appear to be at the correct angle. When I try to install the aft-most bulkhead (F712 I think) it obviously requires the tails spring to be half-way in the mouse hole for the bulkhead to be installed. When the tail spring is in this position, there's a gap (probably 3/16" at least) at the top of the forward flange of the tail spring where it attaches to F711.
Anyone seen this and do I just add some shims?
I'm also having a heck of a time getting all the holes to line up but I think I just need to remove more material and make the hole bigger for the spring to pass through.

From the work platforms, I could drill back to about the static ports, maybe slightly farther. For the aft-most, I figured that I could round up one of the neighbor kids. It turned out that with a longish bit in the 90 degree angle drill, and some effort, I could drill the aft-most bulkhead and the nearby longerons through that bulkhead.

Yes, somewhere deep in the cave, I made a blood offering to the gods of the sky. Did not plan that.

Longeron to Bulkhead Attach Pics ...DeeCee57 RV-4 (Switzerland)

(a reply with pics)  "...clamping and using angles... riveting starts with the bottom rear skin to move forward, then the side skins follow. A couple of pictures showing the built at the end of my foto library, hope it is of help."

X-31: Breaking the Chain: Lessons Learned ...Run time: 38 minutes 45 seconds

[ed. I know this isn't RV, but you'll be surprised how much carries over to what we do with these RVs.  Very much worth 38 minutes of your day!

Two quotes that stood out: 
1. Know where the safety nets are.
2. Prepare for the unexpected, and expect to be unprepared.

v/r,dr]

By any measure, the X-31 was a highly successful flight research program at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, now the Armstrong Flight Research Center. It regularly flew several flights a day, accumulating over 550 flights during the course of the program, with a superlative safety record. And yet, on Jan. 19, 1995, on the very last scheduled flight of the X-31 ship No. 1, disaster struck.

Each mishap has it's own set of circumstances and it's own sequence of events. But those who study mishaps find similar issues: communications, complacency, unwarranted assumptions, human frailties….just like a chain. You make a chain -- a chain of events -- when you have any of these accidents. Any link of the chain, if broken, would prevent an accident.

The X-31 flight test team was the "A" team -- the best people, from every discipline -- from every organization. But they lost an airplane. If it can happen to the best team, it can happen to any team.

Created: 2005

Produced by NASA Armstrong TV Services

Mothership News

Mothership News

Cockpit Heat Thru Oil Cooler ...Darin

I have done just that but I have a little different configuration than most RV-9's. I run an IO-360 with cold air induction, piston oil squirters, and electronic ignition. All three of these features add heat to the oil instead of the cylinder heads but it also means I run a much larger oil cooler than most. I have a 13 row oil cooler mounted on the firewall and that is fed by a 4" duct from my baffles. The heater hose is on the back side of the oil cooler and I have a flapper valve on the very end of the outlet duct so that even when I have the heater duct completely closed I can get some heat from the bypass oil in the cooler. So far it has worked out ok but I have noticed that in the very cold days when the OAT is around zero degrees I have to run the engine at a little higher RPM to keep the oil temperature up enough to give me heat.

If you want to see my setup you can read this post on my blog.

Expected Life cycle on Lycoming O-320 E2D

Just trying to get the feel of a normal life of engine operation of Lycoming O-320 E2D.

Engine was overhauled in 1981 0-SMOH with not much else given but some simple logbook entries. I do not know if cylinders were new or overhauled at that time.

Engine now has 1,550 hours on it SMOH.

Cylinder #3 was replaced twice.
The first time it was replaced with a used but serviceable cylinder at 900 SMOH, and then at 1300 hours SMOH that used cylinder had low compression and was replaced again with a overhauled unit.

Cylinder #2 was repaired once due to a broken ring. (honed and new rings) at 1,300 SMOH

Cylinder #1 was just replaced due to low compression with overhauled unit. Crack found by the exhaust valve. exhaust valve guide worn.

Cylinder #4 (according to logbooks) appears to be original.

at that same time 1300 hours SMOH (year 2014) the cam and lifters were examined and found to be in mirror like condition. Two senior mechanics looked it over and said "just fix the cylinders and go fly it".

The reason I am asking is that I am aware of a few O-320's on the field that made 2,000 hours without any cylinders replaced. Perhaps the owners are not providing correct information?

I am trying to get a 'feel' for what is normal and what is not on these engines. And considering how long ago mine was originally overhauled (1981) perhaps I am lucky to even go this long before needing a complete overhaul?

Opinions??

FAA Safety Briefing ...May/June 2019

What can take down a single main buss? ...Carl Froehlich

- The feed wire to the common buss fatigues off at one of the connections.
- A high resistance common contact in the buss supply line, or a high resistance contact that ends up melting, or arcs shut. The latter happened to a neighbor’s Mooney gear motor resulting in a gear up landing after flying off an hour of fuel over the Everglades, in the dark with a dark panel. Luckily the cell phone worked to clear the runway for the belly landing.
- The 1960 approach of using a bare copper bar to tie in all the circuit breakers - then you find the screw that you lost behind the panel or that vibrated out of something during turbulence and it will of course short out the nice bare copper bar to the panel (ground). The smoke coming from behind the panel will be the tip off to open the master solenoid.

Point - I do not trust any single power or ground connection, be it a master solenoid or master solenoid terminals, either battery terminal or a feed wire to a buss. I offer these are low probability risks, but they result in severe consequences. Considering is it simple to avoid these and other single failure pitfalls I ask why not?

And the kicker - most people have dual everything these days in the panel. Why not dual and separate power to each side so that the worst case is you loose half the panel? This can be done with just a little wire and a couple of $5 relays.

Note - no extra wing spar required or desired.

Carl

May Wallpaper Calendar

Randy 'Monkey' Richmond in ground effect, feeling for the runway.

Warning: Aircraft Certification ...MED

You might think using the EAA guide for registering and certifying your plane will avoid all issues - wrong. It turns out, the FAA has only a rudimentary understanding of the rules of the English language, and cannot agree that John Q. Public and Public, John Q. give EXACTLY the same information except for format. So, according to my local FSDO, if I want my name on the aircraft data plate to read First MI. Last, it needs to be listed that way as Builder. Bottom Line: Despite immediate access to a replacement data plate, one-day turn-around by a vendor capable of engraving the required stainless steel data plate, and U.S. Mail Priority shipment both ways (don't get me started), my aircraft was GROUNDED for over 10 days despite an otherwise successful airworthiness inspection.

Formation flying is very serious business, but that doesn't mean we don't have a great time along the way. I enjoy the laughter that seems to abound at these clinics and always walk away with new friends, this one was true to form. Everyone is there with the same goals of learning new skills, improving on other skills, and enjoying everything a clinic brings with it.

Our dinner outing Friday night had us all telling stories around the table at a local restaurant. The waitress was able to hold her own with our boisterous crew, and I asked if she wanted a ride the next morning before training started. Makenna made our 6:45 time hack, and off we went with her boyfriend to the airport. This was her first time in a small airplane, and she was thrilled when I gave her the controls. She's a natural. We talked about what it took to be a pilot, and she walked away talking to her boyfriend about maybe making that her path in life as he was doing. Our formation clinic may have encouraged a young lady to find her way to a pilot's license.

Thanks to everyone that came to the clinic and put forth every effort to make it a successful event.

---tcard

RV8-83772, N1986 ...update

Convert VFR aircraft to IFR

With a Dynon D-180, a non ADS-B compliant transponder, no other instruments installed, what would it take to modify it, to make it ifr capable ?
Only looking for enroute IFR flying in Florida, nothing less than 1000ft ceiling.
I was not the builder on that RV so I cannot do the work, any estimate on time and cost, to do such modification ?
Thanks

KC Flight Clinic 2019 Video

I did the best I could with the videos/pics that I had. Enjoy the video and thanks for coming to KC.

We're All Pilots ...Myron Nelson RV-10

[ed. VERY well written Mr. Nelson.  Thank you for bringing it to out attention. v/r,dr]
An article Myron wrote was published on Avweb. 

"....After having had scores of airline crew overnights in Los Angeles over the last 32 years, in a variety of area hotels, one I stayed in recently had special meaning for me.

As I arose in the morning and opened the drapes, I was presented with a direct view of the approach end of Runway 24L at LAX. It was one of those rare and melancholy moments in life that spur deep reflection. I pulled up a chair to the window just as one of my company's aircraft was gracefully touching down.

My mind drifted back more than 28 years when in a previous life I had a training/evaluating position at SkyWest Airlines. When administering recurrent checkrides in those days, a common scenario was to position the rudimentary SA227 Metroliner simulator position at LAX, primarily using Runway 24L for departures and 24R for the requisite instrument approaches. The simulator itself was physically located in Salt Lake City; however, for purposes of the checkride, its simulated position would be in Los Angeles. Today’s modern flight simulators can be virtually positioned at any major airport in the world."   continue

Ground Pic: 6A at Repose ...Bill Boyd

Elevator Mismatch (Drilling Mistake)

So, looking for some sanity or help from the community.

Part of mounting the elevators requires having them both at neutral, and using a guide block / clamp to make sure that they are drilled both perpendicular and even to each other.

Unfortunately, the clamp I chose to use didn't quite hold against the will of a new #16 drill bit to wander.

I now have a hole that is off by a slight amount on the left elevator, and the result is that the elevators are about 1/4 inch off at the foremost section where the weights are.

I'm looking for recommendations on how to recover, here's some things I've considered:

1. Rebuild one of the elevators - I simply don't see how without massive work I could replace just the horn because the skins won't peel back nicely anymore now that they are rolled.
2. Fill the hole with weld, and redrill the elevator horn
3. Set neutral to split the difference (so one rides 1/8 low and the other 1/8 high)

Any help or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated... pictures here:

(Marvin McGraw reply)
I welded in a small piece of metal the thickness of a washer and re-drilled. Your not the first. Weld and move on, it will be okay.

RV-6/12 Builder Dave Gamble's Day in the B-2 Sim

I continue to be amazed at how much building an airplane has enriched my life with both new opportunities and new friends. Those are often interrelated and here is a case in point: I got the opportunity to fly the B-2 Spirit flight simulator at Whiteman AFB through a Friends and Family kind of thing, the friends being a father and son pair that I met as a consequence of building my 12. Readers of my Blog will know the father as Pete.

Pete’s son Keith was very interested in aviation at a young age and was interested in an RV-6 ride, which he got, and he flew with me again once the 12 was done. Both were fun and interesting, but the 2nd flight wasn't with an aspiring teen, it was with an accomplished and confident 1st lieutenant with stories to tell about flying an E-3 Sentry. Ironically (or coincidentally - I sometimes struggle with the difference), most of my questions were about refueling.

I was invited to attend his graduation from B-2 Initial Qualification Training and subsequent transfer to 393rd Bomb Squadron. It was a 9 hour drive, but there had been mention of getting some seat time in the B-2 simulator. That made an easy decision even easier.

Build Status Report ...David Paule RV-3B

Damaged thread at engine case oil return fitting

Engine is an O-235. I finally traced an oil leak to a damaged thread inside the case at the oil return fitting.

Is the best solution to run a tap down the thread? If so, any tips on doing this? Since it's inside the engine case I'm concerned about screwing this up.

Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

TIA
Gary

N17HH is for Sale ...$85K RV-7A

GRT New 10.1 Horizon EFIS

"GRT Avionics announces it most advanced and easiest to install EFIS to date, the 10.1 Horizon, and 10.1 Sport. Designed around the brightest, highest-resolution LCD screen and fastest processor in our company’s history, the 10.1 extends the popular HXr product line while simplifying installation. Built into the 10.1 is the proven, Adaptive AHRS, with a second AHRS as a low-cost option. With the popular Safe-Fly 2020 GPS mountable on the rear of the 10.1, along with the Uavionix UAT, cutting installation time significantly, and at a cost 20% lower than the competitor’s nearest comparable EFIS

Following our company’s tradition, the 10.1 maintains full compatibility with a wide variety of 3rd party avionics and is backed up with our well known customer support. It also continues support for heads-up displays, as well as instrument approaches for the 10.1 Horizon.

Shipments of the 10.1 are planned for no later than June 1st.

Greg Toman
GRT Avionics"

 

Status Update ...RV7ForMe

Well, the rebuild RV7A is complete and so I return to building a few parts that I have given buddy so that he can fly this summer... Like the VS.

Yup I just build my second one of these.

You would think it would go a lot quicker, but for some reason that was not really the case. With Priming and de burring all in was about 20 hours. Even though I knew what I was doing this time around and didn't have to think about it to much... So for those of you that have stated they can build a whole empennage in a weekend. I wonder how much de burring is included in that.

Or I am simply very slow.

RV-12 Mini-Flight Review

The RV-12 has been out for some time now and I finally had a chance to fly one the other night.

I must say, I was really impressed by the -12!

What a nice flying aircraft, very light on the controls, much lighter than my RV-9. I would say it is more in line with the -4 than a -7. Kind of like a -7 at low speeds because of how quickly it responded to stick and rudder input.

Very well Balanced in its control harmony. Probably better balanced than a -7 or -8. (Sorry guys!)

Off of grass with no wind and two 200+ pound (I'm not saying how much above 200 the passengers were but it was significant.) people and half tanks we used up probably 1000 feet, maybe less. (Typical soft field technique; one notch of flaps from brake release, full aft stick, as soon as the nose wheel is off the grass release back pressure but keep the nosewheel off the turf, once we broke ground I accelerated in ground effect until speed built up and then pitched for Vy. The 1000' included the flight in ground effect.)

At Vy we were still climbing at a solid 700 FPM. Stunning!

I had heard this before but didn't believe it, the visibility out of it is so much better than in my -9 or in a -6 or -7!

Landings were very easy. With our two big 'ol butts in there I used 60 knots, which was pretty fast on final and full flaps. Touched down on the mains, holding the stick aft for a full stall landing with the rollout with the stick full aft. By mid filed 1200' we were adding power to taxi to the end to take off again.

Those of you who are building, keep pulling those rivets! It is worth the effort!

Those of you who are thinking of building a -12, write that check!

I just can't get past the fact that the -12 out performs a Skyhawk so easily!

If only there was a tailwheel version. Oh Mitch, can we talk?
__________________
Bill R.
RV-9

 

Awesome 7A at Wright Brothers Memorial 4/23/19

Here is a pic of my SoCal friend who now is living in SoGa :-) KPXE. One of the nicest 7A's you will find. Rumor has it that he received Craftsmanship award recently at Sun n Fun 2019

Salute Keith Sremaniak N325KS

SkyTec 149NL separating - Keep an eye on them

During my last oil change noticed some dark staining around where the motor meets the gearbox on the starter. Grabbed ahold of motor and it was loose!
There are some bent tabs to hold the two screws in place no locktite I could see. Pulled in a part and cleaned it up replaced the tabbed washers with lock washers (unlikely to help much) and blue locktite.

Due to the bad ground it was getting it was much more effective when starting it up. Spun up much faster, since it happened slowly I had not noticed it spinning slower.

Will keep a closer eye on now see how it does.

 

Status Report ...jcarne

Just a couple of small divots to fill in and a little more smoothing around the base of the hs but I think it's ready for lay up. It looks rough around the edges but I assure you it's smooth.

Best Day Ever ...woodmanrog

Al had never ridden in a small plane. What could be a better experience than to fly in a new RV14A to the final "Old Farts" fly in at Venice, Florida. Perfect weather, and attendance of 50 plus varied aircraft and great food at Sharky's on the beach. He couldn't stop saying over and over what a thrill the experience was. Al still has the grin on his face today. Oh, by the way, he didn't need the T.P.

9A Longitudinal Dynames ...vlittle

My 9A was difficult to trim due to the phugoid response. What fixed it was careful elimination of all control system friction.

The biggest contributor was friction in the elevator hinges, including the main bearing that connects the elevators.

If any of the bearings exhibit side load from the hinge brackets they will bind. Carefully choosing shim washers at the hinge points eliminates this. It's meticulous work but it makes a difference.

Disconnect the main pushrod from the elevator bellcrank while doing this. When reconnecting the pushrod, make sure there are no side loads on the bearing as well. There should should be just enough shim washers in place so that there is no distortion of the horns when torquing the through bolt.

 

249kts ...Jonathan Alvord

Flying from Nehalem Bay to Prosser Washington, hit 255kt GS cruising at 11,500, and then snapped this photo which had 249 just after starting decent to Prosser.

Engineer Wanted ...WhirlWind Propellors (VAF Advertiser

Whirl Wind Propellers in El Cajon, CA has an immediate opening for an experienced structural engineer.

The ideal candidate must have the following experience to be considered:

1. Strong Finite Element Analysis (FEA and FeMap Software) experience in linear, static and dynamic modal analysis. Familiarity with Campbell diagram.

2. Solidworks software for 3D Modeling

3. Strong technical writing skills

4. Understanding of operating Data Acquisition (DAQ) system and data reduction

5. A plus will include hands-on shop experience and familiarity with basic hand tools.

Must be self-starter well organized problem solver, accurate project finisher.

Contact Whirl Wind Propellers with your Resume:
wwpc@whirlwindpropellers.com

Welcome Engine Bridge ...www.EngineBridge.com

Their ad lives on the front page, and if you call them, ask about the $100 Off Coupon for VAF running May-June.  Check out the Landing Height Controller call-out video on their site (RV).

Sadly, on one of the upwind/crosswind legs I spotted a dead cow in a washed out area in the pasture next to the airport.  Here in GM.  There were a dozen or so vultures already around it, so if you're flying here heads up for large birds.  Rob Reece (our apt mgr) called the guy who takes care of those cattle and let him know.

Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.

New builder in Reno

After 20 years of dreaming about building, I finally took the plunge and started the empennage. I have a tech counselor visit in the works with Ironflight, but thought I'd see if there is an experienced builder in the Reno area willing to critique my work before that visit (cold beer on hand) to save me any pending embarrassment!
__________________
Mike Holmes
RV-9A Empennage

6A and IFR ...Planecrazy232

Many people ask about the RV6 as an IFR platform and I find it easier than the spam cans. It goes where you put it. Here’s my latest practice under the hood with a safety pilot. The first approach to the hold was with “George” in control, all the rest exiting the hold was hand flown to minimums. The odd circle at the bottom is when approach control canceled my clearance because of a Citation hot on my heels. Equipment is all G3XT and the latest software. Works like a champ.

Fredericksburg, TX RV Gathering Video ...Paul and Beth Duff RV-9A

Finally have our video up from the "Hill Country Soiree at the Hangar Hotel" in Fredericksburg, Texas. What a great trip AND great hosts!

Garmin G3X (GDU 370/375) V11.80 Software, 25 April 2019

We are pleased to announce the release today of the new V11.80 software update for G3X non-touch systems using GDU 370/375 displays.

This free software upgrade can be downloaded to an SD card from this page and installed by the user.

This new software incorporates many of the features made available recently for G3X Touch systems:

1.Added GMC 507 support. The GMC 307 autopilot mode controller is being replaced by the slightly more capable GMC 507 (same cost), and now this controller can be used with G3X, G3X Touch, and G5 systems.
2.Added support for Flight Director GPS Track mode when using a GMC 507 with dedicated track mode button
3.Added VNAV support for those using GTN 6XX/7XX navigators with V6.51 or newer software.
4.Added GSU25C/25D support. The GSU 25/25B ADAHRS are being replaced with newer versions called the GSU 25C/25D with the same operational characteristics as the previous units.
5.Resolved incorrect GPS date which occurs in some displays due to week rollover issue.

Let us know if you have additional questions.

Thanks,
Steve

Status Report ...jcarne RV-7A

Here we are after a second coat and a third coat to fill low spots. The shape is quite close as compared to the Van's fairing. It is time to sand and shape a little more and then I will see if I have any low spots to fill but overall it is coming out pretty decent. The edges in the picture look a little rough because I shaped quite a bit to get it tangent to the tail feathers. The sanding will take that chipped look out.

So close yet so far - Throttle and Mixture cable woes. ...WingnutWick

So after the new RV-6As mixture bound and bent for the second time I decided to take it upon myself to replace the quadrant style cables that were wrapping around the carb to make the direction of travel correct and go with the standard RV-6 setup. I ordered the RV-6 throttle and mixture cables from vans and the RV-6 O-320 bracket.

Woe #1: the bracket did not fit correctly and I had to cut and bend it to meet it from pressing against the oil pan. Then I had to dremel out a hole for the oil drain to go through. Not pretty but figured it’d due the trick. I chalked the bracket not fitting great due to the motor being an H2AD and kind of an odd ball engine, but I don’t really know.

Woe #2: Drilling the holes. With everything mounted on I couldn’t use a template so I had to eyeball it. The battery is in the inside of the cockpit centered between the rudders and in front of where they say to put the mixture control so I elected to have the mixture come out to the right of the battery below the throttle thinking that bend wouldn’t be enough to hamper the movement of the control. A royal PITA working under the dash like that with my 6ft4 frame. Plus there is this shield that is behind the battery that I had to work through.

Woe #3: Finally got the cables routed and through the firewall. And all the hardware put in only to find that the throttle cable doesn’t reach the bracket hole, let alone the throttle arm to allow for full throttle. This is bizarre because it’s pretty much B-lining straight from the dash to the firewall and to the carb. Furthermore the mixture doesn’t want to travel all the way out (lean). Not sure if that is binding due to the small curve but I’ve seen more aggressive curves on other’s planes work.

Before I went putting more holes in the firewall I want to check in and see if anyone know what the heck is going on here!? Inputs, insights, suggestions always very much appreciated!!

Thank you all!

Charles

Added to the Mothership

Wing walks came off in flight

I installed one of the replacement wing walks that flew off in flight.

Between Goo Gone, Prep-Sol & a credit card, all of the old adhesive was removed w/o damaging the paint. After removal, per Blake's instructions, the surface was repeatedly cleaned with 50/50 water alcohol.

"Snopercod's" suggestion to use 3M Primer 94 was absolutely brilliant. You wipe it on, let it dry, then install the wing walk. Make sure someone is helping you so the wing walk material goes exactly where it's intended the first time.

I tested the adhesive idea on another painted surface and the primer radically improved the adhesion. Better to spend $18 on a pint of primer than do this job again.

I waited a day and flew @ 160kts. The wing walk remained so now I will do the other wing.

Thx folks & thanks to Flyboy for their great customer service.

Starburst (Not the candy) ...ShortSnorter

Has anyone seen this around the shop head of a rivet? Does it have something to do with anodized surface?

Disclaimer: As with most photos, the details look more exaggerated. In other words this is difficult to see unless the light hits it just right.

Young Eagle Pilots SOS

I am putting out an SOS call for Young Eagle pilots.

The Greenville, SC EAA chapter has had to rescheduled their Young Eagles event due to rain.

This coming Saturday, April 27th, is the rain date and we have a number of kids scheduled but unfortunately we now find ourselves with a pilot shortage.

If you are an approved Young Eagle pilot and can help out, please contact me.

The pilot briefing is scheduled for 0830 Saturday morning at the AvServe Ramp at KGYH.

(After we finish, we will jump over to KGMU to the Runway Café, home to many LancAir Brotherhood gatherings, for lunch.)

Thanks!
Bill

.2 Before the Storms Arrive

...52F was busy with RV activity 4/23 because we're getting storms on the 24th.  Amazing how good a little time off the surface can make a person feel.  Two pics highlighting the fun - warming temps and everything is greening up. 

2,560 x 1,920 pixels

 
2,560 x 1,920 pixels

Build Report ...Ryan Drake

Here's my first post to 'Show us the status...". Me and co-pilot on 30-Mar making airplane noises. I have since finished the tunnel cover, flap actuator, cabin cover plates, -A gear mounts and elevator pushrods.1172.5 total hours into project.

My own little airstrip

I have a little farm. I have about 2,200 feet I could use for a grass/dirt strip. It isn't oriented perfectly maybe 3/21. Most strips around here are 13/31 or so. There is a short powerline at one end maybe 30'. Do I have to do anything to get it legal? I might build a little hanger maybe 30x30. I have a RV-3 with no wheel pants and a 7KCAB Citabria.

www.rv-pilots.eu ...email I got.  ABSOLUTELY promote this Tobias!!!!  dr

"My RV-7 is in the air now and I have more time to fly and meet other RV-pilots.  Unfortunately, there's nothing like VAF in Europe and European builders are not very active on VAF, it seems.

My goal is, to promote a more active exchange of European RV-Pilots and organize meetings. This is purely non-commercial and only meant as a service to the community.

I set up www.rv-pilots.eu  - Main part of the website is an email-form.  This way, over time we should be able to reach many RV-builders in Europe and be able to inform them about events. ....Hope for your support"
-
Tobias Treichel
Hegi 25
CH-8197 Rafz

Build Update ...PilotjohnS

I decided to install the new Flap Motor from PH Aviation. This flap motor replaces the stock Vans flap motor. I like the new one because it has a built in up and down stop, built in position pot to interface with the G3X, has a different motor that may not suffer from grease contamination, and the shaft doesnt rotate so no need for that funky safety wiring.

The installation is a little different than the Vans version.

First off, I made the F767 plate a little longer than the original to make sure the motor support brackets were completely contained on the plate. This eliminates a spacer and also provides more strength for the motor supports. In the picture is the new F767 plate, and the stock F785A/F785B Backrest Brace and the stock F766A/F758 Flap actuator channel.

Here Goes Nothing: Build Update ...jcarney

Oh boy here goes nothing! After playing around with the Van's empennage fairing a bit I decided to toss it in the trash, gaposis everywhere with that thing! My mother would never let me go in public with that on! Looks like I will be having fun making my own, more work for sure but I have seen what the end result can look like. Plus, I'll get some more experience with fiberglass before I do the canopy skirt.

I took the tape trick from someone else who did this on an RV-4.

RV Law Of.... ...Kyle Boatright great entry

Follow up....

Nut rotation tell-tale paint

Q: Can anybody tell me what I should be searching for to find some of that coloured paint / wax that is applied to nuts and bolts to indicate any unwanted rotation after they've been torqued?

A:

Cables through firewall

Hello all,

I am changing out my girlfriend's RV-6As throttle cables as the previous ones were unacceptable bowden type coming from a throttle quadrant and wrapping around the carb to have the correct movement. Very dubious.

I have removed the quadrant and putting in standard push-pull type controls from Vans. I have the old b bulkhead cable safe locks that were used on the other cables but they are too small, especially to fit around the threaded end that has to pass through the firewall.

What is the standard equipment to use for passing these through the firewall?

Thank you!
Wingnut

"RV Law of....." ...James Hartline entry

No matter how carefully you plan, once you have carefully wedged yourself in the cockpit floor to work on the panel from underneath, you will discover two forgotten items:
1. The exact tool you need for the job, and
2. Your cell phone you need to call for help

Ground Pic ...vlittle

A stylized version of 'Voltar' will appear in an animated program from a major studio in the near future....

Am I looking for a rare bird?

Hello everyone.
I am new to this forum (posted an intro in the general section a few weeks ago).

After some research and talking to a few of the real experts (Ron Schreck & Vic Syracuse), I think I might be a good candidate for an RV, specifically an RV-8A.

I am not in a position to build, so I'm looking for a flying aircraft built to a very high standard (want to feel comfortable about the structure when fixing whatever maneuver I've made a mess of ).

As I am hoping to do aerobatics as well as all the other things the RV does so well, I am looking for an RV-8 (ideally an 8A) with a fuel injected engine and hopefully also a CS prop. So IO-360 or AEIO-360 with CS in an RV-8A.

Questions:

- Is this a rare combination?
- What is the best way of finding such a beastie? (I have posted in the classifieds, but those move quickly - no response yet).
- Realistically should I plan on a year or two to find my aircraft?

I would love to hear tips, suggestions and thoughts about finding the "perfect" (which I know doesn't exist) aircraft for me.
I have already decided to have Vic do the pre-buy - I know this is a critical step when I get to it.

Thanks to all who contribute their knowledge on these forums.

Ground pic ...Bill VonDane

...at home: CO15

New guy checking in ...Ryan Dodde II

Greetings. I guess I would qualify myself as “a long time listener, first time caller” to the Vansairforce forum. My foray into experimental aircraft began some 50 years ago. when I was about four or five, my family was on our way to church when we drove past someone’s garage with a half built Piper Cub poking out. That image stuck in my head and was the seed that started this adventure. It has also been the carrot that I’ve dangled in front of myself while I was obtaining my medical degree, starting my practice, putting my daughter through school and building our house. I have finally come to the point where I can pursue my ambition of building an airplane. I purchased a RV8 QB kit and I am knee deep in the construction. I have completed the empennage and ready to move on to the wings. Both my father and grandfather were tool and die makers, however, metalworking does not appear to be an inherited skill. I find that I have become somewhat frustrated in the effort that it has taken to get my build to the quality that I expect in my other pursuits. If there are any builders in the Holland, Michigan area, I would appreciate it if you would send me a shout. I have been very impressed with the support of the Van’s community, which is one of the reasons I chose this airframe.

N8402 flies after 4 1/2 year build ...JHartline

On March 29th slow-build project S/N 140184 was officially pronounced an airplane by Vern Darley. Great guy and tons of RV-specific knowledge. I was very confident in my work after his inspection. ...

RV Law of.... ...Brian Morrow entry

Van's Time Axiom:

The need for any Van's part will inevitably be discovered at precisely 5:05PM Pacific Time on a Friday.


Corollary: If the part is urgently needed and causes your plane to be grounded, the Friday in question will precede a Monday Holiday.

Ground Shot ...Steve Hamer

5 years!

I hit the flying for 5 years milestone. I now have 653 hours. Basically, one third of the way toward TBO, so check back in 10 years.

So now I have been officially flying more years than building. I think I like flying more. Still have some tinkering to do on it, but I don't think I would have changed much if I had it to do over again.
__________________
Bruce Hill
RV-9A

Ground Shot ...bkervaski

Status Report ...jcarne

On to the VS!

After mounting the HS on the fuselage last time I realized I still hadn't drilled the elevator horn lower hole for the push tube. So I took it off, drilled the holes and remounted with the elevators. I also decided to finish the trim tab hinge pin and safety wire it (not sure why Van's doesn't give you the right length hinge pin until the fuselage?).

Ground Shot! ...RudiGreyling

Verneuk pan South Africa

RV Series - RV/IAC Aerobatic Competition Standings ...Ron Schreck

A small turnout for the Carolina Boogie this weekend. Weather and Easter may have played a part. But those who came had a blast! Chris Crawford brought his RV-8A out for his very first contest and posted a very respectable 71.93% score. We had a great practice day before the contest and I coached Chris from the ground. He showed improvement on every flight and went home with a trophy and a great deal of new-found confidence.

The Very First One ...Chris

It is maybe not award winning, but I am proud to share my very first Air-To-Air picture

RV-4 Emergency landing on LA Freeway

Small plane makes safe emergency landing on 215 Freeway . No injuries or collisions with vehicles. Yes, it's a miracle. Images at link.

Ground Shot ...Rob Ray

Ditto Ditto ...Mark Ferdara

Sun 'n Fun 2019 My RV9A

Status Report ...jcarne

Well I haven't been sittin here doing nothing since my last post. Since I'm waiting for it to warm up before cutting the canopy I decided to mount the tail. Yesterday I finished mounting the horizontal stabilizer, it takes quite a bit of time to get the bolt holes just right but man they came out perfect, couldn't be happier with them.

After careful marking I used 12" drill bits starting with a #40 to get the initial hole. You can see I placed an engineering square next to the bit to make sure it was square with the fuse. This method works well. The final hole was drilled with a 3/16" reamer as it was just long enough to give drill head clearance. ...

Things I wish I'd saved from the build ...jpowell13

I've got my right fuel tank from my 6A off for what must be the 5th time to fix leaks and run more wires and AOA tubing. I kept wishing I had saved the fuel tank cradle until today I finally built another one.

If you're building, be sure to put your fuel tank cradle together with screws so you can break it down and store it easily. You will almost certainly use it again. If you don't need to fix a leaky tank, you can turn it upside down and use it for a table to serve your favorite beverage.

Be sure to save every tool and scrap of wire you used in wiring your plane as well. There seem to be no end to panel and cockpit upgrades that require a little wiring.

And it's amazing how often all those little bits and pieces of scrap aluminum come in handy. And, for goodness sake, hold onto your plans and construction manual. In fact, just save everything, if you don't need it, your buddy will. John

(Spotlight reply - Miles)
I have a bin with all my aluminum, scraps from the project. I keep everything bigger than a 3/8” circle (that's the smallest piece you can put a #40 hole in with adequate edge distance)

Pilot as a Day Job ...David Z

I was thinking the other day, how many builders and RV pilots also fly professionally? Also, in what type of operation and aircraft?
Did the systems or layout on the plane you fly at work affect the layout or systems of your RV?

I'll start, I'm a Dash 8-100 Captain working for a small airline in Northern Ontario Canada flying to remote gravel airports. As for shamelessly stealing from work planes, I have flown various models of King Airs and the 1900 previously. I'm considering stealing ideas from the Beechcraft electrical system logic for redundancy. My build is pretty early on, lots of time to change my mind.

P.S. Obviously the fighter pilot guys win the "cool" contest with F-15s, F-16s and such. <g>

Phase 1 Take Off Vid ...AviatorJ

It's not the first flight, but it's still a Phase I take off! A friend of mine recorded it and I forgot about it.

Interesting Ground Pic ...Danny King

RV8-83772, N1986 ...Roarks

Howdy!

Well today is the start. After dithering on a decision, having the plans preview book for 6 years I called today and ordered the tail feathers.

It's been a long time coming. I had just finished my Aerospace engineering degree, I finally got my private, then got distracted with helicopters for a while. Thought I would consider an RV... Took the eaa sheetmetal class... It was good but I thought there should be more so I got my A&P certificate. Now I teach sheetmetal at the part 147 mechanic school!

Should be an interesting ride. Which I could fast forward to see the end of this thread!

Another RV-14A takes to the air ...Turner Billingsley

Today was the big day. Vic Syracuse came down and did the inspection, issued the S.A.C. and flew first flight. We identified a few issues, but that just means more time tinkering. Overall a great day, having the "Additional Pilot" on the first flight was immensely valuable.

See blog for obligatory video and paperwork photo!

Garmin G3X (GDU 370/375) Pending Software Release ...g3xpert

We wanted to give G3X owners a heads up that there is a subset of GDU 370/375 displays which are affected by the GPS week rollover event which occurred on April 6.

Any affected G3X system is still fine to use and the GPS data including navigation and displayed time is not affected, but in the few places where the date is exposed, like in the flight data log, the time will be correct, but the date will be incorrect.

If you want to see if your system is affected, select Menu, Menu, System Setup, Date & Time and you can see the system date and time.

We have implemented a software fix and are testing this fix before doing a maintenance release soon.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause for those affected.

There are no known issues with G3X Touch systems.

Thanks,
Steve

Panel with newly installed FlyEFII System 32 display ...mill2978

I've been flying with the System32 since day 1 but had a temporary panel plate with check engine lights and the fuel trim knob.

I received the controller from Robert at FlyEFII today and got it installed. The controller has a nice sturdy feel to it and tons of capability, I can't wait to take it for a test flight

My introduction ...knievel

7 years ago I was early in my PPL training, pre solo. I had grown accustomed to the stodgy appearance and 2,000' take off roll of my club's overloaded Cessna 150. (Instructor and I put it over gross)

My instructor and I were taxiing for takeoff. KANE Blaine, MN. A plane from the other side of the field got takeoff clearance first so I held short. Oh my God it was beautiful. Low slung, tail dragging thing looked like it was going 200 in the taxiway. "What is *that?" I asked. My instructor replied "oh, that's one of those RV's. You build them at home. Watch it take off". It rolled forward what looked like 100' and then left almost vertically. My jaw hung slack, I knew I had to have one.

I've lurked here every since, dreaming but knowing it was outside of my space and finances. Then my boys got into that youth sports age and I had no time to fly at all. I dreamed of an 8, but knew the 9a would better suit my intended mission if touring with my wife. (Who made it to almost 300' agl in the c150 on her only flight before demanding to land). The 8 just seemed selfish.

As my boys time with sports of rapidly coming to an end I've been more intent on making this happen. I showed my wife paint schemes, seating arrangements, asked her opinion on pretty much anything that would affect her experience should I every get her back in a small aircraft. (Hey opinion is that the 747 is nice, but anything smaller flies "bumpy", including a 737). Finally she hit me with it. "Honestly, I'm not really interested in flying around in your little airplane". There it was.

I pick up my 8 tail kit later this month. I'm shopping for tools. You're all a bunch of crack dealers. <g>

If you know who has that 6 or 7 with a high end paint job, blue and silver with a fading checkered flag down the length of it, it's his fault. Thank him for me.

65 Knot Tailwind Across Canada ...Greenley

Flying MI to Vermont over Canada and picked up a nice tailwind. Fastest I have seen in my newly finished RV10.

Sun N Fun 2019 - Full Trip Writeup ...bullojm1 RV-7

It's the kickoff to the 2019 big fly ins - SUN N FUN! On my way home from last years SNF, I decided I was not going to make the long EARLY run from Maryland the Florida in the same day if weather permitted. It's a super early wakeup (4am) and a very long day of flying. So this year, on my 4th consecutive SNF, I decided to work half of a day, fly 4 hours, then make the quick hop to Lakeland the next day.

Fast forward a year and holy cow...the weather gods Mostly agreed with my perfect plan...except for the winds. When I was at work, winds were blowing a gale - 70 degree crosswind, 23G38 at my homebase. Screw it, I was going to head out to the airport and see what it really was. 50 degree crosswind, 20G27....LETS GO TO SNF!!!!  continue

F-741B Tunnel cover size

Q: I've seen mentioned a few times that people have had to squeeze the z-brackets inboard in order to line up with the dimensions of the top plate. Seems like a fair amount of force needed to get them together.  Is there a reason this is the case and that's why Van's doesn't supply a wider piece?   I'm thinking of making a new one and take any stress out of this assembly.

A: (Draker) I just finished this part and don't recall squeezing that much to get it to initially fit. After everything was drilled and riveted, it fit well.

I did end up with quite a bit of "overhang" on the aft side. If I drilled it according to the plans the aft-most holes would have been too close to the aft ends of the z brackets. Instead I clecoed everything together, made sure I was happy with the fit, then drilled in a way that satisfied edge distance requirements.

I also ended up filing away a lot of that overhang in order to fit against the flap actuator brackets:

Mothership FF Report

Dennis Fox’s RV-8A | Three Hills, Albersta, Canada
RV-8A #80531

Dennis writes in:

First flight of CGRVU was May 15, 2017 after 7 years of construction. All went well with no snags and performance of the airframe and engine combination was gratifying and very grin-worthy. Engine is IO-360 A1A from a Mooney and overhauled by Dave From Aviation in Red Deer. Prop is Whirlwind 200RV and pulls RVU along at advertised book speeds. Skyview Touch occupies most of the panel space and controls the Dynon 2 axis autopilot. Paint is from UpperValley Aviation in Chiliwack BC. Thanks to Chris Droege from Idaho for an excellent training program that gave me the confidence to do 1st flight. Thanks to Van’s for a great product that provides a very high “smile per mile” ratio.

....it took 30 minutes to clean up.  Used a squeegee from the shower and a large flexible cutting board, pouring a little at a time into a plastic bowl.

Susie, "How are we going to clean this up?"
Me, "Let me take some pictures first."

Panel Porn ...jdmrv7a

My RV14-A interior and Garmin G3X panel. I am adding a G5 above the ignition switch, the wiring harness is ready for the G5. Wool carpet and all fire certified leather seat and side panels. The inside firewall has dense sound and heat absorbing mat painted the same color as the interior. The optional Van's RV14 canopy with 97% UV block will help keep the cockpit cool in summer.  2 more pics

Pics from the Fly-in at Ramona Sunday...bruceh 9A

I managed to snap a few photos from Sunday's Fly In.

Looks like we had a bit of competition with the Mojave Experimental Fly-In, but still had about 16 RV's arrive. Got to meet with several other builders who are in progress and had some delicious BBQ lunch.

Status Report ...Josh T RV-10

Wings are just about done. Need to attach the fuel tanks and rivet the flaps together. Got the Fuse kit a littler earlier this time. With the wing kit I was without a project for a month and that just plain sucked. Lesson learned!

This box was quite the monster. The put the 1 long piece of angle in the box kind of sprung so it pushed against the side, and it ended up popping open the box side. Its bent a bit when you look at it down its length (8+ feet), but hoping thats not a big deal. Also wierd that there's only 1 big longeron, would think there would be two. We'll see what inventory says!

Some thoughts on mid-range RPM vibration… Piper J3 RV-12

I have had a flakey left EGT for a while and recently replaced the thermocouple sensor (Dynon EGT, Hose Clamp, 0.75-1.25”, Rotax SKU: #100405-001). I also did a fresh carb sync with a digital CARBMATE and got very good sync at both idle and just-off-idle. Unit works a charm.

My engine now runs smooth at idle and very smooth at 5500 RPM cruise. This is confirmed with the EGT’s. At idle and at 5500 RPM there is less than 10F difference in the EGT’s so both left and right cylinder banks are producing equal power.

The mid-range (3000-4000 RPM) has a vibration, and I believe uneven power L-R, is the cause. I have nearly a 100F difference between the EGT’s in mid-range RPM.

So, my thoughts:

• Idle and just-off-idle are easy to set using CARBMATE. The sync looks very repeatable and precise.
• 5500 cruise RPM is in good sync because both carbs are nearly wide-open throat and running on high speed main jet.
• Mid-range sync is a crapshoot. It’s easy to set cable-pulls to match at low end and high end is pretty much automatic. Mid-range probably has several factors that contribute to miss-match most of which are not controllable. Just musing here… perhaps airflow in the cowling can cause different ambient pressures for vacuum diaphragms that control carb throat opening. The good news is there isn’t much use for the mid-range, just don’t operate there. When on downwind leg, I start a steady throttle reduction to idle. The 912 engine has water-cooled cylinder heads so shock cooling is not a concern. Usually idle, or slightly off-idle, will bring me to the runway threshold, so mid-range is easily avoided.

Four New First Flights ...on mothership

Leading Edge Check ...new guy w/a question.

Hello all,

This is my first post, been reading this site for months though.
I’ve recently started an RV-14A empennage kit. I wanted to check with you regarding the bend on my rudder leading edge.

New Hangar for the RV-12iS build ...David Rohrlick

I have officially moved from my garage to a nice T-hangar. Got it mostly set up. Very Exciting! Here is my first official Vlog from the hangar.

Looking for those little white rubber caps

...to slide over my switches.  Anyone got a source?  Stein maybe?

enlarge

Exhaust leaks at the slip joint?! ...Jvon811

RV-4, O-320-E3D with mid 90's design Sky Dynamics Crossover exhaust...

The exhaust system has short stub pipes that bolt to the cylinder that's maybe 5-6" long and then slips into the next piece which starts the curve and crossover. I've started to get some blowback or leakage on the slip joint on the #2 Cylinder (Front Left). I can see discoloration on the #2 intake tube and plug wires along with the obvious staining on the pipe itself.

All bolts are tight holding the slip joints in compression but there is still a bit of wiggle where I can sometimes, but not always, rock the joint back and forth (maybe 2-3 degrees of movement) which I'm suspecting is the leak.

Anyone dealt with this before? Thanks in advance. I'll try and grab some pictures tomorrow if it will help.

Newest maybe youngest RV grin in town ...Mike Robinson

3 yrs 5 months. She really wanted to go. How could you say no to that. Did one pattern about 10 minute flight. Baby steps. The video I took is priceless. Didn’t see till I viewed it later she was eating gummy bears grandma had packed away for her

Mods on Tailwheel - Fork - Springs ...DeeCee 57

Aim of these modifications were weight loss, practicability, looks and aerodynamics…

Weight: total weight change - 334g. Ain’t a lot, but could play favorably for the CG of some -4s.
Practicability: the original Van’s fork with its almost 90° angle to forward travel is an invitation to get stuck against any kind of curb with possible dire consequences. Rejected was the nice but massive Doug Bell product on the grounds of its weight, being too wide and requiring the use of countless washers, and elevating the tail of the aircraft. Keeping the tail low was a requirement for performance reason (use of very short grass runways) and looks. Welding a triangular section in front of the fork will hopefully prevent or alleviate having the tail stuck on some obstacle, weight increase 62g.

Milestone: First Mistake ...Tim Foster RV-10

I was admiring my new found countersinking skills when I realized I had just done drilled 24 of them on the wrong side of the battery bell-crank mount. Ugh. At least it’s a smaller part and it looks like I can reorder online at Vans. Hope the shipping isn’t too much. Lesson learned - read and reread directions at least 7 times. I’m guessing this won’t be the last time - part of the learning process.

Motivational Picture ...ben barron RV-12

RV12 at 8500 feet on the way to Spokane

When your friends say "I will be there in a minute" ...AX-O

I have been building a 360 motor and ran into an issue. it required capabilities beyond the ones a possess. So a call a few friends and basically got the "we will be there in a minute" answer.

Never mind the fact they live in a different state. Dang RVs are just pure magic. Few hours later they were on the way back home.

My Panel Graphics Adventure...Hartstoc

When Searching VAF for panel labeling ideas I was intrigued by a suggestion to look into dry-transfer graphics. After comparing several options online, I settled on one company, https://imagetransfers.com , that seemed oriented toward professionalism and quality. It turned out to be a good choice, mainly thanks to Luann, a partner in the company, who was incredibly patient and generous with answers to my neophyte questions along the way. I’m quite happy with the final results but found myself struggling with a very steep learning curve, and the whole process took a couple of weeks of full time effort and concentration. Before describing the experience, here are a few shots of the final results, starting with the first full-dress rehearsal of the whole panel:

RV-Lancair Brotherhood Day ...Redbud40 entry

Formation flight with good buddy

Borescope pics ...TShort

I shot some pics with the vividia borescope (new toy from OSH last year) during the condition inspection.

This is new technology for me; anyone have any thoughts on what I am looking at / how things look? These are all exhaust valve pics:

No issues with the engine, running great. Oil analysis and filter have been fine.

Beautiful flight in my 8 over CA wine country ...colojo

Took my 8 up this morning and was treated to beautiful views of the Napa and Sonoma valleys. Only got one photo, though, because my phone died. This is the Sonoma Valley:

Parked w/B-17 Pics ...Darin Watson

[ed. I mean come on!  How can this NOT be the top story <g>. v/r,dr]

Vern in Ozark, AL Starts his RV

Greetings all,
  Well after lurking here for an eternity I have finally started a 7. I purchased an old kit from a friend to start with because it came with assorted tools and it was partly assembled...more on that later.   It took what seems like months to carve out a space in my garage {the family storage unit} to have a place to work. It still needs some upgrades but it has the basics for now. Im sure Ill be waiting on something someday and ill take care of the little things.
  Standard disclaimer, this log represents how I do things, not how YOU should do things. YOU have to decide that for yourself. My opinion is worth exactly what you pay for it. Fire away if you have suggestions, Im always open to constructive criticism.

Enjoying the Sunshine ...juany RV-7 ground pic from Argentina

Mr. Chops Starts an RV-14 Build

[ed. The Flight Chops guy if you didn't get the hint ;^).  And welcome aboard, Sir!   v/r,dr]
"I have lurked around these forums for many years...
Been carrying a beat up old pic of an RV-7 since I got my first inkjet printer in ~2001, and am super excited to be finally closing in on owning a Van's Aircraft!

I look forward to making new friends here, and picking your brains as my aircraft project gets under way in a month or so.

Cheers,
Steve"

SnF Pics ...bhester

Here is the link to them, I didn't take as many this year as I normally do.

Additional Pilot Program for Phase 1 testing- thoughts?...KatieB

Hey everyone! I'm still alive, mostly off the grid. I've been working on my PhD in Aviation (Aviation Safety) at Parks College (St. Louis University). One of my topics of interest for research is EAB Phase 1 flight testing safety, in particular, the Additional Pilot Program. I saw a thread from 2017 and 2018 on the subject, but thought I'd start a new one to gather your current thoughts on it.

How many of you have used it? Is it worthwhile? Are you aware of any accidents or incidents that have occurred with a Qualified Pilot on board (RV or other types)? What are your ideas on how to make it more effective?

Thanks!!
Katie

Oh snap!

Rest In Peace, my 0.311" reamer! That got my heart going when this thing loudly snapped in half. This unfortunate tool met its end while reaming the -7A gear mount holes for the main gear legs. Thanks to great luck, it did not damage the workpiece while breaking. I've learned here that when a tool breaks it's usually not a bad tool but bad technique. Anyone have any tips for properly and safely using these very large reamers? I would like to not repeat this one.

Mothership ...this weekend

Anyone Got SnF'19 Pics Online Yet?

...let us know the URL here if you think of it. 

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Monk has a tool that he either made or helped make (can't remember - it was decades ago) just for this purpose.  Helps apply equal force over the entire plug.

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Aircraft had hundreds of trouble free hours on it.  It just chose this particular moment after takeoff to unseat.  Pilot pulled the prop knob back after takeoff as usual and observed no change in RPM.  Landed and the investigation began...

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New plug currently being installed and things being buttoned back up.  Good find, Monk Man! 

Food for thought if you're troubleshooting someday...

SnF PIREP ...John Young RV-12

I have been to Sun 'N Fun about 15 times. Usually 1 or 2 days and I always stayed in motels.

This year I flew in on Tuesday, and yes I did get to enjoy Lake Parker because of a Bonanza with gear problems, and parked my RV-12 in the Homebuilt Camping. I tied down the aircraft, pitched my tent, put my stuff in the tent, and then went off to buy my wristband, etc. and headed to the main part of the show. It was about 5:30 p.m. so I decided to have dinner and a beer and the went back to the Homebuilt Camping area. I was in for a surprise. Since I had never camped, I thought you parked your airplane, pitched your tent, and you were on your own.

When I arrived back at Homebuilt Camping, I saw the big tent and all the people in it. I went over and went in and learned that they have food. I had already eaten but I sat down, introduced myself to some people, and began a wonderful evening of talking about airplanes, etc. About 11:00 p.m. I finally went to my tent and to sleep.

The rest of the week I had breakfast and dinner at the Homebuilt Camping. Almost every night I stayed up until 11:00 p.m. visiting, etc.

On Sunday morning I took my tent down, got the airplane ready, and flew home.

This year was my best experience at Sun 'N Fun. The main reason was because of the great experience at Homebuilt Camping. Heidi, the chairman, and all of her volunteers did a wonderful job. Everyone who was there owes them a huge thank you. The other people who were camping there were great, fun to talk to, and I learned many things.

The other reason it was the best experience is because I had 4 full days at the show. I have always been rushed before but this time I took 1 day just for forums. I did and saw everything I wanted to this year which is also a first for me. Always before I left saying I wish I would have had time to do ??????.

Homebuilt Camping was a good distance from the main show area. Most of the time I rode a tram in the morning, and stayed until dinner time, and then rode a tram back. I was fortunate I didn't have to wait long.

But this was my best Sun 'N Fun and I will definitely be back next year and will be camping again.

RV-10 Status Report ...Brantel

Now riveting the tail cone together and I have ordered my slow build wing kit on 4/3/2019. Should be here before the end of June.

Introduction - RV curious, and looking for local experts in Northern Arizona

Greetings all
I have just recently joined this forum in an attempt to find out more about the RV world.
I think I am most drawn to the RV 8/8A. (Mainly because of tandem seating and aerobatic capability).

I currently drive an "18 wheeler with wings" for a living (B747-8), and it's been way too long since I have enjoyed the passion for aviation that brought me to this career. It's time to rectify that!

To be completely up front - I am not an aspiring builder. I would enjoy learning to tinker with, and work on the aircraft, but I am just not cut out for the commitment that building requires.

I looked at RV's at Oshkosh last year and have had the pleasure of chatting briefly with Ron Schreck by phone. Obviously I have heard nothing but good things about RV's!

As I try to learn as much as possible about the world of Amateur/home built aircraft, it would be wonderful to try to connect with some owners who are local to me that would be willing to share their experience and insights.
I am in Prescott Az (KPRC), and I would be extremely grateful to hear from anyone in the area who would be open to assisting a curious newbie.

While it may be obvious, there is one issue that I can't stop nagging at me. How do I get past the amateur built vs certified peace of mind/quality concern?
Reading these forums, I know there are several folk who can assist with a good pre-buy inspection, but I am also aware of how many variations to design, construction and materials etc are out there.
While I know that no-one goes out to build a sub-standard aircraft, its the unknown and unforeseen consequences of a builder decision that I am concerned about coming back to bite me.
Anyone else work through this?

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to learning more, and who knows - possibly becoming the next vociferous supporter of the RV.

Larry Griffin's RV-7A POH

...added to the POH page.

RV-3B Status Report ...David Paule

F-710/F-779/F-786C  ...Aero_Octaveus RV-7A

Hi All, I am currently fitting up my aft fuse and experiencing the insanity of how tight and difficult everything is. I just about to start drilling and I have a question with how the lowest J-stiffener F-786C mats to the assembly.

If I have the nesting of the parts correct (F-710 bulkhead sits above F-779 bottom tail skin, which sits on top of F-778 bottom aft skin and the F-773 side skins). There is then a 0.040" gap where the lowest J-stiffener transitions from the F-773 side skin, to the F-779 bottom tail skin.

My question is do I just drill and rivet the J-stiffener leaving a small ripple at that location? Or did anyone put a joggle in the j-stiffner?

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Writing the train wreck of a paragraph above made me smile, too - I wrote it anyway.  It's misty/foggy/OVC outside and nobody is flying.  While typing I got to relive the moment.

RVs equal sign happy face.

Status: Jcarne...with bonus drill through fingernail pic!

Well after bending the canopy frame to satisfaction I figured I mind as well go back and finish up the firewall. I installed the hinges on the lower half for the cowl. All that is left to do at this point with the firewall modification is to tape the seams with aluminum tape and throw in some of the magic goop (3M Fire Barrier Sealant 2000+) around the perimeter where the hinges are.

Over all I am SUPER pleased with how this came out. There are no noticeable wrinkles, only slight distortion of light (worse in the picture than in real life even). If you want to go with fire protection that looks sweet as well I think this is the way to go.

Canopy Frame Update:
Here are some pics of my canopy frame after bending. If anyone sees any problems or areas that need adjusted please please post or PM me. The only thing I haven't done yet is bring things in about 1/2" to account for canopy spread.

ADSB GPS for IFR flight

Maybe this has been discussed here before, but I don't recall reading anything about it, but I'm wondering if the new WAAS GPS units being sold by Dynon and UAvionics and such for ADSB can be used for legal IFR navigation?

I'm guessing that the answer is no, because they are not a part of a "certified" GPS "navigator", but it seems to me that if they are accurate enough for ADSB that maybe they are for IFR. No? Again, probably a different certification standard but I'm just wondering.

I also understand that the moving map and control function of any of the EFIS systems (other than the certified Dynon and Garmin units) are also not certified for IFR use, but hey? Just curious.

Green Fluid dripping inside cowling

I recently took my cowling off to work on my engine control cables and immediately noticed some green fluid dripping from the sniffle valve onto the lower cowling. Any ideas what it is and how to deal with it?

(reply)
- Fuel dye

- BTW, it is good practice to have a drain hose/line connected to the valve so that excess fuel that drains out goes overboard instead of laying in the bottom of your cowl.

Part# help please ...7/7A

I am not near my project/plans and I need to order a couple replacement parts that I cannot seem to locate in the new/improved Vans store. I may just make them when back but if they are cheap enough I can order/pick them up.

I am looking for the angle that rivets to the fuse that holds the vent brackets- found this pic on a build log.

If anyone has it I'd greatly appreciate it.

(replies)
- F-793 L&R Make from AA3-032 x 3/4 x 3/4

- Is a make-from part. Make from AA3- 032-3/4 X 3/4.

- Seems like I made them from wider stock because the edge distance was short but it might have just been cut longer. Slept since then. Bottom line, measure the distance accross the four side skin rivets and add edge allowance.

RV-10 HS-1016 Dinged

So since Van's Support staff is away at Sun-n-Fun, I turn to y'all.

RV-10, page 8-10, Step 2. The rivet gun jumped a bit while riveting one of the corner rivets attaching the HS-1016 Stringer Web to the HS-1014 and -1015 Stringers. Some slight deformation, no actual cracks or creases. Pictures below...

I need to know if this is a critical component or is this superficial, cosmetic damage and can build on?

(replies)
- Inspect the dents carefully for cracks, if none then give it a quick whizz over with a scotchbrite wheel in your die grinder to soften any hard edges only, prime and carry on. Have a good look at what that dark line is just at the top edge of the rivet head - a paint chip or something more serious? Don't replace the rivet it is serviceable and trying to change it out may give a worse result.

- Looks like it’s probably fine, but definitely check for cracks like stated above. You may also want to check to make sure those rivets are set properly. Pictures may be at strange angles but the “shop” head on that rivet doesn’t look right.

- Are you using the correct size set in your rivet gun? Looking at that mark on the factory head to the left it almost looks like you are using a -3 set instead of a -4. That would explain it wanting to jump off the head as well.
It may be camera trickery but the dinged rivet shop head looks crooked along with the topmost rivet on the right side of your first pic.

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Falcon Flight Clinic Date Change ...Check6

The WX is not going to cooperate for April 5-7 so we are rescheduling the clinic to April 26-28 and hope the WX will work out. The original link still is the best way to sign up. Hopefully those that could not make it due to Sun n fun now can!
And yes we do realize this is the same weekend as the KC Flight Clinic and this was our backup date due to our Airshow season starting.

Escape to Sedona ...Capt Sandy

It’s getting hot here in Ajo, so we decided to go to Sedona to escape the heat and do a little hiking:

Yay! There is room above the camping gear for my hat

Final Update (Nose Wheel Damage) ...Flying Canuck

Probably the last update I'll put in here. I'm just back from another flight that went exceptionally well. Between this thread, the many PMs I received and a very good conversation with Ralph the other night, I've managed to get on track with landing this amazing airplane. Lots more practice ahead, but the method is working great so far. Here is my "works for me" landing process.

If in the pattern, pull the power back on the climb to keep from jumping to 110 KT at altitude. Get downwind established at 85-90 KT, TRIM to keep that speed and stay level. This is about 18" MP for my plane. First bump of flaps (5 degrees) after abeam numbers, let it bring the speed back to 85 if necessary.

Turn base, add 2nd notch flaps in the turn, power back to 12", pitch for 75 KT and when there, TRIM to maintain the approach hands off.

Turn final, all of the rest of the flaps in the turn. Pitch for 65 KT and when there TRIM to maintain the approach hands off. Here I can play with the power a bit to fine tune the descent rate, don't need to do much. It flies in pointing to the ground (uncomfortably even).

Over the runway, doing 65 KT, once 6' AGL, flair to LEVEL. Speed will bleed off slowly as it settles down gently. Tonight I was flairing at 60-62 KT and it was gentle. As the mains touch, add enough back pressure to keep the nose wheel off as long as you can, maintain centerline with the rudder while it's still effective.

My corrections really come down to 4 things.
- Intentionally get my speeds down, earlier, lower and stable
- TRIM
- confidently point it at the runway, don't rush to flair, and use small and gentle stick adjustments
- discipline to keep the procedures tight every time

Lots more practice ahead - I've only got 5 landings in during this rehab stint - but they are the 5 best landings I've had in the plane. While I don't doubt that the plane can be landed well at higher speeds by a more skilled pilot, it REALLY likes landing close to 60 KT. The side benefit is that I don't have any trouble sharing the pattern/circuit with 172s, had a 152 up with me tonight and there was no problem.

Thanks to everyone who pitched in on this thread. I hope it can be as helpful to others here as it has been to me.

__________________
Claude Pitre
RV-9A #91081, C-GCPT

Mothership

Ignition Noise ...jump4way

I'm looking for some ideas to squash an ignition noise issue I'm having. I'm able to isolate the noise by shutting off one ignition and the noise goes away. The noise is a steady tick tick tick noise that has an increase in cadence as rpm increases. The oddity is that If I turn on my aux input battery powered bluetooth module, the noise goes away.

Things I've tried are:
1) ferrite cores on the power leads.
2) two types of noise filters with the offending ignition power wired through.
3) replaced spark plugs (using solid tipped automotive spark plugs)
4) Ohm tested each of the ignition leads for proper resistance. They all checked out to show appropriate resistance for the given length. I also slightly twisted and rotated the leads as I checked the ohm reading to see if anything seemed amiss.
5) crimped each of the spark plug connectors to ensure good contact.
6) put dielectric grease on each of the spark plug caps.
7) checked the spark plug gaps.

Any other ideas any0one might have?

Lil' dude, mom and cousins went to "build a bear" today. I was a more than a little impressed when the wife sent me some pics and Lil' dude was building a dragon with wings.  ...

Wing Paint Jig ...larrynew's method

Two sawhorses with a 2 pieces of pvc pipe in the lightening holes just aft of the spar. 2x4 running the length and screwed to sawhorses on both ends. Smaller pvc pipe in another lightening hole to prop it horizontal. Rotate as needed. Worked great and would do the same again.

Possible Solution to Why Wing Walk Didn't Stick ...MrNomad

Acrylic cleaner aka Prep Sol

The wing walk separation fault may be mine. Before I paint cars or airplanes, I always use a product known as Prep Sol, 3M Prep Solvent-70, to clean the surface.

To remove the old glue, I work with a credit card edge and lots of Prep Sol and it works nicely to remove the old residue. The paint remained intact (thank heaven).

The nice people at Flyboys suggested alcohol to clean the wing before applying the "walk" so I am wondering if the Prep Sol left a film that precluded adhesion. What works great with paint may NOT be what works great with the adhesive on the wing walk.

Once again, the folks at Flyboys offered a free replacement which serves as further testimony to their quality service. Blake claims that 95% of his customers have no issue but my walks have failed three times so I have to examine my procedures.

Comments welcome. What did u use before applying the "walk"?

Vid: Return Up the Keys to KLAL ...Paul/Beth Duff

Watch out for forward floor stiffener orientation ...Draker RV-7A

Here's a reminder to builders working on the forward fuselage. Don't make the mistake I did. This isn't really a gotcha because the plans are very clear:

When building the floor stiffeners, carefully examine drawing 23. For the inboard stiffeners, F-772B-R goes on the right side and F-772B-L goes on the left side. Makes sense. But for the outboard stiffeners, they must be reversed! F-772B-R outboard stiffener goes on the left side and F-772B-L outboard stiffener goes on the right side. If you aren't careful, it will not be obvious that you reversed them because the parts are similar and fit both ways. Later, you will go to fit the cover plates in the cabin and you will encounter this:

Angle Clip Interference ...mfleming RV-7

The aft top fuselage skin is ready to be riveted, but there is one skin rivet that's giving me problems.

This skin rivet is directly over the F- 707B angle clip shown on drawing 26, detail C and there is no way to buck this rivet..

In my frustration I compounded the problem by drilling out the skin rivet hole to ⅛" thinking I would install a Cherry rivet but the Cherry rivet hits the angle clip well before seating. I relived the angle clip some with jewelers files to see if that would give me room for the cherry rivet to seat but I stopped before relieving too much material.

The obvious solutions is to drill out the AN470AD4-5 rivets that hold the clip and rib to the F-707 bulkhead and reinstall after the skin rivet is bucked.

BUT, I'm afraid of screwing up the AN470AD4-5 when reinstalling. These were obviously originally installed without the top skin on from F-707 aft. The squeezer will not fit up there with skins on and one would have to use an offset rivet driver to buck the -4's and I have had mixed luck with those offsets....

Soooo....How important is this one little skin rivet? Not very I assume.

Any Ideas??

Testing fuel time with plain water ...romanov in Isreal

Fellow builders,

I have sealed the tanks and still dont have real fuel liquid close by.   Can I test the tanks with just water?  How accurate is that testing?  Is it possible that watter won't leak and 100LL later will.

(replies):
- Yes, Water has a much higher surface tension than 100LL. While it might not leak with water it doesn't mean that it is still 100% leak proof. You would be much safer to do the final test with either properly regulated air or 100LL.  The initial test with Water should be fine to test for larger leaks. If there are any of descent size then water will still leak.

- Without pressure, solvents, such as gasoline, can easily weep through spaces that water cannot, due to the lower surface tension.

Run up saves the day! ...jhk770

(I own a RV7A with an IO-360 with dual electronic ignition with auto spark plugs)

Here is a quick story that I thought was important to share and to emphasize how important run-ups are even though 99% of the times they are un eventful.

My wife and I flew down to SC to visit friends for the weekend. We had a great flight down and our RV7A performed great. After a few day visit, we departed KAND after a thorough preflight and uneventful Run-up. We decided to stop at Lake Norman (14A) to check out the area and grab some lunch. This time my run up detected a very bad ignition issue. I taxied back, uncowled the engine and searched for the issue checking the connections to the coil and then spark plugs. When I got to the left side of the engine, the lower spark plug wire was just dangling!!! I was shocked. The spark plug "cap" had fallen off which led to the spark plug wire to come off. During annual I always make sure that I tighten these 'Caps", but never in a million years would I expect one to come off. Luckily I had spare plugs in my tool kit and was able to replace the "cap" and be on out way home to NJ without any issues. I'm disappointed in myself because I always try scanning my CHT/EGT's but I never saw any indications of poor ignition to indicate a problem during the flight.

I'm so thankful I was trained well to use check lists and I never cut corners and skip Run-ups!!

My question is, has this happened to anybody else and do you think locktite on the threads would help prevent this from happening or is there another solution.

RV-7 Ryan in Oregon ...ryanflys RV-7

So it's finally staring to feel real. I've been wanting to build an RV since 2011 and I've actually taken the steps to begin. I'm currently setting up my shop in the garage and my Cleaveland tool set will arrive Wednesday!

I went down to Eugene a few weeks back and took the fundamentals class with Synergy Air. I learned a lot form the class and left feeling like this was something I could actually do. We built this thing:  ...

RV Hangar Repair

A lot of RV’s are housed in post frame / pole barn type hangars and some suffer with rotting posts.

Interesting video shows a method to repair rotting posts and keep the building structure sound.

RV-8 Prop Controller Issues ...pjmRV8

I have an RV-8 with O-360 A1A set up with a Hartzel CS prop. The prop controller teleflex goes through the firewall and makes an aggressive "90" to the prop governor on the rear of the engine.

After 1280 hours, it has become very stiff and hard to operate. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations to revive the cable or good replacements. It is roughly 50" long and I believe is the standard green cable provided by Vans.

Any help would be appreciated.

Mothership During SnF'19

Status Report ...Brantel RV-10

Tail cone is almost all primed and ready for final assembly. Faxing the order for the wings in tomorrow.

I assume I should get the tank floats and aileron trim option. I do plan on leading edge lights so should I get Van’s kit or just buy the duck works mounts like I did for the RV-7. Either way I will be using an LED landing light source of some kind.

Mothership News *

* ;^)

Some Thoughts on Tires & Brakes…

I fly from a private grass strip in northern Ohio. Needless to say, not much flying in the winter months. So, the spring ritual is to look over the machine really good while I wait for the ground to firm up. Even though I'm based on a grass strip, almost all my flying is from hard surface runways.

Brakes are as important as flight controls for airplanes with free-castering nosewheel. Loss of a brake pretty much means deviating from the runway and having a bad day. Original brakes were replaced at 80TT. Now my second set of linings is due for replacement at 415TT. I think the second set of linings lasted longer because the disc was conditioned by the first set of linings, at least that’s my theory. The brakes pulsate and it has bothered me from day one. The discs are soft steel and get scored-up something awful. I have decided to order new Matco discs and will have Master Chrome in Cleveland, OH hard chrome plate them before use. Master Chrome does hard chrome plating for Cleveland Wheel so I should a good result. The hard chrome surface should stay smooth and eliminate pulsation.

The original tires supplied by Vans lasted 200 hours. The outside edges got scalloped and worn to the thread. I installed Desser 500-5 6 PLY RTO Retread, Elite Premium 2 Groove. At 415TT I’m very happy with these tires. The tread shape has substantially more rubber on the outside edges providing excellent wear. I’m going to rotate tires L-R because right side tire is showing slightly more edge wear. My plan is to run the tires until end of flying season and then I will disassemble the wheels and flip the tires so fresh edge is to the outside. It looks like I should be able to get 600 hours on these tires by remounting them on the wheels when the outside edge is sufficiently worn.

Any ideas?

Coupla three days back at 17,500'.  No idea.  Anyone?  Click for full screen.  Labeled 'ALLIED1' w/a GS of 287 kts. (thread)

And I get the irony that it's nearly centered over Aurora, TX (of UFO fame). 

Temperature probe fails

I’ve had problems with cht probes coincidentally with parking the plane outside for a week both at sun n fun last year, a Florida trip this year. In both cases after takeoff was surprised to find the readings quite low like 300 & erratic vs 1300ish. Received a tip from someone about heating up the base of the probe to near red hot three times between cooling off. It actually worked and brought the probe to accuracy after failing on its own to come back. I have drip loops at the probes so moisture would not run into the probe but somehow condensation must be entering.
Now recently my oil temp probe is erratic and wondering about trying that but hesitant since it normally doesn’t see temps that high as a torch might bring. Anyone with oil temp probe symptoms?
__________________
Dave Ford

 

Just a test fit- but had to share ...Dan Reed

Picked it up from AFS Thursday and couldn't help but at least test fit it . Plenty to install behind the panel before it'll be secured, but wanted to see how it would look. It's set up to add an Avidyne GPS/NAV/COM at some point in the future.

In case anyone noticed the odd placement of the vent attachments, I had the modular panel (3 removable panels with radio stack) frame in before that I had to remove (will be in the classifieds at some point if anyone is interested).

1 Million Gallons of Oil on m'Belly! ...bkervaski

Fun times!

On Friday I went out to do my BFR and when I landed there was about a million gallons of oil on the belly of the airplane.

Took the cowling off, cleaned it all up.

Checked the oil, in reality only lost about 1/3qt.

The oil seemed to be collected around the oil cooler (right side bottom firewall on the 14), there was no signs of oil on the engine or near any of the connectors.

I couldn't find any leaks in the oil cooler. I took it off, pressure tested it (using only the "hold and blow" method and some soapy water). There were no signs of weeping near the elbows. No signs the oil cooler was the problem.

On the 14, the engine vent is pointing towards the oil cooler, dumping out over the exhaust.

The running theory at the field is that the vent line was clogged and came free dumping oil.

There was no indication in flight, no pressure drop or anything odd feeling/sounding.

My plan is to, while leaving the cowling off, taxi and run-ups to get the oil warm and see if any leaks show up.

Any suggestions or ideas? Thanks for any advice!

Oh .. and 1/3qt goes a LONG way

Family News

...the Tater at SMU for an 'incoming freshmen' type meet and greet.  Obligatory picture in front of the ponies. <g>.

Condition Inspection Findings

It has been over 11 years since I first flew my RV-9.

In that time I have changed the engine (O-290 to O-360) due to a prop strike. Last year I found a crack on my engine mount and replaced that.

I started my Condition Inspection on Friday night and so far so good. Compression on all four Cylinders are normal. Last year #3 was low and I was using oil like crazy. Just recently I noticed my oil consumption was back to normal and sure enough, the sparkplugs were all dry and the compression was back to "normal".

Last year I replaced the O-ring on the gascolator and lubricated it with fuel lube, which I would always do. This year I removed the unused plug on the gascolator and it pulled right off.

After the gascolator was reinstalled I decided to "bleed" the fuel pressure line. Over the past year I would get low fuel pressure warnings on my EFIS and have replaced the wire, sensor, etc. and it would still come back on occasion but once the engine warmed up, it would go away and not come back on. Also, even though it would read 1 PSI in a full power climb, the engine never sagged, so I know it was getting plenty of fuel.

So, this morning I turned on the electric fuel pump and started loosing the plug on the "manifold" that holds the fuel pressure sensor until fuel started coming out. I was surprised at how long it took for fuel to come streaming out, once it first bubbled. With fuel leaking out, I tightened the plug back up and then turned off the fuel pump and master.

I will report back, once I'm flying again to let you know if this solved my low fuel pressure readings.
__________________
Bill R.
RV-9

Advanced Flight Systems Sun-n-Fun Special

Sun-N-Fun Package Special with ACM-ECB.  I suspect you can't beat this deal, even if you do all the wiring.  You get to decide if you want HDX or AFS

Now I know how Dorothy and Toto felt! ...ronschreck

The Summertime Kansas winds can really pack a wallop! I visited Salina for a few days last week and tied down on their massive ramp. When I was ready to depart the winds were 170 degrees at 38 knots, gusting to 45! Two large men held down the wings while I untied the ropes, loaded and started. I told the tower I was unable to taxi crosswind to runway 17 and would they mind if I took off from the ramp. "No problem, cleared for takeoff." The takeoff roll must have been all of 100 feet!

When I landed in Houston I unscrewed the tie down rings. Here's how they looked!

Who Knew? <g>.

SNF Seminars ...Vic starts the thread

For those going to SNF next week, I thought we should start a thread allowing presenters to post their schedules.

Vic Syracuse:

Condition Inspections in the EAA tent on Wednesday April 3rd at 10:00 AM. The EAA Tent is on Laird Dr.

Flight Testing Experimental Aircraft on Friday April 5 at 10:00 AM in the EAA tent on Laird Dr.

Status Report ...jcarne RV-7A

Holy tomatillo, the aft top skins are done!

New guy and potential -10 builder!

Hello all,

New to the community although I’ve been researching airplanes to buy for years. I just can’t seem to justify spending a couple hundred grand on a certified aircraft that will be a project and to some extent “unknown” since a rod could be thrown or a case cracked at any time putting me out 50k for an engine swap. With that said, I think I’ve settled on an RV-10 for my family of 4 (two babies). I guess my concerns are how long the project will take to build and really how much experience or inclination you need to have as a builder. While I got a degree in aerospace engineering many years ago, I’m basically next to useless with my hands in terms of home or car repair, but I’m smart enough to learn when I need to. If things go my way and I get the orders I want next (in the Navy), then I’ll be set to buy the first (empennage) kit and tools/prep equipment this summer. If my wife moves ahead of me to get settled, I’m hoping to have at least a few months where I’ll be able to put in 2-4 hours a day of work into the kit. If I can knock out the empennage kit in that time (300-400 hours), I’m hoping the QB fuse/wing kits will really accelerate the project at my next stop. Is it realistic to have a -10 ready to start within 3 years if I can knock out 300-400 hours of work on the empennage kit in a few months and then QB kits after that? I am also all ears on recommendations, advice, and tips for a new builder! I really like learning from others’ mistakes.

EDIT: are there any RV-10 owners willing to indulge a ride in San Antonio or New Orleans?

Thanks all for the input on my ramblings!
-Josh

Garmin FIS-B New Weather Products on Aera 660 and Aera 79X (Available 3/26/19)

Aera 79X software version 5.60, and Aera 660 software version 3.50 have been released and are currently available for download.

related: emagair.com

Tri-Level Tournament Trip Write-up ...rph142

I always consider the Indian Wells pro tennis tournament the unofficial start of my rec tennis season. This year would be unique in that my wife along with her team won the fall Norcal Tri Level tourney and was invited to play and the national tournament alongside the pros with the other winners from across the country. This of course gave me a great excuse to put hours on my 3B.

Here's my machine, ready willing and able, with a fresh oil change and glossy coat of wax.  ...

Roll your own Mag cover ...AX-O

I am getting ready to build a motor and wanted to step up in class during the portions of the build where catastrophic FOD inside the motor could occur.

Specifically the portion where I put a piece of cardboard where the mags and other accessories go.

So since I have been designing things on Solidworks for the plane, figured I could give this a try. The studs on the case are too long. I will fix that later. This is just a trial fit. I rounded the edges on the cover so I could easily grab it with my fingers to remove it. I also re-enforce the area with a flange in case it got smacked, it did not fall apart. The part is strong like bull.

Designed cover on Solidworks  ...

Baffle Mod Tinkering ...DanH

"...I tend to experiment. I enlarged the bypass for #3 and got some further reduction. This photo was taken while making that mod; I've cut away the hammered duct:"

A larger bypass was riveted on:

Throttle and Mixture Cable Routing ...Lynnb RV-10

So I'm using Van's Throttle Quad and Standard cables, I went to route them tonight to check the lengths were good, which they are, but the clearance around the engine for the Throttle cable is really tight. I ran the mixture cable under the engine mount and I think it will work, just wondering how others have routed theirs and am I missing anything. (see pics.)

New Product Release AEROSPORT Plastic Air Vents

Aerosport Products now has a new line of plastic Air vents. These air vents come in 2 sizes and configurations. Large vents are 1.625" ID and the small are 1.25" ID. They both come in a square mount version or round panel mount version. The square mount is a direct replacement for the 3.25" square mount
vent that Van's and may other aircraft companies have used for years.  ...

Mothership

Mounted Rudder Pedal Assembly and Brakes and Wheels on Ken Krueger's Landing Gear

Time lapse vid from 3/25.  Building my own aircraft - a Vans RV-8.  HB-YZZ

[ed. Neat rotisserie there at the end of the clip!  v/r,dr]

First Flight

First Flight

First Flight

First Flight

First Flight

Note from Luke

Classic Aero Interior Lead Times

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to put out a heads up to those planning to place an order in the near future. Due to the recent release of side panels for the RV-14, the volume of orders on our schedule is about double the normal amount. Currently our ship dates have been pushed out to around the end of August.

We expect this to be a temporary situation. Historically our lead time has ranged from about 8-12 weeks (usually depending on the time of year). We will be working to get back to that. Over the past 12 months, we have invested significantly in new epuipment to produce our own metal parts in house. This was in aniticipation of the RV-14 side panels. We expect this to give us greater control over scheduling, and cost.

If you need your interior by this fall, you will need to place an order pretty soon. On the other hand, if you won't need your interior until next spring or later, it would be helpful if you could hold off until later this year so that we can take care of customers that will be ready to fly sooner.

I appreciate everyone's understanding so far as we've been working through this transition.

Best regards,
__________________
Luke Doughton
Classic Aero Designs

Pictures from 'Alcohol and Flying' Trip Writeup ...Bill R.

Traffic Jam During Superbloom ...AX-O

I guess I don't get originality points for taking my wife to see the flowers from the air but......

I was probably 20 miles out when I spotted the flowers, even in the haze they were bright. Once we got closer we noticed the traffic jams. Cars for miles and miles. My wife says "OMG look at the traffic jams, glad we are flying". I said "well you look all you want, I have to fly and deal with my traffic jam". It was craziness out there.

G3X Touch Software V8.20 now available 3/26/19

While the G3X was being certified, Team X continued to move forward with software features for the E-AB and LSA markets. G3X Touch software 8.20 is now available for non-certified aircraft and can be downloaded from the Garmin website:

Lightning, Cloud Tops Forecast, Turbulence Forecast, Icing Forecast

Related:
- New Product Announcement: GPS 175/GNX 375 IFR Navigators (3/25/19)
- G3X Touch is now CERTIFIED (3/25/19)

Status Report ...David Paule RV-3B

Now both the seat and the baggage floor are pilot-drilled.

After this, I removed these and drilled the substructure for the nut plate mounting screws. No photo on the holes, and the hardware is on order. I did remove the flat seat ribs and added the nutplates to these, as it was easier to do that then do them in place.

With both landing gear legs drilled to the engine mount, I located and pilot-drilled the U-403 brake mounting fitting to the axels. Then, Rick and I drilled its mounting hole. The drills used were, in order and in inches, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, N and finally the .311 reamer. I forgot to get a photo, but there wasn’t anything especially noteworthy about the set-up. Rick made some aluminum vee-blocks, which did a fine job gripping the axle. The 1/8 bit was in the pilot hole, which was just deep enough to locate it. We eyeballed the bit for verticality, rotating the axle as needed, and then went ahead and drilled it.

The landing gear is all going back to storage as I won’t need it for a while. The reason all this took place now was merely because it was easy to align to the fuselage at this stage. I’ll all in favor of making things easy. Besides, it's so much easier to rotate the fuselage when the gear legs aren't on it.

I found several smallish parts that haven't been plated yet, like the brake flanges and rudder cable straps, and got those ready for plating. I'd better have a look in the crates to see if there's anything else, too.

Superbloom Yesterday ...Brian RV-4

My wife and I just went yesterday. We hiked Walker Canyon a few years ago to see the Spring Bloom, but this year we saw it from a slightly different perspective.

...The GPS 175 and GNX 375 offer a beautifully blended user interface with a dual concentric knob and a touchscreen. The touchscreen allows for quick data entry and key features such as graphical flight plan editing while the knob allows for quick page switching and an alternate means of data entry. For those of you with experience in the Garmin GNS series or G3X systems, the page selection via the outer knob will make you feel right at home."  more

G3X Touch is now CERTIFIED (3/25/19) ...Garmin

"Since so many of you have interest in the G3X Touch system and have interests outside of E-AB aircraft as well , I wanted to let you know that Garmin has received AML STC on nearly 500 single engine aircraft models. Check out the Garmin website to see a full list of the supported models...."  more

-8A Cracked Canopy

Cruising along at 4500 ft. Saturday from Rostraver, PA (FWQ) to Bolivar, MO (M17) fat, dumb and happy. OAT 23 degrees; 163 kts TAS; no turbulence. Hear a loud bang, but no change in engine parameters or flying qualities. Landed at I23 (Fayette County, OH) to check things out. Discovered a 15 inch crack in the right side of the canopy about ten inches forward of the cross brace. Sikoflex install with not a single rivet in the canopy. Previously had and stopped drilled two 6-inch cracks on either side just forward of the cross brace so I felt further cracking was not going to occur. Have no idea what the specific causes were unless I inadvertently created stress points when clamping the canopy during initial fitting.

Want to attempt a repair before punting to a new install. Can anyone point me to the previous forum threads that offer the best repair advice?

And yes - that dull roar you may have heard early Sat morning was me repeatedly going through my curse word inventory.

Recent First Flights Reported on Mothership

Alcohol and Flying ...a travel story from Bill R.

In talking with some friends, we wanted to get together for a weekend away from home, without the kids, preferably someplace halfway between us.

We thought Rough River State Park would be good and one of the wives was making a reservation at a local B&B only to be told by the proprietor that there was nothing to do there and if we were looking to do something other than hang out at the B&B, we might look to go somewhere else.

Back to the charts to find a place that was not too far away.

After much studying over my last glass of bourbon my eyes fell upon Frankfort, KY (KKT). Frankfort happens to be the capital of Kentucky and smack dab in the middle of the Bourbon Trail.

With four planes and advance planning completed, the eight of us were ready to go and the wives were busy planning meals, distillery tours, etc.

Friday morning, March 22nd rolled around and there was snow and ice in the Cleveland, OH area but clear throughout the rest of the Southeastern US.

The RV that was to join us from Cleveland dropped their kids off at school and started driving south and would be late getting to FFT.

The V-tail Bonanza that was coming in from Atlanta had to work late and would be late getting to FFT.

The T-tail Lance that was supposed to come from Nashville texted and said they were in Florida and would be late getting to FFT.
Do you see a pattern starting to develop?  continue

Not RV But Too Cool Not to Spotlight

...Ironflightflies!

Broken Step - Pilot Side

During inspection I came across a crack in the pilot step. The crack shown in the picture is located on the front side of the step at the intersection of the horizontal step to the vertical portion that leads up to the fuselage. I ordered new steps from Vans and noticed that the welds in this area are very small. The picture was taken with the step being flexed in a vise.

Just providing this for others to see, the airplane has around 900 hours on it... - Jason

Hidden Oil Door Latch Article ...Brad Benson

Fuel Pump Mounting - EFII

I'm trying to keep everything under the stock fuel injection cover.  What do you think about mounting the pump like this? The floor stiffeners would be drilled for the bolts.

related: More VAFcast episodes

Milestone: IFR Checkride Passed ...Dave Ford RV-10

Today passed my ifr check ride in my 10. First rv10 the examiner had flown in, was impressed with what we get for the money vs. Cirrus, Columbia, even the high priced Cessnas he flies in. He does a lot of check rides for the local college here.

Had a slight glitch to overcome regarding partial panel, he’s used to g1000 or steam but not the experimental glass. Since I was able to duplicate on another screen primary instruments when covering up ai he thought that wasnt acceptable for acs standards . He learned something about IR.VII.D.R1 that ‘use of secondary flight displays when primary displays have failed’ allows a complete secondary efis to qualify as a true secondary backup.

Now looking forward to the 10 opening up more adventure.

RV-Lancair Brotherhood Day ...snopercod

Owen and I fought the turbulence on this bright and sunny Saturday and met for lunch at the Runway Cafe at GMU. My ground speed hit 198 Kts. on the way down (but 140 on the way back ). They were swarming like butterflies in the pattern, but the tower sorted everybody out safely. There was already another RV-12 parked there, but we don't know who it belonged to. Purple RV-12: If you're here, identify yourself!

Bragging on the Kiddo

You already know our daughter Audrey is out on the west coast pursuing her PhD in ChemBio.  She sent me this pic the other day of some lady she met out there.

The lady on the right?  Our awesome daughter Audrey (the 'AR' in N617AR).

The lady on the left?  Winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Dr. Frances Arnold.

Audrey texted me 'Whatcha working on?' when she sent me the pic.  I didn't have the heart to tell her I was working on a bit about farts... ;^)