RV-10 N104XP - Scott Schmidt, Salt Lake City UT (KBTF)

ScottSchmidt · #1 01-05-2007, 10:21 AM

The first flight was October 14, 2006 after 2 years and 11 months of building a slow build RV-10. It is powered by an Aerosport (www.aerosportpower.com) IO-540 with one Lightspeed electronic ignition.

I am located in the Salt Lake City area and I have a hanger at Bountiful Skypark (KBTF).

The panel is all glass with a dual screen Chelton on the left and dual screen Grand Rapids on the right. It has a PS Engineering 8000B intercom, Garmin 430, Garmin SL-40, Garmin GTX330, and TruTrak Digiflight II VSGV autopilot. It has the AOA Pro, Trafficscope, and flip up DVD with screens in the back of the front seats for the rear passengers. The engine data is sent to both the Chelton and the Grand Rapids through the Grand Rapids EIS (Engine Information System). What a fun project but my wife and I are really enjoying the flying much more than the building. This is such a great Cross Country machine.

As for performance I typically cruise at 163- 170 knots TAS around 10,000 ft. My Grand Rapids typically shows 13 - 15 mpg cruising at 190 mph. Take off and climb out is great even with four people.

Van's has built an amazing aircraft that does everything.
Tim Olson has a great website if you are building and have questions.(but I'm sure you already know that) www.myrv10.com

I have posted some of our trips with the hopes you will post yours so we can all share in places to travel and enjoy our planes and meet new people.
Enjoy!

Where have we landed N104XP? (Updated Dec. 2009)

ScottSchmidt · #2 01-05-2007, 11:16 AM

Trips (continued)
Speedweek, Utah - September 2010
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=61560

Monument Valley and Lake Powell - October 2010
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=63956

Cabo San Lucas/Los Barriles Baja RV Trip - April 2011
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=72000

Thanksgiving 2011 - Hurricane UT, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Valle airport
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=80923

Moab and the Magnificent 7 Mountain Bike Ride - October 2012
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=92059

Bahamas in April 2013 - 4 RV-10's
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...d.php?t=101086

Thanksgiving Flight - Nov. 2013
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...d.php?t=107798

Santa Flight - Dec 10, 2013
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...d.php?t=107862

2016 Trips in one report
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...d.php?t=145336

Maintenance on the RV-10

Tires / Brakes at 230 hours
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...271#post149271

Idea for lights for the ceiling
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...281#post149281

Worn Oil Return Lines
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=64394

Rudder Stops Modification
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ighlight=RV-10

Front Axle Replacement
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ighlight=RV-10

Videos

Shortest Trip Report and Flight in the RV-10 (Grassy Meadows to Hurricane, UT - Dec. 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2AIC4fTUl8
(Be sure to watch in the higher quality mode)

Mojave Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4hlslhKxrI&fmt=18

I would highly recommend the quick build kit if the budget allows. We received the first kit November 3rd, 2003 and the quick build was still a ways out before we could get one. But building isn't hard just time consuming. The tail is really fun to build but I wish I didn't have to do the gas tanks they were a little more time consuming. People always ask if the fiberglass top and doors were difficult. Nothing is really too difficult just time consuming. If you want it to come out nice you just need to be very patient and take your time. You put the plane together 2 or 3 times before finally assembly. I think we took to the top on and off more than a dozen times before we were happy with the fit and the doors were even worse.

I kept track of build time up to 2200 hours and then stopped during the filling sanding and painting. I estimate that it took around 3000 hours to build. But that includes all the wiring as well. I bought the panel from Aerocrafters at Lancair. They did the cut out and silk-screening but they were going to be at least 6 months to a year before they could wire it. It took me about a month to get it all wired.

I had the seats covered locally and bought the carpet and side panels from Flightline Interior. I am currently working on the headliner and glare shield upholstery.

The paint colors can be found here - http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...9&postcount=20

ScottSchmidt · #3 01-05-2007, 11:22 AM

RV_7A · #4 01-05-2007, 11:28 AM

Congratulations and Nice paint job!
Smart dog too!

-Jeff

ScottSchmidt · #5 01-05-2007, 11:28 AM

Day of first flight

ScottSchmidt · #6 01-05-2007, 11:42 AM

Here is a write up I did on transition training and my first flight.

Transition Training
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ead.php?t=5265
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ead.php?t=7182

First Flight
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=11795

Transition training in OR. with Mike Seager

Rotation on first flight

Touchdown on first flight

ScottSchmidt · #7 01-06-2007, 10:31 PM

Since this is my virtual hanger here are some shots of some cool bikes I have at the hanger for cruising on. Everyone that comes by just loves to take them for a spin.

We also put a ping pong table in there for some fun.

ScottSchmidt · #8 01-06-2007, 11:01 PM

I know many of us that fly also love motorcycling. They are both sports that have many things in common. There is freedom in both flying and riding, there is a sense of adventure, and the elements have to be considered at all times. There is also a sense of pride when good skill is used to arrive at the destination safely.

My wife and I both ride. She rides a BMW 1150R and I have an 1150 GS Adventure. The last couple of years we haven't ridden quite as much while building the plane but I am getting excited to put more miles on this year.

RaNae on her 1150 R somewhere in Colorado heading to Telluride.

Me at the Salt Flats near Wendover UT.

At least once a year we take a week off and I guide about 10 of my friends on a trip somewhere. I have some friends that come up from Houston. We have riden around Colorado, Southern Utah and the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and last year we did Northern California. It was a great trip and was really nice to ride to the Avenue of the Giants. We hit some amazing roads on the way to the coast.

Another fun ride a do yearly with my friend Danny LaDue is the Utah 1088 (www.utah1088.com)
It is a 24 hour endurance ride that starts and stops near the Salt Lake City airport. There are around 70 - 100 riders that enter every year and they come from all over the US to enter. We have done this ride the last four years and have a blast every time. We ride anywhere from 1200 to 1406 miles in under 24 hours. Someday I want to take the RV-10 and see how many miles I can do in the RV-10 in 24 hours. It would be a blast.

Sunrise after 22 hours of riding

Setup on the bike - GPS, Radar, XM Radio

ScottSchmidt · #9 01-06-2007, 11:29 PM

I look forward to the Utah 1088 every year. There is just something about starting a ride where you will see two sunrises and one sunset. Throughout the last four years we have seen some neat country. One of my favorites happened around 1 am on Highway 12 heading to Boulder UT from Torrey over the Boulder Mountain. We couldn't see anything but there was lightning all around us. Every time the lightning struck it would light up the enormous valley to the south and you could see almost all the way to the Grand Canyon. It was pretty cool. I can't get them all on my camera because we never stop but I do take a few while I'm riding.

Another fun thing I did with motorcycles this year was I went out to the Salt Flats to try to get into the 130 mph club. I borrowed my brothers K1100RS because I knew my GS was an aerodynamic disaster. They give you one mile to reach 130 mph on the salt. I knew it would be close with this bike due to the altitude but if there was no wind or a tail wind I thought I could do it. Danny and I rode out there and each took turns on the red K bike. It was very slow at the starting line because each person had to be loaded into the computer and then the wind and rain started to come through in the afternoon but finally we each had a couple of runs to try to get in. There was about a 10 mph headwind on the course and the closest we could get was 128 mph. We will give it a try next year. It was blast though to run on the salt and see what the bike could do.

Me ready to go

Danny getting final instruction from the starter

PUNCH IT!!!

Keep the rubber side down.

EUROPE TRIP 2008
In August we took a trip to Europe and rented BMW's. For those interested in doing this I did a write-up on advrider.com.
Here is the link.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416139
Here are a few pictures from the trip.

ohiopilot · #10 01-07-2007, 06:45 PM

VERY entertaining thread... bookmarked for when I have more time to follow all the links!

Thanks.