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Dogs Rhino 889

Scott is you dog related to Lt. JM Ayers' dog? They both look like they could hold a bucking bar.
 
Scott is you dog related to Lt. JM Ayers' dog? They both look like they could hold a bucking bar.

The small paws are good for getting into the small spaces.

Here's the finished horizontal stab, 34.5 hours logged so far:
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And storage:
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Vertical stabilizer completed

Completed the vertical stab tonight. 45.1 hours logged on the project so far.

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Super spectacular significant space saving storage system (hangers i built from random junk lying around the garage). I'm building in a one car garage so gotta save space where I can:
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Instroducing the RV-8R

This is my project 6 years in the making to this point. So far the emp, wings, and most of the fuse is done. I'm currently working on the fiberglass components. The engine is a Rotec R-3600 9 cylinder radial engine.

Mods to the fuse to fit the engine include a new top to the firewall, a new intermediate bulkhead between the firewall and instrument panel, a new top skin, new stainless tunnel and bottom skins, and a new cowling. As you can see in the pictures I am currently working on the cowling.

I will be producing a conversion kit for the RV-8 in the future, and will post updates as I get them. In the meantime enjoy the pictures and Message me with any questions you may have.

Brian Kelly

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Rad rad radial

Sweet! There's just too much coolness in this community. By necessity, I'm the most plain of the plain-Jane builders, but MAN is it fun to hang out around so many envelope pushers.

--
Stephen
 
Looks like a cool airplane!

Some advice from somebody who has done a couple of plugs like the one for your cowling: Don't scrimp on the fiberglass skin for the plug. Go with six or eight layers of 9oz cloth or so. If necessary, sand the foam down a bit further to allow for the extra thickness of glass (about .011" per ply). Also, use an even mix of 0-90 and 45-45 fibers. Once you have a nice thick-skinned plug, then worry about fine contours and surface finish.

The reason to use such a thick skin is to keep the exterior surface smooth while the stuff inside it (the styrofoam and spray foam and wood) tries to change shape and shrink and grow. It doesn't change shape much, but when it does the different materials will all do it at different rates, giving what we came to know as the "Michelin Man effect."

If you make a nice smooth, well-fitting plug, you'll get a nice smooth mold, and that mold will yield parts you'll be proud of. Email me offline if you need any help. Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted, and I have lots of composites experience.

Thanks, Bob K.
 
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Ah.. the spirit of homebuilding lives.

That cowl looks big enough to have a Chevy V8 tucked in there:rolleyes:

Good luck, keep the photos coming please.
 
WOW

How on earth did you get such an even and symetrical result just by doing it by hand.

That is a GREAT job.

That is exceptional crafting
 
Thank you to everyone....

For the kind comments. This has been a fun process and I can't wait to get her in the air. The cowling symmetry came from hours of careful carving and sanding as well as some templates. Bob, I'll definately take your advise (btw your glider project is really awesome!). I believe this is the essence of homebuilding and I want to thank DR for a wonderful platform in which to share this project with the world.

BK

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Prop sizes

This might be a completely naieve question but if the cowling is that much bigger do you need to have a bigger prop as well, considering there is something in the way of at least part of the thrust area?

I have no idea how any of that works, or is if that 80% of the thrust comes from the last 20% of the blades....

If anyone knows I am all ears
 
This might be a completely naieve question but if the cowling is that much bigger do you need to have a bigger prop as well, considering there is something in the way of at least part of the thrust area?

The prop disk area in front of the cowl does produce thrust, assuming the prop designer found it possible (a structural issue) to maintain an efficient airfoil near the root. However, a dig in the NACA archive will turn up a detail.

Typical prop design assumes propeller disk inflow will be uniform across the whole of the disk. However, with a radial cowl the inflow near the center is something like 70% of freestream velocity, with the percentage rising as you move outward along the blade span. So, a really well done prop for a radial needs to tweaked for less pitch near the root, rising to "normal" pitch near the cowl diameter and hence all points outboard.

There's no tip speed issue at 7 feet or more because of the R3600's 2400 propshaft RPM at redline. However, I'm guessing three blades because of landing gear length.

Brian, Don Bates was good enough to modify his Prop Optimizer Pro software for radial cowl inflow when I was working on a biplane project. If you want to buy a copy of the program I'm sure he could tweak the code for you too.

Love the project....
 
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Rotec package

Rotec optimized a two and three blade propeller for the R-3600. I'll definately be going with the three blade for ground clearance. Here is a picture with the engine and prop installed on a zenith 200.

http://www.rotecaerosport.com/wp-content/gallery/temora-2011/P1000709.JPG

http://www.rotecaerosport.com/2011/05/raa-natfly-temora-2011/

The best part of Rotec's service is the engine will arrive with an engine mount done to my specs, the engine, tbi, and the propeller. Essentially I'll just have to pick it up out of the box and bolt it onto the firewall.
 
wow

I love those radials, flown behind a many of p&w's 985 and 1340. Scared though to think of how much one for my 8 would cost.:eek:

bird
 
It's not as much as you would think!

I'm not sure of the current price ( I locked mine in at Oshkosh a few years ago ) but contact Paul at Rotec and you'll find the price is FAR less than a new lycoming.

We are planning a conversion kit for the RV-8. When you factor in the parts left out of a normal kit, the total cost of the conversion with the engine still comes in below what you would have with a complete RV-8, with a new lycoming O-320.

The kit will be able to be used on either slow build or quick build kits.
 
hmm

Thats very interesting, I am gonna check that out. How far out is the conversion kit? I am at the point now to order a finishing kit in the next few weeks or so, but could wait. I reaaally like radials a lot. Thanks

bird
 
I'm hoping to have the kit available in a year. I'll be looking for someone who would like a radial conversion to let us use their RV-8 to proof our production parts on. PM me if interested.

BK
 
I'm hoping to have the kit available in a year. I'll be looking for someone who would like a radial conversion to let us use their RV-8 to proof our production parts on. PM me if interested.

BK

Brian, that is hands down the most bad @$$ RV-8 I have ever seen. When I get around to engine hanging time, I hope your conversion kit is available. Good Job!!
 
Brian, that is hands down the most bad @$$ RV-8 I have ever seen. When I get around to engine hanging time, I hope your conversion kit is available. Good Job!!

Adam, we'll definately try to have it available in time for your project. In the mean time everyone can follow along our progress by going to:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radial-Conversions/298329773520538?sk=page_getting_started#!/pages/Radial-Conversions/298329773520538

Thanks for all of the kind comments.

Brian
 
HS Spar riveting

Here is my project so far. All my HS pieces are ready for assembly, and as of tonight my HS Spar is riveted together.
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New RV-8 Underway in Florida

Empennage kit is almost done, I hope to have the elevators finished up before New Years day. I started with the vertical stab and rudder then moved to the HS then elevators. I'll try posting some links, hopefully this works.

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/5533/28vertstabdone.jpg
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/4862/28rudderledone.jpg
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/6784/31ruddertestfit.jpg
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Hot Rod Flat Black

Starting to have some parts come out of paint. The color is Dupont Hot Rod Black.



 
What's shiny and silver and has 2 wings?

This seems like a HUGE milestone - 2 wings...

I'm coming up on 3 years - and it is the first time the wings have been on. I thought I'd never finish the plenum - and lots of fiberglass prep to do, but my thoughts have now turned to paint, which in itself seems monumental.

AND it is still fun!

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Left elevator and therefore the empennage kit "almost" done

I think that I am the epitome of the term "slow build", but regardless, I try to do something every day on the build in the name of progress. The left elevator has been kickin' my rear end for a while now, for a host of different reasons, but I think I am finally gaining the upper hand.

I went with the riblet approach for the trim tab ends, instead of trying to bend the tabs, and it turned out fairly well. This is my first, and hopefully the last trim tab that I will have to make!

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The horizontal and vertical stab are both built and ready for the MD-RA preclose inspection. Now I'll have to wait until I get back from a forestry contract before I can start priming and riveting the rudder. Maybe I can do a long awaited update to the website while I'm gone. Does it ever feel good to hit milestones like this, where it actually looks like airplane parts. :)

I shall crack a beer or two tonight!

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Nice progress Adam!

And with the "Rivet Gods" looking over the build I think it is safe to go away on your contract job :D
 
Elevator alignment with a laser level

Thought this was way more fascinating than a pic of a lowly trim tab, so I thought I would post the following pics of my efforts to check the alignment of my elevators while installed "in trail" with the HS. This was pretty fun, especially when I saw just how "aligned" everything seems to be. Higher resolution pics and details of the setup are on my blog site link in the signature line.

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Stunning

The faded/blended checkering looks great! Looking forward to seeing the rest! Dave
 
Small milestone hit.

My 12 year old daughter Lauren and I were busy in the garage after she got home from school. We finished off riveting the last three ribs on the right wing. It's now off the stand and in the cradle.

My little helper did an outstanding job on the rivet gun while I bucked the rivets.

She of course had to leave her mark in the wing!

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Time now to finish off the left tank!
 
RV-8 Rolled out for first engine start

N317DC rolled out of hanger at Stead AFB for first engine start. LyCon IO-360 M1S cranked up and ran just fine. A few more tweaks on the Skyview followed by the FAA inspection and she will be ready to go. Hoping for first flight sometime in May.


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Dave Casey
QB RV-8
LyCon I0360-M1S
MT Three Blade
RV-3 (now for sale)
 
Looks good Dave. Hard to tell from the photo, what is that about 2/3rd the way down your fuse? Static port? Or the pop out handle mod?
 
almost ready for engine start

So, is this inlet scoop big enough? And how do I fit the cowl around it? :)



Almost ready for first engine start. People have asked for pictures of my home made cooling shroud, so here it is. Want to get a good long engine run on the ground before flight.


Picture of our tail graphic, we just got it on. Without the rudder it looks crooked, but I measured it and it is within a 1/32, big relief.

 
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Another RV-8 moves to the paint shop

After more than six years of building we moved our RV-8 Fuselage to the paint shop this weekend.
This feels like a major milestone as the dream of flight is another step closer to reality!

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