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Years of RV Enjoyment (Proof in Pictures)

DeltaRomeo

doug reeves: unfluencer
Staff member
Evidence of fun.

Over the years it seems that more and more photos of RVs in a pristine state are appearing online. I thought I would take a stab at spotlighting, with the help of others, images that convey years and years of RV enjoyment. The more worn the better - the other end of the spectrum. They all tell a story.....a story I'd like to hear.

Starting with some photos I took - please add your own pictures!

Where the top canopy latch is rotated - sometimes it drags across the roll bar. You can see a slight depression along the top of the roll bar from years of taxiing with the canopy held open here. Vibrations and time...
RV-6 N617AR Tip up. Ten years of wear:
worn1.jpg


N617AR RV-6. Passenger side side rail - a few hundred hits with seat belt buckles:
worn2.jpg


Throttle quadrant area - paint rubbed off by wrist. Kay Frizzell RV-8A:
worn3.jpg


Pilot floorboard: Kay Frizzell RV-8A (I love this picture):
worn4.jpg


Fuselage - Kay Frizzell RV-8A:
worn5.jpg


V/r,
dr
 
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Doug, I just had a restraining order issued. You're not allowed to go near my airplane with a camera ;)
 
Primer . . . Definitely a primer issue

See all of that primer debate . . . here's proof:eek:
 
OMG! All of those airplanes should be grounded immediately! :p

I am pretty sure that is all just one airplane, Doug's. I will post a few pics of mine. It is no hangar queen but doesn't have quite as much character as Doug's.

[ed. It's two planes My -6 and Kay's -8A. Both based at 52F. ;^), dr]
 
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What's clearly needed is a RV reconditioning program. Something that cleans up scratches, paint defects, faults of any kind. The airplane goes immediately to the head of the line of show-winners. Down time would be about a half hour.

Sadly, mine doesn't qualify. It never was perfect (not even close) and thus in need of refurb. I suppose you'd say it just needs the furb.

It bears all the visible faults from a first-time build as well as some wear. But, it sure does fly well.

Dan
 
The beat-up pickup truck thread (my kind of ride.) Love it! Shiny, spit and polish, fancy paint ain't my thing.
 
Reminds me of something a friend said back in college:

"Never trust an airplane that still has paint on the floorboards" :D
 
My plane is flying only year and a half but I can see some wear :D


Lycoming after 500 hours



lycoming.jpg




Catto blades after 600 hours



catto.jpg




Aileron brackets 650 hours



bracket-1.jpg




I also have a can of worms for page #6 of this thread :D
 
Too easy in my case

Shoot, this is shooting fish in a barrel. I wouldn't even need to aim the camera.

DSC03036.jpg


edit: Added one photo that I have posted before
 
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This is great!

Some of my friends have older RVs. They have steam gauges in the panels and the mars and scratches that come from years of use. These plane have become part of their identity and they are as comfortable in them as they are in an old pair of shoes. I can only hope I get that way with mine and in time it wears the same patina of use that theirs has.

Keep the pictures coming. :)
 
There are "Show Planes", and there are "Go Planes".

I "Go".

Every scratch, ding and chip tell a story.
 
Some of my friends have older RVs. They have steam gauges in the panels and the mars and scratches that come from years of use. These plane have become part of their identity and they are as comfortable in them as they are in an old pair of shoes. I can only hope I get that way with mine and in time it wears the same patina of use that theirs has.

Keep the pictures coming. :)

What Paul said.... I hope to become as comfortable in my plane as I know others are in theirs, with all the scratches and wear to prove it.

Interesting thread. Nice to know for those of us building that are trying to make the plane as perfect as possible.
 
..and another thing...

If you for some reason don't like the 'patina' that comes with experience, then this is a GREAT way to see where you might want to put a little rub strip, or use leather upholstery, etc. etc.

I too wish I had more wear on my plane...the good kind! :)...not the "dropped my 6 lb. maglite on the left wing tank and nearly punched a hole in it!":eek:
 
If you for some reason don't like the 'patina' that comes with experience, then this is a GREAT way to see where you might want to put a little rub strip, or use leather upholstery, etc. etc.
Exactly why I'm reading this thread! Not that I expect or even want mine to be pristine for life, but it's nice to see the places where I may want to add a little extra protection -- or just not paint. :)
 
By "trashed is good" standards, this baby is worth big bucks :rolleyes:
 
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Showy Plane ? not? Showplane?

I decided long ago that I would much rather have an airplane that I use a lot than one that I try to maintain as a ?Showplane?. I can accept the accusation that I might have ?showy? planes?but they aren?t ?showplanes? ? they work!

The Valkyrie now has over 1600 hours on her, and yup, there are wear points:

There?s this little dent in the top of the left fuel tank ? something got dropped while taking it out of the forward baggage compartment last year at Oshkosh
P1020507.JPG


And the rear of the top cowl shows how many times it has been removed and replaced:
P1020508.JPG


It?s getting close to the time to repair wheel pants again:
P1020510.JPG


And the canopy latch pin is showing some rust:
P1020512.JPG


The good news is that I found a way to cover interior paint wear ? Velcro make a great cover-up, pads the area where your wrist rubs, and gives a place to hang a pen:
P1020511.JPG
 
Here ya' go Turbo....and it's real. From homebuilt parking, S&F 2007:

5xtnkh.jpg


By "trashed is good" standards, this baby is worth big bucks :rolleyes:

holy crapola batman! that is unbelievable. to bad you didnt get the n#. :eek:

:eek: i have never seen one so bad, and you kept the picture? all it needs is a skull and xbones on the cowl. can you imagine the pilot of that thing? thanks for making me fell mine is such a jewel. carry on.

vaf.gif
 
holy crapola batman! that is unbelievable. to bad you didnt get the n#. :eek:

:eek: i have never seen one so bad, and you kept the picture? all it needs is a skull and xbones on the cowl. can you imagine the pilot of that thing? thanks for making me fell mine is such a jewel. carry on.

vaf.gif

I saw that plane there in '07! My girlfriend and I could not believe any DAR(Although it may be perfectly(?) airworthy) would sign off on it. And we wondered how the owner could bring it there when he knows the scrutiny it would be under. On the other hand, we could use it as a poster child, if it could fly, then ours definitely will!
 
Wow. I can't believe some of the condescending attitudes on here for a not so pretty aircraft. Being airworthy and safe has nothing to do with a pretty paint job.
 
Wow. I can't believe some of the condescending attitudes on here for a not so pretty aircraft. Being airworthy and safe has nothing to do with a pretty paint job.

What he said.

I was thinking of posting my ratrod rv but dont think i want to now. It looked rough when I purchased it but im chipping away at making it nice(r). It still flew fine even without a spinner. :rolleyes:

Its all i could afford at the time but it was a crappy -4 I could fix up or a -3 that would always have only one seat. Im glad i got the crappy looking -4.
 
Evidence of fun.

I thought I would take a stab at spotlighting, with the help of others, images that convey years and years of RV enjoyment. The more worn the better ---

They all tell a story.....a story I'd like to hear.

Starting with some photos I took - please add your own pictures!

V/r,
dr

Seems that the whole idea of this thread has gotten lost in the clutter.

Three pages of comments, and only 3 folks have actually posted photos as per the request above.

Yes, I know I have just done the same thing I am criticizing, but I am trying to get the thread on the track I believe DR wanted.

I will go away now.
 
i really tried. walked around by bird with years and hours on her but just couldnt find any thing that can close to dougs. he set the bar quite high. doing fine for an old bird. may find some pics at snf. :cool:
 
Here's nearly 3,600 hours of 'heat-wear' on the original fiberglass (resin) cowl :D Rosie

Cowl_heat_wear.jpg
 
Post the proof Sean or I'll show up at your NA location to check it :D




Bose headset nearing 1000 hours...



Bose1000hourswear.jpg

If that headset could talk the stories it would tell!

Hey Vlad by any chance did you fly into Solberg this weekend? I thought I saw N666BK or maybe not.

Juan
 
700 Hr plugs

I 'll venture a guess, but I'll bet you have standard Mags for ignitions. With Electronics ignitions your plugs would all look like the one on the left...

Spark plug to the right has over 700 hours on it. Left is new.



 
I 'll venture a guess, but I'll bet you have standard Mags for ignitions. With Electronics ignitions your plugs would all look like the one on the left...


Spot on Fred. Conventional mags and I am aware they are eating massive electrodes. Let them eat for 300 more hours :D
 
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