RV8 ("Red Tail") ... Reserve Grand Champion - Homebuilt (SnF) [MORE PHOTOS}

[jclark]

My friend, Scott McElroy, received Reserve Grand Champion - Homebuilt at the 2026 SnF.

He doesn't do much posting (or talking about his excellent work), but has given me permission to share a few things here.

I will include a picture or two here, and he and I will get some additional photos to post a little later.

This plane honors the Tuskegee Airmen, and I will admit my bias, as I not only was around during some of its construction but was also given the honor of flying it to Airventure a year or two ago, where the workmanship was recognized.

Since then, there have been some "upgrades" that will be highlighted in a subsequent post.

Some summary info:

Lycoming IO-390 EXP 119 (215 HP)
Whirlwind (HRT) Constant Speed Prop
Dual GRT 10.1 EFIS w/ Garmin GNC 355 (GPS/Comm)
CUSTOM Air Intake flow tested at AirFlow Performance
CUSTOM 4 into 1 Exhaust
CUSTOM Panel Mods (Many, including 3D printed "Glove Box" Panel Insert)

There is a backstory to this, which I will share later. Just wanted to post this and a few pictures now, with more later.



CONGRATULATIONS SCOTT!!!!

p.s. Yes, it is SMOOOOOTH and FAAAASST!

 

[N10KE]

It is a beautiful airplane and well deserving of the award. Scott incorporated some really cool features and his attention to detail was spot on. Scott painted the plane himself and his workmanship was outstanding (most of us thought it was professionally painted). He took second place to a very unique airplane that was designed and built completely by hand (not a kit). I hope Scott is proud of what he accomplished - he should be!

 

[Tag]

Yup, saw it there - beautiful indeed. Folks just keep raising the bar... He deserves it - especially having painted it himself!

 

[jclark]

It is a beautiful airplane and well deserving of the award. Scott incorporated some really cool features and his attention to detail was spot on. Scott painted the plane himself and his workmanship was outstanding (most of us thought it was professionally painted). He took second place to a very unique airplane that was designed and built completely by hand (not a kit). I hope Scott is proud of what he accomplished - he should be!

He is.

And he was pleasantly surprised.

On his behalf, THANKS!! (He is on the road looking for parts for three car projects that he is currently working on.)

As mentioned, I will share some of the "back story" a little later, but I can say for a fact, he is very meticulous and "particular".

He is actually somewhat shy/reserved/modest, which is why he has given me permission to talk about it.

I am sure there are additional hidden "features" he put in that he was not even aware of how special they were.

We have discussed backfitting some of those features to my RV8.

He allowed me to do some of the testing in the early days (as well as the flight to AirVenture). It is a "beast," as they say, and it sounds like it with that exhaust.

His best work, in my opinion, was under the cowl. Fitting that 390, with the custom intake (we did a 3D scan of it for Don at Airflow Performance), and the custom exhaust took a lot of work, but in the end seemed to be really worth it. It is the best work, in my view, because you don't realize how hard it was; it just looks right.


A thanks goes out to the judges at SnF for appreciating the work of a TRUE homebuilder, who did every bit of the work himself, except for the paint on the prop and seat covers, (with a minor hand from buddies here and there),

 

[DanH]

His best work, in my opinion, was under the cowl. Fitting that 390, with the custom intake (we did a 3D scan of it for Don at Airflow Performance), and the custom exhaust took a lot of work, but in the end seemed to be really worth it. It is the best work, in my view, because you don't realize how hard it was; it just looks right.

Pictures. We need pictures!

 

[jss165]

I second the more pictures needed. Looks beautiful from what you have posted so far. Will it be at Oshkosh this year?

 

[Carl Froehlich]

I second the more pictures needed. Looks beautiful from what you have posted so far. Will it be at Oshkosh this year?

And especially photos of his air inlet/filter set up. I’m still struggling to figure out what to do on my CAS IO540 with James Cowl.

Carl

 

[N10KE]

And especially photos of his air inlet/filter set up. I’m still struggling to figure out what to do on my CAS IO540 with James Cowl.

Carl

Doubt this will help you much at all. As I recall from seeing the installation, Scott’s inlet is a modified version of a Van’s snorkel. Nothing at all like the SJ inlet on the lower cowling.

 

[jclark]

I second the more pictures needed. Looks beautiful from what you have posted so far. Will it be at Oshkosh this year?

Regarding OSH, I am not sure.

We will be talking about it later this week or next.

 

[jclark]

Doubt this will help you much at all. As I recall from seeing the installation, Scott’s inlet is a modified version of a Van’s snorkel. Nothing at all like the SJ inlet on the lower cowling.

You are correct, Krea.

The modification fixed TWO issues.
1. Make it fit.
2. Make it FLOW better (and thus more HP from the engine possible)

The reason it is known to "flow better" is that we took it to AFP and tested it. Don @ AFP validated it. ("I saw the test with my own two eyes!" )

 

[jclark]

Pictures. We need pictures!

I promise that there will be more. Especially of some of the "little things".
Within the next day or two.

 

[lr172]

Scott painted the plane himself and his workmanship was outstanding (most of us thought it was professionally painted). He took second place to a very unique airplane that was designed and built completely by hand (not a kit). I hope Scott is proud of what he accomplished - he should be!

It is so refreshing to hear about awards going to the actual craftsman instead of the check writer.

 

[Carl Froehlich]

Doubt this will help you much at all. As I recall from seeing the installation, Scott’s inlet is a modified version of a Van’s snorkel. Nothing at all like the SJ inlet on the lower cowling.

Super - I'll copy it for my RV-8!

Carl

 

[N10KE]

It is so refreshing to hear about awards going to the actual craftsman instead of the check writer.

This was my son’s and my first year as a “probationary” judge at SNF. We learned a lot and had a great time with the other, much more experienced judges. I can assure you that at SNF, the judges are keenly aware of these concerns and there is a lot of discussion after looking at a plane and talking with the builder. Although Evoke paint is the gold standard and is pretty common among the award winners, additional “points” are given for DIY paint when the workmanship is as high quality as what we saw on Scott’s airplane.

As to build assist, that is also discussed. Having built two airplanes with build assist and having opened and operated a build assist facility myself - i will say that the judges are pretty in tune with that as well. You can talk to a builder and pretty quickly get a feel for whether they were intimately involved or simply wrote a check.

 

[roadrunner20]

Beautifully done. I wish I would have seen it on the field to have first hand evaluation. Kudos!

 

[fixnflyguy]

I have seen this beauty in person, and it spent a couple days in my hangar..It is a work of art, and a dedication to legends. Great accomplishment!

 

[jclark]

My friend, Scott McElroy, received Reserve Grand Champion - Homebuilt at the 2026 SnF.

He doesn't do much posting (or talking about his excellent work), but has given me permission to share a few things here.

I will include a picture or two here, and he and I will get some additional photos to post a little later.

This plane honors the Tuskegee Airmen, and I will admit my bias, as I not only was around during some of its construction but was also given the honor of flying it to Airventure a year or two ago, where the workmanship was recognized.

Since then, there have been some "upgrades" that will be highlighted in a subsequent post.

Some summary info:

Lycoming IO-390 EXP 119 (215 HP)
Whirlwind (HRT) Constant Speed Prop
Dual GRT 10.1 EFIS w/ Garmin GNC 355 (GPS/Comm)
CUSTOM Air Intake flow tested at AirFlow Performance
CUSTOM 4 into 1 Exhaust
CUSTOM Panel Mods (Many, including 3D printed "Glove Box" Panel Insert)

There is a backstory to this, which I will share later. Just wanted to post this and a few pictures now, with more later.

View attachment 116332View attachment 116331View attachment 116330

CONGRATULATIONS SCOTT!!!!

p.s. Yes, it is SMOOOOOTH and FAAAASST!

I finally got a chance to get some photos with the cowl off to add to a few from inside. [Scott had hurt himself and was away for a couple of weeks, as was I for different reasons.]

I think the 3D-printed "map box" is "pretty not bad!", but I like the cabin air distribution system beneath the panel the most. I plan to copy it for my 8.

A lot of the stuff from under the cowl won't be as meaningful if you are not building an 8, but it will be more meaningful if you are building one with a 390.
As mentioned, that intake was cut and reshaped for a better fit and better airflow (++ HP!!)

I think that the judges appreciated his paint work. I will add some up-close photos of that later.

Now, to be honest, I almost hesitate to post these photos for fear of someone looking to nit-pick a friend's plane, even though he gave me permission to do so. If you have questions about anything, though, I am sure that he will spend a near-unlimited amount of time going over what he did and why. Finally, I think to appreciate this plane, which has now over two (or is it three??) year flying, you have to see things up close and in their totality since the finer details are subtle and can be missed.

 

[airguy]

Beautiful!

I'm really interested in the heat-shield cloth wraps on the intakes - what are those?

 

[TShort]

Beautiful!

I'm really interested in the heat-shield cloth wraps on the intakes - what are those?

Might be something like this:

Poor Man's Cold Air Induction System

These aluminized ceramic insulated sleeves are designed to fit over your Lycoming induction tubes to help reduce the amount of heat picked up by your induction air from the nearby hot exhaust pipes.

www.flyboyaccessories.com

I have them on my RV-10, easily worth 15hp