Unbelievable first ride in an RV-8!

meloosifah · #1 09-30-2012, 02:45 PM

So... My first ride in an RV was in an award-winning RV8! I am enjoying reliving the most exciting moments in the air I have ever experienced. Never mind that the flight ended with me white as a ghost, on the cusp of losing my huge, greasy breakfast (hindsight mistake, perhaps). Never mind that my wife (flying formation in an RV7 (another award-winner, by the way) has now decided that our -8 project should fatten up into a -7 project. Never mind that the planned Dramamine never made it into my stomach. Never mind that I ended up napping for an hour to recover... My wife tells me when we land that she wants to get her pilots license! Talk about the best intro to flying an RV that a guy could ask for! Thanks Dave and Wayne for the most memorable flying I could imagine! Now I am certain that I made the right choice to build this RV8 - just have to convince my wife that the -8 will be ok...

...or maybe we will have to build His-and-Hers. I think she would look great in a nice -6!

The biggest problem, though, was seeing the exquisite workmanship on these planes, wondering if I could possibly live up to that standard. Fellas, you have definitely set the bar high - both quality of build and incredible generosity to let a terrified back seated take the controls of one of the finest planes I have ever seen.

Thanks to Dave and Wayne and to all who contribute to this site. VAF and the entire RV community are what makes this so much fun! I can't wait to fly my own and be able to pass on the joy that was shared with my wife and I yesterday.

Blake

humptybump · #2 09-30-2012, 05:08 PM

Blake - you have well documented what so many before you (me included) have had the pleasure.

While, my stomach was fully intact after my first experience in an rv-8 (a very long time ago), the memory is strong.

My first rv-8 ride was in N58RV ...

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panhandler1956 · #3 09-30-2012, 06:35 PM

Good stuff Blake! I'm definitely an -8 fan too!

wera710 · #4 10-01-2012, 12:46 PM

Blake, don't stress on the workmanship of others. Just find a balance that works for YOU. You can either build a show plane that takes 10 years to get into the air, or a nearly perfect plane that takes 3, or any where in between. Whatever suits you personally. And with this being the RV Community, you can always rope a few of the perfectionists into giving you a hand as needed. Half the guys I know currently building are taking longer than normal because they are helping others! We joke that when you see a truly perfect RV, its because the builder helped so many others that by the time he got around to finishing his, his technique is perfect. HA. Welcome to the addiction.

Clarkie · #5 10-02-2012, 06:24 AM

I work with both those guys. While I have never seen the airplanes in person, I have seen the build pictures of Wayne's -7 and it is by far the nicest RV-7 I have seen to date.

Both those guys are true artists in airplane construction.

If you haven't seen it yet, there is an article written by Dave about his -8 in Sport Aviation a few months back.

If my project turns out half as nice as those two airplanes, I will be a happy man.