LettersFromFlyoverCountry

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

Well Known Member
I suppose that's a misleading subject since from what I understand, people who build RVs are never done.

In the last few days, i've realized that I'm mostly just puttering on the airplane project -- adding a fiberglass skirt on the side of the canopy frame to hide a bit of the gap, playing with the (&#(&^# rubber strip on the empennage fairing, trying (with kerosene) to get that gunked-on and dried up adhesive off the canopy from the freezer tape I supidly used to protect it four years ago.

There's a few things I need to get done, yet. I need to sand down the SmoothPrime and prime the cowling, but I can't do that until things warm up in the spring, I need to add a blast tube for the magneto, I need to rivet on the forward skin now that everything beneath it is as tidy as I can make it (although that seems like closing the casket cover to me), and I need to install the Flight Line Interiors interior and resecure the heater cable (I don't like the squished S bend connection that Van's recommends). I also need to placard the crud out of the panel.

Oh and I started working on gear leg fairings and almost immediately shoved them back in the box (I don't get it) since I don't need them to be done yet.

There's lots of hardware left so b/c I hate running out of screws and bolts and rivets and platenuts, so that's a lousy indicator.

So, how do I know when it's time to have a DAR look at this thing? Should I wait until all the puttering is done? I used to think I was done when I ran out of money. I was so young and foolish when I started.
 
Last edited:
On the one hand....

Dan is right. The DAR does not want to see the airplane until it's "complete and ready for flight" with the exception of removal of cowling and inspection covers.

On the other hand, It's NEVER really "done"!
 
OK, so if I get the responses correct, the suggestion is "finish all the puttering."

Theoretically, a plane could be ready to fly and still have some things not done that a DAR might "ding," so it's probably best for me just to have everything done until there's nothing left to do.
 
Another way to approach the question is, are you ready to fly it? It doesn't have to be 'complete', but it does have to be ready to fly. Unpainted, no problem. Still working on the wheel pants, but will test fly without and re-weigh when done and painted? Sure, call the DAR. But if it's not ready to go, then hold off. Not just airworthy stuff, either. If you won't fly until it's painted and upholstered, then you should wait to have it inspected.

When you get close to the end, you'll have a pretty good idea when it's all ready to go. I used a condition inspection checklist as a punch list to make sure everything was done. When I only had a few tick marks left and knew pretty much to the day when it would be ready, I scheduled the DAR visit. Oh, and check with the DAR about the condition he expects the plane in. I removed all the cover plates, wing tips, etc. and my DAR arrived and said he expected to see the aircraft ready to go... In fact, you should be talking to the DAR well in advance so you have the program letter all hammered out and he can have the paperwork ready to go upon successful completion of the inspection.
 
DanH said:
No. If a DAR dings anything, the aircraft was not ready to fly.
Click to expand...

Right, I fully understand that. But that's not really the question. It's based on when I should call the DAR. I have no intention of calling the DAR if I think there's something he's going to "ding"

Like I said, I'll just continue on and putter until there's nothing left to putter on.
 
Bob, I thought 155BK was ready to fly, so scheduled my FSDO guy. It took him a month to make room for me. During this time , is when I went over the plane with a finer tooth comb. I found a couple little things like tiewraps or clamps needing done better. But it was ready to fly....then the FSDO looked it over and told me "NO, it's not ready....no airworthy for you". It took several more weeks to satisfy the Feds.

Now you're probably wondering what did I get dinged on? Paperwork, labeling and misunderstanding between both parties. Stuff I never would have guessed kept me out of the air.
1. engine log did not list AD's complied with for a Lycoming O-360. (mine is experimental with plenty of mods)
2. Static port not labeled.....(who's is?)
3. he wanted the 2" EXPERIMENTAL stencil to be visible from all sides of the aircraft. (mine is only viewable when the canopy is open)

So get the plane and yourself ready to fly....I mean to the point you or your test pilot can sit in it and say yep, wish I had my AW cert, today would have been a nice day for a first flight. BUT, you may still get dinged and delayed.

On a side note, I suspect you are at the point where it feels like you have a broken tie-rod or loose wheel. So have trouble moving forward in controlled fashion. I know I did, several times. What I did was, break the airplane into sections mentally. Grab a clip board and write down what needs done...BUT only on the section you are focused on.

I started at the tail. Go back there and make certain the tail is ready to fly, if not write it down and then FIX it. Don't look at the wings or engine until the tail is ready. Once the tail group is done move to the fuselage (from the tail to the baggage rear bulkhead)..is it ready? if yes close it up and move. Next was the wings. What this did for me was, it kept my focus. I could not move to the engine or the cowl or the wheel pants until the current section was complete.

Good luck sounds like you'll be ready for inspection when it's ready.
 
Bottom line.....

Talk with your DAR. Find out just what he/she wants. Maybe even ask for a copy of his/her checklist.
Applying for airworthiness certificate is somewhat like going for your private pilot checkride. If you are ready, it's a skate. If not, you simply re-evaluate, correct the squawks and go again.
 
Good checklist from EAA is at http://members.eaa.org/home/homebui... Aircraft Certification Inspection Guide.html (you may have to sign into OSH365 (which I detest) before getting access to the members only area). The "how to" register info is at http://members.eaa.org/home/homebuilders/registering/register.html

From the items in your post - those that are must do are the forward skin, the interior (at least the seat cushions) and the panel labeling.

You don't mention weight & balance, but that needs to be complete also.

I hired an IA to go through the airplane prior to inspection to make a list of squawks - low cost and worthwhile. I think it also gave the DAR some comfort.

My thought would be to finish with the required things, get it inspected and then putter with it as necessary - in that order. Nothing says that you have to do the test flight on the day of the inspection.

Dan
 
Dang good topic Bob, and quite Timely! We are right at the point where we are just about ready for the DAR (for the RV-3), yet we still have a few items on the punch list to work off in the meantime. Fortunately, they are all cosmetic-type stuff, or stuff not needed for flight. Now that we have run the engine, we could fly it if something like a major hurricane were coming our way.We are still taking the canopy off and putting it back on regularly to do finishing work, and we're going to mold some intersection fairings. I am not 100% satisfied with the appearance of the wing root fairings, but they are definitely airworthy...thigns like that.

My personal answer to you question is that the way I do it is to run every single system from end to end and look for safety, assembly, and security. Each control (roll, pitch, yaw) from end to end. Fuel system - check every connection end to end - same with oil system. All of those things HAVE to work right for it to be an airworthy airplane. A Condition Inspection checklist is a great idea.

No, the airplane won't be "finished" when it flies, but it must be airworthy - that's the simple answer. Of course,e you might end up having so much fun with it once it flies that you never go back and finish the "details"....you've been warned! :)
 
Very worthwhile is to get another set of eyes (or more than one set) to look over the airplane. You'll be surprised at what folks will find. Ideally, those eyes would be another builder who has gone through the same process. The more folks that look at it, the better chance of catching something. Not only is this good for "passing" when your DAR arrives, it is also a very good thing for safety in general.

greg
 
Bob Collins said:
Oh and I started working on gear leg fairings and almost immediately shoved them back in the box (I don't get it) since I don't need them to be done yet.

So, how do I know when it's time to have a DAR look at this thing? Should I wait until all the puttering is done? I used to think I was done when I ran out of money. I was so young and foolish when I started.
Click to expand...

If by gear leg fairings you mean the wheel pants, leg fairings and upper and lower intersection fairings, then I would describe that as a reasonably major task (certainly not "puttering"). I'd get those items done and out of the way for sure. It would be terrible to have to come back to serious fibreglassing later on (oh the horror, the horror). :)
 
Last edited:
I kind of feel like I am doing a lot of puttering around too. However, it is all very important things -- lots of little things and not aways things you can check off in the instruction manual. I am nearly at the point where I can rivet on the forward top skin, but I am paranoid about starting that job and finding out later I forgot to do something and will have to get on my back to do what otherwise would have been simple. So I piddle. I have piddled for weeks.

I keep thinking about all the things that I might have forgotten to, and thinking of what I do/add now that would be difficult to do later. For example, I ran an extra coax line from the panel to the back for a future ADS-B antenna. It is easy now, but will be a lot harder in 2020 when I am in my 60's. I also ran a few extra wires from the engine compartment to behind the panel -- just in case and because it is easy now. I ran the cabling for the two GPS antennas I have, including one to a panel mount Aera, then was horrified to see a week later that the way I had it, I would have to have cut the cable in order to remove the panel or the gizmo, so my piddling gave me time to discover that. Then I looked at some of the things my radio shop did during the installation that I didn't like and corrected some of it. For example, they installed hose clamps with the screws such that it would be impossible to remove once the skin was on, so I redid those so you could actually get a screw driver to it. And then I drilled some holes in the subpanel using a template I made with holes on a 2" grid so I could mount a circuit board in the future with having to then drill mounting holes, etc, etc etc.

Today I thought my piddling was over. I did the final install of the cabin cover and was about to declare the top forward skin was ready to rivet. But, before that, I had to replace a fuel line to a wing because I had left it too long and someone bumped it and put a kink in it right where it comes out of the fuselage side. To get it out, you pretty much have to cut it out (and replace with a flex line). So, I am cutting it out with aviation shears. I just had one more cut up near the fuel valve and the line would be out. Can you see it coming? Yes, I manage to cut into the wrong line - the one that goes from the fuel value to the firewall. I see what I am doing just as I am applying pressure to the shears but, too late, there are deep indentations that will most certainly result in a stress fracture. Glad my bonehead move happened before I had the top skin on, or this would be a real PITA.

So, piddling can be good. Don't do anything major until you have to do it in order to move forward. Think about things and look at things a dozen times before you close it all out. And, of course, protect those fuel lines so you don't kink them (or use flex lines from the beginning - wish that is what I had done).
 
Just an idea, invite some builder friends over for pizza. Ask them to take an honest look. That and the checklist should get you going to knowing the "when" part of your answer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.