1st Flight N159SB, add another to the HOBBS!

More to come once I can gather the best pics from the different cameras...video later..

Flight went well. There was an issue with front baffles behind the spinner. I had left them too long and they were vibrating against the screws that goes on the inner inlets. That cut the first flight a little short because I did not know what the noise was. Landing was OK!

The airplane flew great. Straight and true!

The second flight tonight was even shorter as I just took off and landed. The floor was vibrating and it scared me a little bit but now I understand that vibrating foot wells on an RV are sort of normal. I am double checking everything out to make sure. Landing was great!

Many thanks to all who have helped in some way on this project. Special thanks to Bob Dougherty, Tim McGinnis and my uncle Al for all their help! Thank my wife for hanging in there and tolerating this dream and thanks most of all to God for allowing me the privilege!

First Takeoff:



First Landing:



The RV grin!!!:

Woo Hoo!

Congrats Brian! AWESOME news!

Mug hoisted in your honor tonight!!

Cheers!
Bob

Outstanding Brian!!!! Best RV grin pic I think I've ever seen.
Way to go!!!

Congrats, Brian! Nice looking airplane. The first 40 hours are great fun.

BIGtime congrats ...!!!

Have followed your progress for many months.... couldn't be more pleased to hear you're airborne.

Right on Brian!

We're gonna miss you in the "Show us the status" section. Your posts have been very helpful to me and I'm sure others. Enjoy your work of art and fly safe!

woo-hoo!

Glad to hear everything went safely. The amazing thing is the fact we finally had some decent weather for you to fly. Congrats!

Outstanding, Brian...

...and many thanks for taking the time during your build to answer so many confusing questions from us 'techno-challenged' greenies

Best,

DeltaRomeo said:

Outstanding Brian!!!! Best RV grin pic I think I've ever seen.
Way to go!!!

Click to expand...

I second that. It looks more like a "giving credit where credit is due" kinda grin.

Congratulations Brian

It's a pleasure to see the process of turning a project into the flying machine! Thank you for your contribution to VAF knowledge base.

Congrats! Yours is one of the RVs I've been following (as best I could) from the "little parts" stages. Always liked how you seemed like an "attention to detail" kinda guy.

Congrats Brian! Have fun stay safe

Great

Good Job Brian
Thanks for the comments, suggestions and help along the way as many of us are months or years behiind. People like you are exactly what is great about this vaf community. Blue skies, hope you burn up lots of avgas and enjoy every minute.

More details and pics....

The day was perfect, Sunny and light and variable winds in the morning. I arrived at around 8AM for some last minute items to go over. A fresh BFR endorsment in my logbook performed an RV7 made me confident in my ability to at least keep the airplane in one piece.

I finished buttoning up the cowl by installing the bottom hinge pins and then it was an hour or two of waiting until my wife and close family arrived at the airport.

A friend of mine that I wanted to be on the ground manning the radio and looking for oil smoke, fuel streaming, or parts departing the airplane was asked to go on a short hop over to another airport to look at a RV8 that a local is looking at purchasing. So I waited till he returned to go for it.
Once he was back, I was ready.. The waiting and staring at the airplane had me anxious.

I took a few deep breaths, kissed the wife and huged the family. Had prayer and jumped in. The emotions were on overdrive as I was buckling up.....

Getting set:


On the taxi out, several of the hangar rats were sitting on the front row of the hangars just waiting for the show to begin... I waved and taxied to the runnup area.

Taxi out:


At the runnup area, I went over my checklist at least 10 times. Ran up the engine, mags, etc. A few seconds of full power to make sure it was going to run strong.

I announced my intentions as "Cessna ---oh, hahahaha, Correction, Experimental N159SB intending to take off on runway 23 and this is the first flight of this airplane and if I were you, I would give it a wide berth!!!"
The takeoff was awesome!!! The airplane steered straight with no issues. As you can see from the pic below, these things have awesome performance. I am a fat man and even with full fuel, this thing was well off way before the 1000ft marker. I was not trying at all for a short takeoff roll and I was still about 20ft high before the marker.

1st Takeoff:


The flight was going well, the climbout did heat up the engine. The climb produced CHT's on a couple just over 400? so I lowered the nose and powered back a little and the temps came down to around 365-375. During circling the field, the oil temp was around 182? and the EGT's around 1300-1325 and the CHT's around 365-375. It is a new rebuild so I wanted to run it hard.

I started noticing a strange high freq sound and it was different depending on if I was turning or how fast I was going. I decided I needed to figure out what that was so I cut the flight short and came on in.

The landing was not bad at all. I was way high on final and had the flaps all out so I decided to slip it all the way down. The flare and landing were just like the plane I did my BFR in so all was well. A little hop of the mains and some bouncing of the tail but acceptable. I did have about 7 knots of quartering crosswind to deal with as well.

1st Landing:


The following needs no words to describe!!!!

The RV Grin!!!:


The noise seems to have originated from the front baffles behind the spinner. I left them too long and they were vibrating against the ends of the screws that go in the front inboard inlets of the cowl.
I cut those off and the second flight did not have this noise. Time will tell if I got that issue resolved.

Outstanding Brian. Very happy for you and your family, as it's been a long journey.

thanks for all the help with my project, hope to join you in the air soon.

Congrats Brian! Enjoy flying her.

Booyah!

Just awesome Brian!! Many great hours ahead!!!

Van - Roll that Hobbs

Great job Brian. Like others, I have followed your progress. Keep us informed as you fly off those "test pilot" hours.

Congrats Brian, and thanks for all the help along the way.

Congrats Brian! Great feeling. As others have said, thanks for all your help to along the way too! Put some carpet in floor, will help with vibration.

Good show Brian, glad to see another RV fly.

Congratulations Brian!!!!!

I also have read your frequent posts during my build over the last 7 years.

My plane received the airworthiness certificate in December and I was not able to make my first flight due to going to Florida for the winter. We are on our way back home as I am writing this.

I have been taking transition training from Jan Bussell for the last three years and I know have 12 hours of RV6A time. I am ready to fly but I am somewhat nervous as the time approaches.

Again, hats off to you and thank you for your help on VAF.

Awesome Job Brian !!

Brian, Just like the previous poster, I too have enjoyed your detailed reports for several years. I've been working on an RV-7 project for the past 6 years and have benefited from your building updates. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us on this great forum. Looking forward to your flight reports as you move ahead with phase 1 and beyond. Congratulations !
Neal

Brian:

Way to go, man. Welcome to the "flying" club. Pretty cool, huh?

Have fun...stay safe.....

Yes, the floors do vibrate quite a bit. If you don't have anything yet, I would recommend the Classic Aero Designs carpet. Although a little pricey, it's already cut perfectly to your -7 and has scuff plates for your heals. Without the carpet my floor vibrates to the point of making my legs go numb if I put my feet flat on the floor. With the carpet the vibration is hardly noticeable and very comfortable...plus IMHO quite a few decibels quieter.

Jamie

Nice grin!

Congrats!

Ditto on the "Thanks for your help" quotes that you've already received. I would still be struggling with my cowl if it weren't for your step by step instructions and pictures. Have fun!

Congratulations Brian!

I would have to say, that of all the first flights over the last 5 or 6 years,(including my own), yours is the one that I have been looking forward to the most!
Probably had something to do with the pic of your 2 girls in the plane in there pajamas , they should be very proud of their Dad!

Congrats

Congratulations Brian!!

There really is no feeling like it -- is there.

To leave the earth in a device that you built in your garage/hangar--to climb upward at 2000 fpm and to scream around the patch at upwards of 200 mph in that device---well only those who have done it can really understand -- and you are one of those folks!!!

Congratulations again,

db

Congrats

Brain,
Congratulations on your First Flight.......Good Job.
Thanks too....for posting your progress for all of us to share.
Have fun and be safe.
Highest Regards,

Way to go Brian! Congratulations! Check out your tailpipe clamps as that is where I was getting some foot vibrations until I reinforced those clamps and got the brackets aligned with the firewall. Fly safe, enjoy the flyoff!
Randy Utsey
RV-7 / N55CU / 290hrs or so
Charlotte, N.C.

Way to go, Brian. Good job. Others have already said what I was going to say when I saw that you had made that first flight. Thanks for your many contributions to VAF and please continue as you fly your Phase I...and beyond!

Congrats Dude!

Congrats on the first flight Brian. As others have stated, I have enjoyed your past posts and reads. Now go Live It UP!

Brian,
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I couldn't possibly say something that hasn't been said by others here. I, too, have followed your progress for a long time and I have a deep appreciation and respect for what you have accomplished. Way to go!! Now it's time to enjoy and have fun!

Please... keep those pics coming.

Well done and congratulations Brian!! 'Bout time! Now what are you gonna do with all your spare time and money - other than buying more goodies from me!?!

Cheers,
Stein

Great job Brian! I kind of need the kick in the butt your first flight provides to get me back out in the garage and get it finished up!
Congrats!

Bravo Zulu!

Congrats on getting her in the air. Now enjoy exploring your new boundaries for the next 25/40 hours!

It's a bird...It's a plane!

Way to go Brian. I've been following your progress for awhile now. Glad to see you plane in the air. Congratulations and have the time of your life flying it!

way to go brian....very nice...lucky dog.

That's great news Brian!

Congrats on the big first flight!

Fantastic! Congrats Brian!

Congrats

Now crank out that 40 and start traveling.

Good luck, have fun, be careful!!!

Thanks to all who have responded!!! I am still on an adrenaline high!

I am stuck on a trip this week for work....It is killing me that I cannot be at home working on and testing my new airplane!!!

I am up here at EAU Claire & Augusta, WI for the week. Strange thing is that it is warmer and better weather here than at home!!!!

Oh well... It will be there this weekend! I hope!

Congrats!

Hoping you will see some off your phase 1 airports real soon!!
Great job Brian.