BlackRV7
Well Known Member
I need to start this thread with a thank you to so many people. I have repeatedly said, it is not the airplane, it is people that make this aviating thing we do the great thing it is. My experience, during the rebuild of Black Magic simply confirmed my above statement. I don't want to leave anybody out, so I'm going to cover all with an umbrella. Thanks to all who: offered words of encouragement, showed up to help in moving her, rebuilding her, just stopping by for a chat, building parts, VAF, companies who went out of their way to get me parts when I needed them. The list is quite large and I do appreciate everything and everybody.
Here she was the day before the "big hit":
One of the things I wanted to do with Black Magic was use her for camping. This trip was only the second time she had been out of the Phase 1 test area. This was Memorial Day weekend Saturday last year. I was stilling grinning after 49.2 hours on the hobbs. Little camping, little bottle of wine...nice!!
On the way back home on Sunday, after stopping in Elizabethtown, KY for lunch, I returned to find the view that most on this list have seen many times:
Additional pictures in this thread:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=30410
The rebuild:
After removing the forward deck, it was found the longeron on the passenger side had suffered no damage. This was great news. With that said though, think EVERYTHING from the roll bar forward had to be removed, with Kahuna building the new passenger side fuel tank.
Since I had it all apart....again....I listened to my oldest son, who continually said, "Dad, you are never going to have it apart like this again, put it back together the way you want it"!! Rhonda and Allen at Barrett Precision just so happened to have an O-360 on the cart. Having a Barrett hanging off the front of Black Magic was a no brainer. Next came addressing the panel. I decided to go with a new GRT HX as my primary and sent my original Dynon D10 back to have it upgraded to a D10A so I could connect it to my existing Dynon EMS D180. In addition, Trio upgraded my autopilot from a two to a three giving me ability to climb and level off at a given airspeed or VSI. I coupled the Garmin 430, Garmin 327 and Trio through the GRT unit and also coupled the Dynons to the 430. This would give me one EFIS not dependent on pitot but also one EFIS with internal battery and I could use existing engine monitoring wiring, probes, etc. I ended up with a much more IFR functioning panel. More wiring........
As for the alum. replacement from the roll bar forward, think just following the plans from instrument panel forward. Get the engine rehung, hook up all the fuel lines, oil line, probes, baffling, control cables, hang the new blended airfoil prop..thanks KC, new windscreen, fiberglass work, now that dang cowl, paint!! One long sentence......several long months
Anyway, nine and a half months ( I know she was two weeks late in gestation) later, time to go back to the airport last Friday:
Now the two pictures I really, really, really want to post. Here she is sitting there last evening in the hangar.
I posted those pics because as of last night, she is able to be re-flown!! I have a tic list of little things to do that will take me probably about a week to address. Abby, at Flightline Interior sent me some new upholstery pieces. I want to get those installed.
Sure was a nice feeling, looking back over my shoulder at her, as I turned the lights off in the hangar and locked the door last night
Here she was the day before the "big hit":
One of the things I wanted to do with Black Magic was use her for camping. This trip was only the second time she had been out of the Phase 1 test area. This was Memorial Day weekend Saturday last year. I was stilling grinning after 49.2 hours on the hobbs. Little camping, little bottle of wine...nice!!
On the way back home on Sunday, after stopping in Elizabethtown, KY for lunch, I returned to find the view that most on this list have seen many times:
Additional pictures in this thread:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=30410
The rebuild:
After removing the forward deck, it was found the longeron on the passenger side had suffered no damage. This was great news. With that said though, think EVERYTHING from the roll bar forward had to be removed, with Kahuna building the new passenger side fuel tank.
Since I had it all apart....again....I listened to my oldest son, who continually said, "Dad, you are never going to have it apart like this again, put it back together the way you want it"!! Rhonda and Allen at Barrett Precision just so happened to have an O-360 on the cart. Having a Barrett hanging off the front of Black Magic was a no brainer. Next came addressing the panel. I decided to go with a new GRT HX as my primary and sent my original Dynon D10 back to have it upgraded to a D10A so I could connect it to my existing Dynon EMS D180. In addition, Trio upgraded my autopilot from a two to a three giving me ability to climb and level off at a given airspeed or VSI. I coupled the Garmin 430, Garmin 327 and Trio through the GRT unit and also coupled the Dynons to the 430. This would give me one EFIS not dependent on pitot but also one EFIS with internal battery and I could use existing engine monitoring wiring, probes, etc. I ended up with a much more IFR functioning panel. More wiring........
As for the alum. replacement from the roll bar forward, think just following the plans from instrument panel forward. Get the engine rehung, hook up all the fuel lines, oil line, probes, baffling, control cables, hang the new blended airfoil prop..thanks KC, new windscreen, fiberglass work, now that dang cowl, paint!! One long sentence......several long months
Anyway, nine and a half months ( I know she was two weeks late in gestation) later, time to go back to the airport last Friday:
Now the two pictures I really, really, really want to post. Here she is sitting there last evening in the hangar.
I posted those pics because as of last night, she is able to be re-flown!! I have a tic list of little things to do that will take me probably about a week to address. Abby, at Flightline Interior sent me some new upholstery pieces. I want to get those installed.
Sure was a nice feeling, looking back over my shoulder at her, as I turned the lights off in the hangar and locked the door last night
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