Sorry all, I had a Homer Simpson moment (Doh!)
Of course the CG will move rearward with fuel and people. Nevermind 
Chris
Van's Air Force
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- Thread starter DeltaRomeo
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Sorry all, I had a Homer Simpson moment (Doh!)
Of course the CG will move rearward with fuel and people. Nevermind Chris
RV-8 Fastback
Starting to see more RV-8 fastbacks and gotta say it is a nice looking airplane. Well done to you guys making the extra effort. I’m not a builder but a flyer however I don’t mind doing a little restoration work now and then. Don’t think I’d want to do a fastback conversion on a flying plane but man they do look good!
Starting to see more RV-8 fastbacks and gotta say it is a nice looking airplane. Well done to you guys making the extra effort. I’m not a builder but a flyer however I don’t mind doing a little restoration work now and then. Don’t think I’d want to do a fastback conversion on a flying plane but man they do look good!
Jerry Fischer
Well Known Member
RV-8
What a clean looking airplane...looks like a show stopper...
What a clean looking airplane...looks like a show stopper...
smithflys23
Well Known Member
Great looking -8!
For those that fly with the fastback mod, does it actually make your cruise faster, or is it strictly for looks?
For those that fly with the fastback mod, does it actually make your cruise faster, or is it strictly for looks?
Why of course...all mods are worth 10 knots. Everyone knows it's true.
Seriously, I doubt anyone has converted from the original, thus back to back numbers are hard to find.
Faster or not, Dennis, it's a great looking airplane!
smithflys23
Well Known Member
I was hoping you would chime in, Dan.
It seems that you’re fairly data oriented, and I thought you’d be the one to know!
Duhg
Well Known Member
Looks is just a bonus to have a plane thats easier to get in and out of and removes the metal roll bar from the pilots view.
Great looking plane, congrats!
Duhg
Well Known Member
Feel like a milestone was reached today when a friend offered to crawl inside the aft fuselage to help me rivet the upper aft skin on. It’s been a few months of navigating avionics.
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Imminent First Flight...Est. in August.
Mods are slider canopy to the Fastback...stretched and lowered, w/ custom bubble (by accident). Showplanes cowl, so the nose is stretched and get to use bigger spinner! Telescoping front rudder pedals. Many other mods that I expect are improvements.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p...GqUtyDlrEHN5jRe09xa=w2120-h1590-no?authuser=0
Mods are slider canopy to the Fastback...stretched and lowered, w/ custom bubble (by accident). Showplanes cowl, so the nose is stretched and get to use bigger spinner! Telescoping front rudder pedals. Many other mods that I expect are improvements.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p...GqUtyDlrEHN5jRe09xa=w2120-h1590-no?authuser=0
Introducing “Excelsior”. Finished installing the wings, tips, and fairings. Figured I’d better pull her out and get a photo in case Ian drops the hangar door on her. Need to reinstall the interior and then it’s time for first engine run and weight and balance.
Soon, soon….
Soon, soon….
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Mike, That looks amazing!
As Scott, Max, and Ed said, beautiful aircraft! Interesting mods - the step, the access panel, the special yellow tape to hold on the rudder...
smithflys23
Well Known Member
Whirlwind 15” spinner.
Status = Flying
Excelsior flies!
9 years, 2000+ hours and one hurricane (note lack of hangar doors!).
Airworthiness inspection this morning by Arnold Holmes.
Wearing my RV-6 anniversary shirt in homage to the many years of enjoyment I got in my 6A.
First flight this evening by my good friend and super experienced pilot Harvey.
Chase by 8 driver and formation bud Lonn.
Traditional major milestone toast with the good stuff.
Excelsior flies!
9 years, 2000+ hours and one hurricane (note lack of hangar doors!).
Airworthiness inspection this morning by Arnold Holmes.
Wearing my RV-6 anniversary shirt in homage to the many years of enjoyment I got in my 6A.
First flight this evening by my good friend and super experienced pilot Harvey.
Chase by 8 driver and formation bud Lonn.
Traditional major milestone toast with the good stuff.
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Rolled the canoe
I got the canoe on the rotisserie and went to town this weekend.
As the song says, I get by with a little help from my friends. Better make that a lot of help.
Kevin and Frank helped buck the rivets I could not reach by myself. I’m in a position now to knock out a lot of work that required the work done this weekend first.
Thank you guys. I’ll be there when you are ready for bucking help.
I got the canoe on the rotisserie and went to town this weekend.
As the song says, I get by with a little help from my friends. Better make that a lot of help.
Kevin and Frank helped buck the rivets I could not reach by myself. I’m in a position now to knock out a lot of work that required the work done this weekend first.
Thank you guys. I’ll be there when you are ready for bucking help.
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Drilled the gear mounts today. Before removing the legs for deburring and later attachment, thought I would give them a shine. It took a couple of different grades of sandpaper on a palm sander then 3 different polishes with a buffer.
I can definitely say those are a great looking pair of legs.
I can definitely say those are a great looking pair of legs.
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Over in palm beach if you need an excuse to fly and hang with nose dragger 8s
18 years of building…finally complete. Thanks to Mel (highly recommended!) who inspected it today. Big thanks to my best friend and mentor Joe G who guided me over the last 18 years. And a shout out to Paul Dye who was nice enough to come out to my house in Nassau Bay and take a look at my empennage 17 years ago when I had no idea what was going on. Looking forward to her first flight soon. Been quite a journey.
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That’s what we like to see! Congratulations.
3 years in the making, based in Dominican Republic (Caribbean), and stalled waiting for the engine...
I feel like I hit a big milestone over the memorial day weekend. Top skins riveted on the right wing! Pulled the wing off the stand and put it on my rolling cart so I could start working on the left wing. In a hurry to get the left tank done before my sealant expires.....again.
Avengerboss
Well Known Member
Triggerf16
I'm New Here
Finished my Canopy. Need to climb inside and remove some tape and glue squeeze out. It is on the tape and not the bubble. Still have wax on the canopy in case I got an epoxy glob on there.
Need to work on firewall forward for a while.
Need to work on firewall forward for a while.
Off to the airport today. I think it’s the beginning of the end. 
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Congrats Al! Did you get your operating parameters changed to 50NM? I did, made a huge difference.
If you want to explore this, let me know and I can send you what I sent TC.
If you want to explore this, let me know and I can send you what I sent TC.
Thanks! No I didn't get it changed. Still 25NM. Certainly a PIA being so close to YYZ. I would appreciate the info. PM sent with my email.
Could I get a copy? I'm in Windsor and surrounded on three sides by Detroit Class B and two Lakes. Makes for a very small area.
Back at it after taking some time off for other priorities. Spent six weeks cramming for my A&P tests, then two weeks at Baker (nailed it). Then sick, then skiing vacation in CO, then wife sick, then skiing again.
Anyhoo, fuel and brake plumbing. Changed up the brake lines a bit to break up the lines that go in the towers. More connections, but those long lines are always pretty "built in place" looking. And of course you HAVE to polish the lines!
Then installing my patented (not really) conduit and tubing hangers on the longeron "keeper" rivet locations in prep for starting on the top-rear skin.
Anyhoo, fuel and brake plumbing. Changed up the brake lines a bit to break up the lines that go in the towers. More connections, but those long lines are always pretty "built in place" looking. And of course you HAVE to polish the lines!
Then installing my patented (not really) conduit and tubing hangers on the longeron "keeper" rivet locations in prep for starting on the top-rear skin.
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I think I love the idea of braking up (pun intended) the brake lines. Nice look! Conduit hangars pretty creative....Best alternative I could think of (which is what I did) was install anchor nuts on bottom side of longeron and put adel clamps on top. Used NAS1801 hex screws for adel clamps (easier to screw/unscrew once top skin on). All anchor nuts placed between existing rivets so can still rivet top on without having to navigate interferences. All adel clamps oriented with flat part of "P" oriented against longeron so adel clamp bulk and wires don't interfere with riveting on top skin. So many ways to solve a challenge.
