'Flash' ...my
RV-6 This section shows
my airplane from a few angles, and describes some of the upgrades/maintenance going on.
Flash is powered by a traditional aircraft engine, an ECi O-360, and her
yearly inspections are done, and all major work inspected by, my A&P/AI
buddy Randy Richmond (card below). I know I can do it myself with
the repairman's certificate, but I choose to have a guy that does this
stuff for a living look over my shoulder. He always finds stuff,
and I'm not comfortable doing major FWF work without his oversight.
Money well spent, for me.
R V - 6 N 6 1 7 A R.
Ed Hicks photograph.
Travels to Date
click image for a 2000 pixel
wide enlargement
Latest Updates/Upgrades/News...
Sep-Nov/08 Flash is getting a panel
upgrade after 6 years of flying. I'm trying to
time this with getting an IFR rating, so I combined the two
in one section.
5/14/08 ASA flight timer mounted next to TnB indicator (Pictoral Pilot
heading autopilot) for procedure turns and holding patterns.
Acts as a nice Halo headset holder also <g>.
Altitude Hold button seen just under the Pictoral Pilot.
You can see in this 3,000 pixel wide image the newly
positioned mag compass on the pax side and the hole cover
added (gonna glue the compass correction card on that).
The wire hanging down under the panel near the battery box
is the GPS wire from the 496 that'll soon go into the
autopilot. I'm waiting on a
cable from Garmin to get that tied in.
The plan is to be able to shoot an ILS approach using the
VOR mounted under the Dynon, but at the same time have the
approach loaded in the 496 for situational awareness.
The tray is working swell. I stuffed all kinds of junk
in there on today's lunch flight. AFD, sectional,
camera and candy bar.
In the second image you can see the antennae farm that Tony
worked up a little better. It's mounted on the side of
the cockpit that I can't turn around to, so it's not in the
way. All three (room for four) pucs have a clear,
unobstructed view of the sky.
Next....calibrate the remote compass.
5/13/08 Pics of the existing panel's IFR upgrades online at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/VansAirForce/FlashPanel051308.
Gearing up for real, honest to goodness IFR lessons in the
RV. Dynon upgraded with remote compass, OAT probe and
input from 496. ADI installed on pax side, compass
move over left one hole, wires cleaned up behind the panel
and a nice box for AF/D, approach plates, etc ready for use.
Up next, hardwiring 496 into power bar and autopilot.
5/11/08 Existing panel is getting
some pre-IFR lesson updates: remote compass and OAT probe
installed, glove box, ADI back on pax side and antennae pucs moved to a
tray behind the roll bar. Onward ho!
5/5/08 Work begins on making the
existing panel truly and legally IFR (the
new panel
will be installed in a few months, so this is a temp upgrade just
for the lessons). Day one: mounting the remote compass module for
the Dynon.
2008 All glass IFR panel being
planned. IFR rating currently being obtained. (follow
the progress)
November 2005 AOA indicator Advanced
Flight Systems AOA Pro installed. This thing completely rocks!
It is now my PRIMARY landing instrument.
October 2005
TruTrak
ADI 10/5/05...just installed yesterday over at RV Central. I haven't
flown it yet, but took a picture this morning at 0700 before work.
(moved the Dynon over to the pax side). Always playing with
stuff...
Jan 2005 New engine. Upgraded from
a Lyc O-320D2J and Sensenich FP propt to an
ECi TITAN™ 180hp KitEngine
(see its assembly)
and Hartzell blended airfoil C/S prop.
May 2005 TruTrak Pictorial Pilot ...added May 2005 as a replacement to the
Trio Avionics head and Navaid servo out in the wingtip. Now Flash
has a TruTrak servo under the seat (btw, there was nothing wrong with
the Trio - it worked flawlessly for the year and a half that I had it.
I'm slowly turning the plane into a IFR platform and this worked for me
(can't have enough stuff that clearly shows wings level). Bought from
www.AviationTechProducts.com
and installed at www.RVCentral.us.
