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Lowest RV-8 serial numbers?

N8RV

N8RV

Well Known Member
A thread about kits started/completed caught my attention this morning, and it got me wondering how many of the first RV-8 kits have been completed and flying?

I know that Phil Arter started kit #80005 and passed away before completing it. However, someone else eventually finished it. I've always wondered about other early kit numbers, 80001-80099, for example.

Can anyone here chime in with one of the first 100 RV-8 kit serial numbers?
 
Here's 80098

200910tripletreeflyin12.jpg
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One of the first RV8's built is located out of Mallard Creek Airpark near Atlanta. It was built and is still owned by a Delta pilot. I believe its 80001 or 2. Its a very nice aircraft!!

George
 
sailvi767 said:
One of the first RV8's built is located out of Mallard Creek Airpark near Atlanta. It was built and is still owned by a Delta pilot. I believe its 80001 or 2. Its a very nice aircraft!!

George
Click to expand...

It is number 1 and is indeed very nice.
 
I have 80345,
However, I'm not flying yet. :(
But I do have it out at the airport, in final assembly. :)
Shouldn't be too long now.
Besides, I've come to enjoy working on it. :p
 
48

There is an RV8 here in www.RVCentral.US It is just about finished and ready to fly. It is S/N 80044

The 'Borrowed Horse' is S/N 82506 425 hours TT so far
 
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My plane started out as Builder Number 80114. I purchased the tail and wings from another builder, and went to my builder number 82780 when I finished it in April of 2010.
 
80065

Hi
80065 was my first RV8 build, 98/99, it is currently owned by the President of Vintage Wings in Quebec Canada, used regularly and often serves duty as chase/support plane for their warbirds.
Jerry
My current 8 is 81692.

vy1lzo.jpg
 
lancef53 said:
My plane started out as Builder Number 80114. I purchased the tail and wings from another builder, and went to my builder number 82780 when I finished it in April of 2010.
Click to expand...

Aww, our planes are almost brothers. Smokey's number is 80113. :D

Does anyone remember who finished Phil Arter's plane, 80005? It was posted once, a few years ago, and I recall that I recognized the name.
 
Kit number vs complete date?

80434 Slow build kit
Drilled first hole: Sept 22, 1997
First Flight: July 12, 2000

Actual build time 2 years 7 month. The difference was waiting for parts.
 
Kit # Vs Completion date?!!!

Danny King said:
80434 Slow build kit
Drilled first hole: Sept 22, 1997
First Flight: July 12, 2000

Actual build time 2 years 7 month. The difference was waiting for parts.
Click to expand...

I'm builder#80566. I know its not a "low" number. But, I wouldn't be surprised if I end up with one of the longest build times.

I put my build on hold when I ran into trouble with my transition from career military to career civilian. After 9/11, it was again put on hold because I was laid off from my avionics job.

My tail kit has spent the last 15 years sitting on the shelf as motivation to get myself through a career change, get 2 kids through college, and get a nice house the wife likes and that has space for a workshop.

I'm finally down to the last task before getting to work on that airplane. Since my "shop" is the back half of our large 4-car garage, I had to promise the wife I'd make nice shop cabinets to keep everything organized. And, I have to make her some shelving along the front half of the garage to store all of her Costco treasure.
 
80041, 9/25/2003

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAAST Team Representative
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
Me also

I can tell you that Jerry Van. has #88 in his stable and I have #888, but I do not know whom has #8. I have often thought it would be nice to know.
Yours as always R.E.A. III # 80888
 
I believe Phil Arter's plane was eventually finished by Joel Harding of Larkspur, CO.

Joel Harding, Phil Arter, Greg Puckett, and I ordered our kits on the first day. I had kit #80033 and i think i was the highest number in the group. I ended up selling it to Fred Hollendorfer in the Denver area. I'm pretty sure he ended up finishing an 8, but I'm not sure if he used my original builder's number in the end.

That was all a very long time ago!

Anybody remember Bob Skinner, Dean Hall, Fred Stucklen (I know he's still around)?

Joel Harding and I drove out to the first Burlington fly-in together. We shared a room and Joel was ticked with me for snoring so loudly that I kept him up all night. In reality, I didn't get much sleep, either, because he was smacking me with a pillow every 30 minutes. Good times.

Bob Nuckolls was a featured speaker at that event. The Orndorffs were there and John Stewart was showing off his first masterpiece--an RV6 if I remember correctly. It was a pretty advanced machine because it had an autopilot and a full VM1000 setup. I won a set of dimple dies from Avery for being the youngest builder in attendance. I think I would have been 28 or 29 at the time.

Sorry for rambling on... Thinking of the first RV-8 kits just brings back a flood of memories for me.
 
80009?

A friend of mine looked at a Sport Cub for sale in Independence, Oregon this past week, and it shared a hangar with a very early RV-8, he thought it was #9?
 
It's nice to mentioned in such lofty circles and while not in the lower number category I did purchase my empennage kit in '97. My kit number is 80467 not 80033 ( that is my zip code though sorry Ron) and was purchased directly from from Van's. As I recall Phil Arter built my fuselage jig and was passed on to Joel Harding who passed it to me. It then went to Lloyd Remus in Colorado Springs where it may have built several other RV8s. Joel and I helped each other on our wings and spent many hours visiting and lucky for me we're still good friends. My -8 finally flew in May of 2010. Not the longest build time (12 1/2 yrs) but certainly long enough :)
 
Yeah, Joel Harding. I knew it was a familiar name, but couldn't recall it.

Anybody know if he's still flying it? Sure would be nice to see Phil's plane. Well, Joel's plane. Joel's Phil plane. Something like that.

I remember pics of how Phil -- who lived alone in the mountains -- decided to make one-piece wing skins instead of using the ones in the kit. So, he bought large enough pieces of aluminum sheet, laid them out on the wood floor of his living room (as I recall), laid the factory sheets on top and just drilled through both sheets and clecoed them to the floor! He was a goofball.

He also fitted Recaro seats because they were light, strong and comfortable.

Memories ... :)
 
You're absolutely correct, of course, Fred. Now that I think of it, I didn't sell you the empennage for that kit. I still have most of it, in fact.

I'm pretty sure I sold you the wing kit, however. I remember you mentioned that my kit number was the same as your zip code. If I remember correctly, you also helped me drive a few rivets in my vertical stabilizer. I have pictures of you standing in my garage.

I, too, had ordered the single piece top skins. I think Greg Puckett did, too. I don't remember if I included the roll of aluminum in the sale of the wing kit, but I know i dont have it anymore so it must've gone somewhere. Fred: Does your plane have single piece top skins?

I still have the horizontal stab from kit #33 if anybody needs one. I also have all the empennage control surfaces, nut decided not to sell them because I used an experimental technique to attach the stiffeners... I used 3M VHB double-sided tape instead of rivets. I should pull those babies down from the attic sometime and see if that tape is still holding.
 
Yup Joel is still flying! Beautiful -8. Just saw him last week and will see him again Saturday at Meadow Lake in COS. I think he finished Phil's 8 and sold it to a fellow in the Mid West...
 
Nope... Sorry Ron all my pieces came from Van's. Shipped via ABX Freight. And no don't have the single piece skins.... Can you send me the pic of me in your garage.... I don't remember that either. :D
 
Hmm. I guess there's a chance I've got the wrong guy, but I definitely remember the zip code thing. You had relation with a private airstrip somewhere down there by Castle Rock? A small part was paved and they were flying a turboprop out of it. You were flying for Continental or Northwest, maybe. I know Joel H. was flying for Northwest so you must have been the Continental guy. If I remember right, your email was phreddy.... I remember the ph thing, too. That long ago, it was probably an AOL account! :)

I'll dig up the picture when I'm back in town. It was long enough ago that it's on film, not digital so it might take some digging. I was in SW Loveland at the time. I had a 3 car garage with white floors, heat and AC. I sold the kit because I had just decided to give up practicing law and pursue a career as an airline pilot.

I'm still flying now and STILL haven't officially completed an airplane with my name on the data plate.
 
Hey Guys!!

While I ran in the Fred last year at the BJC airshow, I've done a horrible job of keeping in touch. Yes, I completed sn 80081 (N881GP) in 06. I've put ~450hrs on it since. Still at FTG, but have not been flying (medical issue, now solved)since last fall. First flight was with a mid time motor that now has top end issues. Taking advantage of the flying hiatus and overhauling the motor over the next few months.

Good to see all you guys are still 'out there' ;) Any of you going to BJC airshow. Can't fly in this year, but may still go and would great to see ya'll
 
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