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  #21  
Old 05-13-2012, 10:38 PM
splitty splitty is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hervey Bay Queensland Australia
Posts: 205
Default HELP Video's

Quote:
Originally Posted by videobobk View Post
Perhaps I should have mentioned this in my original post, but Eagle's Nest thinks highly enough of the Homebuilt Help DVDs that we are including a set with every project. We believe that they will be a big help to the mentors, and the mentors can determine whether or not they show them to the builders. As an individual builder, I would use them. DO NOTE that they were done with the older avionics, and the wiring is our of date! We may work with HH to correct this, but it will take a while. Otherwise, they are great!
Hey Rob would be Great to have up to date Wiring HELP Video ..! I have a complete set of Videos and loved them & I am still to Build my RV-12..!!
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  #22  
Old 05-14-2012, 08:13 AM
MrMorden MrMorden is offline
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Athens, GA`
Posts: 22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike_ExpressCT View Post
This is just my opinion, but to me it sounds like you've already made your decision. And that decision is a great one...obviously, you're going to have an excellent product with a -12 that will be much easier and quicker to build.

As far as I can see, the trade off will be that a Sonex is a stronger airframe (aerobatic) and cheaper to build. The RV-12 is a much more refined kit and probably more comfortable.

In the end, people love both. Look over a -12 kit then decide and get to work!

I have *mostly* made the decision. But it's hard to walk away from a 90% complete fuselage and complete tail that's I've already poured over 600hrs on. I also have to convince myself that I don't really care about aerobatics and never will. And of course the $10K plus I already have in the Sonex. If I can find a buyer I'll get some of that back, maybe half or a little more.

The good part is that I have don't so much fabrication on the Sonex that from what I see of the RV-12 kit it will be cake. I'm probably going to take a couple of weeks and mull it over, then order the tail kit so I can get a feel for whether it's the right move for me.

Here's a couple more questions:

1) Baggage is 50lb...how about space? Can two people fit enough soft bags in the baggage bay for an extended vacation?

2) MOGAS is not available in my area...how does the Rotax do on a exclusive diet of 100LL? Just more frequent oil changes, or are there durability or other maintenance concerns there?
The good part is that I have don't so much fabrication on the Sonex that from what I see of the RV-12 kit it will be cake. I'm probably going to take a couple of weeks and mull it over, then order the tail kit so I can get a feel for whether it's the right move for me.

Thanks!

Last edited by MrMorden : 05-14-2012 at 08:20 AM.
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  #23  
Old 05-14-2012, 08:38 AM
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Geico266 Geico266 is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Huskerland, USA
Posts: 5,862
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMorden View Post
I have *mostly* made the decision. But it's hard to walk away from a 90% complete fuselage and complete tail that's I've already poured over 600hrs on. I also have to convince myself that I don't really care about aerobatics and never will. And of course the $10K plus I already have in the Sonex. If I can find a buyer I'll get some of that back, maybe half or a little more.

The good part is that I have don't so much fabrication on the Sonex that from what I see of the RV-12 kit it will be cake. I'm probably going to take a couple of weeks and mull it over, then order the tail kit so I can get a feel for whether it's the right move for me.

Here's a couple more questions:

1) Baggage is 50lb...how about space? Can two people fit enough soft bags in the baggage bay for an extended vacation?

2) MOGAS is not available in my area...how does the Rotax do on a exclusive diet of 100LL? Just more frequent oil changes, or are there durability or other maintenance concerns there?
The good part is that I have don't so much fabrication on the Sonex that from what I see of the RV-12 kit it will be cake. I'm probably going to take a couple of weeks and mull it over, then order the tail kit so I can get a feel for whether it's the right move for me.

Thanks!
1. That all depends on what you are carrying.

2. Do not use 100ll all the time. You will need to bring mogas to the airport if you don't have it there. There are many mechanical reason not to use 100ll all the time. Cross country and occasional use, no problem.
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  #24  
Old 05-14-2012, 08:52 AM
MrMorden MrMorden is offline
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Athens, GA`
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Geico266 View Post
2. Do not use 100ll all the time. You will need to bring mogas to the airport if you don't have it there. There are many mechanical reason not to use 100ll all the time. Cross country and occasional use, no problem.
This to me is a problem. MOGAS is just not all that common, whereas 100LL is everywhere. If I have to cart gas to the airport every time I want to fly, that's a major inconvenience, and there is no ethanol-free mogas in this area, so I'd be stuck with 10% ethanol blends and all the problems that causes.
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  #25  
Old 05-14-2012, 09:30 AM
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MacPara MacPara is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 461
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Well, there are a few difficult parts in this build. Probably nothing serious as you have struggled with a much more complicated and demanding kit, but I feel I should mention it.
The longerons were a big struggle for a lot of builders, There is one tool you should have, that turns a nightmare intoa 30 minutes job. Search for longerons in the RV-12 forum and find the longeron dies that someone here offers. I did one without and one with this tool. It's like day and night.
Others had a struglle with getting the fuel tank leak-free. A problem I didn't have, so I can't really comment on that other than that it worked for me.
The thing I so far dislike most about the build is the canopy skirt. I'm not a fan of fiberglass work per se and that probably contributes to it. Fortunately it's not a lot of area that has to bet covered, but I still wish there was a prefabbed skirts to just glue or rivet on.

Baggage: The area covers more than the fuel tank holds, so I'd guess you have about 30-35 gallons of storage area behind the left seat if you fill it not higher than the edge of the rear window.

100LL: Every Rotax owner I know is having this problem and all of them came up with a fuel solution that involves bringing Autogas to the air port. That's just something to live with until MOGAS becomes widely available. There are tractor outlets that sell fuel storage that you can trailer to the hangar that include a pump and a hose with nozzle for easy fueling. There are plastic containers with carts that you can roll to the airplane that hold enough fuel for refueling the -12. Considering the exorbitant price of the engine, I'd pay close attention to avoid 100LL as the lead is no friend of the Rotax at all. If you go for cross-country make sure you use a semi-synthetic oil and no fully synthetic one. The latter won't help dissolve the lead and it falls out and could deposit easily inside the engine.
Don't worry about the 10% ethanol in the -12. The fuel system and the engine can handle it. Get some spare o-rings before you take the carbs off as they might expand from the ethanol and might not fit back in once they were removed.
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Last edited by MacPara : 05-14-2012 at 09:34 AM.
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  #26  
Old 05-14-2012, 10:01 AM
tim walter tim walter is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: san rafael
Posts: 110
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MacPara View Post
I still wish there was a prefabbed skirts to just glue or rivet on.
That is already available.
from the same people that are developing the Viking engine.
I don't have the link handy, but you can google viking engine and then browse around their site until you find it.
I think they want $250 ish
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  #27  
Old 05-14-2012, 10:04 AM
tim walter tim walter is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: san rafael
Posts: 110
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMorden View Post
This to me is a problem. MOGAS is just not all that common, whereas 100LL is everywhere. If I have to cart gas to the airport every time I want to fly, that's a major inconvenience, and there is no ethanol-free mogas in this area, so I'd be stuck with 10% ethanol blends and all the problems that causes.
10% ethanol is NOT a problem for the rotax engine.

getting MoGas to the airport is not trouble, just get a 20 gal can in your car and fillip at the station on the way to the airport.

if you go cross country you can refill with 100ll for the return journey
but I suspect most of your flights will be local and you'll mostly fillup at home.
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  #28  
Old 05-14-2012, 10:29 AM
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Bill_H Bill_H is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Marshall TX (KASL)
Posts: 1,783
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See this thread for fueling options.
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ead.php?t=5730
I got a flo-fast system like Tony's and it is working out great. I have two 5-gal cans I fill at the service station and take back/forth to the hangar to replenish the 15-gal flo-fast. You could get two 15-gal flofast tanks and swap the pump on them but 15x6=90 pounds to handle in and out of a pickup bed. A 5 gallon tank is OK to load directly into the fuel port on the RV12 but more would be pretty heavy-awkward.
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  #29  
Old 05-14-2012, 10:38 AM
JBPILOT JBPILOT is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Jesup, Iowa
Posts: 1,658
Default Just another comment - -

filling at an airport with a high flow pump can cause problems also. Without a separate breather/vent, you can get a splash-back and have it running down the side and especially on the rear window. I use the fast-flow can, and it works great. I am in good enough shape, that lifting it is not bad for me. It will dump 5 - 6 gallons in about 1 minute, getting light very fast. I get about 19 gallons at a time when I go to the station, and keep it in the rear of my pickup. I do not have to go to the station every time that way. I use a Mr. Funnel and fill my fast-flow can. I feel it gives one more step in protection from water etc., in the fuel. You get to watch it flow thru the filter into the fast-flow can.

John Bender
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  #30  
Old 05-14-2012, 11:39 AM
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MacPara MacPara is offline
 
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Location: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tim walter View Post
That is already available.
from the same people that are developing the Viking engine.
I don't have the link handy, but you can google viking engine and then browse around their site until you find it.
I think they want $250 ish
I know. Just not sure about the ELSA status when using that. So I meant "from Van's" in my previous statement ....
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http://torstensrv-12.blogspot.com/
APRS Track
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