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RV-7 #74466

Joeyo68

Well Known Member
Hi all,

I have just ordered my empennage, kit No 74466. I am based in Melbourne, Australia.
I am looking forward to the journey of building and eventually flying my own aircraft. I have been an avid reader of this forum for quite a while now. It is a great resource for newbie's like me.
I'm sure at some stage I will ask some really stupid questions, so have a laugh on me, then set me straight as you all have done for so many before me, and hopefully I will be able to return the favour for some other newbie one day.

Thanks in advance for all the help. :)

Cheers,
Joe Ovenden.
 
Welcome Joe

Welcome to the collective! It has been a great journey for myself, although very frustrating at times.

Best words of advice; know when to walk away and let things cool down, ferment a little! It will do wonders for your sanity and quality of build.

Cheers,
Dan
 
Enjoy

Hi Joe,
Well done!
You are welcome anytime to visit my build if you come this way.
Cottles Bridge near Hurstbridge. 0403157391
Cheers Rob
 
Congratulations

Congratulations Joe.
Heed Dan's advise. Learn when to walk away and you're scrap pile will be smaller. Wish I could do as I say instead of what I do.:eek:
 
Hi all,

Thanks for the advice.
Rob, I'll take you up on the offer one day. I have been flying a mates RV12 out at Lilydale, so it is not too far from your place. I will give you a call next time I am out that way.

Cheers,
Joe
 
Welcome to the. -7 club, Joe!

Mine is sn 74023, ordered in Dec of 2011. That's 443 tail kits in 44 months. Vans is doing well on the 7's.
 
Hi Miles,
Thanks for the welcome. Yes Vans is doing well! That's about a -7 tail kit every 3 days!
I have managed a ride in a -6 and a -7 so far, and I fly a mates -12 regularly. Great aircraft to fly!
I am lucky, we have, that I know of, 1x-6, 2x-7's, 2x-7A's, 1x-8, 1x-9 and 1x-12 at the local airfield where I fly, so have been able to get a 'Vans fix' quite regularly.
Enjoy your build!
Cheers,
Joe
 
VS complete!

Hi all,

Jist a quick update on my progress. I just completed my VS. HS components are primed ready for assembly.
I already have a small scrap pile, but am getting better with what I am doing each day.

Cheers,
Joe
 
Keep it up! Save the scraps .. it will be a great resource later in the build when you need bit of a shim or to fab a part. On your next Van's order, include a few "trim bundles" ... Van's leftovers from fabbing all those nice pre-punched parts. Mine were 8" x 24" sheets of 2024 in various thicknesses. Super useful for trying things out, or re-fabbing a part that got messed up. Cheap, too!
 
Keep it up! Save the scraps .. it will be a great resource later in the build when you need bit of a shim or to fab a part. On your next Van's order, include a few "trim bundles" ... Van's leftovers from fabbing all those nice pre-punched parts. Mine were 8" x 24" sheets of 2024 in various thicknesses. Super useful for trying things out, or re-fabbing a part that got messed up. Cheap, too!
Hi Bill,

My scraps came in useful for practicing bucking some rivets before starting on the VS riveting. Gave me some confidence before working on the real thing.

Cheers,

Joe
 
6 years down the track and getting closer.

While searching VAF for info, as we all do during our build, I found my thread from when I started on this journey 6 years ago.
Little bit of progress update.
Tail is complete, wings are done
Fuselage is built, electrical fitout is almost complete. Canopy is done. It’s up on its gear.
Hung the engine a few weeks ago am finishing off the cowling. Long story with the cowl, but I got a 320 mount and cowl, and I am putting in an IO-360-B1B, with a GT 3 bladed ground adjustable prop.
So, busy doing the cut ‘n’ shut with the scoop to make it fit. Really starting to look like an aeroplane now.
Been really lucky, have met some great guys, clocking up some hours flying 7’s. Working towards getting this thing flying within the next year.
Running out of rivets to bang!
 

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That looks great! If you have not done it lately get some time in a -7. I wish I had done it at that stage. I would have worked faster if I had known how much fun a -7 is. I had never even sat in an RV other than mine until after mine was finished.
 
The other way of doing it that works well is 320 Mount, O360 cowl and graft inch and half ish onto the back (for vert induction O or IO360)
 
Milestone day, move to the hangar

Another major milestone today. Moved the fuse down to the hangar so the wings can be fitted and finish the engine hookup.
Lots of help moving.
She is in good company.
 

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Another major milestone today. Moved the fuse down to the hangar so the wings can be fitted and finish the engine hookup.
Lots of help moving.
She is in good company.

Congrats Joe, shouldn't be long now!
 
Got paint and wings!

More progress over the last couple of weeks.
Spent last week with my painter painting my RV, and tonight, with some local RV/pilot buddies we bolted on the wings for the final time!
 

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I installed a IO-360B1B from Aerosport power in my RV-7A with a Hartzell CS prop. I modified the snorkel and airbox to make the snorkel removable and used the top part of a wet suit bootee to make the air tight seal between the cowling and airbox. It works really well and make the lower cowling much easier to remove and install. Pictures are below. I also drilled a 1/4 inch hole at the back of the airbox to assist in draining the airbox after flooding the engine during a botched hot start. My empty W&B came out at 80.2 inches which is well within the normal range but further back than I was expecting. I have the O-360 mount. With the O-320 mount and a lighter composite prop you may be in about the same range.
 

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Hi Keith,
I looked at your mod, but had enough just getting to where I am. If I remove rage spinner, it gives me about an extra 1/4” room to fit the cowl, so hopefully won’t be too bad.
Thanks for the info on your CG.
 
Another milestone. First engine start!

Did my first engine start yesterday. All went well. Happy Days!
 

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Congrats. Your thread immediately caught my attention as I am 74766. Three hundred behind you and trying to catch up. Nice paint!
 
One more milestone down, one to go!

After almost 7 years of building, RV7, SN 74466 officially morphed from kit, to aeroplane, with the issue of a Phase 1 CofA!

The weather is looking promising over the next few days. 🤞

The longer engine mount, with the 3 blade GT ground adjustable prop put the CofG smack in the middle of the envelope.

BEW - 1114.9lb

Happy Days😀
 

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First Flight today.

Completed my first flight today. What an experience.
Handles well, just like an RV should. Needs a touch of right rudder. Pulled the cowls, all clean, everything where it should be. One of the guys in the hangar flew chase and got some air to air shots.

Enjoyed it so much, went and did it again!

Keep pounding those rivets, it sure is worth it in the end😀
 

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