What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Show us the status of your 7/7A project!

Wings are on! Mostly...

Put the wings on at OXR yesterday. Persuaded a Cardinal-owning friend and two others to join me in a little bit of aluminum Tetris, plus my hangar-mate Ron and a friend of his threw in for a bit as well.

I heard somebody out there was going to do a first flight of a -7, but scrubbed because of weather. Hakan, was that you?

20130601-152501.jpg
 
Oh no Mike, just the right wing on workhorses upside down for the rivetting of the flaps hinge. Did you do that lying on the floor and working overhead?? It's possible, you know...
 
Oh no Mike, just the right wing on workhorses upside down for the rivetting of the flaps hinge. Did you do that lying on the floor and working overhead?? It's possible, you know...

No, I bought a project with the flaps and their mounting already done.

But then, the 10 uses a different flap system due to the reflex used in cruise.
 
Milestone complete..Empennage is done!

My Empennage is done. YEA! 223 hours. I'm so glad. Just in time too. Wing and Fuse kits are on the shipper dock. I pick them up this Friday. Way cool!
I can finally change my signature. :D

21e3f9h.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Hey, I need one of those lifts to keep my RV out of the constantly-flooding Mississippi water! How much do they cost?

Jim Bower
RV-6A St. Louis
 
Hey, I need one of those lifts to keep my RV out of the constantly-flooding Mississippi water! How much do they cost?

Jim Bower
RV-6A St. Louis

$10-15k depending on options, shipping arrangements, etc. Solid investment if you drag out the acquisition cost over typical storage costs since now you can share/maximize the space

not to mention, it makes maintenance easier!
 
I got my Hartzell CS

Today I travelled to Piqua OH and picked up my prop. There they gave Dan, Mike and I a tour of the shop. The last time I was in that shop was 1984. Wow, have things changed. I was told at OSH that there was a 7-8 week lead time; I came home and ordered on Thursday and the next Tuesday, Doris called and said my prop was ready. The savings account got an early hit. She also encouraged me to bring some EAA Chapter members for a tour. Hartzell are great hosts. Thanks to Doris and Larry.

Smidler, Papa Mike is ready for some help.

Paul
LAF
N277PM Working on canopy, again.
2013 Paid

279644bd-4b82-42c2-8d3f-25be6c5a4ab4_zps7213ca70.jpg

3Loading_zpsbb704dba.jpg

5tiedown_zps0cfb81c6.jpg
 
Received our Prop!

To go along with Paul's excitement, we also took delivery of our prop last week!!! Engine is due Oct 1st
IMG_2575.JPG
 
Canoe rolling

Here's a status on my RV 7
/Users/keithrhea/Desktop/IMG_0082.jpg and here we are a few weeks later/Users/keithrhea/Desktop/Fuse with top skins.jpg


Keith Rhea

2013 dues paid
Finish kit ships 9/24
Engine sitting on stand
Prop ordered.
Avionics coming out of N60KR which is going to be yard art.
 
Real live wings!

Getting a bit 'o help from the kidz .. they help flip the wings on the stand

23rvm82.jpg


Getting close to some serious Pro-seal!
 
Time for a couple of pictures

I have had a couple private message about posting pictures of the build so far. Although I had another site they lost a lot of pictures and the links don't work well either.
so here are some pictures.
We hopefully are at the final stages. Were finished with the painting I can afford at this point and the airbrush will have to wait till spring or after the smoke installation.
first the engine installation. It is a Superior engine with fuel injection, gami injectors. The engine was built by Carlus Gann of Gann Aviation.
2463qz7.jpg


The second is a picture of the plane with the wings and ailerons finally installed for the last time. The rest will be assembled this week and hopefully will weigh it Wednesday.
fuc8yu.jpg





Hopefully we'll have a bunch next week..... of it flying.
Smilin' Jack
 
Thanks Bruce,
We're going to try to put the rest of the flight controls on tomorrow and Wednesday put the rest together and get it weighed. Then off on a couple more trips. Be back October 14 to try to wrap it up and get my inspection.
Jack
 
Working in the cabin

Working on the baggage compartment. Lots of modifications here. I'm setting up removable floors so lots of nut plates.

2013-10-28%252019.19.22.jpg
 
Hung our engine!

We reached another milestone today; hung our brand new YIO-360-M1B! First time with no experienced helpers and it took about an hour. Noticing the lower nuts would be the most difficult to get on, we put those bolts in first. Took maybe 10 minutes. The top two took a little more finagling and moving of the engine. I spent too much time trying to move the engine to align with the rubber biscuit only to realize rubber is a lot easier to maneuver than steel. I used the webbing from a tie-down strap and wrapped it around the forward biscuit. This gave me just enough leverage to move the biscuit hole to match the engine bolt hole. Installed the bolt with aft biscuit/spacer and that was it! We ended up needing 2 washers on the bottom bolts and 3 on top. Installing the cotter pins on the lower nuts was a pain.

IMG_2850.JPG
 
Speaking on cotter pinning the engine mount bolts. After I had completed cottering my engine, a couple of A&P's wandered by and noticed the cotter pins. They thought I was crazy for not simply using all metal lock nuts. Any thoughts on this subject?
 
I have a friend that used all metal locknuts on his RV7. I think he is over 500hrs now. No issues.

Joe Blank from Van's mentioned to me that he used all metal locknuts on his RV-6 (and several other airplanes) and has never had an issue. I may order some and switch the castle nuts out.
 
Hey John! The panel design is pretty much complete. I'm waiting on powder coating it until we decide where the oil cooler and alternate air push-pull controls are going to be. Once that is determined, I'll get the panel powder coated, laser engraved for text and installed. The airplane is completely wired and ready to go. We will have the following:
2 - AFS 5600 EFIS displays
TruTrak Digiflight II VSVG Autopilot
GTN-750 GPS/NAV/COM
GMA-35 Remote audio panel
GX-33 Remote transponder
GNC-255A backup NAV/COM
and a VP-X to run it all

Still undecided on an ADS-B solution. Things are evolving so fast in this area that I want to wait until we are about ready to fly before committing to one particular piece of hardware. We will probably use either the GDL-88 and display it on the GTN-750 or get the Dynon ADS-B box and display on the EFIS screens.
 
So, you want to paint your own airplane hu? well, I can only describe it like this, do you remember how &%$#? it was to drill, deburr, and dimple all those holes? let alone deburr....Not complaing here, just a warning!

Well here is a short clip of 1/10,000 of the amount of time required to do an OK piant job. If I had the extra 10-20K, I would have farmed this part out. Just thought I would share how I spend a lot of my free time these days:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcBFLrAxLsc&feature=youtu.be
 
I think you missed a spot on that wheel pant Bret. In any case I couldn't stop laughing. You need to post more videos like this.
 
Started today

I started working on my empennage kit today. After three hours, I have the rear spar ready for rivets and started on the front spar. Going very smooth so far.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveotero/11787947823/" title="image by DavidAOtero, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5547/11787947823_77562c594f.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="image"></a>
 
Last edited:
At the Airport

Last week was a huge push to get the airplane down to the airport and get it assembled. On Tuesday, we moved the airplane:

IMG_1214.JPG


On Wednesday and Thursday we wrapped up final assembly:

IMG_1983.JPG


We also did first engine start:

First Engine Start

On Friday, I was able to do the first taxi:

IMG_1231.JPG


Overall, an amazingly productive four days!
 
Panel wiring complete, still long list of little things ahead

After fixing a few wiring mistakes, I had my first power on. My panel is for day/night VFR right now, with space reserved for potential upgrade to IFR. When I first planned my panel I was thinking all steam gauges, but now there is no single round gauge on the panel. I have one Dynon ADIRU, one backup battery for pilot side display (I can make it switchable between left and right side display). Hope I have enough redundancy. I will have iPad as backup if necessary.

2mhas8z.png

2u4ojo0.png
 
Well, I suppose that I have enough done now to be able to post in this thread.

I have intentionally held off because up until now, I really didn't feel like I had an "airplane". That is slowly changing!

Kit number 70312 (yes, three hundred and twelve!) is going to be 10 years in the making since the first rivet was banged in August of 2004! I do expect to fly it before the clock strikes 10 full years this summer.

I have been through a divorce and several setbacks that caused multiple hiatus'. Life does indeed get in the way! Don't let it throw ya!!!

getting there.jpg


image_043.jpg


I thank the inspiration offered to me from my friends Billy and Vlad. Billy has quite graciously been letting me fly his BEAUTIFUL -6 and helped me with the construction process like a true friend.

Vlad has offered me encouragement the whole way and listened to all my stories. He kicks my butt often telling me to, "get that plane done, yo!"

Mattituck_001.jpeg


Here is Billy's -6 and Vlad's -9A in Mattituck (above) and on the ice in Rangeley, Maine (below) a month ago.

photo 3_001.JPG


Building these planes gives you much more than a plane in the end. As Vlad says, ?Don?t have one hundred rubles; have one hundred friends.?

:cool: CJ
 
Back
Top