P

psuter

I'm New Here
Hi All

I am currently looking around for a suitable Kit to build in the future and one concern i have is the final assembly in the hangar. i live in switzerland in the area of zurich and it seems to be very hard if not impossible to find a hangar space around here, not to speak of a hangar space suitable for completing an experimental airplane. That's why i like the idea of removable wings because then you can build the entire airplane at home or in a nearby workshop wide enought to host the airplane with wings and when you are done and basically ready for the first flight, just remove the wings, trailer it to the airport, put the wings back on and fly it.

the only problem is, that removable wing airplanes are either very expensive (Glasair Sportsman) or just don't offer the things i am looking for. My current favourite for a 2 seater airplane would probably be an RV-9 but it does not have removable wings. after reading this thread:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=49101&page=2
i think however, that it could be possible to build an RV-9 to completion including final assembly, then, when done, take the wings off, bring the entire plane to the paintshop and from there to the airport, put the wings back on and start test flying it.

once again, i am not looking for a trailer-able airplane that i would trailer to the airport each time i want to fly.. i'm too lazy for that ;) all i want is build it entirely at home and then move it to the airport once to fly it from then on.. and maybe, when i have to pause my flying activities for some years due to health, time or money reasons, take it to a storage place less expensive than a hangar.. and back to the airport once i am ready to fly again.

is this at all possible or am i missing something?

regards
Pascal
 
What you are describing is how the majority of people have done it.

No one actually fully installed the wings until it is at the airport. A couple or three bolts is enough until final assembly.

The airplane can be finished, transported with the wings removed, and then final assembled at the airport in 20 - 40 hrs (or more), depending on what level of final finish you actually completed.
 
Temp bolts

One can easily install and remove the wings with
temporary bolts, ground to a tapered end, lithium
grease on the pins. I had my wings on in my driveway
This past weekend to fit for incidence. Takes only a few minutes
To install or remove. So yes build to near completion with the temp.
Pins installed.
 
thanks for your prompt replies. it seems to be true what i've read about the RV builder community, you guys are really fast and friendly :)

a final assembly of 20-40h at the airport is totally doable, even on a more remote airport. that's good news as i really like the -7 and -9 and if i decide on a 2 seater it'll probably be one of them. allthough deciding between a -7 and -9 seems to be an even harder task than deciding on the number of seats ;), but let's not start that discussion in this thread ;)

thanks again for the clarification

cheers
Pascal
 
psuter said:
... final assembly of 20-40h at the airport is totally doable, even on a more remote airport...
cheers
Pascal
Click to expand...

Yes, that is about the right number, maybe a bit high. I completed my -9 at home so there was nothing required at my first airport, which was close to an hour away. I assembled it in three or four weekends, had the final inspection, and then flew it on the fourth weekend.

Besides the wings, you will also have to remove the tail for transport. This is not that difficult but just another task.

In my case, I moved the wings and tail two weeks prior to moving the fuselage. My tools were also moved prior to the fuselage.

The day we moved the fuselage my friends helped install the wings and tail section. The remaining time was spent installing nuts and bolts, wiring the wings, installing the flight controls, doing the first engine runs, and final tests, etc.

Good luck with your final selection, they are both great planes!
 
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