Diving into RV World!

Hello,

I'm new to VAF and have been "lurking" for a few weeks now trying to learn just enough to not sound too ignorant! I am a long-time instrument-rated pilot, but have been on a long hiatus from flying because I had a wild notion to go to medical school at age 47. Now I'm almost done with residency and about to start work as an ER doc in northeast Georgia. My plan is to get current with lots of study, new medical (mine is more than 10 yrs old), biannual, and instrument profiency check - will probably take a substantial amount of time just to get my feet back in the water.

I also had the bug to buy a plane, but after looking at all of the options, I'm now all but sold on an RV-10 build, and hope to make a final decision just after the New Year arrives. So, I'm trying to spend a lot of time on VAF trying to learn as much as possible from all the great threads that all of you post.

I guess my basic concern at this point is, like a lot of other newbies, can I do all the sheet metal work and riveting? I am very handy with tools, but am thus far only proficient as a woodworker. I noticed that some of the newer builders mention completing "practice kits," such as a toolbox. Are these part of the RV kit, or something you buy earlier? I think I would like to try my hand at riveting, etc. before writing a check for the aircraft. I've also thought of going to one of the EAA workshops.

Unfortunately, due to the last few demands of my residency program, I couldn't make Oshkosh this year, but hope to make it to Sun 'n Fun in April to see some RVs and hopefully learn a lot more.

Any thoughts for a potential RVator would be much appreciated, and I hope that I can soon become a contributor and not just a listener!

Thanks!
Jeff Trawick

Welcome to VAF!

docjefft said:

Hello, I'm new to VAF


Jeff Trawick

Click to expand...

Jeff, welcome aboard

Welcome to the VAF community and congratulations on the conclusion of your residency!

Many of the concepts from woodworking apply to plane building. Slow and steady wins the race, measure 5 times drill once, take pride in the parts people won't be able to see, etc... With EAA sportair classes, local EAA chapters and the members on VAF, many of the skills needed such as riveting can be learned and practiced prior to starting your kit.

The practice kits are for sale on Vans site. They have a handy tool box and a section of control surface for sale. The kits are reasonably priced and require you to use many of the same tools and materials in the real kits.

With matched holes and a wealth of information at your finger tips you can do it. Its not rocket science, just plane building

nevetsw18 said:

Welcome to the VAF community and congratulations on the conclusion of your residency!

Many of the concepts from woodworking apply to plane building. Slow and steady wins the race, measure 5 times drill once, take pride in the parts people won't be able to see, etc... With EAA sportair classes, local EAA chapters and the members on VAF, many of the skills needed such as riveting can be learned and practiced prior to starting your kit.

The practice kits are for sale on Vans site. They have a handy tool box and a section of control surface for sale. The kits are reasonably priced and require you to use many of the same tools and materials in the real kits.

With matched holes and a wealth of information at your finger tips you can do it. Its not rocket science, just plane building

Click to expand...

+1
If you can build a wood project, if you can study and become a doctor, you can do anything including build an RV. Welcome and build on

You Can Do It!

If you have never riveted, invest now in a rivet gun, bucking bar set, and Vans practice tool box. It does take practice. If you hate it, better to find out now than later. Oh yea, buy some hearing protection, too.

Learning skills

I found the sportair workshops helpful. See if you can find a builder near you to watch, talk with,learn from. I was really fortunate to get in a shop with a couple of projects underway.

RV9A Bill

The Process

Hi Jeff,

My observations as someone technically competent but without prior riveting experience...

- It takes time. Build if you enjoy building. Buy if you want to fly. I enjoy building and am having a great time. I also have access to airplanes to keep up the flying.

- I took EAA Sheet Metal Basics to demystify - recommended if you can find one that's convenient. Also recommend Hints for Homebuilders videos.

- You'll do a lot of countersinking, drilling, deburing, dimpling, and riveting. None of it hard, but it is a skill so practice at the EAA workshop or on the Vans Toolbox Kit.

- You'll need $1000 to $2000 worth of tools - air compressor, drill, squeezer, etc.. I'll share my list if you need.

- I think there are RVs based at KLZU and I'm betting a good EAA chapter or two around you. Worth going to a few meetings to start networking.

Cheers,
Bob

Jeff,

Like you, I had no sheet metal experience (or woodworking, for that matter) and was concerned I would invest money and time into a project I wasn't capable of doing. After spending a couple of days with a friend who built a -7 and showing me how to use all the tools, dimpling, deburring, riveting, etc....I put my fears to rest. You CAN do this! It does take attention to detail, but as a doc you are probably good with that.

I am still learning a lot, but this project is a lot of fun...I find when I am home, I can NOT keep my hands off it. You will not regret it!

RV World

None of the airplane building tasks are hard (well, I still haven't done the canopy) but there are lots of them, mostly repetitive cleco, drill, debur, dimple, rivet.
I promised myself that I would not buy cheap tools so I wouldn't have that excuse if my workmanship wasn't up to aircraft standards. So far this has worked well for me. In particular, buy the best 3X rivet gun you can find and a good pneumatic squeezer. By best, I mean the one the feels good in your hand, drives the rivets well, has some recoil absorption, and the manufacturer has parts support if you ever need spare parts.
One definition I like is "building an airplane is just an excuse to buy more tools." I'm still buying tools on my project

Diving into RV World

Thanks to everyone for the very encouraging and help replies. I am continuing to read through many of the posts on VAF - kind of like drinking from the proverbial fire hose! So much to learn, but it's great that there are so many folks here who are really talented at explaining what that have learned and the techniques they use. Really appreciate the hospitality shown to use newcomers!

For now, I'll continue to read, learn, and probably ask some questions from time to time. But ultimately waiting to hopefully get started on my -10 this coming summer.

Jeff,
Buy. Then adjust as you see fit.

if you want to fly you buy, if you want to build you, well i haven't found a word to rhyme with build yet but you build. if you build save your $$$ to get current because you willd build if you catch my drift. good luck.

I took an RV building course in Griffin, Ga. It was a week long and we built the tail kit. A -10 tail kit is a lot bigger than my -7 so you most likely would not get it all done in a week. With that said I do not know if that course is still offered but it was worth its weight in gold plus I came home with a truck full of air plane parts. I will say as others have said above that you will want to get good at this work before you start work on your plane. I have seen some that had some pretty ragged work and you want to build something you will be proud of even if it is just a tool box. Good luck and keep us posted!

Not available any more

Charles in SC said:

I took an RV building course in Griffin, Ga. It was a week long and we built the tail kit. A -10 tail kit is a lot bigger than my -7 so you most likely would not get it all done in a week. With that said I do not know if that course is still offered but it was worth its weight in gold plus I came home with a truck full of air plane parts. I will say as others have said above that you will want to get good at this work before you start work on your plane. I have seen some that had some pretty ragged work and you want to build something you will be proud of even if it is just a tool box. Good luck and keep us posted!

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I expect that was the course offered by Ron Alexander in Griffin. I wish it was still available, as I am just up the road in Locust Grove. Instead, I went all the way out to Eugene, OR and took the course offered by Synergy. I'm headed back in September to do the fuselage - so I found it very enjoyable and the folks out there were wonderful to work with. There was at least one RV under construction out there being built by a doctor, so they are very flexible with scheduling.