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N713DR 1st Flight

DRBuilder

DRBuilder

Well Known Member
After 6 years of building from a slow build kit, RV Super-7 N713DR Made it's 1st flight Friday, Nov 18, 2011. Flight went absolutely perfect! Made the best landing I have EVER made in ANY airplane! She's equipped with a Lycoming IO 540. Dynon Skyview 10" PFD, Auto Pilot w/ Alt Hold, Mode S Transponder with Traffic Displayed on PFD, Garmin SL40 com, Garmin GMA 240 Audio Panel, Prewired for Future Garmin 430W Nav/Com, Custom Interior from Classic Aero Designs. Follow these links to see some great pictures of the 1st flight, a video of the 1st takeoff and my website of the build:
Take Off Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePXVAM2gcb8
After Landing Video: http://youtu.be/-s1svDh7-H8
Photos of Event: http://www.1114.eaachapter.org/apps/photos/album?albumid=12602710
Website of Build: http://www.drrv7.com

I would like to thank everyone for their help, support and their willingness to share their experiences with me! There are WAY too many to name and I really would feel horrible if I left someone's name off the extremely long list.

Happy Flying Everyone and KEEP ON BUILDING!!!! The 1st flight is worth every hour of building, times 10 !!!

Dennis Roberts Wake Forest, NC USA

photo
 
Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!

Super 7.......I like that:D

Good for you in getting her airborne.
 
Very rare!

I don't know of any other Super 7 but I have flown in a Super -6.

Anyone know of another Super 7?

I need to come visit you! Congratulations,
 
Congrats!

Way to go! I was a few hours later than you for my first flight. I lifted off on Sat morning a few miles north of you. See you in the air!
Kent
 
DRBuilder said:
After 6 years of building from a slow build kit, RV Super-7 N713DR Made it's 1st flight Friday, Nov 18, 2011. Flight went absolutely perfect! Made the best landing I have EVER made in ANY airplane!

Dennis Roberts Wake Forest, NC USA
Click to expand...

Congratulations Dennis...it's a beautiful plane!

As a Super Six owner that bought and tinkers a lot (and has had to do some reverse engineering to find out about the original build at times), I'm very interested in mods you may have made during the build to accomodate the IO-540 and the added speed (fuselage length, structure/skin beef-ups, gear legs, cowling/induction set-up, etc). I looked through your site to see if things like that were listed, but just thought I'd ask ya. Always interested in how others skinned this cat!

I'm also interested in performance...how's she flying, and what kind of numbers are you seeing. I know you are probably engaged in Phase I testing right now, and slowly expanding the envelope, but as you test and open it up, it'd be fun to hear about the performance you are seeing.

I saw you have it on Barnstormer's for sale too...I think some SARL racers may already be drooling at the prospects! I hope you get to have some fun with it before you sell it! If ya keep it, I hope we see ya at a race sometime!!

Nice job...really pretty plane!

pierre smith said:
I don't know of any other Super 7 but I have flown in a Super -6.

Anyone know of another Super 7?

I need to come visit you! Congratulations,
Click to expand...

Pierre, I heard there was a Super 7 being completed in Texas, I believe near San Antonio. Never did hear about it flying though. May be flying now, just don't know. Dennis' could be the first.

Super RV's I've seen or heard of:
-5 flying Super Sixes, including the CT Cruiser (plus one that is possibly in work on the east coast)
-Dennis' Super 7 (plus possibly the one in TX)
-3 Super 8s (Kahuna's, Steve Senegal's that raced at Reno this year, and one on Barnstormers). I've also heard that there are a couple gents that build Super 8s in Oregon, so I think there are more.

Then again, all RVs are purty dern Super, eh! :D

Cheers,
Bob
 
rvmills said:
Congratulations Dennis...it's a beautiful plane!

As a Super Six owner that bought and tinkers a lot (and has had to do some reverse engineering to find out about the original build at times), I'm very interested in mods you may have made during the build to accomodate the IO-540 and the added speed (fuselage length, structure/skin beef-ups, gear legs, cowling/induction set-up, etc). I looked through your site to see if things like that were listed, but just thought I'd ask ya. Always interested in how others skinned this cat!

I'm also interested in performance...how's she flying, and what kind of numbers are you seeing. I know you are probably engaged in Phase I testing right now, and slowly expanding the envelope, but as you test and open it up, it'd be fun to hear about the performance you are seeing.

I saw you have it on Barnstormer's for sale too...I think some SARL racers may already be drooling at the prospects! I hope you get to have some fun with it before you sell it! If ya keep it, I hope we see ya at a race sometime!!

Nice job...really pretty plane!



Pierre, I heard there was a Super 7 being completed in Texas, I believe near San Antonio. Never did hear about it flying though. May be flying now, just don't know. Dennis' could be the first.

Super RV's I've seen or heard of:
-5 flying Super Sixes, including the CT Cruiser (plus one that is possibly in work on the east coast)
-Dennis' Super 7 (plus possibly the one in TX)
-3 Super 8s (Kahuna's, Steve Senegal's that raced at Reno this year, and one on Barnstormers). I've also heard that there are a couple gents that build Super 8s in Oregon, so I think there are more.

Then again, all RVs are purty dern Super, eh! :D

Cheers,
Bob
Click to expand...

I believe Steve Senegal's RV-8 was built by my brother, Jeff Roberts in Indianapolis, IN. Jeff's RV-8 was all blue with the Navy Star and a big 54 on the cowl. That's where I got the idea to build a Super-7. He said the performance and fuel efficiency was well worth the extra effort it would take to hang a 540 on the front of my 7. Once I get further into the testing I should have a better idea of the performance I am sooo looking forward to experience. John Marshall fabricated the motor mount for me and he told me there were 3 Super-7's already flying, one in KY, one in TX and one in CA. He said mine was the 4th to fly that he was aware of.
 
Dennis,

Congratulations...happy flying and looking forward to beating around the pattern with you in the near future.

Of course, no low approaches at 200kts, left-closed patterns or shooting down initial at 1000 ft agl for the overhead break....no....nope, would never do that....

Glad to see the RV7 grin....
 
Thanks Gary! How's Friday looking for you? I'll call you Friday morning sometime. Maybe we can get some air-to-air shots? Light winds forecast. Looks like a trip to TTA is in order. :D
 
DRBuilder said:
That's where I got the idea to build a Super-7. He said the performance and fuel efficiency was well worth the extra effort it would take to hang a 540 on the front of my 7. Once I get further into the testing I should have a better idea of the performance I am sooo looking forward to experience. John Marshall fabricated the motor mount for me and he told me there were 3 Super-7's already flying, one in KY, one in TX and one in CA. He said mine was the 4th to fly that he was aware of.
Click to expand...

Did you outline on your build page what changes were made to the standard kit to allow for the 540? If not, could you give us an idea of the changes (if any) that were made?
 
MNellis said:
Did you outline on your build page what changes were made to the standard kit to allow for the 540? If not, could you give us an idea of the changes (if any) that were made?
Click to expand...

The only modifications were to beef up the motor mounts with stronger tubing. I don't know the specifics but I know the builder of the motor mount has built several of them for both -7's and -8's. There are over 10 of his modifications that have been flying thousands of hours (combined) with zero issues concerning the modification. I know my brother's -8 has over 1,000 hours by itself and recently raced at Reno this year. I would say the design has an excellent track record and has proven itself to be a reliable one.
 
DRBuilder said:
The only modifications were to beef up the motor mounts with stronger tubing. I don't know the specifics but I know the builder of the motor mount has built several of them for both -7's and -8's. There are over 10 of his modifications that have been flying thousands of hours (combined) with zero issues concerning the modification. I know my brother's -8 has over 1,000 hours by itself and recently raced at Reno this year. I would say the design has an excellent track record and has proven itself to be a reliable one.
Click to expand...

Great feedback and very reassuring news.
 
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