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RV4
1982 at 2J9 Quincy, Florida. Seth Matthews gave me a ride in an unpainted RV4 that he had just finished. It knocked my socks off and I wished for one until 2006, at which time I ordered a RV8 just for the extra room and pre-punched kit.
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I was talking to a guy who had just built a Varieze and questioned him on popular kit planes that I might consider. Without hesitation he mentioned the RV. I thought it odd that he wasn't trying to sell me on his own creation, but I fully understand now.
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First one I ever saw was a -4
Early 2000s I flew my C-140 to another airport for lunch. Taxied over to the ramp and there was this fast looking thing right next to where I parked. As I was looking it over the owner, Roger Moore, came out and the next thing I knew we started blasting around the sky in an RV-4 at 160! Coming from a C-140 that was way cool. Was so excited I never did eat lunch. Flew home and found out how much an RV cost.
Sold the 140 the next month and yes- the next airplane in my hangar was an RV-3 (couldn't afford a 2 seater yet). Most expensive plane ride I've ever been on but worth every penny....... |
Just had gotten back into flying after 15 years and I was on the ramp preflighting a rental 1960 something Cherokee 140 and Jim Cone came ripping over the airport and banked into a hard turn to base. I decided right then I want one! Bought the quickbuild within a year.
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I joined EAA back in 1983. In the January 1983 Sport Aviation magazine there was an article about a guy who built an RV-3 "Candy Apple Red". At the time, I was more interested in the Rutan stuff and thought it would be cool to carve something out of foam and fiberglass. Boy, I'm glad I didn't go down that route!
I did however note that there were some benefits to all aluminum traditional aircraft structures, and over the years saw more and more articles about Van's RV's. The introduction of the RV-9 and the use of the Roncz airfoils had me intrigued. John Roncz was quite the aerodynamicist and did lots of work with Rutan. My first real encounter with an RV was a flight in Bill Cary's RV-9A about a year before I pulled the trigger on building my own. |
friends don't let friends fly plastic airplanes
One of my patients (who races his RV-8) found out I was considering buying a fiberglass Tango 2. Before he left the office, he wrote down ?vansairforce.net? and encouraged me to look at an RV-7A.
He told me ?friends don?t let friends fly plastic airplanes.? I bought my kit the following year. |
Intro to RV's by a "pro"
Back in the 80's took a ride in the factory Glassair III. Fast forward to 2004. I had an opportunity to meet Lyle Heffel in DBQ at his shop where he was working on his 4th or 5th. Then off to the airport for a ride in his award winning 8. This performed as well or better than the GIII at half the cost, I was hooked. Ordered my 7 tail kit a few months later.
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The first time I heard of an RV was in 2000 when an RV-3 crashed on my old school oval. :eek:
After that, I looked into them and decided the KR-2 held more appeal until I actually bought one and discovered I didn't quite fit well enough for long flights. So a decade later I bought the kit for a -9 - still without trying a -9 on for size either. |
The first time I ever heard of the RVs was when I was in sixth grade in 1989. Dad brought home a copy of Kitplanes and I had taken it to read at school since I was generally bored out of my little mind. That issue had a picture of two RV-4s flying in close formation. I decided I wanted to build one right then.
Around 2001 when I first saw an RV-8 I decided that might be a little better since I wasn't sure my shop skills were up to the task and the RV-8 kit seemed more advanced. Unfortunately, life and career got in the way. which put any dreams of having an airplane on hold. Around 2008 I was back on my feet, but now had two kids so I seriously considering buying a used Piper or Cessna. Fortunately I got a chance to ride in a very nice RV-8a. That pretty much erased all doubts of what I wanted. The finish kit for my -8 is supposed to arrive in early March. I expect to be flying about 30 years after dad brought home that magazine. |
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