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RV-9A, SoCal

rightrudder

Well Known Member
Hi guys,

Possibly jumping the gun here, but I've convinced myself to start on an RV-9A QB kit?order form is filled out, and I'm phoning in my deposit on Monday.

I'm all fidgety with excitement, and am looking forward to a long, rewarding and no doubt challenging project. I'm not current with my pilot certificate, but I did my training back in '06 in a Diamond DA-20, so I hope the transition to the RV-9A won't be too difficult. Gonna go with a carbureted O-320 and a fairly basic VFR panel, for fair weather flights on nice sunny days. Need to sell the hobby car to make garage space for the hobby plane, but it ought to be sold in plenty of time to make room for the fuse and wing panels.

Is there anyone nearby (Orange County/Los Angeles) with a 9 or 9A who'd be willing to give me a ride for inspiration? Lunch on me, of course!

This forum seems like a very friendly and amazingly helpful place. I'll be asking a lot of questions, to be sure. Documenting the build really does add to the fun.

--Doug
 
Welcome to VAF!

I'm just about done with my RV-9A. Inspection and first flight coming very soon. Once I get past Phase I, hit me up for a ride. I'm fairly close by in SD county at Ramona.

You will have fun doing the build. QB kit will save you about 2 years of time. Ask lots of questions here and just using the search feature will find you about 99% of the answers.
 
Thank you, Bruce?.mighty kind of ya! Congrats on being so close to actually taking her for a spin around the pattern, and beyond. I flew into Ramona once on a training flight, and I remember it vividly?the rocky landscape and that looooong runway.

The QB kit is certainly more $$$$, but it will allow me to spend less time on construction and more time on the detail work that I really enjoy. I've built and flown lots of rc planes (including a Van's RV-9 that's my current favorite), so I figured it was time to step up to 1:1 scale!

--Doug
 
Welcome to VAF!

Doug,
welcome.gif
aboard the good ship VAF.
 
Doug-

I live just down the road in Laguna Niguel. My 9A has been flying for the last 11 months, and is up at Chino. I would be happy to take you up for a demo flight. If you want, I could also stop by from time to time to put an extra set of eye's on whatever you happen to be working on at that moment.

When I started building I had not been current for about 20 years. You will have zero issues with the transition into the 9A. It's a wonderful machine to fly. Very responsive, yet easy to fly. No worries. Just a bit of transition training and you will be a champ.
 
EAA member yet?

Doug,

I'd like to invite you to join us at our next EAA Chapter 92 meeting. Among other things, you can learn more about who in our immediate area have RV-9s.

We'll meet on Tuesday, Apr 1st at 6:30pm. Location is the Irvine Ranch Water District Community Room on Sand Canyon Road at the corner of Waterworks St., just north of the I-405.

Feel free to contact me through a PM if you need more info. Hope to see you there.
 
Peter and John, an emphatic yes and yes! Peter, I'll PM you in a day or two and see when you might be available to fly. Thank you for your gracious offer, and the words of encouragement!!! In the meantime, I'll fly my r/c RV-9 this weekend to feed the insanity. Part of the reason I'm so sold on the RVs is that the flight envelope of the model is so satisfying and forgiving.

John, I'm all signed up with EAA already, and will attend the meeting. My work is in Lake Forest, quite close to the meeting site. Thank you for the heads-up and I'll see you there!

BTW, so nice to be on a forum where people are so cordial and polite. I've been on several car forums that've had a very nasty, nitpicky tone, so this is a breath of fresh air.
 
No worries. Just a bit of transition training and you will be a champ.

This is very premature, but I'd like to offer a slight correction: plan to get current by renting a certifed plane, then do transition training in a 9. Transition training is not meant to be currency training. For another thing, it may be cheaper. The other issue is that if you rent a -9 it will be operating under a waiver ("LODA"). At this time LODA aircraft are, generally, limited exclusively to transition training. Most FISDOs will not allow a Flight Review sign off - you'll need to do that in the certified aircraft.
 
Doug welcome! I am not too far from you either, may jump over the Rockies to the other coast for free lunch :D

Get your kits and start pounding. Every single day. Plan your work at work then work your plan after work. You are already ahead of many with QB don't lose that advantage. Forget about currency for now unless your itch for flying matches your wallet thickness. Get pink slip then everything will come faster then you think. I got my RV airworthy, then in one month had PPL checkride following transition training and first flight. I was surprised to learn that RV9A doesn't need a pilot she flies by herself you would be pleasantly surprised. Only one warning - paint your RV before first flight :D

Nice to have you here and please do not forget to report your progress.
 
Thanks again for the input/wisdom. I'll definitely get current at some point in either a DA-20 or Piper Cherokee before transition training. In the meantime, my old aviation textbooks will be nightstand reading material, to get my head around everything again. (And Sporty's DVDs too!)
 
Preview plans showed up last night. Phew!! I'm still staggering a little, trying to catch my balance. Much to assimilate, but I'm sure with familiarity and handling the actual pieces it will start to gel.

Met some great people at my first EAA meeting…John Halcrow, Eric, John, Louis, and others…who are all building and/or flying RVs. So nice to tap into this vast reservoir of RV knowledge.

So many tools to buy, so much infrastructure to build before I get started. Garage cleaning is well underway!

Question: If I heavily document/photograph all aspects of the build here, will this count as a build log for eventual registration of the aircraft?
 
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Preview plans showed up last night. Phew!! I'm still staggering a little, trying to catch my balance. Much to assimilate, but I'm sure with familiarity and handling the actual pieces it will start to gel.

Met some great people at my first EAA meeting?John Halcrow, Eric, John, Louis, and others?who are all building and/or flying RVs. So nice to tap into this vast reservoir of RV knowledge.

So many tools to buy, so much infrastructure to build before I get started. Garage cleaning is well underway!

Question: If I heavily document/photograph all aspects of the build here, will this count as a build log for eventual registration of the aircraft?

Just be sure to have back up of all your photos, thumb dreve etc. im going on five years and do not want to lose any pics from a computer crash or what not.
 
Read the sections on terminology and construction, then just focus on one drawing at a time, one piece at a time. As you get past the empennage, the written instructions dwindle to a trickle. You will need to really read everything on the drawings. Also, be sure to read ahead and see what's coming. Read other builder's logs and see what they did along the way in each section. Use the search feature on VAF and you will find that most of your questions are already asked and answered.

Good luck on the journey!
 
Thanks, guys. I think I'll have a dedicated camera/memory card for the plane build, and periodically make a batch of prints for the logbook. I'll make sure to have friends/neighbors take some pics to show that it's me doing the work, to satisfy the requirements.
 
Doug, YES.

Question: If I heavily document/photograph all aspects of the build here, will this count as a build log for eventual registration of the aircraft?

You need the documentation to prove to the FAA inspector that you did build 51% of the plane. In my case, I printed every blog entry I have on the plane. That filled up a 2 inch binder. The guy at the FSDO took about 45 minutes looking through every single page. When he finished he didn't ask me a single question. Just signed the paperwork and gave me a 'Repairmen Certificate' for my plane. One note, take lots of photos with you doing the work. Set the camera on a 10 second delay, and pose with your parts. Makes it easier to prove that you were doing the work, and not just a bunch of photos of plane parts.
 
Great advice, Peter. I've got a nice tripod, so I'll set that up in the corner and take pics of each day's work with me in them. Bought the drill press and a big ol' air compressor last night, plus hoses, couplings, a few Unibits, etc., so I'm on my way!
 
The tailfeathers showed up today at work. Yay! I unwrapped a rib and held it in my hot little hand. Tonight, I'll unwrap, inventory, study plans and organize all the fasteners, maybe deburr the edges of all the ribs.

I'm still waiting on tools, and the toolbox kit, to arrive so I can practice riveting technique. Patience, patience… The garage still needs some sorting, so there's always something to do.
 
Well, it's a start. I unwrapped some ribs and started on the attach brackets for the HS forward spar…will use bandsaw at work for final cuts. Deburred the spars and joiners. It's a start!! I need to work on better lighting for the workbench too.





 
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The tailfeathers showed up today at work. Yay! I unwrapped a rib and held it in my hot little hand. Tonight, I'll unwrap, inventory, study plans and organize all the fasteners, maybe deburr the edges of all the ribs.

I'm still waiting on tools, and the toolbox kit, to arrive so I can practice riveting technique. Patience, patience… The garage still needs some sorting, so there's always something to do.

Nice! I got my RV9 empennage kit about 2 months ago. Started on the rudder last weekend. Really very enjoyable work! What kit number do you have? I have #92188. :)
 
Nice! I got my RV9 empennage kit about 2 months ago. Started on the rudder last weekend. Really very enjoyable work! What kit number do you have? I have #92188. :)
Hey WVM,
I'll check on my kit number when I get home and let you know. I'm still setting up the garage?got a bench grinder last night, the riveting tool kit shows up Wednesday, got a buyer for my second car to free up space, need to build a workbench, etc.

I'm so looking forward to sinking my teeth into this?glad you're finding it fun to build!
 
Well, it's a start. I unwrapped some ribs and started on the attach brackets for the HS forward spar?will use bandsaw at work for final cuts. Deburred the spars and joiners. It's a start!! I need to work on better lighting for the workbench too.

Doug great start! The emp also could be a great dining table on the go :D


 
Excellent, Vlad! That reminds me of when the 911 Turbo came out and people used the whale tail as a picnic table. :D
 
Baby steps. It took a lot longer than I thought to make these. Can't wait to get the Scotchbrite wheel and finish them up.

WVM, my kit No. is 92198.

 
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Quick question: Is this bend acceptable? My guess is yes, and I simply bend it back to straight across my leg. Also, toolbox kit awaits arrival of riveting tools. I am aching to set that first rivet!!



 
Quick question: Is this bend acceptable?

I have the same bend in the piece and ignored it because as soon as you cleo it together with the other pieces the bend is gone. Second reason that I didn't bend it back is that I could not find any information that stated it is required. Especially as VAN'S is very clear on what needs to be done (in the beginning) to prepare the pieces. On all build projects that I use as a guide, the same bend is on the pictures, even after priming.
 
I have the same bend in the piece and ignored it because as soon as you cleo it together with the other pieces the bend is gone. Second reason that I didn't bend it back is that I could not find any information that stated it is required. Especially as VAN'S is very clear on what needs to be done (in the beginning) to prepare the pieces. On all build projects that I use as a guide, the same bend is on the pictures, even after priming.
Thanks?that puts my mind at ease.
 
It won't hurt to make it sit flat before riveting. There are several other stamped out pieces in the kit that have this "bend" to them.
 
... Did ever get that ride in a 9-A and how was it? If you didn't just let me know and I will get-er done. Thanks, Allan...:D

I haven't gone up yet, and thank you for the offer (PM sent)!

A huge box of tools arrived today, so I got a start on the toolbox kit. So I clecoed, match-drilled, deburred and dimpled some parts with the C-frame. Do these dimples look OK? The C-frame can't reach inside the flanges of the main part of the toolbox, so I guess I'll have to wait for hand squeezer (on back order, so it wasn't sent out).

When I do set flush rivets, is this big swivel number the right one for the job? And how do you use the one next to it, with the plastic collar?

I like the deburring tool with the little hook-shaped blade.

Thanks for putting up with all the questions, guys. :)








 
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The one with the collar is for back riveting.

Google found this photo.

01102006_05.jpg
 
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The swivel set is for setting flush rivets with a bucking bar on the other side. I'm at Fullerton Airport and will be flush riveting wing skins in the next few weeks. I'll send you a pm when I'm close to a good work session, lately I haven't found much time for the project. You're welcome to drop by.
 
To your dimple question, they look under-dimpled. I'm sending you a PM.

I wonder if I need a bigger hammer? A better die? The dimples I made appear uniform, but if they're uniformly bad, that's no good. I'll go visit a new friend I met through EAA and have him look at my setup, and look at dimples he's made. Thank you for the input!
 
I had an extremely helpful visit from John Halcrow, where he spent more than two hours with me going over tools and explaining their proper use, and showing me how to really lay into the C-frame to make a proper dimple. Thanks, John! I took his suggestion of ordering some better dimple dies from Cleaveland Tools, so they're on the brown Treasure Truck en route.

Deburred all the HS ribs with a combination of deburring tool, files and sandpaper. There were a few scratches on the ribs from the factory deep enough to require sanding and priming.

The process does get a bit tedious, but when I got down to four ribs, I put in place a rewards system of one Reese's peanut butter cup per rib deburred. :)



 
Be careful with this type of deburring tool, it can grab and make a big nick in sheet aluminum.

IMG_2524.jpg
 
Thanks for the heads up, Mike. So far it's been deburring pretty cleanly. Once in a while it will "chatter" a little, and then it's a matter of cleaning things up with a file, etc. I'm mostly using a combination of files here, and finishing up with sandpaper blocks and/or Scotchbrite wheel.

Making some progress….deburred both front & rear spar sections, match-drillled attach brackets, doublers and hinges. I'm really to the point now that I need to build the workbench, for a good surface to support the skeleton.

I finally drove some rivets, with decent results. The gun slipped a few times and marred the aluminum on the toolbox kit, but it was a blessing in disguise…I decided to cut the toolbox kit aluminum into sections, so I can do even more practice riveting, and get used to the aluminum shears as well.




 
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Well, the workbench is about 75 percent done; should finish it tonight. Basically the EAA design, but I added 3" in height, and made it 8' long and 30" wide, with a 1.5" overhang all around on the plywood work surface, for clamping things down.

Enough sawdust; bring on the metal shavings!! :)


 
Hi Doug,

Wow, the project and your work so far is looking good!

Did you order one of those tungsten bucking bars? They are pricey, but they sure seemed to help my riveting improve.

Also, do you have rivet gauges?:

http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1007

Again, they helped me to make sure my rivets were correct.

Keep up the great work!:D
 
Hey Jim,

Thanks! There's more carpentry involved than I first thought, but it's all good!!

Yes, tungsten bar is on back order, but it ought to be here in a week or so, and rivet gauges are on the way too. I ordered an edge roller, and a used pneumatic squeezer from eBay is en route.

I've been scouring Barnstormers for a Lycoming 0-320?still very early for an engine, but it's fun to look.

Had lunch with Bornhop today..he's doing great. :)

Any progress on yours?
 
Pneumatic rivet squeezer showed up today. Best…tool…ever! Thanks to everyone who recommended I get one. I bought it off eBay and when I first tried it, I thought it was broken. Rivet rookie that I am, I didn't realize that you have to shim the dies. :confused:

It makes ultra-crisp dimples; I'll try some rivets tomorrow. Questions: Can it squeeze too hard? I see the yoke flex a little during operation. And is there an optimal air pressure, or do you just have to experiment?

I also punched my first accidental hole, fortunately in my scrap practice aluminum.

I've got a 3-in. yoke on order. In other news, I got my order confirmation from Van's for the QB fuse and wings, and their estimated arrival date of roughly June/July...much quicker than I expected!!!!


 
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Adjustable set for squeezer

Doug you can buy these at various places, think mine came from Cleveland Tools. It screws up and down using finger pressure. Disconnect the air before doing any adjustments, it really hurts when the dies mash your finger and takes six months to recover. How I calibrated the adjustable die was to use scrap and squeeze a particular rivet size and check it with the correct gauge. I then noted on a whiteboard the relaxed distance between the dies with a vernier calipers. Next time you use it, just screw the adjustment up to just shy of the noted rivet size gap you want to use and squeeze it, check it and make a simple adjustment if required. Gets pretty easy after a while. Wouldn't trade my squeezer for anything but would also like a hand squeezer. As Bob Segar said "Workin' on mysteries without any clues"
 
Try one for free

Hey, Doug...
I happen to have an adjustable set for a pneumatic squeezer which I don't use. If you want, we can see if it will fit in yours.

You know my name...look op de numbah.
 
Thanks, guys! John, I've got a local source for some hardened shim washers, but the offer is much appreciated! Your tutoring with all the tools is so helpful? can't thank you enough. :)

Pete, there's a knurled knob on the back of the squeezer. Does this set depth, or is it an internal air pressure regulator? I do have a separate air regulator already. Thanks for the tips; I think it's a matter of fooling around with it a bunch to get the desired results.

I do have a healthy respect for this thing's finger-mashing potential, especially after I made the "mistake hole" and saw how effortlessly it punched through the aluminum. I appreciate the warning?I'll disconnect from the air hose EVERY TIME I change dies!
 
Doug, one thing you may not be aware of is that the pneumatic squeezer develops its max force at the end of the stroke--------when you set the dies with either the washers, or the adjustable holder (I would go for the adjustable) you want to set it so you use as much of the piston stroke as possible.
 
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