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RV-8A #83423 N-251WM

Oct progress

After moving to the airport early in the month, I seem to be spending MORE time building and getting more accomplished. I like the idea of not having to get everything picked up, moved back into place, and reset every time I work. It also helps to be able to sneak over to the hanger between students and when things are cancelled.

Big events for the month:
- Aft upper skin
- Bottom wing skins
- Engine control interconnects between cockpits

One of my co-workers volunteered his 13 year old daughter to climb into the tail to buck rivets. After a few practice rivets on the bench, away she went. Despite it being relatively cool (50 degrees) outside, a 400W lamp shining inside kept Abby warm ... but nothing a box fan in the cockpit couldn't solve. 3 hours later we were done.

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The book recommends having helpers to finishing the bottom wing skins. They are not kidding. I have long arms and was holding the bucking bar while my good friend Jim handled the gun. But I still had to be in a "compromising" and uncomfortable position for 6 hours. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at) the only picture taken was blurry. The finished product is pretty though.

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Part of the process of finishing the wings was to finish the canon plugs, VOR/ILS/GS antenna, and nutplates on the wing tips.

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While in the wiring mood, I cleaned up the lower right switch panel, also with canon plugs for easy removal.

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The big victory this month was completing the engine control cockpit interconnect rods. This has been an engineering puzzle and I finally got around to figuring it out. Vans sells a kit for just the throttle but since I plan on instructing (RV-8A transition, aerobatics, and glass cockpit) I wanted all three engine controls. It took several attempts at the appropriate bends and arrangement but I fit them in and they work great. The mixture control rod has the most significant bends but with a strong steel rod, there are no issues.

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The goals are set and the last major item has been ordered (seats). As long as the weather stays somewhat warm I hope to continue making progress. Until next month ...

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Nov progress

Despite the cold weather, things are moving forward. I did find a way to conduct "winter ops". S'mores anyone?

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I have installed an Odyssey PC-680 battery in the tail section and using a combination of the standard tray and the Odyssey hold-down kit. I am confident it is not going to move during aerobatic flight.

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There are a thousand little details I have finished up this month but pictures would be of little interest. One of those details, however, is heating and ventilation. The plan is to mix hot/cold air and I have installed three controls (cold air, hot air, feet/panel) to make that happen. Now to finish the actual mixing box!

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I have started the placard process and for motivation started with the biggest one.

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December goals: finishing the electrical system, engine baffles, and cowling.
January goals: canopy and attach the wings.

That is the plan at least ... until it changes.

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Anniversary

I looked back throughout my builders log and today is the anniversary of starting the actual build. 2 years and 800 hours later I look back and still can't believe I am doing this. Thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement, advise, and assistance.

So an early December update ...

I went the simple route for solving my oil cooler nutplate problem. I only had to trim an 1/8" off one fin on cylinder #4 and now it works like a champ.

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From my military flying I know these machines house miles of wire. I should have kept track because my electric airplane seems to have some big bundles (it looks very deceiving from the picture but there is 2 inches of clearance between the bundle and the rudder cable).

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One of the down sides of an all electric airplane is that while there is lots of room behind the panel, access to that space is a necessity. I cut an access panel on the left side of the upper skin, riveted a doubler, and will seal the panel to make it water tight. The panel will remain sealed until access is needed.

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This has been a crazy fall/winter weather-wise and while I was burning through propane tanks last month to stay warm, on Sunday we hit a record of 81 degrees. I took advantage of the warm weather and cut the canopy.

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With the windscreen roll-bar in place ...

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And a temp fit of the canopy skirt ...

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I have my motivation for the coming months.

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Merry Christmas!
 
January '14 Progress

What a difference a month makes. In December it was warm enough to cut the canopy and wear shorts. This past month it has been in the teens and last week we had a 10" snow storm ... a once every other decade event here in Virginia Beach! Needless to say, my goals did not get met for January ... although I did finish my ATP which was probably at the top of this list.

So indoor activities it has been. I posted elsewhere but a project I have been thinking about for a year is how to blend the signals from front and back seat stick switches. Using the KISS principle, an isolate switch and terminal barrier strips made for an easy approach. The box is mounted under the front seat ramp and the switch is easy to flip when seated.

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After getting the seats, trying them, then returning to Oregon Aero for covering, I now have seats to put in the aircraft. VERY happy with how they turned out.

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As I work through the details, one I almost forgot was the fire extinguisher. This size fit perfectly on the lower right bulkhead. Talking with my inspector, he was relating a recent build where someone had mounted it right behind their head. I am hoping this is a much better place in the event of a sudden deceleration!

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On the left side I have finished the fuel selector valve and "HVAC" control panel (fresh air, heat, panel/feet controls).

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For the elevator trim motor I am using an environmentally sealed circular connector similar to the lights. Unfortunately, the existing slot and hole to the trim motor is not big enough to accommodate the connector so I had to get creative and used a 3/8" ratchet extension to hold the Unibit. Worked like a champ.

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Hopefully this month yields warmer temperatures and progress can be made toward a spring flight.

Strike
 
Progress!

Looks Great, Mike. I like the full engine controls in the rear; for instructing. I enjoy watching your quick progress; my 8A is taking forever! Thanks for posting.
 
Feb '14 progress

I think I can all safely say that we are ready for spring! Cold weather is not very conducive to working in the hanger. So while I had grand plans for making progress (and Lord knows I need too since there is an impending move in June), February was a slow month. But like December, last weekend brought 60+ degree weather so I took advantage of it.

The electrical system is 99% done. The side panel is wired and tested. I swapped out the Molex for Anderson Power plugs (the red/black connectors in the photo) and couldn't be happier. These things were very easy to installed and there is no worry about pin alignment.

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With the stick mixer installed and D-sub connectors run to both cockpits (so the sticks can be removed easily for inspections and/or no stick in the back seat) it was time to finish the elevator trim connections and test everything.

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I do have an issue with the rear seat stick hitting the front seat so I have order a new tube and will be off to get an s-curve bent this week. More to follow.

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Brakes installed on the wheels with an extra bit taken out to accommodate the brake movement. This seems to be a common write-up in the forums and shaving a little bit off the bracket seemed to be the consensus.

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While the weather may have been warm-ish for the weekend, it is still not warm enough to finish the canopy but that didn't stop me from painting the handle.

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The big project this past weekend was the left ramp baffle. There is a big note in the instructions stating the snorkel was designed for a stock Lycoming engine and starter. I have the starter but with a Superior engine I needed to make some modifications to allow clearance for the alternator.

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A little bit of fiberglass work ...

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And lots of trial fitting ...

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I am pleased with the end results. I still have to finish the snorkel attach brackets but the hard work is done.

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While this month should bring warmer weather and extra daylight in the evenings (time change already!!!) my daughter is coming out so we can do a week of college tours ... if only the plane was done to make traveling easier.
 
Spring progress

Enough already ... where is spring? It has been a long hard winter and I am very ready for spring and warmer weather. Who knew we would have this much snow and cold weather in south eastern Virginia? Eventful month with college shopping for my daughter and receiving word on my next assignment. Fortunately I am only moving 3 hours north (south of Baltimore) and can come back on weekends to finish but it would be really nice to have everything done by the time I move in June. So long hours at the airport now with the finish work.

I went ahead and did the horizontal stab modification per the SB. Drilling and re-riveting the spar was not a lot of fun but I am glad it is done now instead of having to pull the tail off later. It set me back a couple of weeks but was also a good opportunity to fix the elevator horns and connect.

Before:

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One of our EAA chapter members welded the holes closed and I re-drilled the connect.

After:

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Now the elevators are flush on both sides. Nutplates and fairings were a logical next step to finish the tail section completely.

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I'm not a big fan of how the lower stab gap seal worked/fit so I shaped some foam and made a fiberglass lower fairing.

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Installed the fuel pump and red cube using nutserts to secure the pump to the floor. A little creative tube bending was needed but it all fits.

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Built a heating/cooling air mixing box and affixed to the firewall.

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Like others, since I am using a Superior engine with horizontal induction and an Airflow Performance fuel control, I needed to make a custom throttle cable bracket.

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And my motivation for the month ... the Data Plate.

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I need to make big progress by the end of the month so if you are in the Hampton Roads area, come on out and I'll put you to work.
 
It has wings!

Okay, I normally don't put anything up except at the end of the month but today was a special day. The usual suspects were over to help fit the wings and after a little bit of white lithium grease on the spars, they slide right in ... much better than the gear. Eight 3 oz fishing weights hung down the leading edge of the wings acted as plumb bobs and a laser line level was used to sight the sweep while the iPhone declinometer helped to measure the incidence (isn't modern tech wonderful?). Surprisingly, the aileron push rods needed NO adjustments and only minor trimming on the flaps. Now to finish the fairings then have the crew back to remove the wings, deburr and put them right back on ... permanently.

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Mid-May Progress

It has been a while between traveling for work, turn-over for my new job, and working at a feverish pace to finish before I move next month so posting has been at the bottom of the list. My oldest son keeps asking though and I have discovered that he and his friends visit this site often to look at the aircraft and my progress. He now tells me he wants to be an engineer (aerospace?). All of my kids are really excited about the project coming to it's conclusion and look forward to flying when they come out.

It is hard to really convey the progress being made since much of it is finish work on the not-so-glorious "guts". But here goes ...

While we got the wings on last month, I waited to permanently attached them with the bolts until I knew for sure I no longer needed access. After deep freezing the bolts for a couple days and a little bit of grease, only a medium-sized "influencer" was needed to get all 8 CT bolts plus the 2 non-CT bolts per side in place. What took some time was getting the nuts on the bolts on the front side. My hands are not small and the space is tight. NOTE: There are two bolt/nut combinations on the bottom that you must use care when tightening because of the space to the gear mount. Do NOT start the nut on the bolt then hammer the bolt in further ... the nut will tend to get destroyed. Yeah, that was fun backing that bolt back out.

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Once the wings were on, wiring and pitot/fuel lines could all be connected. I had Aircraft Specialty make the fuel hoses and I couldn't be happier. I originally screwed up the order but they swapped it out no problem. These guys are awesome. I did learn they will send you fittings that can be used with a plastic tube to determine the EXACT length you need. Next time.

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One of the "fiddly bits" was to set the breakout force for the nose wheel. A digital fish scale worked great.

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Over the weekend the first set of fluids were "transfused" into the aircraft. After much hydraulic fluid on the hands (and floor), I learned how to bleed brakes.

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Finishing up the baffles and fitting the cowling has been slow progress but I am hoping to be complete by next weekend and ready for the first engine run.

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Like others, the Superior IO-360 with the Airflow Performance fuel control doesn't quite fit the stock IO cowling. A hole in the bottom side was necessary and I will glass it over later in the week.

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I am sure we will come up with an appropriate modification name.

The clock is ticking until the movers get here at the end of the month and until then, long hours at the airport with the cowling and canopy remaining. At least it is only a 4 1/2 hour drive from work to the airport here so weekends will be filled with finishing up this summer.

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First Engine Run

Attempted the first start over the weekend but while there was fuel flow and rotation, there was no spark. Chasing wires I found my P-mag switches were grounding out the power so for now the lines are connected directly until I can find the fault in the switches.

With the crew back in palce yesterday, we cranked up for real.

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Only two minor leaks that hopefulyl will be solved with tightening the connectors. I say hopefully because during the second run, there was a loud "clunk" followed by severe shuttering during cranking ... which can't be good. A little investigative work found 7 teeth on the starter ring sheared off. as it turns out, the starter engaged then froze. :(

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The good news ... Ameritech, who built the engine, is going to help out with fixing the ring and replacing the starter. While I won't make the projected completion date before I move, I will be able to finish within the month.

More to follow ...

(update)

The new starter ring and re-installed prop.

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Almost to the end ...

After the "minor" set-back, movers, and lack of internet until now (new neighborhood and fiber had yet to be run), it has been a long time since I have had the opportunity to post my status ... so much has changed.

Jumping right in -

Flap and wing fairings, step, and most other external things are complete.

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The N-number will eventually be 12" high but for now letters from Lowes work just great.

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I went the SikaFlex route for the canopy and windscreen and while apprehensive at first, this stuff was so easy to work with and cleaning up the excess was a snap since the agent only sticks to the primer. A little effort masking went a long way in making a nice, solid seal.

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On to the front end ...

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I did swap the earlier interior "blue" lights for more night-friendly red.

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My mentor and right hand helper gave me a special chock as a memento of the occasion of passing the FAA inspection. The squawk list was small (loose jam-nut in the tail, a nut on the battery solenoid, etc.) and all-in-all a painless experience mostly because he kept me honest throughout the build. Thanks Jim.

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So on to Phase I. The battery was about to die so the starter didn't quite move the prop and now my kids are here for a month. I can't wait to get out in the last weekend of August and get those first few flights out of the way. I am hoping to get the 40 hours flown off in a timely manner and FINANLLY move the TARDIS up to it's new home at Martin State north of Baltimore.

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Congrats Strike! Hope to see you get the Tardis airborne soon. Looks like it's going to be a banner year for first flights in 339.

Dale
 
Sooo ready ...

The kids have come and gone, the move to Maryland is complete, and the bugs in the engine have been worked out (okay, mostly). I was so ready to fly this morning and had the crew on standby to come out. Only problem - the winds were 070 10G18. Using runway 10 gave a crosswind that was well above my first flight limit of 5 kts (say nothing of the gust). Needless to say not the best of days for a first flight so I spent the time taxing around and calibrating the G3X.

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I also worked on the mold for the aft end of the skirt. Not a show stopper for flight but part of the many cosmetic necessities before paint. I used modeling clay and the layup seemed to go well so more to follow.

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I still have to troubleshoot the lack of RPM indication (both P-Mags and G3X connections and settings all seem to check out). Hopefully calls tomorrow yield a simple fix and maybe next Friday we'll fly (since it is a4 hour drive between home and the aircraft now).
 
The TARDIS Flies!

On August 29th at 1821 z (1421 lcl), after 2 years 8 months and 1300 hours of effort, N-251WM, the TARDIS, proved it was a real plane and took to the skies from KPVG (Hampton Roads Executive Airport) runway 02.

It was only a short flight, once around the pattern climbing to a max altitude of 1500 MSL, and was cut short because both oil and CHT temps were very high and there was no need to push it. But it was incredible.

Take-off

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Landing

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The grin

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The airplane flies very smooth with great, responsive control but it wasn't until the next morning on the second flight that I think I could relax some and enjoy the experience.

Thanks to my ground team:

Jim Ferrell - Master Crew Chief (and main build assistant)
Chris Francis - Mission Control/Communications
Scott Brokaw (and family) - moral support

Only 39 more hours to go in Phase I!
 
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Congrats!

Awesome!!! Been following this build since you started. I can't believe its been that long. Nice work and congratulations. Go enjoy!
 
Phase I update

20.3 hours in four days! Ugh - I am tired. I took a couple of days off from work to focus on getting through Phase I but had a few delays this weekend.

Things started with having to fix the timing (severely retarded) and trouble shoot an errant spark plug. The plug issue was most likely due to excess paint on the cylinder causing a less than stellar ground. Changed out the plug adaptors and cleaned the paint and now the engine purrs and puts out an amazing amount of power. Time to climb to 10k is 10 minutes and would have been faster except the oil temp was a little high. The other delay was yesterday ...

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But it cleared up around 1130 and off to Wakefield for the first out stop, lunch with my mentor and main assistant (that's his plane), and less expensive gas ($5.05/gal which is more than a dollar cheaper than home field).

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I am really liking the Garmin G3X system. With the ADS-B input both traffic and weather are overlaid on the map. Talk about SA.

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It helped to circumnavigate the weather and provide for a little VFR-on-top.

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Most of the testing is complete and now to plot the charts. Probably the most tedious of the flights was 2.5 hours of constant speed climbs and descents and various airspeed to get the points. Stalls and slow flight handling were benign so I rewarded myself with a little acro exploration.

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Downloading the flight data from the G3X can be mapped on GoogleEarth ...

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I guess I need to work on the lines :rolleyes:

All in all it is going well. Yes there are things to fix but most are minor. This is an incredible machine and for those still building, it is so worth it in the end.

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First real oil change

Approaching 50 hours and with a significant trip ahead I did the first oil change after the engine break-in oil change from mineral oil. I also took the opportunity to install a 90 degree adaptor. To remove the original filter housing, I had to remove the P-mag caps to get to the old screws/nuts. I was really surprised at how much space I gained behind the engine so it is no longer necessary to remove anything from the assessor case to get to other components.

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A couple weeks ago an issue came up with the nose pant. After a few flights I discovered there was not enough clearance between the wheel and pant. The good news is the fiberglass repair was completed in an afternoon in the kitchen (where it is warm!).

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That same day I had to repair the leg fairings. They flew fine for a flight but on the second flight I noticed a significant decrease in cruise speed. Post-flight I discovered the tabs of the fairings were "liberated" and the fairings had rotated to a drag position. :(

At this point I am cleaning up all of the squawks found in Phase I and adding some details such as the canopy lock.

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This picture is posted elsewhere (200 kt club) but also here to see the big picture. Very happy with the performance and am looking forward to my cross country trip.

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Sweet update

Strike,
From the RAF (Rappahanock Area Flyers) just to your north EZF, we are a bunch of completely and purposely un-organized pilots with a variety of RV machines (and a couple of non-Vans thrown in for good measure), who fly for fun.

Our fuel is cheap, our camaraderie is good. Our motto: "We are not lean, we are not mean, we are here to lick the plate clean"

Happy landings,
Daddyman
 
hey

Hey Strike,

Great to see things are moving along. Chapter Christmas party is at my house on Saturday. Stop in if you are in the area. Wakefield avgas is under $5 now!
I will have been flying my RV for 5 years on 12/12 and I remember I was upset because fuel at SFQ had gone up to $3.18! What we wouldn't give to have that back again.:)
 
At long last ...

After 4+ years and 2000 hours I am declaring the TARDIS complete!

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First off I need to thank Doug Reeves for 1) creating and maintaining this incredible resource/website and 2) for picking me up at the airport today! I got to enjoy lunch with him and his fellow builders from 52F. A great bunch with so much experience - I was truly humbled to be in their presence. We did start adding up all of the PIC aircraft we held among us and I think we stopped counting at 40. My contribution was only 1 unique aircraft.

After lunch we went to the airport to see the incredible work of Grady and his team. Special thanks to Shark who took my TARDIS concept and turned it into art.

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What really caught my attention though driving up ...

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Now my problem is getting back to Baltimore. Okay, maybe not the trip but actually getting into my hanger.

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It has been a great journey and I can't thank my "support" team enough. For all those just starting this trip, in the end it is soooo worth it - keep pounding away and take small bites of the elephant.
 
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