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Inspection passed!

kbalch

Well Known Member
My RV-14A project (#140494) officially became an airplane (N114KB) on Saturday.

Thanks to Vic for flying down and giving a thorough look over my work of the last 21 months. Several other -14(A) builder friends of mine were in attendance to familiarize themselves with the process and I think everyone went home reassured that it's not a root canal, but a friendly, low-key look at the airplane. Plus the paperwork, of course. Lots of paperwork in triplicate. :)

Between sorting out a lingering P-mag issue (done!), a prop low-pitch adjustment (to be done tomorrow), and two days of mid-week rain, I'm hoping to get the first flight accomplished on Friday.

For those keeping track of such things, I began the project in late May 2018 and put in just under 1,200 hours of hands-on work (plus, no doubt, the usual couple hundred hours of unlogged research & reading time online) on the entirely standard, non-QB, kit. I'll be flying it unpainted until delivery to the paint shop after SnF.

My blog update with all of the pics: N114KB Inspection Pics

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Clermont !! Where are you flying out of? Lots of memories, I still own a 2.64 acre property on SR 33 I had forgotten about :eek: and this post seems to be a reminder it's time to sell or trade it :)

Anyway congratulations on that achievement !!! I bought a used RV-8 and love it however the past few weeks have been a big eye opener to me. I'm always looking for the positive in everything and in this case it's that I'm getting to learn so much about my plane and how great it was built ( yet how some parts weren't :( ) and even though I don't have the abilities you have to build one from scratch, I'm correcting things and that makes me feel like it's now my own.

I'm sure having Vic come and give it a blessing validates how much effort you put into it to learn how to do things correctly and therefore making it a very safe plane. I wish you lots of hours of fun in your new plane !!!
 
Congratulations, Ken! And doing completing a slow-build kit in only 1200hrs over 21mo is amazing. Looking forward to seeing your First Flight!

_Alex
 
Clermont !! Where are you flying out of?

I've got the plane at KISM, which was the best choice of available hangars despite being the better part of an hour away. I'd love to get into either KORL (I'm about three years down their waiting list, at best) or KLEE.

We'll see how it goes - I'm thinking seriously about doing the airpark thing, but I don't want a house with T-hangar. I want a large box hangar, but don't want a 7-figure property, so that's likely to be a challenge. :)
 
One more grin to go ...

Congratulations. Have a safe 40 hrs, and after you are comfortable and have all the perf figures, come get some cheap 100LL at KZPH.

Peter
 
congrats! That seems extremely quick non quick build. what is your skills background?

I thought the same so I clicked on his profile name in the upper left hand corner then clicked on View Public Profile and found out he likes expensive things but I didn’t learn much more.
 
congrats! That seems extremely quick non quick build. what is your skills background?

Well, with respect to large projects, I?ve built another RV (an early -8 from a standard kit), the wings of a Model 12 Pitts, an Ultima GTR kit car, and restored a ?69 Triumph Bonneville T120R motorcycle. Many smaller projects over the years, of course.

When I?m working, I?m very focused, I don?t waste much time, and I always have the logistics worked out such that I?m not waiting for kit or engine et al. deliveries. A large project is a logistical exercise more than anything else and, for whatever reason, I?ve always been good at organization.
 
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