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RV-4 #2784

The Swede

Active Member
Here's project progress in random pictures since late 2014. Soldering headset plugs now and have just ordered upholstery. Searching for someone that can do the paint is next...









 
Thanks, hope to be finished for the summer season. Just have to find some space for final assembly at local airport ESSV.

Found some more pics:









 
Thanks, yes the oil cooler shutter will come in handy with the Gothic weather:D
Tanks were built and tested leak free by previous owner, but better safe than sorry I guess. And much easier fixing a leak before paint if needed. Also like to have auxilliarys stay where intended, maybe overkill to safe wire the cooler but it feels comforting when airborne:)
 
i am really interested in the servo mounts that you have installed especially the aileron servo. could you give me a few details about them. what servos and arms and such. it looks like a good solution for the retro install im am going to do im mine.

bob burns
RV-4
N82RB
 
Ok they are DYNON servos as recommended by DYNON in their servo application guide on their website. They are SV 42&32 with generic mount for roll and RV4/8 mount for pitch.
Roll servo mount is home made but I got the idea from somewhere on the forum. Backing alu angle on back side for support.
I'll put up some pictures arter Boeing at the projekt next time, will be about a week.
 
Trevlig att se att arbetet g?r fram?t. Hoppas jag kan komma ?ver till Gotland och kika p? det i v?r.

And in English for you in the rest of the world:

Nice to see that you are making progress. I hope that I can travel to Gotland in the spring to have a look.

/Fredrik
 
SE-XZT

Hi Fredrik! Ok very welcome over. Mostly work here but managed to find proffesional painter, plan is to have all paint work done by easter:)
 
Roll servo bracket

Here's some pics of the roll servo bracket, not showing is angle on back side full length for support vertically.



 
Electrics progress

Firewall forward all connected, only flat thread remains to be applied here. Waiting for some 3x22AWG shielded wire to arrive with the return of the programmed ELT, then I can proceed with connecting all the DYNON D-sub pins.




 
It looks good, nice to see the progress even though it is also makes me feel sorry I was not able to do it myself.

One comfort is that it did come to a good home and the end result will be better then if I would have done it myself.

/Fredrik
 
Spinner work

Thanks Fredrik, happy you like the progress:)

Now back from vacation, working on spinner and buiding hangar.

Maybe this isn't standard procedure for spinner centering and sanding but it worked pretty well:D

 
Looks great Carl, I love your panel, nice and simple. I'm building my 2nd 4 for my son. Love the 4, and am always jealous of good machinists. Great idea for the roll servo, I will use it!.

Randy
 
spinner artfulness and more

Proceeding with spinner installation as I'm waiting for the painter. The WW prop hub gives this 1990:s RV4 kit (12" spinner) a challenge due to it's thickness. Had to modify the front plate quite a bit but I think it will be stable enough. Previous lathe spinner centering method worked out fine:)

Also cut and fitted the old type of wheel pants that came with this kit.

Installed head set plugs, seat heater controllers, sockets and a music input.

 
Paint, seats and hangar...

Visited painter today, only some small anomalies to be corrected on fuse before transport to hangar. I think it turned out quite well regarding paint scheme and colours.






My first attempt at sewing something like this, a little challenging with the seat heaters otherwise mostly fun work.


Also been welding some for extension of local airport flying club "tractor shed". Next is making of hangar doors. The RV4 will have about one foot clearance on both sides of gate, plenty:D
 
Hangar doors

Thanks, well kind of like the Volvo Amazon but don't think that door would make a good fit on the RV:D
Finally got the hangar doors welded and in place. Sorry no plans of hangar just copied other rafters etc and made my own doors, I think it will hold for some years. Now some paint and panel and it will be ready for the RV:)
 
Go ahead, make my day!

Visited painter today, only some small anomalies to be corrected on fuse before transport to hangar. I think it turned out quite well regarding paint scheme and colours.

Carl,
It's refreshing to see someone actually building a (not buying-a-flying) RV4!
My RV4 turns 20 this year and all of what you are doing seems like yesterday.

Thanks for sharing and making my day! :)
V/R
Smokey



PS: My RV4 "The Bandit" Circa 2005
 
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Night transport...

Thanks Smokey, nice looking RV4. Really committed to get this project in the air, went to EAA "phase 1"-seminar last weekend to get a grip on documentation etc.



Fuselage is now in airport club workshop. Wings, empenage, rudders and fairings at painter.
 
Cool!

Actually the paint schema looks rather like the one I had been planning. Event though I would probably had gone for all red in the end. Simpler to paint.

Anyway, looks fantastic!

Nice to see that the project is coming along, cant really say the same of the fox but I hope to eventually get the papers sorted. I might give you a call as you where at the seminar. Could not make it myself due to family reasons. It seems like the process has changed some since I started it with the fox and I am stuck in soft of a limbo state.


/Fredrik
 

Gatling_Gun_on_an_A-10_Thunderbolt_zpsqrg6ftwn.jpg


:)
 
Emergency procedures

Haha, I can see the resemblance... But doubt bullets will come out of mine:D

Fredrik I guess it's just to keep keeping on with the Kitfox, finally it happens:)

Magnus I still have assembly, documentation and completion of hangar to do so I guess Falk?ping will be tight. Been following your progress and not envious with the proseal sessions, but it looks really good.

Not much done on the RV lately, waiting for painting of wings etc. But went to Uppsala/Sundbro, H?tuna and SK? for EAA emergency procedures program and tail dragger diff training. Time and money well spent, thanks to Patrik Sj?berg at avautbildning.se and I really enjoyed getting acquainted with the french wooden wonder Mudry CAP10C.
 
Baby steps

HS and pitot tube mounted:


And antennas:)



Waiting for painter to finish the VS and the rest of the rudders, maybe next week...
 
Hangar finished and more...

Hangar floor rubber rolled in Swedish april weather:


It turned out pretty ok I think:)



Made some modest progress on the RV as well, rudder is now back at painter after marking of stripe position.


A/P servos and strobe on fin top connected, ELT installed.



Prop and spinner in place, blade angle 22 degrees. We'll see what static and performace it might give?!?
 
Rudder is on...

Mostly electric work done recently, nearly finished with the DYNON installation. Just got rudder back from painter:)


 
that's looking good! you live in the middle of the Baltic Sea. that will make a quick trip to the mainland. my daughter became a Swedish citizen several years ago. she lives in Malmo.
 
Good enough...

Thanks Steve, I used to live in the southern province myself. Nice part of the country:)

Tied the electrical and DYNON system up today to an hopefully acceptable standard. Please advice if you see something out of the ordinary.





Loose red/green wires are for tank level and will be sorted when wings are on.


 
firewall passthrough

Thanks for the heads up Steve, firewall passthroughs will be filled with high temp RTV and then clamped on the engine side. This will straighten the cables/MAP-hose out a bit and the radious of the hole is quite smooth so I think it will be ok. I'll put up some pics from the engine side when finished with passthroughs, plan is to wait to see if everything is working as intended before filling the passthroughs.
 
Major happening on the island of Gotland...

Wings are on, hopefully for the last time. Spars greased up they went in quite easily, next is to secure all of them spar bolts:)



Kind of unreal having done this building milestone, but it feels good;)



Now time for a building pause for the weekend, but will be some flying with the kids in the PA-22 that I recently cheched out on.:D
 
Wow! I love seeing this come together and you're so close. I'm in anticipation of seeing the fruition of your hard work. Kudos to you!
 
Looks great, actually it looks almost exactly as I imagined a few years back when I was busy putting all those parts together to make it resemble an airplane.

Great to see it coming together.

/Fredrik
 
I am trying to decide if I fly, then paint the completed airplane, or paint the components and then assemble, which is obviously what you did. What do you think based on your experience?

Looks terrific btw.
 
Sadly I must inform you that the one who did most of the riveting on this RV-4 (my father) never will get the chance to see the aircraft in the air as he lost his battle against cancer today.

It is a shame he never got the chance to see the finished airplane. He did however see the last of the build pictures and liked how the aircraft was taking shape.

/Fredrik
 
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. He will be with you on your first flight. Godspeed.
 
Sadly I must inform you that the one who did most of the riveting on this RV-4 (my father) never will get the chance to see the aircraft in the air as he lost his battle against cancer today.

It is a shame he never got the chance to see the finished airplane. He did however see the last of the build pictures and liked how the aircraft was taking shape.

/Fredrik

Sorry to here Fredrik. I'm sure the time he spent with you on this airplane was far more valuable to him than seeing it fly. God speed and wishing you the best.
 
paint or no paint..

Thanks for the cheers although the mood isn't the best after sad information recently.

About paint:
Well I know myself and think like this; the more I get done now before flying status the less to be done later on. I'm afraid I enjoy flying to much and then it won't be painted for several years. Also found this awesome painter that did the whole job for very reasonable money and future free flights... bargain...
And after mounting those wings with all of them bolts I really hope I won't have to do it again, painting later would mean dissassembly for transport.
If I could paint assembled I might reconsider?!?
Found some place that chafe and that would have been sorted before painting if flying first I guess.
Also economical, I know I have the funds now but I don't know what my wife wants in the future;)
 
Bolts and more

Got the reluctant spar bolts in after they spent the night in the freezer.



Also sorted ailerons, flaps and wing root fairings.



Tail wheel steering in place, kind of loose for now. To be tested and evaluated:)

 
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