AX-O

AX-O

Well Known Member
santa was good to me. He got me the preview set plans for the -8 and "Kit Airplane Construction" book. I am the only one that was a bit overwhelmed by the plans the first time looking over them?
 
AX-O, Nope, I was befuddled too. It took Wally Anderson's empannage class
to make me comfortable with reading the plans. Good luck!
H
 
AX Man,

I bought my empennage with full intentions of screwing it up beyond useability.

I was wrong. It is the most intimidating for you right now. No real physical knowledge of the parts and drawings that make little sense. To have parts "in hand" and having the ability to manipulate them goes a LOOONG way!

Each time I begin on a new component, I get a similar feeling. The more components I complete, the easier it becomes.

I expect that your situation will be similar.

Have FUN!!!

;) CJ
 
Have fun and learn

Hey AX,
Just getting into the FWF and avionics. (After a bit over 3 years on a slowbuild -7A). I've found that the anticipation/anxiety over starting a new process(that I've read/heard horror stories about) was generally far worse than the process itself. In the immortal words of Rob Schneider, "Jew can dew eeet!"

--hawk
SE AZ
 
Just a note of enlightment here. There is no such thing as a "slow build RV-7"! Slow build RVs were gone long before the -7 came out.
Mel...DAR
 
Slowbuild -7

Hey Mel,
I beg to differ. It sure seems slow to me but then I don't have the luxury yet of being retired!

--hawk
SE AZ
 
It's really hard to make it slow when all the holes come in the kit. (And already in the right places!)
BTW, I was over at 51F today and signed off Mike Hodge's Glasair III. It's not an RV but it is one beautiful airplane. Watch out for N8MH.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all.
Mel...DAR
 
Permission Granted!

Santa payed a visit to my house also! Brought the preview prints for an RV-9, info pack and RV training project. But the best present was permission to start on this adventure! And yes it is a bit overwelmimg! EAA Sheet metal class scheduled for next month.

Keith
 
Well I Wasn't Overwhelmed by them

When I got my Preview Plans Set for the RV-6A I was not overwhelmed by it at all. I had seen the airplanes so I knew they were extremely well designed from the shape and the detail observed. I had worked in aerospace for around 42 years at that time (1996). One thing you may not recognize since you say you were overwhelmed - the RVs are real airplanes in the highest quality sense. The conceptual design and the attention to detail in the design to create each RV airframe configuration is without compromise and if you buy the kit and build it properly it will be a unique airplane but it will also be another great RV.

In my aerospace experience certain drawing conventions and standards were assured by drawing "Checkers" in the engineering and drafting departments. I was a little disappointed with the quality of the RV-6A drawings at first but I learned that they were fine for getting the job done. I understand the drawings are much better now but I came to appreciate the integrity of the drawing set as I built my plane - they are not just a bunch of pretty drawings without any soul. As overwhelming as the drawing set may seem now, you will reach a point where the details of YOUR airplane are left up to you and you will wish there were more. The firewall forward and the electronics are two such areas. I bought every George and Becki Orndorff video tape and all four Tony Bingelis books to help me learn what I had to learn beyond basic sheet metal skills. Don't do something if you have not worked it out in detail in your mind first.

When I bought my kit there were many types of work that I was familiar with and some I had done but many that I had never actually done and I had no skill other than electrical. I went to a training session that lasted a few days to learn how to work with sheetmetal and I believe this is absolutely essential if you are going to do a good job. There are just so many things that have been learned in the aircraft industry since they started building aluminum airplanes that you cannot do the job right without some introductory training - there aren't enough days in a single person's lifetime to acquire the knowledge in a vacuum. However, in just a few days you can learn enough to have the basic sheet metal working knowledge from which to develop your skills and carefully build a great airplane. Another way to get the training is to work with someone that has sheetmetal skills until you can do it on your own. One related comment - never compromise on tools if you want a perfect airplane.

If you build an RV you will have built a real airplane not just assembled a bunch of parts like a Christmas display from Lowe's Hardware. We just flew ours back from a Christmas visit in St. Louis at over 170 kts TAS.

Bob Axsom
 
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