First Engine Start RV-6 N650RV (Take 1 & 2)

[rvjoe]

I know this isn?t as interesting as a first flight story or video, but it was very exciting for me. I thought I would share the experience for anyone who might be interested. My friends, Richard Rivet & Jerry Madson, and I started the engine on my RV-6 for the first time October 4th. Even though it only ran on 3 cylinders it was still very exciting to see all the systems that I have hooked up, wired up and installed over the years come to life. We determined that the #4 cylinder didn?t have compression because the intake valve was not closing completely. We corrected the problem and I fine tuned a few things throughout the following week and we restarted it on October 11th. It ran great! Now I just need to finish up the final details, get the inspection done and I?ll be ready to make the first flight very soon. And to think, I thought I was going to have it ready in time for Oshkosh this year. Here it is the end of October and I still haven?t flown it yet. When I realized back in May that I wouldn?t make OSH, I figured I would certainly be ready for LOE in October. When I didn?t make that, I thought I would settle for Copperstate since it?s here in my backyard and I would have been able to fly to it even before I would have been out of Phase I. Well, I missed that too! I guess there?s always next year. I don?t see any reason why I won?t be able to make Sun?n Fun in April.

Thank you, Jerry & Richard for all your help.

Thank you, Kim for the video.

Here?s a link to the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05a5yLV7z2U


Joe Radford
RV-6 N650RV (that?s RV-6 .5)
Almost ready to fly!
Only 4,500 + hours invested, but who?s counting?

[Ron Lee]

Congrats. You fly when everything is good to go.

[AZtailwind]

Looks Joe, You're going to like that 6.5!

[davercook]

Congratulations Joe
I know the feeling, it seems like yesterday
Dave

[Geico266]

Good write up and glad you got the engine up and running on all 4. I was hoping you were gonna close your canopy on start up!

[GaryK]

Joe,
Congrats on the engine start.

My only suggestion is to start and stop the engine with the tip up closed and locked. I've seen a couple of cracked canopies near the lower aft corner from the shaking on start up and shut down.

I like the paint job.

Gary
N715AB
7A 660 hours
Michigan

[rvjoe]

Thanks for all the nice comments guys.

Good advise on not having the canopy open during startup and shutdown. I thought I could get away with having it open during startup, but I discovered that it?s not a good idea. Too much shake rattle and roll, or at least shake and rattle.

Joe