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Thanks for posting them!

I took delivery of this kit in June this year, and have been working on it full time + since then! prop went on today (MT 3 blade C/S) and will be running the engine up later in the week.

Dave
 
got the hang of it now!!

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i am going for this scheme. I am no painter, and my workshops a bit dusty, I am fine with base coat but as the clear coat takes a while to dry it picks up dust. I just make sure i put a good coat of clear on and i will (eventualy) 1200 and polish the entire plane to ger rid of the dust.

Dave


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Dave,
Wow that paint job is going to be awesome. I was looking at your pic of the engine without the cowl and I noticed you are using some kind of flexible material for the front baffle that goes right behind the spinner. What kind of material is that? My engine has a prop gov accessory port right there which results in a ugly baffle mess. I would love to copy that design. Also, could you post some detailed pics of your inverted oil tank mount setup. I am going to mount my tank in the exact same place on my -3.

Thanks,
Rob
 
Dave Stephens said:
Thanks for posting them!

I took delivery of this kit in June this year, and have been working on it full time + since then! prop went on today (MT 3 blade C/S) and will be running the engine up later in the week.

Dave
Click to expand...

Standard

or

Quickbuild Kit?


Either way... awesome! Before I saw the MX, I new the paint scheme. Giles 202, MX2, MXS. Love watching the Red Bull races and seeing the light weight MX come through the gates.
 
Rhino, it was a QB

Rob, I built my own Carbon Plenum, the flexible stuff is standard Vans baffle used to help seal the carbon onto the engine

The Invert tank is held onto the engin mount with Adel "P" Clips

Dave

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Dave, might want to consider some sort of attach point for the top front center area of the plenum (where you have the circular rubber sheet seal). Rmember, with good recovery the plenum pressure is about 136 lbs/sq ft at 200 knots. The plenum lid will bow upward if it can.
 
The engine is mounted as standard, not canted.

Dan, i moulded a return lip on the piece of cowl that goes over the crankshaft, with the intention of putting a strap around the crankshaft housing. i just have not quite sussed out how to implement it yet!

the cowl is from Showplanes

Dave
 
Dave: The raw cowl has round intakes as for a plenum but the painted aircraft has more conventional intakes that are not round. Is this a different cowl? Is the plenum still in use? Bill
 
Not much, but back at it.

Well, I just ended my longest drought of not working on the plane.

So much has happened in the 6months or so since I have last touched the project. I came very close to selling the plane. I went as far as selling my pneumatic squeezer to someone for an absolute steal. (I am an idiot.)

My son Avery's LCH chemo treatment has pretty much dominated my life this last spring, summer, and fall. I sold the squeezer, and engine to help pay for medical bills. When it came time to get serious about selling the actual plane, I couldn't bring my self to do it. I am glad I didn't

So tonight, I once again started to deburr wing ribs.

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No, you are not an idiot---

msturgis said:
WellSo much has happened in the 6months or so since I have last touched the project. I came very close to selling the plane. I went as far as selling my pneumatic squeezer to someone for an absolute steal. (I am an idiot.)

My son Avery's LCH chemo treatment has pretty much dominated my life this last spring, summer, and fall. I sold the squeezer, and engine to help pay for medical bills.
Click to expand...

Absolutely you are not an idiot.

What you are is a caring father, and a responsible adult who has had to make some hard decisions lately.

Putting your family ahead of your plane sounds like you have made the correct choice to me.

I think you are a wise man.
 
Mike S said:
Absolutely you are not an idiot.

What you are is a caring father, and a responsible adult who has had to make some hard decisions lately.

Putting your family ahead of your plane sounds like you have made the correct choice to me.

I think you are a wise man.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike, that means a lot. The idiot part came from letting the sqeezer and yoke go for an insanely low amount of $$ :) Live and learn though!
 
Matt, I'd have a hard time getting motivated together back in the project looking at that stack of ribs as the next step. Hope the plane is an adventure you and your son can share for many years to come.
 
Nothing quite like seeing a completed pile of ribs though... All the best with your wing build Matt!

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(I didn't seem to get a pic of my nose ribs... :()
 
Matt

I fully echo Mike's post and to paraphrase your late President...

"We choose to build this aircraft and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one that we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win"

While you are it this stage check out this part of my log in case you have a similar problem with the nose ribs.

Regards

Bob
www.rv-8.co.uk
 
Done...

Thanks for that Bob!

Well after about 7 months of starting the wing rib deburr/fluting process, i'm done. Who needs a quickbuild.... :p

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Finished my roll bar and did some more to the interior. Hopfully I will run the engine next week if the snow clears. I also fitted the exellent Smokin Airplanes Smoke System. I fitted it in the rear Baggage for CG reasons (my Batt is on firewall) and run a 3/8 Ali pipe to the bulkhead where i fitted an Andair One way valve (used the plastic one that comes with it at the tank) and fitted the twin injector kit

Dave

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I thought the emp would be done by Jan 1st. and had no idea what I'd do for the month waiting for the wings. Big boxes showed up today, and the elevators still aren't quite finished.

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Way cool!!

Its hard to believe that what is in that box will go over 200mph someday!!! Congrats on the progress Doug. I was coming along great on my elevators until I let a hammer slip and fall on the left skin. Drat and double drat...a big 4 inch crease in the skin. Called Van's today and ordered a new one. By the time I am done with this emp I will have built almost two of them...:eek:
By the way...does that say ARF on the side or ABF. I didn't know if you purchased the "almost ready to fly" version...ha ha!
 
Aaron, I've had a few extra bruises along the way, but only one replacement part and a few additional rivets, but my elevators aren't done yet either :eek: Trying to find a good place to store the finished parts to not ding them.

Those boxes said ABF on them. I can't afford the "ARF" version. :p
 
Hello,
After 21 months of full time building, "Aluminium Lady" has finally put his dress of grey and blue paint, wings will be done next months She plans to fly this summer



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I have been beavering away! fingers are very sore from all the masking (why did i chose this scheme!!)

I have clear coated the wings, Fuse is still in base coat at the moment

Dave

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My wings are on, with the help of fellow homebuilders Tom, Chris, Luke and Eric. Everything went as well as I could have possibly hoped.

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One of the aft spar bolts, installed. The result of a day's work, and lots of careful measuring and fussing:

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For those who are working toward this big day (and many other big days), keep going!


.
 
Canopy

Foster,
This is a tinted canopy from Todd's Canopy,the skirt from Van's did not fit.My buddy Jerry,who is building a plastic airplane (Cozy) showed me how to build the skirt. Find a local plastic plane builder,their knowledge is invalueable.I painted it insignia blue.
Ronald
PS Jerry is moving to Florida in April
 
off to somewhat of a start..i guess.

I would post a pic of my progress but i dont think anyone here wants to see my preview plans set :rolleyes: i plan on ordering my Emp this summer and begining the endeavor that is RV8 :D
 
Wings on

Last night me and the family put the wings on the RV-8 (temporarily) . I thought it would be fun to make it a family affair. My youngest, Mary who is 6, was the 'photo journalist'; Syndey, 11, had hole line up duty in the cockpit (I helped); Mitchell, 15, had heavy lifting along with me and Mom. It all came out pretty good in the end and it's was exciting for everyone to see it in this 'new' form.
I have yet to drill the rear spar so this is only a partial victory. More to come...

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Both ailerons, One wing top skin riveted. One flap done.

Now for the second Flap... hopefully the second one isn't such a process!

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Mike,

Not sure what I did but there it is in the post. In the preview it had the link but no picture. Hopefully I will do an engine start this weekend when I get back from Denver.
 
A lot of cowl work done, a lot more to go.

Finished my the base design cowl exit nozzle plug and layed up the first half of the mold today.



A shot of the cowl exit. I cut the square ramp out and added the rounded exit. A two part exit nozzle will connect here and run back, with a 6.5 inch diameter outlet, for starters. I have different designs to try for the outlet nozzle so am making provisions so that they can be easily swapped out.



The air intake scoop is also my air filter housing. Went with a 3 inch dia inlet opening, very rounded profile intake. The flexible upper is made and prosealed on top, it will clamp to the servo. The filter slides in from the back. Still working on it.



The main cooling inlets are 3.8" in diameter. The oil cooler intake, the single inlet, is 1.75 inches in daimeter. Would have rather placed the oil cooler inlet on top, but in the end I opted for easy connection.

 
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