VAF Hat sighting/RV1/2 First Flight

fixnflyguy · #1 03-22-2015, 07:07 PM

Grandson Cooper (10 mos.)taking the RV-.5 for his first flight, with proper attire! Working his skills on Flight Lead position.

GalinHdz · #2 03-22-2015, 07:15 PM

AWESOME! Just like my granddaughter Lilly (2yrs old) who absolutely loves to fly her airplane while making a fashion statement in her "flight suit".

Here is a video of her flying her airplane through some turbulence.

wjb · #3 03-23-2015, 07:24 AM

Great to see he's getting some early TW time. Train 'em early, and it will earn plentiful dividends!

Vlad · #4 03-23-2015, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fixnflyguy

Grandson Cooper (10 mos.)taking the RV-.5 for his first flight, with proper attire! Working his skills on Flight Lead position.

Very nice Bill! Teach him how to fly slow

jflyboy · #5 03-23-2015, 09:38 PM

Awesome do you have plans for that plane? My dad is drooling over building one for my boy.

scsmith · #6 03-23-2015, 09:54 PM

Are there pedals accessible from the cockpit to drive the wheels, or does this one rely on Fred Flintstone-style propulsion?

MikeyDale · #7 03-24-2015, 04:41 AM

I would also love to have the plans and I may steal that paint scheme! I just found out my sixth grandchild is on the way!

fixnflyguy · #8 03-24-2015, 05:23 AM

Due to the large number of PM's and questions about the little RV, I will give a short story and details about this project, which always draws attention. I stumbled across the plans listed in the ACS catalog (paper version, pre computer days) while I was building my RV-4 tail kit in 1995. You can google "RV Sport pedal plane" and find it. The plans/plastic components are no longer available. At the time when I ordered my plans, I procured the very last set of plastic (ABS cowl,cheeks,spinner,wheel pants and windshield). The basic airframe is 3/8" plywood and 1x3 pine. The turtledeck, forward upper skin, and wing skins are tin per plans, but I used fiberglass sheet from airliner baggage bins. Anything will work, and is attached via glue/small nails.Wingtips are piece of 2x4 cut/sanded to shape. The joystick is scrap aluminum tube and simple hardware junk. Tailwheel is a swiveling caster on a 4130 tube tailspring. The plans include a pedal crank, but when I built it for my son 19 years ago, we had a gravel drive, so I omitted them and went all out Flintstone for motoring in the shop/garage. I used auto bondo to blend/fill all the wood/skins and painted it with some poly urethane. Seat upholstery done by a friend. Anyone with basic model building skills can build this, including hand laying a fiberglass cowl, ect. I built mine in 2 weeks for sons 3rd birthday. I do have all the plans and construction book, which I intended to make copies of for several folks when I get the time...this could easily be made into any of the RV models. Need a gaggle of pedal RV's !!