SMOKEY FLIES...!
Yup. After 13 years and a few hectic weeks,
N8RV ("Smokey") took wing for the first time! With my fearless volunteer test pilot at the controls, Danny "Sky" King, a nearly flawless first flight was made mere moments after Smokey received his Special Airworthiness Certificate ...
After the inspector left, Danny cast his gaze skyward and proclaimed the day worthy of a first flight. He climbed into the cockpit, strapped in, and I gave him a good systems checkout.
He fired up the engine while the spousal units and I trudged across the open field to find good vantage points from which to observe and immortalize the event. After a successful runup of the engine, N8RV took to the air like it was born to fly! Well ... I guess it was. He used only about 300 feet of runway and climbed out like ... like ... well, like an RV!
And, of course, I missed it all. Well, I didn't actually miss it, but I watched it the same way I watched my kids score their first touchdowns, slide into home plate for the winning run, clinch a tough match in a tie-breaker and kick the last goal at the end of a soccer match -- through a tiny view screen of a camcorder. *sigh* I've seen a lot of life through replays.
Anyway, Danny flew Smokey around for about 30 minutes, testing trim, controls, flaps, engine performance, slow flight, stalls ... As he explained it later, "All of your screwups over 13 years somehow canceled each other out and it flies hands-off!" Nice guy.
He brought Smokey around for a photo pass ...
... and set up for a perfect squeaker of a wheel landing ...
Danny exhibited the famous "RV grin" as he shut down ...
... and the aircraft manufacturer (yours truly) joined in for the requisite photos for posterity, taken by our respective spousal units ...
There were a few squawks, naturally. Little stuff like I wired the pitch trim backwards. And the EFIS had no readout. ZERO airspeed. And I had 61" of manifold pressure (without water injection!). And the altitude hold button was actually a LOOP button!
We put some time in the next morning and fixed the bugs and Danny felt compelled to burn off some more of my gas. Small price for the reassurance that the wings won't fall off when I fly it, IMO.
The only thing left to do now is to get ME ready to fly! Been a while ... about a decade.
Many heartfelt thanks to fellow builders over the years without whose help Smokey would never have seen the light of day:
Phil Arter (#80005 --
RIP)
Jerry Thornton (RV-6A -- my rivet bucker --
RIP -- Sorry I took so long, buddy
)
Danny "Sky" King (Master Builder, Friend and Sucker Test Pilot)
Jon Ross ("I just KNOW that my plane is faster ...")
Scott Jordan ("Don't make me come out there and kick your butt in gear.")
Rich & Karol Hansen (RV-6A -- never met a friendlier family!)
Kevin Horton (seriously ... what can I say? He could've designed this thing!)
George Orndorff (he doesn't know me, but I sure know him!)
Van the Man ('nuff said)
Doug Reeves (like he hasn't received enough accolades lately -- sheesh!)
And many others who have helped along the way in big ways and small. Please forgive me if I've neglected mentioning you by name. By sharing your trials and tribulations, you've helped others build right and fly safely.
Take heart, you fellow slow-builders ... I MADE IT ... SO WILL YOU!!