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Show us the status of your 9/9A project!

Don said:
One question for those who have finished - after looking a few websites over it appears that I'm 12-18 months (working evenings and weekends) from completion depending on how much hustle I put in. Does that sound about right?




Don,
As another reference point. I was at this point Feb. 2006 and I hope to be flying late this summer 2007. So depending on how much you add or deviate from standard plans your looking @ 1.5 to 2 more years. I have been spending an average of 12 hours per weekend and every holiday I can since starting. Currently at ~1908 hours of actual construction time with many more un-logged thinking and tinkering time.
 
Getting closer

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/497/img1368vt0.jpg

My day VFR panel is done. Everything is new or new-in-box. The instruments and CB/switches came from Vans and sellers on this site changing to glass. The avionics are from Stark (Garmin), PS Engineering, Ray Allen and Aircraft Spruce. The labels were printed on a Brother labeler. The panel hole covers are homemade. I'll build an angled mount located over the "gyro" holes for my portable GPS. I may yet add a 12v power adapter (cig lighter). Paint is Nason acrylic enamel (semi-gloss) over Nason self-etching primer. I used Vans finish and FWF kits.

70% done and you know the rest,
Steve Fabiszak
 

Finally got something that seemed worthy of a photo. Although I've completed pretty much the entire fuse kit and part of the finishing, fwf, and panel, because I can't do the canopy in cold weather, I finally got the bottom wing skins riveted on and wings attached. Kinda neat!

(FWIW, I actually mated the wings myself with just a little help from my wife getting the wings off the cradle and onto a couple of sawhorses and a desk chair that adjusted up and down. Worked great. It's really not that hard. Thanks Bob Collins for giving me the idea that I could! It was REALLY nice not having other people there because I never felt rushed.)
 
Milestone

I finally finished my empennage, and have started the fuselage QB. Of course I had to set the emp on the fuse to see how it looks!

 
Great motivator

Craig,
Congratulations and nice work on finishing the empannage. This will motivate you thru your next leg of work. I like a man that can build with little room to spare. Keep up the great effort.

Pat Garboden
Ozark, MO
 
I'm getting closer and closer every day.

Currently finishing up the baffles and just starting on the FAB.



The panel is finished and in working order.


FYI - the altimeter is not cracked, it is a reflection.

Only 99 things left to do before moving it to the airport.
 
myrv9 progress

Hi-

I am coming up to my one year anniversary on buiding. I have logged about 650 hours and am just starting on the fuselage.

Check out all the photos at;

www.myrv9.com

Pete. :)
 
Finished the second tank - NO LEAKS!!

Boy am I glad this is done!

rhett.jpg
 
Working on the wings!

Finished both tanks and leading edges, all skins ready to rivet on, just need a helper! In the mean time, started in on the ailerons. Fuselage on order.

Greg Marlow


 
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craigvince said:
I finally finished my empennage, and have started the fuselage QB. Of course I had to set the emp on the fuse to see how it looks!


Craig, this is what I envision my garage to look like... a place of work and not a place to eat. :D
 
I can finally say that I've joined the builder ranks...

Vertical Stab is done and put away in a safe place...

vertstabix0.jpg


Horizontal Stab is in process, but waiting for me to decide how to deal with those dang
inboard rib to spar rivets... I hate em!!

hstabkg9.jpg
 
Finished riveting the top skin on the right wing!

We finished the right wing J Stringer today and plopped the right wing on to the wing cradle. Now it's time to dismantle the old wing stand. Good buy old friend. :(

04302007_03.jpg
 
Its a canoe . . . and a goofy RV grin!

I hope its more comfortable with seatbacks and cushions.
 
You guys with your status shots really bring back fond memories for me of hours toiling in my garage with my -9. The project with all its little moments of satisfaction just keeps paying off long after construction is done.
I used to think that the first flight would be the pinnacle, but it is just another milestone along the way.

Imagine, if you will, a cool, early spring evening. There is a calm breeze and you are alone in the pattern shooting touch and goes until the sun goes down. You and the plane are one. That is when you realize that all your labor and cash was just a small sacrifice which allowed you to be in this moment.
It was a dream, but now it is real.

After 92 hours it just keeps getting better and better!
 
Slow but sure...

IMG_7154.jpg


I've had to pack it all up as were moving back down to Los Angeles in a couple weeks. So this is about where it will be for the next month or so till Im all set up again... :(

I can already feel the withdrawls!!
 
Passed my first inspection

The inspector came by yesterday and inspected my empenange. Everything passed. I live in Canada, and the rules are a little different here. We have to have everything enspected prior to closing up an assembly. This does change the assembly process slightly but not a big deal.

So now I can rivet the last parts of the tail together and start on my wing. Woo hoo... on schedule for my first flight Aug 2010 :D .

Bruce McKinnon
RV-9a Builder
Edmonton, AB, Canada
 
Wings are Done!! (N920JW)

Hi all....I just finished the wings on my 9A...we call her Juliette Whiskey. I've been following the forums for a long time and this is my first post. Thank you all for answering many questions I did not have to ask!! I have not ordered the fuselage yet, because I am a home builder in Michigan and we are just not building in this economy. Things should get better soon and I will be back at it. In the mean time I can work on lighting......I also have a KitLog web site, if anyone is interested.

Thanx,
Joseph Cottone
www.mykitlog.com/coviper

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More Progress on Fuselage

I have finally gotten to the point of realizing I am building an airplane I can go places in instead of a big bunch of parts. The fuselage has got to be the most rewarding part of the project so far.
DSCN1905.jpg

DSCN1904-1.jpg
 
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Painting is hard work

The monsoon season in Wichita, KS gave us a brief break in the weather and we shot as much as we could in the time we had this week. Here are a few of our pics of painting. Sherwin-Williams Jet-Glo.

I have a very healthy appreciation of individuals that paint planes for a living. This is hard work.

http://img365.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rv9apaint012uv0.jpg
http://img365.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rv9apaint003pf7.jpg
http://img375.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rv9apaint014sg0.jpg

Pat Garboden (sander, buffer, gopher and air hose manager)
Ozark, MO
Todd Wiechman (painter)
Wichita, KS

RV9-A 942WG (reserved) paint stage Slider O-235
RV9-A 942PT (reserved) wiring stage Tip-up O-320
 
Wing - Fuselage Mating!

A big milestone in the shop last night . . . Got the left wing mated with the fuselage for the first time! All those worries about the spar fitting in to the fuselage were for naught! Everything went according to plan and a preliminary check of rear spar/F705 edge distances shows that I have about 3/32" tolerance in all directions. Great news!

I will be mounting and drilling my wings one at a time. After much discussion with the factory and some geometry refreshing (remember your 3-4-5 triangles?) this will not be difficult, albeit a bit more arduous than if I had the luxury of a wider work space. It will take more attention to leveling the fuselage (twice) but it will work!

Ray

402183983466ff13543f65.mid.jpg
 
Fuselage Started

Finally the bulkheads are done, (except 711 and 712) and clecoed together. Maybe this evening I can make the 711 and 712 play nice together with the skin.




 
It's alive!


N941WR takes to the runway for the first time.
(Me on the tail and Radomir pushing.)


Fueling it up for the first time.
(Ron Schreck supervising, myself pouring, and Tad Sargent holding the funnel)


It's alive!
(Radomir, Tad, & Ron - looking at the engine)
 
Looking good, Bill. Congratulations!! Bring it down to Ridgeland when you get it "flown off". We'd love to see it!!

Lee...
 
Finished the Ailerons!

Phew! Glad that's done... On to the flaps! Also I just noticed that I just went over 500 hours. Guess that makes me OK with the FAA.

08112007_11.jpg
 
N51CV

Well, I made a mock-up of my panel today.

From far left, 2 trim indicators and the key switch.
Primary display, Stratomaster Odyssey.
Garmin 496 in AirGizmo, Digiflight II-VSVG, remote ELT.
Main switch panel.
Sencondary display, Stratomaster Odyssey, totally redundant of first.
Circuit breakers and engine controls to be added to sub-panel later.
Since the intercom is built into the radio, which goes behind the panel, as does the transponder (both controlled through the Odyssey), I have a lot of free space left. Hmmmmm...... What else do I need???

Maybe I'll move the center stack up a bit and put my circuit breakers right under the switches.....

pdrm1196ho8.jpg
 
Cowling Installation

I am finally getting my Sam James "Rotary Cowling" installed and then will be able to figure out where best to mount my radiators (Mazda 13B engine), and fabricate the exhust and intake manifold. I then hope to fire it up before winter time. This winter I then plan on finishing the electrical, ands avionics installations and next summer the last item before first flight should be the canopy. All is TBD of course as evidenced by my eight year build to his point!

Doug Lomheim
90116; Finishing

my.php
 
1000 Hours and counting

Today I surpassed 1000 hours on my RV9A project. I ordered the kit in January 2006, but I didn?t start working until March. Since then I have completed the Empennage, done everything on the wings except the bottom skin, and now am well into the fuselage. 1,000 hours and a year and half later, it appears I have caught up to the point where a quick build kit would start. Maybe I?m a bit over half way done? Hard to tell. I know there isn?t that much left on the fuselage, but how long will it take to install the engine, wiring and lighting? In the end it doesn?t matter. I will keep building and spending my spare time (and money), until the job is done. I am hoping that will be somewhere around the end of 2008. But if it takes longer, oh well. It will get done sooner or later. At least I?m 1,000 hours closer today then I was in March of 2006.
 
N942WG Goes to the Hanger

We got many stares and pointed fingers at our project as we pulled her from the paint booth in the garage and "towed" her to the hanger. Here are a few shots.

http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0570yl3.jpg

http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0591kh0.jpg

http://img295.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0598bq0.jpg


Now it is time to get this done. Waiting for FAA registration but we have plenty to do.

Pat Garboden Todd Wiechman
Ozark, MO Wichita, KS
RV9-A N942WG Fitting wings

RV9-A N942PT (We have not forgotten this one...just not in the limelight yet)
 
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Not too much time to post.

Thought I would post some progress on my RV-9 standard kit. Started June of 06, so far wings complete, tail plane, fuselage ready to close up the boot cowl. All fuselage wing wiring complete. Getting prepared to do the canopy, fortunately it is a slider, wont take but a day or so to finish that part. I have the radio stack and back-up instruments wating on the MGL Odyssey to arive in the states. Might get the time to start assembling the O-320 this weekend.

If it sounds like I'm moving quickly it is only cause this is the 4th RV-9 I have built and some 6 or 7 RV-8's. Would and will post some pix but the computer that I use has a minor boot problem will sort it out some day.

John
ARS KQ4FT
Cherokee N5810U
RV-9 N194JH
 
Almost there

Just a few items to address and waiting for FAA registration and inspection. Engine has been run for two hours. She weighed in at 1046 pounds with paint, unusable fuel, engine oil and all parts attached.





Pat Garboden
Ozark, MO

Todd Wiechman
Wichita, KS

N942WG O-235 w/catto prop, all electric panel
 
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