RV-7 #74017

[rmartingt]

A little late to the party on the build thread, but better late than never, I guess

I started my RV-7 project in 2013, purchasing a completed empennage and immediately ordering the wings. At the end of 2014, I paused the build to put up a workshop in my back yard (the one-car garage had gotten too small); moved the airplane project out there in October and finished up the wings.

The flaps have yet to be mounted, since I'm shy on edge distance and I need the larger hinge. I'll pick that up at Spruce next time we're in PTC. Otherwise, just the wingtips left. Fuselage arrived 1/20/16. And yes, this is a repost from the -7 project thread.

Updates will be sporadic and when I feel like it

Reply 1 will list the current thinking for the end result (paint, panel, etc) and get edited if/when things change. Further progress updates after that.

[rmartingt]

This post describes my current vision for the project at the end--that is, what I want the airplane to be and look like.

Overall, it's a taildragger slider. That's what Dad's -6 is, and I like it. This is now set in stone with the fuselage here.

On the wings, I added outboard fuel tanks similar to Mr. Tuckey's ones, but only holding 12 gal or so each. Total fuel capacity should be about 66 gal. The idea isn't so much to go for long nonstop flights, as to be able to "tanker" fuel for out-and-back without refueling or go further before having to fill up with avgas (I'm planning to run mogas whenever I can). I also added a trim tab to the left aileron and I'm using a heated Piper blade pitot. Hopefully the old static port on that will work for AOA.

In the fuselage, I'll be running a hard line for smoke (might as well do it now) and quite possibly building a narrow center console to hold the throttle, armrest, and engine/fuel switches and knobs. The console isn't set in stone. Other minor mods would possibly be a light/long extension of the baggage area like some guys use for fishing poles.

Engine-wise, a 180hp parallel-valve with electronic fuel injection and a constant-speed prop. Electronic injection means redundant electrical power, so I'll be tweaking the Nuckolls Z14.

Avionics are baselined as Skyview, but I'm considering AFS also. But I'm not investing too much in planning this right now--much will likely change between now and when I'm ready to buy. And if anyone has experience using lighted pushbutton switches (like the NKK UB series) I'm all ears. I'd really like to have the Korry switches like the heavy iron does, but not at $100 each...

Paint: The wife and I are both Georgia Tech alums, so white and gold was the obvious choice. Inside the cockpit will be a light tan and black. The registration is just a placeholder.

[rmartingt]

This is the trim tab on the left aileron:


And here are the fuel tanks for the left wing. On the outboard, fuel is in the area that is riveted. I also put non-locking SPRL caps on all four tanks.



Started riveting the firewall this afternoon.

[YellowJacket RV9]

N313GT approves!



Chris

[rmartingt]

Originally Posted by YellowJacket RV9

N313GT approves!

http://i65.tinypic.com/znxa9z.jpg

Chris

I didn't realize you were so far along. Looks good!

[rmartingt]

I'm not quite ready to start installing them yet, but since Raymo was kind enough to loan me his longeron dies, I went ahead and bent the longerons. I don't know what trying to bend them "by hand" is like, but with the dies it was pretty simple. The second one I bent almost perfectly on the first pass (unintentionally!); about 1/4 to 3/8 of a turn on the vise handle after I felt resistance was enough. Took about 90 minutes to do both.



Now, back to the fuselage frames (currently drilling and deburring the baggage bulkhead), then painting them.

Also squeezed in a flight review in a CFI friend's A22 Valor LSA on Saturday. I wasn't as far behind the airplane as I was the last time I flew it but it's still very different from the RV. I'm used to being able to drop the -6 in from a close pattern, but even with a hard slip and flaps this thing just doesn't come down. And the little wheel isn't where I'm used to...

[longranger]

If you start with what will become the top surfaces of the longerons clamped together, you can put the long curve in both longerons at the same time, and you don't need a hammer or dies, just a vise. Having the longerons clamped back to back prevents the out of plane bending problem you get when using the hammer method.

[rmartingt]

Work has progressed slowly since the last update. I've painted and assembled the bulkheads and started clecoing the tailcone together.


Why the delay, you ask?

Well, I got a new build partner


His name is Joshua, he's two months old, and he was a complete surprise. My wife and I have been trying to adopt for a few years, and on the afternoon of March 4th we got a phone call. We took Joshua home the next day.

Things are finally settling down enough that I can get back to working on the airplane, so hopefully somewhat more regular updates will resume.

[compjtc]

Congratulations!

[jimbower]

Congratulations! Better teach him how to hold a bucking bar so he can get into all those hard-to-reach places!

Jim Bower - St. Louis, MO
RV-6A N143DJ
Flying since 2011