9/25/2023.  Issue #5,914. (previous day's news).
  Thanks again to those brave folks helping make the "Before they were RVators" thread so enjoyable. Hope you had a nice weekend.
 

Dog rescue

Dog rescue Jacksonville to Bradenton. He was a perfect gentleman.

Bench Wiring Setups

Building an RV 14 panel. I welded up the frame in the 1st picture. Then placed the frame in behind the panel, to keep the wire run neat and grouped together. You can see this in the 2nd and 3rd pictures. I used zip ties to temporally hold the wires in place. The 4tH picture shows removing the zip ties and hand lacing the harness. I hope this is helpful for you as it worked well for me.

Where do they go to hide

Washers, screws, nuts, and miscellaneous other items dropped behind the engine while performing maintenance...that don't fall all the way through and hit the floor to escape!

I have found them sitting on the fuel pump cooling shroud, magnetos, prop governor. I know there are a bunch of 'shelves' that exist as part of the accessory case since I have found stuff just sitting there. I can easily pluck them out with a magnetic pick-up tool once I find them....it's the finding part that is the most difficult.

I don't want to go fly with something missing and possibly floating around up there since the throttle, prop, mixture controls, oil cooler flap, and heater box controls are all there - just waiting to be jammed....

Name some locations that you have found the most difficult to know exist and/or access.

Before they were RVators

Engine mount to firewall/battery ground

Q: There appears to be no clear ground path from the engine mount to the battery using Vans FF kit instructions. There's a ground strap from the engine ground lug to the motor mount, but nothing to the firewall and/or battery.

The stock setup seems to rely on the engine mount bolts to ground to the airframe structure to provide this path, but there are no steps to ensure clean metal to metal contacts between either the AFT face of the motor mount surface, OR the AFT face of the interior structure that the motor mount nuts would come in contact with.

I know lots of builders suggest an additional strap from the engine direct to the firewall/battery. I'm thinking of going this route, but I honestly don't understand how the stock setup has a decent ground?!

A:

Do I have to overhaul my alternator?

I think my previous thread was deleted because it sent members to a YouTube video I uploaded there. We've all heard a picture is worth a thousand words and I think a video is worth ten times more. It was the only way for me to explain the problem I had with my alternator.  --->

How would you seal this gap?

BLUF: soliciting ideas for sealing the cowl to airbox gap on a Cessna style airbox (pictured below).

My old -4 has a Cessna style airbox with a large gap around the perimeter of the filter that allows air into the lower cowl plenum. I'm chasing some lower cowl pressure issues and this seemed like an easy target to seal up. So far I've tried duct tape, aluminum tape, and an RTV impregnated fiberglass seal; none have proven effective in sealing this gap, either still allowing air past or not withstanding the movement of the airbox relative to the the cowl and tearing. Any suggestions? I know this configuration is rare on RVs now days.

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (9/22-24/2023)

Turbo Nozzle Shrouds ...DanH PIREP

"...Ran another channel to pick up the #1 spark, to provide a reference marker for event timing.

Collected a lot of data at different power settings and altitudes..."  --->

9/22/2023.  Issue #5,913. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Before they were RVators

I'll get the ball rolling. Moi in third grade combining an early Beatles haircut with an Elvis pout on picture day. Nobody was impressed. That shirt had a stain on it and I remember where it was here a half century later.

Second image is in the RV-6 most likely coming back from Oshkosh somewhere above 10,000 feet trying to minimize UVA & UVB exposure - seems like something I would do. Safety vest with my back up radio, knife, mirror, PLB, etc. Vest a gift from a friend who retired from the Air Force. He wore it in his F-16. Nice having some back up safety equipment close. I wear it most fights, even Cub.

The hair is gone... it was a good hair.

Brantel -12 Build Update

Working on closing out the fuse bottom. I am straying from the KAI's order by not fully riveting the front of the bottom skin in the area of the floorboard under the knees. This is so I can temp install the front footwell/lower firewall section and then fabricate and flare the fuel lines that go in the center channel area without having to purchase another $200 tool that will work in that tight space for 4 flares.

I have pulled > 4000 rivets so far! ~8000 more to go!

Lots more pics and commentary on my build blog

Triple Tree Challenge ...Vic

Carol and I have been at Triple tree for the last few days. The weather has been great and meeting so many of you has really been wonderful!

What I did notice is that I might be one of the youngest people there. I also thought the RV's were greatly under-represented. So, here's the challenge:

The weather is supposed to be great this Saturday. Why don't we all see how many young/aspiring aviators we can all get there on Saturday? I've already volunteered to bring 3 from the Ron Alenxander Youth Program. Let's do a picture at noon in front of the registration building.

I got lots of questions from everyone, but the most often-asked one was "where is the helicopter?" So, we came home and I am flying it back up tomorrow, Friday. Then back Saturday in the 10.

Brake Mounting

FYI the drawings and construction manual lack some detail for how the brake itself is mounted to the axle. Here are a couple of pics in case anyone else gets stumped. Fortunately I did not encounter any parts interference due to the non-standard hole position in the axle.
In hindsight, I think the U-403s could have been re-drilled on the other side, because they are symmetrical and there is a chamfer built into the brake that would slide over the welding bead.

34-02

Q: I am confused by the first step in my canopy install!

It says to final drill the struts on one end 07/64 and the other end 03/8.

7/64 is much smaller than the opening on the gas tube side which is about 1/4 inch.
3/8 is much larger than the opening on the strut side which is also about 1/4 inch.

A: Look again, it's 17/64, the clearance drill size for 1/4. The 3/8 dimension is correct as an aluminium bushing goes into the hole for the pivot point.

Elec Conn Q...PilotjohnS PIREP

I used the DTM series connectors almost exclusively.
They use the really good crimp pins, are easy to assemble and disassemble, waterproof and have good strain relief for the wires.
i cant think of a better connector.

The D-subs don't have strain relief unless one uses the back shells; and then I find them to be bulky. OK for test equipment, but really too much for airplanes.  I have never had reliable connections with the Molex.

Its is easy to put the proper connectors on during the build, but it is much harder to retrofit an existing build.

Today was a good day...0302lj

Had three friends show up at the hanger today to "help me" in setting the wing angle of incidence on my RV6A build. Outside of the clarity and education, we had a great time. Lots of laughs, heckling, and the task is finished. Won't list their names on the interweb but between the three of them i think there's like +100 years of building, maintaining and flying RV's (they have helped countless builders in the MI area).

Yep, I'm fortunate...Vans RV's are cool...the friends are just as cool.

9/21/2023.  Issue #5,912. (previous day's news).
  Picked up another cold a couple days back. #3 this year. The sim is a Petri dish. I think I'll wear flying gloves in there from now on - looks dorky but those touch screens get touched by people from around the globe 24/7 - more than a few of them are sick.
  I miss my RV - 19 days since last flown (embarrassing).  In a coupla days hopefully...
 

My RV Weekday ...Rob Ray

When you spend most of your adult life working weekends and holidays, "weekends" are whenever you're not flying or deployed. It's pretty awesome looking back at my 40 years of military and professional aviation and all my brothers in arms I've flown alongside. It's a brotherhood only those who have experienced can truly appreciate.

That said, yesterday my friend and fellow F16/F5 RV4 building brother Hollywood sacrificed his valuable morning time at home and gave me a BFR. In a borrowed 9A we slipped the surlies while I enjoyed flying an RV again, simply phenomenal.

To say I'm thankful is a gross understatement, I'm eternally grateful!

Abby Normal

So here is my plane running lean of peak at 10500.

Is this egt spread normal when running lean of peak, or do i need to balance injectors to make the spreads more even? In general, the most lean of peak was the first one to go lean of peak.

My apologies to Mel Brooks for the title.

Oh ya, here is a view out the window, 9500 over heartland of California.

Supporting wire in a finished vertical stabilizer

I'm considering adding a "rotating" red beacon to the top of the fairing of the vertical stabilizer of an RV-7.

The wires will have to go through the forward "bay" of the VS, and the good thing is that there are only two ribs I need to go through: the top and the bottom one. The bottom one has a lightening hole, so all is good there. The top one I can drill for a wire, no problem.

However, the question is, how do I support the wires inside that bay?

Doing a surgical operation through the bottom lightening hole to glue some cable tie supports on the front spar sounds a bit unrealistic.

I can tie wire to something stiff, maybe, a solid carbon rod, then attach the rod with two clamps, at the top and at the bottom. How does that sound?

Other options?

Pg38-16 Support Flange splice

OK brain trust, I cant get my head around step 4 and step 17.

By countersinking the splice we end up making a flush surface behind the 1404 support flanges so they end up out of view unless the canopy is open. Then we make a domed shop head for aesthetic purposes on the side that we see. I'm sure there is a reason I just cant find it at the moment. Why are we making the forward side flush?

Thoughts?

How to Polish Fuel Caps?

Q: I have a new set of Usher fuel caps I'd like to polish before sending them out for engraving.

I don't have any kind of polishing/buffing wheels or equipment. Can I get good results by hand? Or should I bring them to someplace that has buffing equipment? Trophy shop?

Advice appreciated.

A: I lapped mine with increasingly fine sandpaper on my back rivet plate ... up to 1500 grit. They didn't come out mirror shiny but had a brushed appearance that liked. In the end they were nice and flat with all the flashing removed. still look good after a few years and a relapping touch up would be fast and easy. I took the cap apart and lapped the latch and body separately.

Cheap and easy "Handshake" connetors

I like the cheap and easy Handshake knife connectors..slide a piece of clear Tygon over them and they allow pretty quick removal when needed, Not high tech and sexy, but has been the long standard of the type connections you are looking for.

Long reach cutter

Bob Nuckolls preached about trimming zip tie tails in a weekend workshop I attended with him (decades ago). I was fortunate to have a small mom & pop electronics store near my home and picked up my now favorite wire cutters, Pro'sKit PM-251.
They have a long reach capability, great for work in tight places behind the panel. They seem to be available by several vendors according to Google. Note the difference in the photo attached.

9/20/2023.  Issue #5,911. (previous day's news).

Visually identify flox vs microballons

Q: VAF brain trust:
This may be a dumb question but how do I visually tell the difference between microballons and cotton flox? I bought a "composite starter kit" from Spruce and it contains both products but they are indistinguishable white powders to the untrained eye (me). How do I tell the difference between the two with identical unmarked bags?

A: Micro Balloons feels slippery between your fingers (it is little balls rolling around)
Cotton flox will clump and stick together when rubbed between fingers (the cotton fibers will microscopically link together).

30 years in storage - a mystery

A local shop has had an absolutely ratty looking O-320 sitting in the back of the hangar for a couple of years. They picked it up for a song and hoped to at least get some airworthy parts out of it for their trainers. You could not ask for a worse case scenario.....30 years since last run and from Florida. No obvious preservation effort was made and the exterior looks like it has been on the bottom of the ocean. So, today they opened it up and I absolutely couldn't believe what I saw. The inside was incredibly clean with very, very little corrosion. The cam looks unbelievable and there was zero corrosion on the tappets. The cylinders were the same! How does this happen? All of us know that frequent flying, frequent oil changes, dehumifdifiers, magic dust, etc. is required to avoid rust but here it is, the opposite and clean as a whistle. Someone, please explain so I can do it with our engine when it gets back from IRAN!

Percent Power Table Entries

Does anyone have the Percent Power Table Entries for a Lycoming O-320 150 HP? I want to set up my GRT EFIS to display percent power. All I could find are the entries for a 160 HP.

Eng Oil Separater Thoughts

Q: My new engine install is well underway.

The engine builder- who is way way smarter then me regarding all things Lycoming- says consider installing engine breather without separator. He is of the opinion that a new, well operating engine won't vent much oil.

I am installing as recommended (without seperator) but may retro fit in the future.

Any opinions, experiences to report, particularly with new engine?

A: I have used simple, air/oil separators on all the projects. On the current RV-8 (IO-360-M1B), at 440 hours I'm using a quart every 20-30 hours. I have an old Brasso Can mounted with Adel clamps on the engine mount that I use to collect what comes out of the separator. I drain the can once a year.

Note - I never return the oil to the engine.

This is the amount of oil I collect over a year (~5oz):

Panel Status

IFR Panel (Dynon with a Garmin 175) to powder coat to tomorrow.

Going to look and work good.

Panel design (removable middle section) has been a good learning experience. AFS support is great.

Flap Torque Tubes won't fit

Has anyone had any issues installing the flap torque tubes into the uhmw blocks?

The plans have you bolt on the blocks then install the torque tubes later on, but I did a test fit of the blocks onto the tubes and can't get them to go on.

I can get the raw (un powder coated) end into the outboard block with some force, and it will turn but with extreme friction. I can't turn it with just a finger - needs a good wrenching to make it turn. It will not slide on past the power coating - I've sanded the ends of the powder coat transition as per the plans.

If I sand the holes in the blocks to get it to slide past the powder coat, I think the fit will be very loose on the bearing surfaces.

I have measured the UHMW blocks, as well as the CS-00010 flap arm in two dimensions, 90 degrees apart and called them Horizontal and Vertical. I used a set of calipers, so there is likely a bit of error, but I gives an idea of what is going on.

As you can see, the section of the part which is unpowder coated (raw) is 0.0015-0.0030 larger! than the hole in the blocks = it goes in, but with force. The powder coated section is 0.015ish bigger than the hole! I would have to sand all the powder coating off to have any chance of getting these in? OR use total brute force? Is this the correct approach?

UHMW Blocks Hoz Dia Vert Dia
L Outboard 0.9955 0.9970
R Outboard 0.9955 1.0005
L Inboard 0.9990 0.9920
R Inboard 0.9940 0.9940

Flap Arm Raw 0.9985 0.9985
Flap Arm PC 1.0115 1.0075

Does anyone have a set of UHMW blocks / flap torque arms we can compare measurements?

Before taking these measurements I emailed support and had the following response. I have not had a response yet after emailing them the measurements above. I can't imagine with the above dimensions how any of the below is going to make them fit:

9/19/2023.  Issue #5,910. (previous day's news).
  An absolutely perfect CAVU Monday in N.TX. 00000kts. My flight physical was on the schedule early with blood workup so I didn't get out to the airport until before lunch. Just in time to see Rob and Phil (with John supervising) working on aligning Rob's RV-8 wheel pants. Some tape and a chalk line on the floor.  Coming together!
  The 'What did you do last weekend' thread really has a nice mix this round so I'm spotlighting it again with some additional pics that showed up in the last 24.  Thanks again for helping make it such an amazing hobby!

What did you do with your RV this weekend (9/16-17/2023)

RV-7A rebirthing ...kentlik Update

Wiring. Just getting into this. It has taken me a bit of time to wrap my head around the integration of some of these components.

RV-8 and the Fires of Olympus

Saturday 9/16/23 was a nice enough day, not too hot, not too windy, the air was actually very smooth for the whole trip and I pulled off a couple of reasonably acceptable landings. The one fly in the ointment was that there were a lot of fires in the Olympic National Forest pumping a lot of smoke into the atmosphere.

We decided to check it out on the way home. I was over the area at 10,500' and some of the smoke was still above me. The easternmost fire is quite large. There was no one actively fighting these fires, in fact, there wasn't even a TFR over the area. I fear these will continue to burn until the rains return, whenever that is.

The video is linked below.

Figure 8.1

Q: working on the rv6 fuselage Bulkhead 606. The instructions refer to a figure 8.1 and I cannot locate it in all of my materials. Anyone know what this is or have this document? If so would you email me a copy. Thanks

A:

Help removing cylinder

I am in the process of removing the #1 cylinder off my Mattituck TMXO-360. So far, I've only been able to pull it about 4mm away from the case. I've sprayed Kano Kroil all around the gap, under direction of an A&P and plan to get back to work tomorrow.
I understand it is not acceptable to use any materials to pry away the base of the cylinder from the case, even wood or plastic shims. One A&P suggests using a rubber mallet to tap on the case-side of the head to help get the jug off.
Question is, would it be acceptable to put a loop of rope through the rocker shaft bore and use a slide hammer to help pull? Does anyone know any other technique that won't cause damage? Thanks.

Loose canopy latch, problem solved.

I completed my 12 a few months back and have been bugged by the loose latch handle partially latching when I close the canopy necessitating climbing on the wing just to raise the canopy.
I had a few o-rings in the spare parts bin and found one that fit under the handle and gave a little tension to the shaft but in a couple weeks it wore to the point that it did no good.

A couple weeks weeks ago I glued a tiny rare earth magnet to the latch stop and now when the latch is opened it sticks to the magnet... problem solved!

9/18/2023.  Issue #5,909. (previous day's news).
  Sunday was the 21st anniversary of our family's RV-6 taking to the air for the first time - Mr. Jay Pratt at the controls.  I hope to fly it a little this week and give it a pat on the cowl. 
  Hope you had a nice weekend.
 

RVs at Reno ...results as we get them

TAAAWANGGGGG

I connected the trim bias springs to the control column. When the stick is moved left or right, the spring is shifting where it attaches to the control column strap. When it does, the spring vibrates just like a guitar string with a loud twangggg.

I'm thinking a figure 3 safety wire to prevent it from slipping will cure the issue.

Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do?

Blocking the tail (Taildragger) off the ground

Looking for some pictures/examples of how to block the tail off the ground for better access to the belly of a tail dragger.

Let's see what you have...

I'm pretty nervous about this. I've had an RV7 fall off while trying to do a W&B, luckily no damage. Then I read the recent RV-10 that fell off the jack. As someone mentioned the risk of damage goes way up if something happens.

I make sure that the main wheels are chocked because if it were to rotate around and the tailwheel to fall off the ______ then again, damage is going to be possibly bad!

Here is just one small example:


Oh, and bonus would be blocking the tail off the ground without using the tailwheel so you could work on the tailwheel itself.

LCP Update

Terrible brake life on RV-8A! (with pics)

I went out to the plane to fly to breakfast with friends today and when I opened the hangar, I saw that telltale dark stain under the left main. So I caught a ride in the back of a 182 and took almost twice as long to get there. ;-) Next week I'll be putting the 4TH SET of brake pads on the left wheel in the 2.5 years since I've owned my RV-8A! The last two sets lasted 71 and 88 landings, respectively. The right set has been replaced once, and has lasted somewhere around 200 landings. I found out that the left master cylinder didn't have a strong enough return spring so I made a helper spring which seemed to cure the slight brake drag that I noticed from time to time, but maybe I need to make another one out of heavier wire. I've read the posts here about folks' brake life, and I'm definitely below the low end of the scale. My question for the gang: Has anyone gotten fed up with the terrible brake life and gone with another manufacturer like Beringer? If so did it make a significant difference? I'm perfectly happy to throw a few thousand bucks at the problem if it'll keep me from replacing brake pads every 70 or 80 flights!

As you can see in the pictures, the pads are worn but it sure doesn't seem like they're worn enough to hyperextend the piston and uncover the O-ring. And you can see that the O-ring looks brand new.

Failing exhaust valve, I think ...UPDATE rv6n6r

"..yes, it rotates.  I have checked the valve it is rotating.

I too have wondered how the rotator works - don't really know but I've verified that it does, just by bonking the valve stem repeatedly with a plastic mallet and seeing that it incrementally rotates.

It's about 25 hours since I lapped this valve and borescope inspections indicate that it's improving or at least not getting worse. I'll keep checking and reporting back."

What did you do with your RV this weekend (9/16-17/2023)

Expanding foam

How much fun is this stuff?! I found that it works great as a temporary attachment for parts that are otherwise difficult to mate. In this case I attached a rose index to the filter housing for nut plate spacing around the base. I used 4lb for this, and it's stiff. Thinking 2lb will be better for making the plenum mold?

Low fuel pressures

Greetings:
Any words of wisdom on the following appreciated. My RV 6 has a 0-360. On a past flight, the fuel pressure dropped to .5 from 4 during climb to 7500. I turned on the boost pump, changed tanks. Pressure returned 4-5. I turned boost off, pressure slowly dropped to .5 again, engine has purred along all this time. I leaned the engine and fuel pressure went to 2. It stayed there till 3000, then returned to 4. The engine fuel pump was changed recently due to leak out the overflow line indicating failure of diaphragm. However the low pressure had occurred once before. I had wrapped the lines and red box, after changing fuel pump.
Not showing any obvious fuel leaks.
Looking at all the low pressure threads, I'm still scratching my head.
Comments appreciated.

RV-10 fell off the jack!

I have an A&P do my condition inspection. Generally, she's quite good, but today my RV-10 fell off of the jack and the wing was punctured. We're starting a discussion with Vans engineering to determine the recommended repair, but I was interested in what the community thought the best route would be. The tank was not involved in this perforation. See the images here:

Advertiser News: Cranford Aviation Supply now has more to offer the VAF family!

In addition to CROW harness, Dan at CAS is now a proud distributor of Whelen lights, Sensenich ground adjustable propellers, Pioneer stick grips & Earth X Batteries.

As always, the VAF members get the best discount on the net withcoupon code "VAF". Keep checking in as new part offerings are added weekly!

Feel free to click on the photo of Zulu in his favorite spot to send you direct to Cranford Aviation Supply!”

9/15/2023.  Issue #5,908. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend!
 

Bill E. RV-4 FAB Inlet/Snorkle PIREP

Here is a picture of my RV-4 FAB inlet, and how I did my baffle/snorkel seal. On the cowling itself I bonded an aluminum ring shaped like the inlet to the fiberglass inlet so the seal would rub on it rather than the fiberglass which can wear away. Initially, I had the fit too close and experienced loosening of the carburetor due to engine movement during start-up and rapid power changes. I have seen that on other RV's as well. I now have a bit more gap between the cowling and the airbox and the baffle material seals just fine without transferring engine movement to the induction system. It also allows for easier cowling removal.

Show us what's behind your panel

There are a lot of great looking panels out there. Please share what's behind the scenes.  Neat or messy, if you dare, please share.

Coyote on Centerline

Flying into rural airports has prompted go arounds because of deer, groundhogs and even skunks, but yesterday was the first coyote I've encountered on a runway. I was taxiing out to runway 24 at KLOZ London-Corbin Kentucky and this guy was on the centerline DARING me to approach him. I did, of course, he then sauntered off acting as if he had somewhere else to be and was never staring me down.

The Extra Inch.

I've been tinkering with various shapes of ducts trying to squeeze a bit more manifold pressure out of (into?) my IO-360-A1B6 equipped RV-7.

My intake manifold is the "standard" VA-132-2 S-duct, pulling intake air from the left inlet ramp. At wide open throttle and various altitudes I am getting roughly ambient pressure downstream of the fuel injection servo (#3 Cylinder port) -- Some examples:

6500ft -> Field altimeter of 30.02" -> 23.6" MAP...
8500ft -> Field Altimeter of 29.95" -> 21.8" MAP...

But I want more; It seems like I could fabricate a scoop of some stripe to convert that hurricane of propeller wash and incoming air into something more meaningful pressure-wise (and mass).

I fabricated a "hood scoop" to sit on top of the air filter...and it didn't work; only gained .1" of MAP and as expected all the CHT's & Oil Temp increased... Uncomfortably...

Back to the TLAR drawing board. I converted the hood scoop into a splitter of sorts, still attached to the top of the air filter, but only occupying the bottom half of the left inlet. It also didn't work; minimal gain in MAP" ~.1", CHT and Oil Temp were unchanged. Until you factor in the reduction in OAT we had yesterday (-10*F), so the efficiency suffered a bit, but well within the operating margin of my plenum/baffle system.

What's next? I think I'll remove the air filter from the system and see what the MAP does...

9/14/2023.  Issue #5,907. (previous day's news).
 

Flew an RV Grin! ...Mark Baty -9A

I thought I would fly somewhere more constructive then just flying in circles today. OK well, I guess I did just fly in circles, but at least I got a big RV Grin out of it!

J-channel pics, please

Would someone please post pics of the upper and lower J-channels in their final positions on rear wing spar and as referenced in Sections 16 and 20? This will help me visualize the instructions in Section 13-02, step 5. Thank you.

Tips for changing the rubber hoses in an RV12 ...Jim S. PIREP

Use this tool and remove / changeout one hose at a time. Measure old hose and cut new hose to length. Take photos to verify hose routing. You can reuse clamps. Not a hard job

How would you fix this?

Recently picked up a 6 project and I'm going through it, trying to find everything that appears to need to be fixed before I go further.

I've been e-mailing Vans on this with regard to the best way they'd recommend a repair. They don't seem to think the longeron needs to be replaced and this can be worked through, so that's a great thing, but it was suggested I run it by this group, so here it is...

I'm really not sure what happened here and it is completely not representative of the rest of the build, but something got squirrely here.

This is the upper longeron, just in front of the instrument panel "bulkhead." Long time operator, first time builder and I don't have the plans set yet to call out specific part numbers. This is where the upper skin that covers the avionics bay will be riveted.

It looks like I should, I believe, be able to maintain MED on them. I checked the distance as best I could with a dial caliper and I'm showing ~0.20" from the edge of the hole to the edge of the longeron, that should give me better than ~0.20" from the center of the hole.

Vans has thus far suggested possibly an "oops rivet" with a "rivet washer" or small doubler tab might be a good idea.

But, I thought I'd run it by you guys.

James transit duct

Is there a specific limitation preventing the transit duct from being bonded to the backplate? Additionally, could there be advantages to introducing an aluminum plate between the backplate and the FM-200 for reinforcement purposes; are there some potential drawbacks or redundancy that I'm not seeing?

D-Sub connector loose Screw

I pulled my G3X out this afternoon to check a wire and noticed this. The screw on connector on the D-Sub connector on my backup battery was loose. I was shocked - never seen that before.

I checked all the other connectors and I found 2 other ones that were loose too. Of those three, all had one that was tight and one loose.

I am only a couple months till my annual so I will check my servo connectors in my wings tomorrow before I fly. I am not sure if I checked them last annual. I will for sure now.

Ideas - Slide out radio stack - Hw to ? ...jliltd PIREP

I think the OP means the whole rack slides out, not the component. Some stacks are practically impossible to work on (think re-pinning etc..) since the rack is so deep and there is no working room. Some folks will run all the wires from the Dsub or edge card connector back from the connector end towards the panel front along one side. This creates the equivalent of a long service loop although the tray screws and any support structure attachment must be removed for that to work. Here is a photo showing a very organized version of this concept shamelessly stolen from the Garmin Avionics Enthusiast page from Ted Saylor:

9/13/2023.  Issue #5,906. (previous day's news).
  69*F in the morning Tue - time to break out the remote office.  Nice to be rid of the crazy heat.  RV weather returns to N.TX.

New fledgling, an RV-Grin, and a lot to be grateful for

The completion of this RV-4 has a few backstories...

In 2018, the same year I started work at Van's Aircraft, I started a long time dream of building an RV. I started the tail for what I expected to be an RV-7, however shortly thereafter I acquired an RV-6 wing and fuselage that were partially complete, and continued building away. I spent pretty much all my time outside of work working on that RV-6, but progress was still feeling slow. I was really eager to be flying. I was getting more busy with work, as well as a side gig and some new hobbies, and I got pretty burnt out on the build. About this time, my father mentioned to me a near-complete RV-4 airframe he'd seen in the corner of a friend's hangar...  --->

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (9/9-10/2023)

(walter)
Why Not?
Purchased an untouched, unmolested, pristine and complete RV-8 kit circa 2008 - empennage through finish kit, Showplanes Fastback canopy and cowl, and a 0 time IO-390 comes with it. It's loaded in the trailer and I'm heading home.

(Ricksrv4)
Engine out landing
Well, had some excitement Saturday when the idle mixture screw fell out of the MS carb on my 0320 in my RV4. Pulled power back on 45 enter downwind and engine ran rough then quit. Decided to land rather than trouble shoot. Pulled cowl and found the idle mixture screw laying on top of the airbox. Spring was still on the screw. Anyone heard of this happening? Do I need to put more tension on the spring? Glad I practice engine out landings occasionally.

Fuselage jig

Q: Starting the fuselage on the Rv6a and would to see a picture of the jig and how the bulkheads are placed. Please pm me or post pictures if you have some you could share.

A: Here are a couple of pictures that give an overall idea. Sorry I don't have anything more detailed. I pretty much followed the plan and dimensions and it worked out.

Milestone: pilotlanham -14A

Well, I've got the empennage kit, and around 30 parts are on backorder, but it's not stopping me from getting started, here's me holding my Rudder (which is misisng 2 ribs on backorder), got the stringers shaped, and things deburred etc.

9/12/2023.  Issue #5,905. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (9/9-10/2023)

Interesting Mag fail

So a couple of months ago I taxied out for a flight and the Right mag was a dead soldier on run-up. The Mags had approximately 370 hours since their 500 hour inspection and service. Back to the hangar and I dropped the ignition switch as that was the easiest way to check the P leads on my Bendix 1200 series mags.

I found several of the wire terminals on the switch were loose. Don't know how or why but they were very loose. I tightened them up, congratulated myself on my find, and did another mag check. Everything checked out perfect.

A week later I flew up to Big Bear (L35) for a bite to eat. Upon leaving, the right Mag was again dead. It was a Saturday so I bought a new switch from Spruce and installed it. Another Mag check and everything was OK.

The following week I flew to Hemet Ryan (KHMT) and upon leaving, the right Mag was again dead. I checked the P leads and figured out that the wires were reversed on the switch! I had put everything back the way it came off when I replaced the switch so I know it was that way since I purchased the plane.

To top it off, I have been starting the engine on the right Mag which doesn't have an impulse coupling! (Yes I occasionally got kick-back) I finally pulled the left mag and had it overhauled. It seems that when you have a "500 hour inspection" done they only replace the points but not the condenser. The overhaul fixed the problem, and my best guess is that the 10 year old condenser was going "open" with heat. Something to watch out for when you have the 500 hour inspection done.

Sept RV Houston Gathering

Solid State Contactors?

I have never seen any discussion of using a solid state contactor for either the main or starter contactors. I know Vertical Power has the PPS, but never hear of anyone using just a contactor like the InPower Solid State Contactor.
This may not be the right solid state contactor for the application, but is there one?

Putting in Lights in Plane that Had None ...fl-mike PIREP

My 6A had no lights at all and no wiring in the wings. Pull the tip and use a unibit with a couple lengths of threaded rod and a coupler with a setscrew to hold the bit. Use the tooling holes as your starting point. A helper can guide the bit as it gets deeper in the wing. Then snap bushing in the holes. You can reach all the ribs, not very easily, but it can be done. In this case, the wings were off, so the wingwalk ribs were more accessible. Boy, that was a long time ago!

Deburring is not really required if you are just putting in snap bushings, and the holes are pretty clean anyway.
I think I took a length of hinge pin or similar to pull the wires.
Where there's a will, there's a way. It might take a couple beers to formulate the solution though!

Useful Work Light for Tight Spaces

I spent the morning changing brake pads and thought I'd show you the light I found a few months back.  (6) pictures starting HERE.  It has a magnet on the bottom and has (3) different LED areas that can be toggled ON from a single red button.  Folds compact.  Rechargeable. 

"Icon 800 Lumen LED Rechargeable Magnetic Handheld Foldable Slim Bar Work Light" if you go searching online.  Local A&P uses one and looked pretty helpful.  Turns out it is.

9/11/2023.  Issue #5,904. (previous day's news).

Never forget.

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (9/9-10/2023)

...first entry a First Flight!

Aileron pushrods

Q: In my projects a few things have really caused me a headache. Like the trim tabs. Like the big rivets in the aileron push tubes. Yes I could weld them. I didn't. Finally figured out how to set those rivets cleanly after many fails. Like a video game where you die and die and finally the boss goes down!

But I was amazed at how hard it was to bolt the aileron pushrod to the aileron with it mounted on its wing attach points already. Struggled massively, then decided to unbolt the aileron, attach the pushrod off the plane and then return the aileron to the wing with the pushrod on.

This worked great. I'm sure I'm not the first to fight this and problem solved. I wonder if anyone has a neat trick for attaching that pushrod with the aileron mounted. I could not do it.

A: I installed the pushrod's aft Heim F3414M rod end bearing on the A-407 inboard aileron bracket before installing the pushrod. This allows rotation of the aileron 180* trailing edge down, providing much easier access to tighten the through bolt, and easy checking of the aileron's Delrin stop bushing dimensions on assembly. Also makes it easier to check and adjust if necessary the required length of the A-711 inboard upper spacer.

Tire Wear ...Dan_57 PIREP

"...not a -7, but a -6.9i, which means sporting an -7 engine mount/gear legs.
As one can see in the accompanying pics, a pretty even wear, which means I don't even have to flip them tires. I'll give them another few landings and kilometres, then replace. Noticeable is slightly more wear on the outer threads, most probably due to my enthusiastic driving style
Those have some 500 landings, 90% on concrete"

My flaps are too long!

Maybe it was just a long day in the shop yesterday, but I remounted my wings so I can set up my flaps. I can't physically fit my flaps in position. Not even close! I would need to trim a good inch off- no way that can be right.  --->

Intermittent Starter Engagement Issue

My RV-7 has some kind of intermittent electrical/starter issue. It first manifested as a "click" with no starter engagement when moving the ACS key to the "start" position. I released the key and immediately tried again. The starter engaged.  --->

RE: Reinforcing Mounting Holes ...MacCool

I'm a believer in reinforcing the mounting holes. I had to repair all three wheel pants after landing at a pancake breakfast with the worst-maintained grass field in the state. Cracks at the fairings, cracks at all the mounting holes. I couldn't conveniently get anyone to fix them, so bit the bullet and just did it myself. I got a lot of advice here. After fixing the cracks, I reinforced the mounting holes with a couple of layers of twill weave 3K/220g carbon fiber on the inside (Amazon). I used West epoxy and mini-pump, with 207 slow hardener (Amazon). I had them re-painted at a local body shop using some kind of two-part poly, was careful to maintain the mounting hole locations so they were easy to re-drill and countersink when done. I used a mounted laser to double check. Worked out fine...I hate fiberglass work but this wasn't too bad as a winter project in my nice warm workshop.

9/8/2023.  Issue #5,903. (previous day's news). 
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Happiness is...

...calling a friend at the mothership and telling them your kid is in their area for work for a few days, and then the next day getting a picture from them of him sitting in the -15 prototype.  He got to sit in it before I did <g>. 

Pic courtesy Van's Aircraft, Inc.

Same kiddo 12 years ago over at Jay Pratt's RV Central helping restore the RV-1 prototype.  Both ends of the RV spectrum there in two pics.

Boy how time flies.

David Paule's Subkit Organization

The water bottles hold the rivets. If I drop one, they don't leak rivets all over the floor. Hardware goes in the bins. Everything's labeled - you'll need a labeler. White letters on clear tape worked best for me. I could see the hardware and read what it is.

SB-00043 and Section 9 for RV-10 and R-14/14A Published

RV-10 & RV-14 elevator skin cracks.  Describes inspection for potential elevator cracks and remediation on RV-10/RV-14, as well as preventative steps.

Info RE: Dimpled Hole Cracking Reported on Some Laser Cut Parts

Updated: September 6, 2023

"We anticipate that next week we will provide affected customers access to the web portal for requesting replacement parts. Customers will be presented with a list of laser-cut parts in each kit and will be able to specify which ones they need. We will also provide the ability to specify non-laser parts that are needed. As we've described in the past, laser-cut parts will be replaced with punched parts at no charge if requested. If a customer has punched parts that also need to be replaced, we will provide the opportunity to make that request and will display the discounted price of those parts on the portal.

The actual scope and volume of parts requested by customers will allow us to refine production schedules for requested parts, and from there determine shipping timeframes. From a business perspective, Van's will need to be shipping both replacement parts and new kits throughout this process, and we are dedicated to getting replacement parts to customers as soon as we are able. Once part volumes and timing are calculated from the requests we receive, we will be able to communicate more information to customers.

We will also be sending Quick Build customers a survey to collect information concerning their kits.

Our engineering team's testing process continues and significant progress has been made to include additional fatigue tests, finite element analysis, and destructive load tests. We will communicate additional information about the testing next week."

Fwd Fuse Gusset Fit ...skelrad 9A

My F-695 Fwd Fuse Gusset doesn't seem to fit all that well. On the left side, my longeron twist looks to be really close to what it's supposed to be (sits snugly into the angle of the upper engine mount bracket), but because of how the top firewall stiffener fits against the longeron, the gusset doesn't nest against the stiffener where the stiffener and longeron meet. Am I good to bend the gusset to match, or do I need to address something else so I don't back myself into a corner with another part down the road?

The left side isn't horrible, but on the right side, it looks like my longeron is under twisted a bit (maybe between 1/32-1/16" gap between it and the engine mount bracket - although with a little pressure that gap closes up pretty well), causing the gusset to have a bigger gap. I'm trying to figure out how I deal with that given everything that is riveted together at this point.

Petit Jean Update

Room Confirmations
We are still waiting on the Center to release some more rooms but it looks like everyone who did the Reserve My Room process is covered for Friday and Saturday and we think Thursday somewhere is no issue.

Just keeping everyone up.

9/7/2023.  Issue #5,902. (previous day's news). 
 

Uneven tire wear RV-7

Just noticed some uneven tire wear on the inside of my left main. I am thinking toe or camber may be the culprit?

Dare County Schools open Aviation Lab at Wright Brothers National Memorial

Over the course of two school years, First Flight High School juniors and seniors will construct a Van's RV-12iS aircraft, a modern two-seat all-metal side-by-side airplane, utilizing Tango Flight's curriculum and build kit.

Firewall sealant

Q: I'm getting ready to start section 22 and see the KIA instruct to use fuel tank sealant for the firewall. Should this not be firewall sealant such as Flamemaster CS-1900 sold in the vans store? Thanks!

A: Don't use a polysulfide sealant (aka proseal) in a firewall.

The FireBarrier 2000+ tests well.

I recently ran some tests with "real" firewall sealants. They generally fall into two classes, rubber based and silicone based. The recent market entries all seem to be silicones. Current favorite is Dapco 2100, as it is single part, no mixing, thus easy to dispense with little waste. Performance appeared to be on par with the two-part choices.

As Bob said, the home store 3M sealant is a latex base. Nope.

Mothership First Flight Reports

Christen inverted oil system

I recently purchased an RV-8 with a Christen inverted oil system. Problem is, the original owner has not gone inverted in ~16 years leading me to worry that the balls and seats within the oil valve and oil separator are corroded or filled with sludge. I understand that the ball in the separator is not removable or accessible but the ball in the oil valve is maintainable.

My question is, should I...
1) Assume that the system is beyond cleaning/repair (based on the decades since last inverted flight) and order a new separator and valve right off the bat?
2) Plan to order some o-rings and maybe a new ball for the oil valve in the hopes of cleaning it and keeping it in service and replace the separator?
3) Plan to order some o-rings and maybe a new ball for the oil valve in the hopes of cleaning it and keeping it in service and plan to clean the separator?

Bahamas Bound ...-10

Late to the party and still finding pictures we took. Took a week and flew down to the Bahamas from PA in our 10. Made for a long day of travel, but flew 9 hours each way to get down there in a single day.

Final Report N284RM

Location: Van Cleve, Kentucky Accident Number: ERA21FA229
Date & Time: May 24, 2021, 13:30 Local Registration: N284RM
Aircraft: Munson Roger J RV-8 Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (total) Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis: During a cross-country flight at cruise altitude, the pilot reported a loss of engine oil pressure and loss of engine power to air traffic control and subsequently performed a forced landing to a field. The airplane impacted the ground and the wreckage was partially consumed by a post impact fire.

9/6/2023.  Issue #5,901. (previous day's news).
  Talked with a nice guy on the phone Tue re: some simulator stuff, and the topic turned to RVs.  He wants a -10.  We talked about RVs more than the sim.  It happens more than you'd think <g>. 
 

First Flight RV7 ...SeanB

It's been a very long journey, but I was finally able to fly my RV7 last Tuesday, then again Saturday. Using the Additional Pilot Program and my QP is great! Thanks for jumping in, Tony! I owe so much to my wife, Tracey, a special thanks to friends John and Bob. Tremendous help and support from them! I am blessed and have a long list of other family and friends that helped get me to this point! Thank you all!

Fun pic from first flight.

Brent Shows Us His -8

It does everything as advertised. I have GRT EFIS, JOI 930 TSO engine monitor, Trig comm and Transponder with ADSb in/out. Instruments in rear cockpit Upholstered interior, heated seats.  --->

Milestone: SilverEagle2 -7

OK.....been a while...but...
So...I've been putting the SLOW in slow-build, but hit a pretty big milestone this weekend.

It's flipped...and on the cart.

Advice on cracked oil filter assembly

Hey there VAF folks!

Just looking for some advice on how to tackle this oil filter assembly issue. It's off a Lycoming O320 H2AD and has two cracks by the threads from what I can only assume was over tightening.

At any rate, I've only found one for sale and it's being sold 'as-is' so I'm retaining some skepticism that it's a good part.

Anyone else run into this issue or have advice on how to proceed?

Thanks in advance!

32-05: Baggage Floor Brain Fart

Can someone please save me from not being able to see the obvious, but I simply cannot seem to slip the baggage floors over the seat belt lugs - it's like the slots need to be lengthened forward?

The floors obviously need to move forward to fit over the forward ends of the seatbelt lugs, but I can't seem to work out how, as the skins conflict with the side structure?

All my favourite build logs are silent on the matter - I think I must be the only human with this problem!

I'm sure I'm not seeing the tree for the bear ****ting in the forest, or a metaphor like that.

RV-10 Project, North Florida ...msires in Florida

The tail kit has arrived! Ordered Nov 23, 2022, delivered 9/5/2023, minus 14 backordered items.

9/5/2023.  Issue #5,900. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (9/2-3/2023)

GSA28 pitch wiring

I want to wire the pitch servo and trim servo before riveting on the top aft skin.

I decided to add a GAD27 so I had to re-draw the schematic. Would one of you Garmin gurus please (PLEASE) look at my hand sketch.

Mysterious hole in plenum ...-12

A prior owner drilled a neat 1" hole in the "filler neck" of the air plenum on my Rotax 912 -- see attached picture. Traces of RTV around the edges suggest someone subsequently tried to seal the hole. I'd like to complete the job of sealing the hole as it seems to me to reduce the flow of cooling air to the engine, which can't be a good thing. But, maybe there's a reason for the hole? Any ideas

Cracking Rivets

Q: I riveted on the aft deck tonight (9A). I used the squeezer for 90% of the rivets, which are 470 4-6. Everything went fine. When I stuck my head underneath to see how the rivets looked, I noticed that a number of them were cracked. I did nothing different. It makes me wonder about all of the rivets that I do blind and don't double check, aside from feeling that they are the right size. I assume that I need to drill out rivets where the shop head has a hairline crack in it, right? Is this common with 4- rivets? I can't say that I've ever seen it on 3- rivets. Do I need to visually check every single rivet that I buck or squeeze blind?

A: Before you start removing rivets and potentially cause other issues, compare the rivets to the Mil Spec ( available in the support section of vans web site).  A certain amount of cracking on a shop head is actually allowed.

Sticky valve and LOP?

Okay I had a new one sprung on me yesterday. If you've been following my other thread about loss of power and flat EGT, we've discussed fuel flow issues (I removed and cleaned fuel injectors yesterday) and possible exhaust valve sticking.

A mechanic friend said it's obvious that it's a sticky valve because I run the engine LOP all the time, not allowing fuel to lubricate the valve!

I was kinda dumb struck on his comment. I have never heard any issues due to LOP mixture control during cruise!!! Now he says it's the lead in the fuel that lubricated the exhaust valve!!!?!

Am I the ignorant one here? Which I admit that could be the case

See if you can read my graphs

Switch from Felt to new grease seal

(Update)
Instead of starting a new thread, I am adding to an already started thread but I may be moving it in a different direction. There is another thread on the subject but I think this was the better one to add more info to.

How many and or who have switch from the felt bearing seals to the new grease seal (or autopart counterpart)?

Does the replacement grease seal get removed, thrown away every time the wheel bearings are removed for inspection / repacking?

Is it possible to reuse the grease seal over and over like the older felt seals?

I like the idea of having a better dust / dirt seal but I am not crazy about thowing it away and buying new ones every time I inspect / relube the wheel bearings.

Do I switch or do I stay with the reusable felt seals that have worked well for me for over two decades?

(Reply)
I think you just answered your own question. If it ain't broke why fix it? Admittedly my -6 has only have half the hours as yours but mine work great so far even with my misuse of grease on the felt since I didn't know about the oil thing. I re-grease every 100 hrs or so (using crummy Aeroshell 5 at that) and I don't notice excessive dirt, and the bearings are holding up great. Bottom line I already have plenty of things to overthink without adding this one

Don't get me wrong - this is an interesting thread and I love that people take the time to test and gather all this data. But as far as I can tell it's all about the myriad solutions to a problem that hasn't been identified.

9/4/2023.  Issue #5,899. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (9/2-3/2023)

Missing washers in control system

A non-builder friend, who has been flying his secondhand RV-8 for several years, texted me a video and a question: "Is this bolt on the bottom of the stick supposed to be loose?" With his permission, I've uploaded the video here for general awareness. Probably most people reading this can tell what's wrong just from a blurry still image:  --->

Doggo Head Sock PIREP ...upperdeck

The head sock seemed to work pretty well for our puppy Odin. He was content to leave it on for the 2.5 hour flight we did yesterday.

Mackinac Island Trip ...rockwoodrv9

My wife and I flew up to Mackinac Island yesterday. Perfect winds - light and no chop. I would recommend the trip to anyone in the area. We left KTEW (Mason MI) at about 8:30 and were there about 10:00.

Mackinac Island is a no cars place with just bikes or horses to get around. Lots of horse$_it on the roads but as people like to say, "quaint". We have a couple Zizzo folding bikes and they fit with a little work in the back of my 9A. They worked great and we had a good time riding around the island.

The town has many restaurants and shops - think fudge and candy. The Grand Hotel is worth checking out and has some interesting history as does the island itself.

We road back up the hill to the airport and left about 2:30 getting back to our airport about 4:00. All in all it was a very nice day and we had a good time.

Dad's RV-10 Panel Pics

9/1/2023.  Issue #5,898. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Surfing the Wave ...Paul Dye

I flew the RV-3 (Tsamsiyu) down to Big Bear Lake on Tuesday morning, and the wind was coming over the Sierra as I was flying down the Owens Valley. the mountain wave lines up parallel and east of the mountain, creating areas of rising air and areas of sinking air. Since I was flying parallel to those waves, I could find a spot a certain distance front eh Sierra where I was in constantly rising air, so the autopilot was having to nose down to keep from climbing, and that meant I was flying faster - the RV-3 will do 180 KIAS flat out, but not at cruise power settings! So this was free speed, courtesy of Mother Nature!

Of course, since the wind was strong and partially from in front, so she took it back in ground speed...

(And coming back Thursday morning, the wind was still blowing from the southwest, so while I had a tailwind, today I also had a bunch of turbulence that kicked me all the way from Inyokern up to Smith Valley...Rough at all altitudes, so just cinched down the harness and rode it out...)

CHT temps up since installing Surefly

I fly an RV-9 with a CS prop, IO-320. On my last condition inspection my Slick Mags needed to be rebuilt so I decided to install a Surelfy EI on the left side. Since the install my CHT temps have gone up at least 20 degrees on average. At cruise LOP 10,000ft I'm seeing temps just under 400. Cylinder #3 is the hottest and was before the install. My next step will be to make sure the timing of both the Surefly and the Mag are where they need to be but I want to know if anyone has any other thoughts. I have had the plane for about 2 years. It has always ran hot on TO in hot weather. (up 415 but can be controlled by leveling off). I will include a picture of the underside of my upper cowling. You can see where the baffle is rubbing. I wonder if any of the areas where I have placed arrow could be causing enough air leaks to effect the temps. Thanks for any ideas and thoughts.

Closing the loop

Well the pump has been replaced and the old one dismantled to understand the mode of failure. This is my attempt to close the loop in order for others to learn as well. Amazing how much engine oil was lost here. It could have ended badly.

The first two pictures show the smaller seal / diaphragm in the first section of the pump. The second picture shows where the small seal goes in. The third picture shows the bigger one. Both are clearly broken and perished. The second bigger one is actually the separation between the thin part of the pump and a part that I would like to call the overflow chamber by lack of a suitable name.

In the next picture I have tried to lay out all the parts in a circle clockwise, except for the small stuff and the spring that are in the center.
1 - Small seal that fits around the shaft.
2 - Pump diaphragm on top of the overflow chamber.
3 - Overflow chamber.
4 - Pump diaphragm below the overflow chamber.
5 - Pump section with two valves.
6 - Top seal.
7 - Pump cover.

The last picture is just to point out what I see as the overflow chamber. In summary one can have failure where the tube will spew out fuel AND a failure where it will spew out oil.

Its Alive! #75068 All Garmin Panel ...Toolmanmike

First power up yesterday! Can't wait!

Section 5 Deburing Instructions

Hello,

I am new to the community, so excuse me if this has been discussed before; however, I couldn't find a post. I have been working on the practice kit included with the RV14 EMP kit, and I bought a couple of other practice kits before I get my feet wet on the real thing.

While building the practice kits, you go through drilling, match drilling, and deburring all surfaces. However, Section 5 of the builder's manual clearly states the following.

"Van's produces two aircraft kits with the holes punched final size (the RV-12 and RV-14*). No deburring is necessary; dimple
the holes and assemble the parts. These final-sized holes are manufactured using specific tooling and tight tolerances to work
with all commonly available dimple dies. By "work with," we mean that the holes may be dimpled without fear that the hole would
crack prematurely before the expected fatigue life of a conventionally drilled, deburred, and dimpled hole."

Would it be proper to think that no deburring will be needed for the 14, and is this the standard practice that everyone is following? Or is this in error thinking that the parts were laser cut and now they arent so we need to go back to deburring again? My father built a 10 and spent much time deburring all surfaces, ribs, and holes.

I would like to hear what everyone who is out there building the 14 is following.

Thanks much! Randy

Garmin G3X Touch Software v9.31 Now Available (8/31/2023)

We released G3X Touch Version 9.31 to the Software Download Area today.

This release includes the software support required for the GHA 15 Radio AGL unit. More details about this unit can be found in this post.

8/31/2023.  Issue #5,897. (previous day's news).
 

Buddy the Weener

Randal's RV-3 Project

This weekend I picked up an RV-3 project. It is quite an interesting piece of history as one of the early kits made in the 70s. I'm the third owner and am picking up the projects around or after the quick build stage. The plane had been in storage in East Idaho for the past 10 years. Luckily this is very much a high mountain desert and it is in fairly good condition. Still waiting for a technical advisor to come take a look.

The kit includes the tail, fuse, wings, and finishing kit. It has a 0-320-E2A core hanging on the front. I'm planning on an IRAN but expecting a lot of repairs. Here is an album of my initial borescopes (pics).   I may pull a cylinder soon to get a look at the crank and cam shafts. It also came with a Hartzell CS prop which is where I attribute most of the value of this kit. There is a steam gauge instrument cluster, but I may change it out for glass. I figure it will pay for itself if I sell the plane.

Too many details to discuss! Still digging through everything and working on a plan of action. Thanks for reading!

Idea to fix.

So I was fitting my wing tips on this week. The profile of the leading edge does not exactly match the profile of the wingtip. I'm thinking that sanding down the LE wing tip and using a fiberglass slurry might be the best option to re-profile the leading edge of the wingtip.

Thoughts?

Year and a half later update (Rotax)

Dredging this up...

My fuel consumption issue kept coming back intermittently. I did find that there was an issue where the tip of the cable controlling the choke could get snagged under a post and possibly not let it close all the way, but the issue persisted despite that fix. In the Rotax maintenance course, my instructor mentioned to be careful with the carb float bowls, as they're made of zinc and can be bent surprisingly easily.

I pulled both float bowls and the pins were visibly bent outwards, likely from a too-long piece of hose placed underneath the bowls on the drip tray for vibration dampening purposes (per KAI).

Compared to new bowls, one had the pins spread by 2mm, the other almost 3mm, and the brass guide pins looked quite shiny in spots. Marvel-Schebler epoxy floats were installed, and the tops/bottoms of the floats had a fair amount of brass residue on them.

Installed new bowls (which came with a new design and grey coating) and put new, stock Rotax floats in. So far so good.

912iS engine won't crank

Q: I fly an RV-12iS. Yesterday, the engine would not crank when the starter was engaged. No noise, no clicks, no change in amps or volts, nothing. There are no faults, both Lanes A+B on and illuminated. Tried shutting down electrical several times, but no luck. So I got out, and rotated the propeller maybe a quarter turn, got back inside, and it started just fine. Taxied to fuel and started no problem. Any thoughts?

The engine has just over 600 hours, no other problems. Went out today and again it wouldn't start until I rotated the propeller a quarter turn.

A: On some designs the starter motor can get a "hot" spot and if it stops in the same spot it has a carbon build up and and wont energize. Move it to clear that spot and away you go. My old Beetle would do it once in a while. Put it in gear and push it slightly, Bobs your Uncle!

8/30/2023.  Issue #5,896. (previous day's news).
 

From Last Weekend ...Steve at Johnson Creek

Five of us flew to Johnson from the Salt Lake area on Friday, a 6A, a 7A, an 8, my 9A, and a Mooney.

Pirep: The field is in great condition. There is only 1 courtesy car available but many bikes to make the trip into Yellow Pine. The "new" caretaker house and pilot shower building is out of service until September. The old shower house, fridge, microwave, wifi is still there.

RV-9A w/Rotary 13B

I have finally started to get back to working on my 9A w/"alternative engine", and hope to have a first engine start in the coming months. I basically stopped working on project in 2008 due to lack of time and loss of interest, but I finally retired so have at least a couple hrs. / day to now devote to it on a regular basis. Last week I built up required -10 hose w/AN fittings to move the hot oil from the engine to a water/oil intercooler, and from there to the stock Mazda oil cooler. My plan is to pre-cool the oil with the water, and then use airflow to pull it down a bit more. This adds weight of course, but if the water oil cooler works well I might be able to eliminate the Mazda air/oil cooler...TBD.

Voltage Regulator

I have 600 hours on my RV-12 with the Skyview HDX panel, and I am still running the original voltage regulator. I do have a couple of modifications that I did, just to try to extend the life of the VR, which is still mounted in the original location on the shelf. First, I added a 1/4" thick aluminum heat sink plate under the regulator, mounted the VR using white, heat sink compound, and I still have the small air scat coming from the engine cooling shroud that was installed on the early builds. I also eliminated the brown terminals holder and attached the wire terminals directly to the posts on the regulator. I think this ensures better electrical connection. Finally, I added an extra ground from the VR housing, directly to the battery ground.
The only problem is that the charging voltage is at 13.8, which is said to be a little low for our Odyssey batteries. It has been this way since day one. I am considering changing it out for Van's new VR, but I prefer not to move it to the top of the firewall and add the NASA scoop. I would like to keep it in the same spot, continue to use my heat sink, connection method, and scat tube set up.
Has anyone installed Van's new VR on the shelf and been pleased with the results. Thanks.  Tom

Do you shut your electric fuel pump off on a lycoming?

Just watched a presentation by Rian Johnson about RVP and vapor lock from this spring. He mentioned he leaves his facet pump running all the time outside of run up to test the engine driven pump. I was always taught, pump on for take off and landing then off otherwise.

What do others do?

Tell Me About Range

I am flying my RV9A with a IO320 on cross countries.

Vans lists the range as 850 miles.
But I cant see how anyone can get this. I can probably get 600 out of mine, but no where near the Vans numbers.

Is there any data to support the Vans listed range?

What is a reasonable range?

Does cruising in the teens allow more range?

Static Line Adjustment ...nohoflyer

Adjusted the lines with a 90 degree fitting. Now just need the bushings.

8/29/2023.  Issue #5,895. (previous day's news).
 

7A Build Update ...nohoflyer

More progress while waiting for finishing kit. Looking for opinions on my static line install.

Under Seat Flap Motor

Q: Does anyone have a video or pics they can share of the Under seat flap motor in operation? Looking specifically for the -4 or rocket.

A: My RV-4 system
Here are some shots of the system I put in my RV-4 during build. This is the standard VANs set-up. The dive motor/jackscrew is horizontal in the tunnel on the left side. There is a pivot lever that attaches to the drive motor and is fastened to the R/H side of the tunnel with a bolt that goes through the belly skin and an angle on the tunnel. The unique flap weldment arm is different than the manual flap weldment and has a horn that connects to the pivot arm via rod end linkage. I have a small R/C model wire link to a position indicator X-ducer for the Ray Allen indicator and control my flaps via pushbuttons on the stick. I really like the set-up, and have sidewall panels that cover all the flap actuation arms, so there is zero chance of PAX fouling anything and better footwell room as well. I have seen some sidewall mounted actuators that have been adapted to the standard flap weldments that work equally as well, however this system was easy to install during build.

How much play in the control system is too much?

I've got an RV-4 that I'm flying while building my -10. There has generally been s small amount of play in the stick particularly with the elevator control. I went out to pre flight after a few weeks off and it just felt like a slight bit more than before so I tore in to see if there is anything of concern.

What I read in some other threads is the bushing at the stick could be a culprit and I've ruled that out. What it seems is potentially one of maybe 2 of the rod ends with a small amount of play in the joint itself. I took a video and happy to email it since I don't think the site supports more than pictures. Is it common for the rod ends to wear out and need replacement? Is there some leeway for the amount of play?

I'd say at top of stick it moves maybe 1/16th to 1/8th inch. Just enough for a little click fore and aft. The plane has 460 hours on it and was finished in 1991.

Mystery holes ...7A

Does anyone know what hardware should be installed in these two holes?
There are two each side in the forward side of the Center Section. They don't attach to anything as far as I can tell.
The Aft side has two bolts that go in from Aft-Forward into nutplates in the wing spar web.

What did you do w/your RV this weekend?

Trip to Oregon.

Cruised out at 14500, returned at 15500.
The plane didnt like lean of peak (LoP) that hi up. On the way out, lean of peak gave me only a few percent gain in fuel economy, but the engine was rough, so i used the basic leaning where I lean to roughness and then enrichen till smooth. This worked out well.

Found out a little nuance about cross countries thou. On long cross countries, I usually leave a few gallons in the tank so I can divert if the destination airport doesnt have fuel. But this time, the diversion was due to IFR conditions due to smoke and haze. The diversion was actually quite a bit away from my original destination, over a ridge, 2 hours by car. Fuel was a issue when chosing my eventual diversion airport. So trying to juggle fuel availability upon landing, fuel remaining, and guessing about weather on my departure after a few days, made the diversion decision complicated.

Upon leaving after a few days, the weather outlook was wrong and the smoke never cleared from my original destination. If I had squeaked in, I would not have been able to depart.

Like I said, the plane flies better than the pilot.

Here are pictures:
Lake Tulare
Mt Shasta
Crater Lake
Mt Lassen
Lake tahoe
Hetch Hetchy
Yosemite

RV-3 pairs formation ...SW, UK.

RV-8 black hole cover

I found very little on the subject so proceeded on thru the fog and rolled my own.

Here is the template I made for a stick boot and cover the big hole around the stick. Although not finished, I wanted to share the template before it goes in the trash. So many people have helped me, it's time to help back if they can use.

I still have to get a boot made, locate the screw holes on the flanges and cut the vent hole.

I even taught the neighbor some new words.

8/28/2023.  Issue #5,894. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do w/your RV this weekend?

...here's an entry from Arrowtown, New Zealand.

Future RV Pilot ...Carl

A new Grandson to carry on the family name. Great Grandfather was a WWII B-25 and B-17 crewmember, Grandpa flies his RV7A, Dad has Glider PPL...

Haddon says "Grandpa, lets go fly the RV!"

Tubes

So second flat on my 8A on the right main. Original tube from when I got it was replaced in the field when I had a flat with an 11/4-5 short 90* cuz that was all I had. Figured it was ok as it had been a few months,walked into the hangar the other day to a flat.

Q: What makes these things worth 70 more bucks for a 5-5.00 vs a 11/4-5 other than a TR67 long valve stem? Anyone found a solution or just take it up the butt for a tube?

Fuel Cap Sucking and Blowing

Carbureted O-360-A2A.

My fuel tanks - right more than left - if the caps are left on tight, will often "whoosh" air in or "poof" air out when the caps are removed. The more fuel in the tanks, the worse it is. They occasionally dribble out the drains, but not a lot and not always. The person I bought it from says the owner previous to him had the tanks resealed at some place that advertised that for RV tanks, and that it's done this sucking and blowing ever since then, but not before.

My suspicion is that there's ProSeal in the vent line, or maybe the end of the vent line isn't bent upward enough to keep it out of the fuel when the tanks are full.

I'm at a loss as to how to troubleshoot this, short of opening the tanks and taking a look. Meanwhile, I'm nervous about flying IFR and the like, even though this has apparently been going on for 2 years or more.

Petit Jean '23 is Spinning UP (Oct 6-8)

...time to register, plan, all that stuff.

Watzlavick's Wiring Diagram Update

Good discussion. I agree with your assertion that in free air, a 6 AWG wire rated at 150 degC could carry 147 A given a 40 degC environment. About half of my run will be in Van's corrugated conduit so some derating would need to be applied. Table 11-9 in AC 43.13-1B says "in bundles, groups, harnesses, or conduits" but I'm interested in a single wire in a conduit so I think that table is a bit too conservative. The ABYC Ampacity rating table has data for "up to 3 conductors in a sheath, conduit, or bundle) which is probably a closer match. It appears to shows a derating factor of around 0.7 so 147 * 0.7 = 103 A at sea level. My conduit run is fairly short (5 feet or so) but a paper I found said when the conduit length is greater than 20D, you assume the entire run is in conduit. I'd assume having the wire run behind upholstery in the side walls would be a similar situation.

But, the time I'm talking about is not steady state, only the time it takes the bus feeder fuse to blow in an overload situation so that's where I was trying to use a transient analysls. At 150 A, the fuse could take up to 3600 sec to blow so I'm pretty sure the wire would overheat in that amount of time. Surely I'd recognize the situation within an hour if the instrumentation was working. At 200 A, it could take up to 100 sec to trip and I think the wire would get too hot in 100 sec.

Using the ABYC derating, a 4 AWG wire in a conduit should be good to 205 A (free air) * 0.7 (conduit derating) = 144 A. My transient calculator says a 4 AWG wire will reach 150 degC in 381 sec so that seems like more margin for my use case. If I delete the bus feeders, a 6 AWG wire should be more than adequate for the main bus feed.

I was thinking more about the location of the starter contactor and if I'm going to run the main bus feeder from the battery to prevent voltage sags during start, I don't see a disadvantage of having it near the batteries instead of on the firewall. It would certainly be in a cooler location. If you had to replace the engine side portion of that cable, having a disconnect fwd of the firewall would be more convenient but that would increase the voltage drop by one more connection.

Daily Rv Pic

...motivate folks!

Schottky Diode failure mode

I have a set of diodes installed in my power bus system. Alt 1 charges batt 1 and alt 2 charges batt 2. A pair of shottky diode puck is installed so that the two charging systems can't backfeed into the other.

At some point in the build, my diode has failed. Maybe it was bad when I installed it, I'm not sure. During a few ground runs prior to first flight, I noticed that my power system didn't seem right, and I traced it down to the diode. I have continuity both ways (or voltage in both directions) on both diode sides.

I have a new diode on order, and in the meantime I'm wondering, when a diode fails, will it always fail in a manner that allows power to feed through it in the normal direction (i.e. the busses still receive power)?

8/25/2023.  Issue #5,893. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

RV-8 Shoes ...Mikeyb sets the bar

I'm told by younger guys I will never get a date ever in these things but I like them a lot.

I learned something today

It might even be a useful something - not sure.

Due to some surprisingly high CHT's on a hot-day climb to 9500 a few days back, I decided I'd better do some sealing up of neglected air leaks in the baffling and check the GAMI spread again to see if ol' #6 had gotten leaner than the rest, making it more susceptible to running hot. As part of that plan, I thought I should calibrate this latest (my 3rd) Red Cube's K-factor, rather than assuming it was "close enough" out of the box.

Since my plane is not based at an airport with a fuel pump to simplify the fill-tanks, fly, refill tanks and see if the fuel pump agrees with the EFIS totalizer routine, I thought I'd try the calibration on the ground. My red cube is between the servo and the spider, so I disconnected the line to the spider and routed it via a clear PVC tube into a graduated pitcher. Plan was to run a gallon at a time into the pitcher with the boost pump and then compare 3 gallons actual with the reported fuel used and calculate the correction needed for the K-factor.

That's where the surprises came: it was immediately apparent that the Cube was way off (3 gallons pumped showed as 2.3 on the totalizer) and the fuel stream in the clear plastic line was *full* of air bubbles. This was true for either tank, leading me to think the air leak must be on the suction side, after the Andair valve but before the pump. But I couldn't figure for the life of me why a leak that allowed so much air to be entrained was not causing at least a sniffable fuel leak in the tunnel from the static pressure in the tanks. --->

8A Cowl Inlet to FAB connection

Q: Having trouble visualizing the fiberglass work to be done between the lower cowl inlet connecting into the FAB. Any pics, discussion would be appreciated.

A: Maybe this can help

Smoke in cockpit causes

I'm working on the design for my RV-8's electrical system, which will include a rear battery and battery contactor. I plan on having a B&C alternator (and regulator) and the main bus feed hooked up to the starter contactor on the firewall (the B lead will be hooked up to ANL fuse). I also plan to have something similar to an endurance bus, which will be fed by the main bus and a separate relay from the hot side of the battery contactor, to which the Monkworkz generator will also be connected (via a contactor a la Dan H.'s simplified approach). I will have a G3X system and intend to do IFR in IMC and want plenty of redundancy. So the avionics will, for the most part, be on the endurance bus.

What I've been thinking about is how to design for smoke in the cockpit scenarios, since I really want to avoid having to shut off the endurance bus. And to answer that question, I need a better understanding of what is usually going up in smoke in those scenarios.

If every device is on its own circuit, and each wire to these devices is hooked up to the right sized breaker/fuse (which should blow if there is a fault on that circuit before the wire burns), then what is most likely going to be smoking? Is it the bus feeds, the starter contactor feed, or something else, like the devices themselves?

Push to Watch App...store/read .txt files on your watch

I love/hate smartwatches, but this is useful.

You could use this for RV stuff (emergency checklists, MX values, etc). The Push to Watch app is 99 cents and it allows you to copy .txt files over to your Apple Watch.

What am I currently using it for? King Air 350 memory items, limitations and review questions (I'm starting initial on this in the near future).  I threw copies of our family vehicle MX logs on it too as a backup.

29 sec vid of me accessing
text files on my watch: 

Use the NotePad app on the Mac/iPad/iPhone or Windows device to create your document. Copy the text and paste it into the Push to Watch app. Click the button to move it over to your watch.  It's not a super refined app, but you'll figure it out.

I've been pleasantly surprised how often I just go to the watch now to study. A 10KB text file on my wrist is easier to carry than flash cards.  A lot of the time this studying occurs at a fast food place, long stoplight, etc. There are a dozen tiny thirty second moments throughout the day that are perfect for memorizing limitations.  I tend to learn better like this.  Weird I know.

It's pretty painless these days to use the 'Live Text OCR'  built-in feature to copy the text out of a page of a book, throw it into Notepad, then move it over to your watch with minimal editing.

The watch OS doesn't support Notepad. This app is a workaround.

Nerds of the world unite!

Upcoming Webinar

8/24/2023.  Issue #5,892. (previous day's news).
  Got a cold - tested negative CV19.  Cough, cough.
 

Adding Flop Tube to finished Tank

Just looking through my plans and trying to figure out the best way to add the flop tube, anti-hangup guides, trap door and fuel sender to a build and sealed tank?

my wings were started by another builder who finished the tanks and leak checked them already.

Has anyone done this? I'm assuming the QB wings dont include Flop tubes by default?

Torque for brakes and main wheels

What is the torque value for Matco brake pads when using the nordlock washers?  What is the torque value for the three bolts that keep the main wheel halves together?

Mini stress cracks in plexiglass

Please see the attached photos of stress cracks I have just noticed. I have a tipup and my canopy and rear window are installed with sika flex. I have about 400 hours but these have recently appeared. I had sika that was on top of the bulkhead brace and glued the plexiglass to the brace just below the rear window.

I think the window is bonded to the skin on the outer side but was also bonded with brace on the bottom side of the window. I have cut the ska as best I can in between the brace and the bottom side of the plexiglass and hope that may reduce stress between the skin, plexiglass and the brace.

Hopefully you can see that there are multiple stress cracks. I do not know if they go through the total plexiglass top through to the bottom of the window. At this time, I will wait to see if that will alleviate the stress so that no other cracks will occur.

Are there any suggestions of other things that I can do?

8/23/2023.  Issue #5,891. (previous day's news).
  I *think* I have a cold.  Sore throat.  No TEMP HI CAS message and pressures in the green.  I'll take a CV19 test Wed morning to be sure.  Spent last Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon in the sim, and that thing is a Petri dish on stilts.  Developing...<fingers crossed>.
 

Another RV Born Today ...Greg Saulsbury 9A

In the words of Mel Asberry. "She'll fly".  Another RV born today. Thanks Mel for all you do for aviation and especially the RV community! I'm glad you found that one loose nuts I left for you to find, ha.  Anyone with an "A" model in the NE Texas area or with 200 miles that could help out with an hour of dual time before my 1st flight?

Tip of the Month ...adding air through hole in wheel pant

Once you have the hole and the valve stem aligned, put a dot of white paint on the tire at the 6 o'clock position. You can see it's aligned before getting on the ground.

Opposing Pass Vid ...newt

I flew in position 12 and as part of a synchro pair in the Freedom Formation's 13-ship display team at the Pacific Airshow.

Which means I got to do an opposing pass down the beach at 230' and 160 knots, 200m in front of more than 100,000 people, with the regulator watching approvingly.

Not every day you can say that happened.

Fuel Cap -- How Tight?

There are 10^6 threads here about fuel caps, but any suggestions about tightness is buried deep in the text or absent entirely.

RV-7 with stock Usher fuel caps when I bought it. Trying to replace the O-rings, I broke the tab off one of them.

So I bought 2 new ones, had them engraved, etc. But I'm not sure how tight they need to be. Most people I've seen open their fuel caps by digging a screwdriver or something in there, but there are those on VAF who claim they can open them with a pinky. I'd like that. I know one guy who can't get a finger in that little slot, but his caps pop open when he slides a credit card under them. I'd prefer the pinky, but a credit card will do.

How is tightness properly gauged? I read somewhere (so it must be true) that it should be tight enough that you can't rotate it when it's latched. If it has to be that tight, there's no way I can get it open without a tool. I know how to adjust them, just not how tight to make them.

My only reference is my previous Bonanza, which had similar caps. In that instance, they should always be set up to release easily with finger pressure.

Is 'normal' exhaust flange blow by such a thing?

All four of the exhaust flanges on my IO390EXP119 engine have a minimal amount of grey residue on the cylinders where the exhaust pipes attach to the bottom of the cylinders.

I've checked the torque on all the nuts and have been using the lock washers as well (checked torque at least 3 or 4 times since new -- engine now has 50 hours on it). Oh and I'm using the Lycoming 77611 gaskets.

I had an A&P look at it in person and was told that this amount of exhaust gas blow by was 'normal'.

A photo of one of the areas in question is attached.

I wanted to see if this group had any thoughts!

If you haven't read the latest issue

8/22/2023.  Issue #5,890. (previous day's news).
 

RV-10 Electrical and Avionics Diagrams

Long time lurker, first time poster. I'm about halfway through my RV-10 build and I'm finalizing the electrical and avionics schematics so I'd appreciate any comments or feedback.  --->

Canopy Struts - A better way to do it

Installing gas struts on tip-up a canopy is a modification that has been around almost since the beginning. Certainly I recall gas struts were in service well before 1995... back in the "black and white days" (as my teenage daughter reminds me) when we all thought fax machines were a cool thing and most of the fax paper was used sending each other funny jokes. Communications about new ideas were typically passed around the globe by the RVator Newsletter and it took a while from the time an idea was first presented until the time we all caught up with it.

The gas struts were one of those modifications where somebody came up with a good idea, then somebody came up with a better idea, but the better idea was overshadowed by the lack of communication at the time. Everyone followed the guy in front of him and not a lot of additional thought was put into changing something that worked. A random photo is provided below of the standard setup most people employ (first picture).  --->

Which dyna focal engine mounts to use

I have a dyna focal engine mount for an O-360. There seems to be quite a variety of engine mounts with various price ranges. Which one do I use? If there is more than one type to use, is the more expensive one that much better?

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (8/19-20/2023)

David Paule -3B Update

The seat cushions finally arrived. Right now they have more time and miles traveling than the airplane does. They went back and forth to Oregon Aero from Colorado four or five times, I think, each time getting a little closer to being comfortable. Now they are fine - thanks, Oregon Aero, for sticking with it!

There're no photos of it because it's black sheepskin in a dark gray cockpit and that's as close to an unreflective surface as I know of. It doesn't photograph well enough with my skills to include here. Anyway, you've seen photos of sheepskin seat cushions, so there's not a whole lot of new information to be presented.

I finally got the front baffle seals of the lower cowl in place. The photo shows the left side. The right side is a little different but roughly similar. With considerable difficulty, I installed the lower cowl. I needed to work the baffle seal up over the front baffles and that wasn't easy at all. Since I'd never done this before, it was a learning exercise as much as a fitment check. Now that it's on, the baffle seal is ripply and doesn't fit well, especially on the corners. I'm clearly going to need to do some modification, once I figure out what to do. The figuring out of things takes more time than the doing of them. I did succeed in getting a 1/2" overlap as intended. There's gotta be a better approach!

Nosegear Pant Holes ...Bill Boyd PIREP

Pictures located
Shows holes in nose pant for valve stem and Bogert bar access, and in right main for valve stem.

Maybe one day I will bother to close them up with plugs, but I doubt it. Plane cruises at 160 KTAS on 11.3 mph and I'm content with that for now.

Like I said, filling the mains takes under 5 minutes even if you have to take pains with a flashlight to locate the valve stems - a process I could streamline with proper markings on the outside of the tires, as discussed on VAF many times.

For some reason, the nose wheel tire seems to hold air forever... but it's still equally quick to service if needed via the provided hole.

8/21/2023.  Issue #5,889. (previous day's news).
  The 8/18 mothership update on LCP went live Friday (link) with new 11-page reference doc.  The same hour Greg posted a link to the update in the forums.  Hot here, 107*F as I type this - spent most of the weekend at the side hustle being shaken in the dark.  Keeps me sharp.
  Hope you had a nice weekend and got to fiddle with your RV 
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (8/19-20/2023)

RV-6 tip-up canopy frame crack

The other day I had the right side canopy seal get partially sucked out into the breeze during a flight. I figured I just needed a new seal.

But after looking into it further, I noticed that a gap develops between the canopy seal and the fuselage in flight. The airflow over the canopy seems to create lift. But this gap happen on the left side of the canopy, only on the right side. Both sides are well sealed on the ground, but once airborne that gap develops only on the right.

I've never been happy with how the canopy fits, especially on that side. FWIW, I did not build the aircraft.  --->

How do these rivets look?

I made up a practice sheet of many holes, some dimpled for flush rivetes, some AD470 sized, and am going to put in a row each day. I don't want to drill out mistakes until the end, so that I can hopefully see some progression.

I am wondering in general how these look? Some are squeezed, and some are bucked. In both cases, I think maybe some bent over rather than going in straight - but not nearly as bad as some I've done earlier.

How do these look to you? As for height, I think they're good based on filling the hole flush in my little rivet gauge without sticking up out of it - that's a good measure of being well set, right?

I'm not sure if these are just unevenly set - or folded over. What do you think? Would you drill these out, or are they acceptable?

-7A Panel Shots ...Bobstern

Control Approach rudder pedals

I installed the Control Approach rudder pedals a while back but only yesterday got the rudder cables connected full length. Somewhere, I believe here on VAF, I read long back that some who installed these pedals had to create a longer set of rudder cable links to make the connection between the cables and the pedals. I used the stock Van's links and things seem to be satisfactory. However, the pedals are hanging at an angle as you can see in the pic. The pedals are installed in the next-to-the-most forward position and I have my seat back in the center position. The pedal position seems good for my 69-70" frame and the brakes are easily accessible and feel natural. I don't have carpet installed yet. Question is: Is there any reason that I should make new longer links and get the pedals to hang more vertically?

8/18/2023.  Issue #5,888. (previous day's news).
  Off Topic: The wife was on the Dallas WFAA Good Morning Texas show Thursday a.m. promoting Yoga Bridge, her yoga for cancer patients non-profit (www.YogaBridge.org). One of her teachers contacted the station to see if they could interview Susie. Live. When they reached out, she went from 'I can't do this' to 'I need to do this' to 'I have to do this' over the course of an hour. I was her driver, head cheerleader, and holder of the purse. A very nice stage hand came and got me so I could take some pics/video while Susie was interviewed.
   She got SIX emails from cancer patients during our drive home asking about the free classes (something's in my eye).  HERE is the clip that aired.
   Airplanes are a nice distraction, but Susie is doing something that really matters. A privilege to be her driver and home I.T. tech, supporting her while she uses Zoom to give some people additional relaxation tools for dealing with the fight of their lives. If you are in treatment, you can attend free yoga classes online from anywhere on the planet.
   It's free, can't hurt, and could help.
   FMI: www.YogaBridge.org
  
 

Daily RV Pic ...two new entries

Looking for 5" Flange

Hello Intrepid Builders and Stockpilers of Spare Parts,
I am in search of part number CB-00037 which is the flange used on most RV14 builds and I believe RV10 builds as well. I am ready to fly minus that one part. Wondering if anyone might have an extra in stock. I was going to offer to replace it from Vans but they are showing that they won't have any more until March 2023. That's right, March 2023, so I (and they) have no idea when that might actually be.

Second option, for the metallurgists out there... Is there a second option? Have found 5" galvanized steel flange and plastic flanges but not sure how that might work out. I know there are issues with galvanic corrosion when combining galvanized steel with aluminum but curious if there is a way to mitigate those issues?

I know building one is an option, but the team right now does not have that skill set.

Thoughts from the 'Brain Trust?'

Magnehelic pressure differential gauge

Q: Is it a straightforward process to measure the pressure differential in the cowling using a magnehelic gauge by connecting hoses to the top and bottom cowl, and is the positioning of the hose end within the cowl, as well as its direction, a crucial factor?

A: If the goal is simple deltaP for one particular airplane, a hose routed to the center of each space is probably good enough. It would let you see if a modification raised or lowered deltaP.

The data in CR3405 suggests there is significant pressure variation between different locations in the upper plenum. A single point measurement would miss those variations.

Dynamic pressure plus static pressure = total pressure. If significant air movement (i.e. available dynamic pressure) exists around the end of a hose, it can affect a static pressure measurement. If only static is desired, you'll need some sort of diffuser on the end of the hose to cancel the effect of air movement. Lots of ways to skin that cat; an aquarium bubble rock has been popular.

There is no "official" standard. At one time Lycoming published a guide to how they did it, but I've never seen a copy. CR3405 used a variety of methods, including baffle buttons, which probably reflected some dynamic pressure in the results.

I have a moderate database of pressure measurements made by other builders using a specific set of piccolo tubes mounted in specific locations, the idea being to all use the same setup. If we all fly the same profile with the same setup, the measurements should be comparable between different airplanes. The long piccolo tubes mechanically average much of the volume while ignoring dynamic pressure...or anyway, that's the idea. If you want to play, let me know.

Best Method of Removing Spin-On Oil Filter Internal Media?

Q: Various ways/tools to cut open a spin-on oil filter are posted from time to time, but not much in terms of getting the pleated filter media off of the internal spool for inspection. Any good methods out there beyond a sharp utility knife?

A: I hate to see folks sawing away at filter pleats. Risky for fingers, and tends to contaminate the media.  Get a sharp knife with stiff blade about 4" long. Plunge the tip through the media so the tip is tangent to the core tube, then lever downward. Repeat.

Milestone: Passed my IFR Flight Test this morning!

I passed my ride this morning and got my Instrument Rating! (and I did it without an autopilot ). I'll be grinning the rest of the day.
To celebrate, I'm planning to file and fly IFR to CYTZ with a buddy (an airline pilot) on Monday!
__________________
Phil
RV9A

Best Mod Ever ...so says Mike W (fl-mike)

Houston This Saturday

I Like Big Numbers

I have my RV-12 setup as a hybrid for air / ground speeds in MPH and distance / route planning in Knots. Today I had 30 knots directly off the tail at 2500 MSL. Sweet ride...

8/17/2023.  Issue #5,887. (previous day's news).
 

Daily RV Pic

...after a nice flight.

click to enlarge

Perma Grin ...SuperCubDriver

Her are some interesting details of the tour:

Tour lasted from June 7 to August 12 2023, 66 days.
Total flight time (air time): 164:50 h
Total legs/landings: 105
Estimated distance flown 24.750 NM
Fuel used 1365 USG
Average Fuel Flow: 8.3 GPH
Lowest Landing at Furnace Creek CA L06 -210 ft
Highest Landing at Leadville CO KLXV 9934 ft
Longest leg over water from Wick EGPC to Reykjavik BIRK 663 NM
Longest leg of the tour from Mannheim EDFM to Wick EGPC 805 NM
Longest flight from Yellowknife CYZF to Dawson CYDA 05:10 h  --->

Thermocouple K Type with G3X ...Bavafa update

I am happy to report that this is now fixed. The problem was that I was using regular copper wire from GEA24 to the FFW and then connecting it to the probe which was a thermocouple material. I replaced the section from GEA24 to the FFW with the same type K material and now the temp moves in correct direction. The rate of temp change is slower than I expected it but I will need to do more testing for the accuracy of the temp and rate of change.

Houston This Saturday

Anything out there to dampen vibration for the pilots feet? ...DanH PIREP

A cell phone app can identify the frequency, a good clue as to the source.

The aft-most rivet location in F-836 ribs tends to develop skin cracks, which tells there is a vibration problem there. The end of the tapered rib is unsupported. I drilled a few 1/4" holes in the floor (red) and injected a small blob of FB2000 at each location. May not cure a floor vibe, but it sure can't hurt.

A one piece SS exhaust ramp has worked out well. Note integral side panels.

And, a little pipe downturn is a good idea.

I have a little bit of floor vibe, but it's in one spot, aft of where my feet usually rest.

So this is right? ...BTG1996

(-12 Sealing Gaps Wing Tip Skins)
Sounds like the holes showing and the gap when the first tab is are common occurrences. All the holes line up well, but that gap really threw me off since the rest of the wing went together so seamlessly.

Can ya'll confirm that I didn't screw something up?

Update: Stiff Rudder Pedal ...Straban

I tore into the rudder pedals this morning and discovered that the inner and outer tubes were basically rusted together. Some ACF50, a block of wood and a hammer got them apart. I cleaned them up, lubed them and back into the aircraft. Not a fun job in the heat of a hangar, but done.

8/16/2023.  Issue #5,886. (previous day's news).
 

Touring the Red River at 74*F

The first cracks in the dog days of summer have presented themselves.  We didn't reach 100*F Monday, and Tuesday started off at 74*F.  Oh baby.  The air around N.Texas was busy with aviation.  Even used runways that started with '3' instead of '1'.  Let's RVate!

Got Flash bridled up and flew over to KXBP for fuel.  Enjoying the lower temps, I opted to fly north up to the Red River and follow it to a spot north of Gainesville (KGLE).  Flew 1.5 hours.  I know, right?!?!  Me...a flight over 20 minutes.  Mental gyros recalibrated.

The summertime Red River has a stark beauty.  I'm going to land a RV-15 on that sand someday, get out my R/C car and tear ass.

(12) pics starting HERE - and most of them are over 2,500 pixels wide if you have the monitor acreage.  Hope you enjoy.

Sales Documents ...DanH

A recent thread described a sale in which a buyer threatened to sue a seller. As Scroll pointed out, we don't discuss lawsuits here, per the The Rules. However, it could be useful to review a few practical fundamentals, with an eye toward reducing exposure.

Up front, know this...the thread is about sales paperwork and procedure. If you run off into swamp, the thread will get closed, which is fine with me.

Ok, so why practical? I'm not an attorney. I spent most of my working career running auto dealerships, where limiting legal risk is a very practical management task. There is no absolute shield, but common sense and good paperwork can reduce the risk to very low levels.

Specific to homebuilt airplanes, the #1 error is failure to use a sales contract separate from the Form 8050-2 FAA Bill of Sale.

Think of it this way...the 8050-2 is the minimum sales document acceptable to the FAA for transfer of registration. Our friends in OK City provide it as a convenience to themselves, as it ensures they get the basic information required to do their job. It's not actually required. You could write your own bill of sale on any handy sheet of paper, and if it incorporates all the information on an 8050-2, it would be equally valid.

That said, in the airplane world everyone expects an 8050-2. So, give 'em one, but accompany it with a contract spelling out the details not found on the government form. There are samples available from EAA, AOPA, and other sources, as well as generic forms. Any of these can be modified to suit your particular situation, DIY or with the help of an attorney. The basics are...  --->

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (8 / 12-13 / 2023)

First Oil Analysis !!! Now what !?!?!?

Just thought I would start with the over sensationalized opening line

My first oil sample went in for analysis last month after about 270 hours. Compressions normal and scope looks good. As the first, it won't offer much info except a snapshot in time, just thought it was time to get a trend going for future use. The good news is that she's doing fine.

Takeaway: the only thing slightly unusual about this engine is the build (Aerosport, I think they do good work), the hours per year (about 135/yr) and frequent use. The break in was normal on Shell 100 weight. I run Philips XC and Camguard on the first fill after each change and burn about 2qts/50hrs. Also fly well LOP whenever possible. Usual flying includes plenty of acro and a mix of short runs (some 10-20 minutes) and long XC's as well.

So fly 'em, they seem to like that!

Updated Panel Shot ...Bdflies

This is the result of significant additions to a nice VFR panel. Now it just amazes me every time I fly! What a wonderful plane!

8/15/2023.  Issue #5,885. (previous day's news).
  So I go putt around in the RV-15J3-65 for 15 minutes Monday morning before work and do a couple of TnGs over in an unpopulated cove at a lake that is down a few feet.  There's plenty of room - a mile from any human.  Just testing the firmness of the ground at this point.  Touch one wheel and go around.  Next pass touch both for around two seconds then fly off.  Inspect how deep the tracks are (can't even see em).  Back to base and Mt. Email.  I tap the little microphone on my phone to dictate some comments in my cloud-based logbook.  "Touch n Go's Lake XXXXX".  Off to work.
  Before I drove home a few hours later, I looked what was actually entered.  "Touching girls at Lake XXXXX".  So I'm on some sort of list now, I figure.  It's always something.
 

RV-8 and the Sourdough Fire ...ArlingtonRV blog/vid

Saturday 8/12/23 was a much clearer day than last Saturday, though the fire east of Mt. Baker was still burning. Since I was on my own again, I opted to go check it out. I also wanted to check out the new DJI Action 4 camera that I got. I like the new camera, but the mount is a little different and the lowest level of image stabilization doesn't seem to be quite enough.

360 Baffle dimensions

Does anyone have the measurements for the orange and green arrows? I'm going to build a box to layup a new plenum and want to get the forward/aft and left/right dimensions right. I would go measure mine, but I already have a plenum and don't have the front baffle piece installed. Thanks. Pic was shamelessly stolen from another post here on VAF and is a from a 320. Not sure if its the same as the 360, but I'm looking for the 360 dimensions.

Rudder Balance Question ...-10

So my airplane is now painted and currently balancing Rudder, Elevators needed 8 Ounces on left and 5 ounces on right done independently, all good!
But the Rudder needs 26 ounces, seems like a lot to me. The 30.8 inch pounds Balance Limit in the instruction manual isn't making since to me! Looking for answers or explanations from you all!!
Did you balance your Rudder?
__________________
Don Short

Judge the boroscope pictures of an inactive Lycoming

Attached are some pics of a O-360 bought new some years ago and never used.  Waiting for an advise of what to do next

Tailbeacon and RV9 rudder

I notice that the one-antennae tailbeacon (978 MHz) has smaller dimensions than the tailbeaconX. (28.5 vs 30.48 in height). We know the X won't fit in the 9 rudder, but can any RV9 owner confirm that this single antennae tailbeacon will fit in a 9 rudder without any modification to the rudder? Pics to confirm?

Additionally, has anyone purchased a used tailbeacon? Is transferring to a new user/aircraft ID a hassle or is it a simple process?

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (8 / 12-13 / 2023)

8/14/2023.  Issue #5,884. (previous day's news).
 

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour....HOME!!!!

This morning I left Mark in EGTN. He has a RV-14 build in his house and so I hold him back one day building his next plane.
Low ceilings initially in Southern UK, it cleared up some towards the English Channel. In France I thought I could climb and still make it over the clouds which will eventually develop into CBs according to the forecast. I was right and when I started my descent into Mannheim (my customs airport) I got clearance for a straight in rwy 09, very cool. Had a good tailwind and was really moving but 30 miles prior Mannheim there was an active CB with rain and low ceilings but Mannheim was still reporting good conditions. I gave up at 800 AGL with 1 mile visibility in rain and diverted the only time during my trip and cleared customs there in EDFE. An hour later departed again and made it to my home airfield reporting back from Oshkosh. Of course I flew over the runway first with a victory roll and only then prepared for the final landing of the tour. My family, friends and club members gave me a warm welcome and prepared coffee and cake for a sit together. An Extra 300 with smoke escorted me to the runway.
And - not to forget: The book "Fate is the Hunter" arrived.

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (8 / 12-13 / 2023)

INFORMATION ABOUT DIMPLED HOLE CRACKING REPORTED ON SOME LASER CUT PARTS

Updated: Aug 12, 2023

"The testing of parts and structures is continuing, and meaningful progress has been made. Testing is being executed by Van's and a third-party company that specializes in material science and structural durability. That company is also providing oversight and review of the test designs and results. Through our combined analysis, we will be able to arrive at and finalize our investigation with the most accurate and definitive answers to the questions that are being evaluated regarding the laser-cutting process and parts."  --->

What did I do wrong with my McFarlane Cables?

These things are beautiful, but they are not cheap. So, I measured the set up compulsively and carefully several times. I mocked up the cable runs with 3/8" hose. I measured the throw required at Prop Governor and Throttle and Mixture arms many times. I transferred this distance to the Throttle Quadrant (Acft Spruce SMCT3L) and redrilled several holes to get the needed throw. It was going to be PERFECT.

And then it wasn't. Despite all of the above, all three levers at the quadrant are restricted from going full aft by something we cannot see. We are finding ourselves considering drilling new holes in the quadrant levers to change the throw again. While there are some curves required in the cables, for example to route the prop cable to the rear mounted governor or to the throttle arm on the right side of the engine, none of the curves are very sharp. I'd expect everyone to have to do similar curves to get the job done.

We discovered this yesterday, Friday, and McFarlane was closed before I could call for help. So, I'm calling here. HELP!

Erratic fuel pressure, carb, part 2

This is long, there's a lot to digest.

I've got to go back down the erratic fuel pressure rabbit hole. Something changed on my airplane, and I believe it needs to be explained. I understand and have read a lot of history on this topic, but I don't see much root cause confirmation in those threads, and those that are there seem to point to early onset of vapor lock and do not close out with resolutions - other than fly it and see what happens, because the carb only needs 0.5 psi of pressure and modestly high pressure (<10 psi) doesn't seem to matter - the engine stays happy. I get it, but I can see something changed, so 'it's just is like that' is hard for me to accept.  --->

Could this be pulling air?
This is hose between the selector and boost pump. This fitting is at the pump. Maybe pulling air? It's an old Bonaco with the vinyl sleeve. I think Tom is going to make something new or I'll bend a solid tube. It doesn't smell fuel-ish on the outside.

8/11/2023.  Issue #5,883. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Bill Cloughley Osh'23 Writeup Now Online

Just finished the web log on my Oshkosh trip. Lots of pics. Arrived Saturday with a group from Essex Skypark, Maryland, and departed Saturday. Had a great time, of course. Link. Enjoy!

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...latest update

Nowhere to hide.  The crossing went smoothly and fast. Every day one leg with around 5 hours, planning the next one, checking weather, booking hotel, filing flightplans and sending notice to the FBOs. Loosing time towards the east but even the normal 24 hours a day are not enough for me, need more - or sleep less. After a few days a rest is good, but then I need to "work" again. Even at home I can't sit still, there is always something crossing my mind.

Yes Iceland to Wick in Scotland was fast, first 5-10 kts tailwind which picked up halfways to 35-40 kts. Landing at Wick is like coming home, the crew there already know me and everything is running smoothly there. Very efficient and caring - I can recommend Far North Aviation whenever crossing east or west. No problems here, they know what we need. I have a screenshot when cruising over 200 kts groundspeed but the USB drive is in the plane, but you know how it looks like. I met another guy from Austria there also crossing in a Monney231, we had dinner together and exchanged experiences.  --->

Home brew engine dehydrator ...Desert Rat

I've got quite a bit of travel coming up and my engine has been out of the bag for going on 6 months now. Based on that, I thought it wouldn't hurt anything to throw together an engine air dehydrator as I've seen others do.

This was all made with amazon and dollar store parts and literally just thrown together with duct tape in the short time I had before leaving on a trip. Total cost was about $80, with the desiccant being the most expensive component by a large margin. I'll pretty it up with an actual base and frame at some point.

Full disclosure, I've also got desiccant plugs in the upper spark plug holes, but I've never been convinced that they really do much to help with what might be going on down in the guts of the engine.  --->

Can precipitation static affect RPM sensor?

Hi there. I have a stock IO-540 with Slick mags, and an RPM sensor installed in the non-impulse magneto.

Normally, my RPM readings are rock solid. On initial climb my prop is turning at 2700 RPM, then I bring it down to 2500 RPM for continued climb.

Last week, I did a fair bit of flying in IMC, and on two occasions (both climbing at 2500 RPM, in cloud and in the rain), I noticed a surge in the indicated RPM, with the readings climbing up beyond 2800 RPM, even reaching 3100 for a few seconds once. But I think this is a sensor problem, not a governor one, since I didn't hear the propeller surge or sound in any way out of the normal (I would think that a real RPM surge from 2500 to 3100 would sound quite noticeable, and the engine sound didn't change noticeably). Still, it was quite disconcerting.

In talking to a magneto manufacturer at Oshkosh, he suggested the events might have been due to precipitation static. That makes some sense to me, I think, since any spurious noise on the RPM sensor line might be interpreted as additional pulses on the sensor. But I'm curious what the rest of you think.

Does this make sense to you? If so, it's an easy "fix" to just ignore intermittent high RPM readings when climbing through precipitation. Or perhaps look into shielding the wires to the sensor better. If not, does this indicate to anyone that I should look into replacing the RPM sensor entirely? I surely hope that it's a sensor problem and not a "real" RPM surge, because I'd definitely rather not consider replacing the governor.

Tool Porn / FOD Avoidance ...GalinHdz

FWIW; I learned this method of keeping track of my hand tools many moons ago while in the Air Force. Lay the tools on some foam then make cut outs of each tool in the foam. As you can see in the attached photos, identifying a missing tool is quick and easy.  This method has saved my butt on more than one occasion.

Electrical issue

I'm having an electrical issue, looking for some advice.
Dynon D180, 60 amp alternator, separate solid state regulator, PC680 AGM battery.
Recently on flights after about 15-20 minutes my charging amps is all over the place, going from 5-15 amps fluctuating, voltage stays constant at 14.5. Went thru all the connections, battery, alternator, VR, Dynon180, the Dynon Shunt, everything was cleaned and corrosion inhibitor applied. Normal charging is usually pretty steady at about 5-8 amps.
I'm thinking the battery which is only 1.5 years old may be low at its reading 12.-12.5 when fully charged. Should be closer to 13 volts.
Ordered a new earthx as was looking for an excuse to put one in anyway.
Looking for any ideas for where else to look if it's not the battery.

It's an RV-15 Grin - an interview with Van's test pilot Axel Alvarez ...globalair

8/10/2023.  Issue #5,882. (previous day's news).
 

Rain!

In TX!  Yesterday I flew the RV-6 for the first time since July 15.  There was a tiny rain shower about twenty miles north, so I scrapped my practice ILS plans and headed that way.  I got to spend 30 glorious minutes putting around in 75*F weather.  Landed back at 52F at 0800 to 94*F temps that were climbing.  Mental gyros re-aligned for a bit.

(7) pics starting HERE.

No fuel pressure indication on first flight

Tried swapping the fuel pressure sensor wires with the oil pressure sensor wires and we now have fuel pressure indication with the boost pump on. Seems like problem solved but. We always have a pressure reading of between 60 and 71 psi on the oil pressure indicator before the swap was tried. We have a G3X and VP-X system. Panel and harnesses by reputable advertiser on VAF. If the swap correct the issue the harnesses were labeled backwards. Weather does not allow a ground run for testing.
Question, is there any way we could get a true oil pressure if the fuel pressure leads to the sensor were incorrect?

Avionics Installation for Experimental Aircraft Course - August 28-30, 2023

Greetings VAF!

Once again the Aircraft Electronics Association will be hosting an Avionics Installation for Experimental Aircraft Course on August 28-30, 2023. The class will take place at the AEA headquarters in Lee's Summit, MO (Kansas City suburb). For complete details and registration information, please visit the AEA Course Website.

This has been a very popular training opportunity that includes hands-on wiring and avionics installation fundamentals, heavily focused on the Garmin G3X Touch system. Many VAF members have attended this course in the past! It is a 3-day course at a registration cost of $549. There are a limited number of spots available and space fills quick!

Let us know if you have any questions!

Starting up advice please

Hello all,
I am getting my hangar set up for a recently acquired flying RV (tailwheel).
While I have a small selection of tools at home for general round the house stuff, I would like to set up the hangar for ongoing maintenance and not carry tools back and forth.
As I was not the builder, I will be using an A&P for the Condition inspections but would like to learn the regular maintenance stuff that I can do myself between inspections.
So far I have a workbench (with a couple of drawers), a vice and a creeper, so I need to get the rest. (I know I need to get some lights on stands as I only have basic lighting).

Tools:
- Is it better (and possibly more cost effective) to buy tools in a set like the readily available mechanics tool sets from the big box stores, or buy a tool chest and purchase the tools piecemeal?

- Do you have a recommendations for a tool kit?

- Linked to the above, are there any specific tools I should get that would be considered "must haves" for RV maintenance?

- Any other suggestions for setting up the hangar from a maintenance standpoint, without going overboard. I will start with just doing the basics as I learn.

Thanks for your input - specific recommendations from your experience would be wonderful.

From FF

8/9/2023.  Issue #5,881. (previous day's news).

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...latest update

Yes reached Greenland already.
But there was the flight to Goose Bay the day before. Tried to book a hotel at Sept Iles but all were full. Wanted to pass a spot on the way to Goose Bay but this didn't work via Sept Iles so filed directly to Goose Bay, flight lasted 4.7 hours. Now - the airports in Greenland are closed Sundays. The original plan was to fly up from Sept Iles but I was in Goose already so did a day trip towards Newfoundland.  -->

Help with wing ribs

I am starting the wings on a partially built RV-8 kit. One wing is partially skinned and the other has just a little work on the spar done. My issue is the previous builder (there are two previous builders on this wing kit) did not flute the ribs. Notice the curved ribs. Does anyone see any problems if I remove the skins and flute the ribs while still attached to the front and rear spar? I've had plenty of practice removing flush head rivets after completing the empennage. Hard to understand why these ribs were not prepped because the leading edge was done flawlessly. I have started the other wing and I inspect and repair the partially completed wing as I follow Vans instructions. Any suggestions?

Clearance issue between rudder and tailwheel stud

I have about 1 1/16" inch between the bottom of the rudder and the tail wheel stud. I worry about control issues and rubbing in the event of a hard landing on the tail wheel, or aft CG issues, or both. Does anyone have an idea as to how to remedy this, Or how much clearance between the two is optimal?

How fast do your CHTs rise?

7A, O360-A1A, carb w/ big jet, CS prop.

Things are a lot better than they were, but I still get really hot, really fast. There's a certain portion of takeoff, pretty much right when I take off, I will bust 420 pretty regularly, especially in this heat. Two flights ago, hit 441, but didn't even notice until I downloaded my savvy data. If I nose down, temps come down immediately, and they typically stay there the rest of the flight, regardless of climbs, etc.

I have retarded my timing to 23 BTDC, enriched the idle mixture, did some moderate work on the baffling, and it all made a significant difference to bring down my CHTs. Now that it's super hot at my home base in KSEE, I'm creeping into too hot territory again, even if it's a blip (12s at 441). Fuel flow is about 17GPH when the CHTs peak after takeoff.

I'm not asking for troubleshooting help here, as I'm going to redo my seals very soon, however, is it normal for the temps to go up as fast as they do on my plane? I read of some people getting hot 1000' or 2000' feet in, I'm super hot 100' above the runway.

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (8/5-6/23)....some more entries from this past weekend trickling in.

Quick flight this am - vis was 6-7 in smoke from Canadian fires. Supposed to get worse for a day or two here...
(I live where the arrow is pointing.)

Made it back to KSAC from McCall Idaho.
Monsoonal flow into the mountains made for some rain dodging south of Boise.
(my -7 really does not like rain)
South of that was easy.

Bonded Canopy
I spend the weekend bonding my -7 tip-up canopy! All went well. Detailed write up on my blog, but wanted to share the small victory.
SikaFlex is some nasty stuff, but definitely gets the job done!

Took my first real cross country. Finished my phase one during the pandemic, schedule, weather, etc. didn't work out till now. Turned a 5 hour drive into a 2 hour flight making a trip to see family in southern Idaho an Ok weekend proposition. Left my baby outside overnight for the first time ever. At least she had a nice -10 to keep her company. Also got to take my nieces for their first RV ride.

8/8/2023.  Issue #5,880. (previous day's news).

The McRag...zero calories.

I may have been called frugal from time to time.  And I tend to be a creature of habit, which is why I eat at the McDonald's on the way to my airport several mornings a week.  One scrambled egg, an oatmeal and a half sweet tea.  Order using the app, hitting 'Reorder same as before' and 'Submit' as I turn in the parking lot.  It's ready and on the counter when I walk in the door.  I park by the drive through window so the cameras can keep an eye on my vehicle.

I fully recognize and embrace the fact that I'm only a couple steps removed from becoming that lady on the corner that throws cats at kids.

Note non-disposable pitot cover rag.

The oatmeal, in addition to some raisins and apple cubes, comes with a napkin McRag wrapped around the spoon.  I fold it up and put it in my pocket every single time.  Sometimes they put one or two more on the tray.  Even better.

I use them as shop rags, have a little stack of them on my taco cart.  There's one clamped on the bottom cowl to soak up that one or two drops of oil that always makes its way down a day or two later.  When I start the pre-flight I take that McRag off, and just like that I have a rag in my hand for the pre-flight!  Win win.  Replace with new after next flight.

If I have to buy a bag of rags from the store, that's an indication I haven't been eating enough oatmeal. 

Young aviator, looking for a RV experience ...Mike C (RV10 and 8)

I've got a niece in Connecticut, close to Bridgeport who is midway through her private pilot license. She wants to continue and achieve all of her ratings. I live in California and are looking for someone in the Connecticut area, Bridgeport, Oxford, Meriden, etc. who has an RV that can take her up for an introductory flight one of these incredible machines!

What did you do with your RV this past weekend?

...more entries trickling in.

8/7/2023.  Issue #5,879. (previous day's news).
  A very well rounded edition today - thanks again to all the wonderful RVators who help me make this possible.  Building up today's edition was a real joy.  I hope you enjoy reading it and that you had a nice weekend.
 

First flight RV-4

I've finally flown my RV-4. It is is everything that people have said, quick, fast, good climb. On the photo I'm not cheering because it was taken just before the flight.
Hans Strahle
RV-4 flying (SE-XJJ)  Farentuna, Stockholm  Sweden

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...latest installment

After another night in Stuart/Florida I headed northbound and landed just west of Kitty Hawk for another night and refueling. The next morning I hopped to First Flight airport where the Wright Brothers did their first flying. I have been there before but it is on the way so I can't just pass. It is always amazing standing right there where history has happened and where Wilbur and Orville actually were too.
Then I took off and flew nortbound between two TFRs and Restricted Areas near Washington DC to fly the Hudson River route at New York and circle The Lady - another impressive part of my flight tour. Lots of traffic and so looking for airplanes besides looking at the scenery. I wish I had a camera-man with me although my Gopros were just running, it is just too distracting to do everything alone and it is sure more enjoyable just flying along and look. Whenever I am here again this will be done again and again, always worth a detour.

Next day I was planning a stop in Geauga 7G8 to have my Whirlwind prop overhauled. The day before I got a text cash or check only, sh...! My cash is reserved for the return flight in case cards are not working. Don't want to get stranded. I have enough to pay for it and can get some more from the ATMs the next days. But the mechanic there also insisted on cash, 5-600 USD - plus tax of course and may be some more for unforeseen extras for something I could do easily alone, just need a prop wrench and later a torque wrench too.
It didn't feel right to me so I said good-bye after a milk-run, very disappointing.
The weather turned bad in the North but meanwhile I made it to Northeast Kingdom EFK from where I will leave the US for now heading into Canada and towards home.

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

RV-8 and the Smoky Saturday ...ArlingtonRV

I took a tour of the local area on Saturday, up around the San Juans and around Mt. Baker. Between the high cloud layer and a lot of smoke from a nearby fire, visibility was noticeably less than I am used to.

The full story, with video links is here...

FOD ...wirejock

This stuff makes me crazy.
Lost a wrench this morning. Hours later, it's been found.
I am fanatical about FOD. If I drop so much as one of those tiny rod bearing washers, I won't let it go. Eventually every item is found. I've actually vacuumed and sifted the dirt before.
I suspect it would have lived there just fine but I'll sleep better now.

New to me RV-14A ...Toddsanderson

I just bought N217JR, a 2017 RV-14A. Never even sat in a Vans before buying it. Seems to be a very nice plane and has the following options: Dual G3X touch, G5, GTN650, 507 AP with YD, VPX power (very cool), Airflow Systems A/C, dual alternators (Plane power - and they seem to be problematic from the log entries), Dual P-Mags, etc.

Flying home @ 8500 ft I was using WOT and 2500 RPM and 9.5 GPH at 20F DLOP yielding 170 knots true. Cabin stays very cool with the fresh air vents and the A/C works pretty good also. Very easy to fly plane with no bad habits. Last plane was a Glasair III. I'm about 40 knots slower, but everything else is about the same except that the RV is so docile. It is so docile I think you could train a monkey to fly it. Love the visibility. Prefer the tip up canopy to the gull wing doors in the Glasair. Plane runs great LOP and I assume the P-Mags help with that. I'm going to do a GAMI lean check to see if I need GAMI injectors, but at this point it seems pretty well balanced as it runs very smooth LOP. Cylinder head temps never get above 360 and settle around 300 in cruise, but oil temp can creep up around 210 in the climb and settles down around 190 or so in cruise. This was on a 83F day and 57F at altitude.

So far I can't think of anything negative. Just a simple, yet capable airplane. Bonanza speed with fixed gear.

Fuel leak...flybye

I've developed a leak at the highest point of the tank which seems like an odd location. The seam where fuel is visible is behind the rear of the tank. Any means to address this apart from removing the tank, cutting a hole and sealing from the inside?

She's a bit thick(er) now...edhunter

So I was really looking forward to weighing my -9A after doing numerous mods. I bought a really nice RV-9A last April, it came in a bit heavy at 1134lbs. Full interior including sound proofing, firewall insulation, carpet, floor mats, leather seats, etc. A really nice vfr panel, fixed sensinech prop on a IO-320. Good paint. Had a Trutrak Gemini autopilot with dual servos, no vac pump. Full Anti-splat catalogue, sun visors, etc. Very nicely appointed RV.
I've made alot of modifications to her in the last 15 months or so. I'll try to remember them in order. FlyLEDS all around, added the supertracks extension for the canopy. Swapped prop to Whirlwind 151 with associated plumbing, Jihostroj governor from WW. Added backup alternator from Monkworkz. Removed manual elevator trim, went to electric. Added heated pitot, added landing height sensor. Swapped TruTrak to dynon autopilot. Removed VFR panel, added complete Advanced PFD/MFD with Avidyne 540 navigator for IFR capabilities. Added remote radio for comm2 w/ second comm antenna, added VOR wingtip antenna. Removed all insulation from firewall and floors. Added oxygen bottle but its removeable. I think that was all....
Got it on the scales last night. Tanks empty, with oil.
1170. She gained 36lbs. I'm a bit surprised by the amount. I guess the panel weighed more than I thought, as the WW prop is lighter than the Sensinech. Avidyne 540 is 9lbs alone. My nose wheel weight went down 6lbs. Weight and balance is still OK as long as 5 gallons of fuel are onboard. That's with baggage at 75lbs. I'm 205 and my wife is 135. She's listed at 1800 gross weight.
Decided my wife is going to have to go on a diet. Wish me luck.

Over-trimmed bottom cowl, any way to fix? ...Joe

Q: Other than just buying a new part? Which is $515 plus shipping, and probably back-ordered for months.

I mis-read the instructions when trimming the edges that mate with the top cowl (on the sides) and trimmed 1/8" to the wrong side of the line, so I'm off 1/4" total each side.

I'm afraid if I just lay up some fiberglass from the inside, I can get it flush on the outside but it'll be way thicker on the inside than it should be, which will make it really hard to line up the hinges with the top cowl.

A: My cowl was 1/4" short on one side as delivered from Vans. Rather than fight about it I prepped the outside edge for a scarf joint and clecod a temporary backing plate of scrap aluminum with a layer of peel ply to the inside and put layers of glass on to match the thickness. It wasn't that hard.
Attached Thumbnails

8/4/2023.  Issue #5,878. (previous day's news).
  Susie still has the CV19 but I'm taking care of her.  I don't feel great, but monitoring.  Thanks for the kind notes.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.

RV-8 Panel Design Feedback SDS/Z-101

Looking for feedback on my proposed panel/switch layout. I am installing an SDS EM-5 system and using a Z-101 electrical system (2 alternators, 1 battery). Exterior lights are FlyLEDs.

I have everything I need to start the engine on the right subpanel wing. These switches will not generally be touched after the runup is complete. Boost pump (2nd pump for TO and landing) is operated with the left hand like a "normal" plane.

If you are wondering about the 2 flap switches, I have the TCW flap controller, and was planning to wire the panel switch as the "pilot" switch, and the stick switch as "copilot". The panel switch would take priority in case of conflict.

For the Small Trigger on my stick, do you think COM1 Flip/Flip would be more useful than COM1/COM2 switch on the Audio Panel? Use case is possible formation flying. COM1 is a Skyview Com, COM2 is a PAR200B.

Thank you for any input you can provide!

From Kitplanes

Mr. Bruce Swayze (7A) Touching Base

Sorry I'm not on here as much as I used to be. I'll try and check in more often. Part of the reason is because when my RV became airworthy and started flying, I was so focused on flying lessons and learning to fly it! I had time for little else. I did not have a PPL before I started building my RV. I didn't want my flying skills to get stale while building, or take even longer by mixing it with flying a rental plane, so I put it on hold and decided to built the RV first.  --->

Article ...eaa

Can anyone identify this light?

Recently I broke the clear lens cover on my strobe light. Casual factor was determined to be stupidity on my part. I ordered a Whelen A612 (shown in the picture) as a replacement, but stupidity struck again as it clearly isn't the same shape as the base. I'm not able to figure out the correct lens to order. Does anyone recognize the brand and/or know which lens cover I need? Thanks.

Rian Johnson Talking MOSAIC ...YT vid

From Dynon

8/3/2023.  Issue #5,877. (previous day's news).

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...latest update

After a long flight from Oshkosh to St Simons Island I joined a group of club members flying around in a Bonanza, from there we headed to their home field Witham Stuart KSUA on the Florida east coast. Forflight showed $20 tiedown fee for a day. They waved me in to a parking spot with no tiedowns. The actual cost for one day was around $75, 20 for the non-tiedown, 40 facility fee and 10 security plus tax. I cannot recommend the place although the FBO is nice. Stay away from places were the jets are parked. In the evening we prepared for a flight to the Bahamas and set off the next morning. Outbound is easy with good radio contact. Customs at the Bahamas easy too. It was good to have the Bahamas Flight Guide which I got at Oshkosh at their booth, I also attended a presentation about flying to and from there, so I was well prepared. All in all easy going and flying there is super relaxed. The water is so clear and the colors are amazing - just beautiful. There were thunderstorms forecasted for the next day for Stuart and we just made it minutes before one hit the field. We were actually waiting in the custom building for the rain to pass with a very friendly officer. It is summer and so thunderstorms are daily business in Florida.

1 year old gets an RV Grin

This weekend we celebrated the 1st birthday for our first grandchild. He seems to love hanging out in the hangar so I immediately though about the beautiful pedal planes kits from Aviation Products at OSH. Unfortunately my Grandson is only 1, can reach any pedals, and he loves pushing buttons and switches. Obviously this would be a scratch build project with electric drive, a powered propeller, and digital panel with switches, buttons, and lights.

The project took a couple of weeks and is made mostly of ply and is powered by scavenged components from 2 hover boards and e-bike speed control. He loves it!
There is that RV grin again

Fuel Pressure decay with fluctuations and engine stumbles

Hello all,

Took the 10 (IO-540 TITAN) to OSH this last week from CA and ended up having to leave her in Minneapolis due to fuel pressure issues that were concerning to me accompanied with some momentary pull backs of power.

Prior to OSH I noticed that the fuel pressures on a climb out began decaying slowly around 7 mins into the climb dropping into the yellow and if left into the red. Electric pump brings it back to nominal. Along with this I've noticed continuous fluctuations of a few PSI. I thought the fluctuations might be a sender issue so I replaced that prior to the trip which I thought fixed it on my local test flight but turned out it hadn't.

SYMPTOMS: With full power climb out the fuel pressures fluctuate +/- a few psi and then begin to decay to the yellow and red if left un boosted. Boost pump will get to normal numbers but the fluctuations remain even with boost pump on. At cruise, LOP the pressures will remain normal levels with engine driven pump but the fluctuations remain. If ROP, the pressures will decay, even at altitude. Fluctuations occur on deck even when at idle. VIDEO HERE or HERE

The last leg into OSH I noticed a little stumble/pullback on takeoff even with boost (electric) pump on (with fluctuations). Taking out of OSH multiple momentary decreases of power on climb out with boost pump on and larger fluctuations which tripped my comfort level and I ended up landing in KSTP and commercial air back. I have to return soon to fix it but wanted to get your inputs prior to doing so to see what thoughts are out there.

MY BEST GUESS: That the engine driven pump is failing with possibly a hole in the diaphragm which is causing it to be unable to keep up with extended demand and also possibly drawing air into the lines causing the fluctuations and power issues even with the electric pump on. Does this sound about right?

Standing by your valued inputs!

Why Removable Pax Stick ....data point

A picture is worth a thousand words. Try this with a stick in the way.

Getting fuselage out of the garage ...-10

Can anyone tell me how tall the completed fuselage is, with cabin top, sitting on gear and wheels? I'm slightly concerned about being able to get the completed assembly out the garage door when I'm done. It's on a low fuselage stand now and is no problem, but I don't have a feel for how much the gear is going to raise it.

Not worried about vertical stab, just clearance to cabin top.

Any other anecdotal data points of getting a completed fuselage out of the garage?

8/2/2023.  Issue #5,876. (previous day's news).
   On the bumper OAT sensor while driving home today from the airport (N.TX).  A lot of houses here have two a/c units.  Doing OK, but flying after 0730 kinda blows.  Chunks.
 

BruceH OSH'23 Writeup

Paul Gray's Dealing w/Heat PIREP

"..I kept an ice chest full of ice and drinks and I also kept a spray bottle of water in there. I would get that chilled bottle of water out as often as needed and mist the ice cold spray on my head, face, neck, arms, chest etc. Sometimes wiping off with a towel and others just standing in the moving air. Along with drinking ice cold drinks it was the only thing that helped me make it through. The misting of cold water really helped. A few times I went so far as to hose my self off using the FBO's hose. Just using the spray bottle of water would leave me with a refreshed feeling along with a renewed energy and focus."

Avionics Cooling Fan ...Carl Froehlich

Photo is what I did for a single, smaller fan on the RV-8. On the RV-10 I used two 3.25" fans, one on each side.

Get creative on your hole pattern. The best one had a combination of 1/4" and 3/8" holes in an alternating pattern.

Electric Aileron Trim spring tesnsion?

Q: Hi all, I had to pull my seat pans this weekend to fix a bad BNC and installed the springs/safety wire to my already installed aileron trim servo.

Nothing in OP19/instructions were super clear on the amount of pre-tesnsion so I put both springs in just slight tension when the sticks were neutral, but now think I may have under tensioned them, and they should have just a little tension when in their most "relaxed" position (stick deflected far left/right).

Curious to see others thoughts, or if anyone has a measurement of the lengths of safety wire they ended up with when all said and done or maybe even used a gauge to measure the tension.

A: I usually adjust the springs so that with the stick and trim system at neutral there is about a quarter inch of stretch on the springs.

Identify the intake mod? ...-10

Saw this on a -10 at OSH last week. Any clues as to where to find out more about this mod? I've seen various air 'ramps' and baffle plates to help with airflow but this was a new one for me. Seems very simple to install--those always catch my eye!

Leaking radiator troubles - RV-12iS

Hi folks,

Is your RV-12iS radiator leaking? A little? A lot? Or totally dry?

We've been having an on-going issue with multiple radiators that's pretty frustrating... just trying to see what's going on with the rest of the community and see what fixes have been done and such.

Alternate Oil Press pick-up

My apologies if this is a dead horse topic. A "standard" oil pressure sender is not going to fit in the typical or adjacent sister location; The coil hardness stand-off is in the way. Flipping the coil causes other problems.

- Anyone have success at at alternate locations; pros/cons?

- Anyone know of a shorter sender unit, possibly one with flying leads?

- Anyone use a 90 or 45 at the standard location for a remote sensor approach?

Your help/experience/thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.
Attached Thumbnails

Case Seam Oil Leak

Hi All,
This is quite a start as my first post on VAF... I had recently purchased a RV-7A. It was noted to have consumed some oil (1 quart/6-7 hours) by its previous owner. It has an Aerosport Power O-360 A1A, and the aircraft/engine is fairly high-time, having 1055 hours in total. The engine had been IRAN'ed early in its lifespan due to a stall/spin accident which had resulted in a propstrike, followed by cylinder removal at ~825 hours due to rough running (which turned out was actually due to a bad Lightspeed coil pack). The cylinder work was done locally by a mechanic who is no longer working.

On pre-purchase inspection the oil was relatively clean after 20 hours, the plugs were not oily, and the filter was also looked good. I assumed that this oil consumption was reasonable and had flown it ~30 hours since purchase.

Unfortunately the oil consumption had continued to increase, and had reached a quart every 3-4 hours. I had also found significant oil on the belly of the aircraft, but no leak at rest. I evaluated this with the help of my local A/P as the aircraft was due for condition inspection at that time anyways.

We ultimately determined that there was significant oil leak from front case seam, with considerable oil on the top of the airbox. It was also found that the at least one of the cylinder case studs, and one of the thru-bolts, was loose as well.

My mechanic reports that he has seen some Lycomings suffer case leaks, and still be airworthy, although we both agreed that rectifying this would require a case split/reseal. He retorqued the loose studs in question.

I am admittedly rather uncomfortable though about continuing to fly the aircraft in the setting of the loose thru-bolt/case studs, and have grounded it. My current plan is to get it professionally IRAN'ed with case resealing at this time. Is this over-reaction on my part? An oil leak is one thing, but the loose studs after cylinder work make me much more worried about a potential bottom end issue.

The engine work will be done at Penn-Yan mainly due to proximity.

8/1/2023.  Issue #5,875. (previous day's news).
 

RV-15 latest updates - video ...Ed Hicks

Recent Dead Stick Landing / Intake Flange Separated

An RV4 dead sticked into KTMK, Tillamook OR.
I was flying the Bucker and noticed him on the ramp with a buddies truck next to it, cowling off.
He said he flew into Pacific City, a small coastal airport about 20nm away. He said his engine was running rough at the time but making "good power". He decided to take off and try to fly home, somewhere in Washington State. He performed a series of circles over Pacific City until he was at 10k feet, then headed north. He figured at 10k, he had options, and he needed it...
Still at 10k over KTMK, the engine dramatically got rougher, he decided to land. During decent, it quit altogether. I am told he made an excellent landing by my buddy who heard his emergency radio call and assisted in pushing off the runway to the ramp.
The intake flange had "fallen off" and was hanging on the tube. The flange bolts, of course, were gone. I had some spare bolts at my hangar and a gasket. Engine ran great and he was back in the air headed home.
I asked him who did his CI? He skirted the question.

Scott mentioned in another post something that applies here. These things don't happen overnight. I have a hard time believing that the flange bolts were checked at his last CI, or how many prior? I rarely find mine have lost any torque at all in a years time.

August Wallpaper Calendar

Unclear to me ...-12

Step. 1. MKS W-1207B Rear Spar Doubler Plates at the locations for CS4-4 rivets and the three locations called out in Figure 2.

In Figure 2 it is instructed to MCHN CSNK flush aft side


But that is strange. The aft site of the whole construction is the W-1207A itself. Later on the ribs are attached there.

What is meant by this? Can I just countersink the 3 holes at the same side as the other holes on the rear spar doubler plate

Magnetometer Anomally Garmin G3X

I have a GMU 22 which is installed just in front of the vertical stabiliser in my RV-7. Every time I fly I get a yellow/amber warning on the G3X for an AHARS anomaly which can be reset but comes back after a few minutes. Assuming the fault to be based on the close proximity of steel I checked the mounting bolts for the VS and found them to be mild steel. Has anyone replaced these bolts with stainless ones?

Update 1 ...hangar rash

Good news wingtip was easily removed and no direct light showing through. I am laying one strip of glass on the inside just so I sleep better at night, but it looks pretty solid.

There is some loose gelcoat in the parting area on the outside. I am going to remove the real loose pieces before continuing, but not planning on gouging out everything in the gap. The gap is about 1/8" across at its widest. Is it worth running a bead of epoxy down to stabilize the loose pieces or will the micro be sufficient?

7/31/2023.  Issue #5,874. (previous day's news).

First flight to Oshkosh ...dwranda trip writeup

This is our story. I'm sure so many others have stories like this since people are what this aviation thing is about as much as airplanes.

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...latest update

Saturday I left Oshkosh after a fantastic week there. Only the storms were a little annoying but no damage done so all is good. I met many pilots which I knew from my 2019 visit already and also met many others.  --->

Home from OSH 2023

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (7/29-7/30'ish)

How to secure side cowling hinge pin?

Q: Looking for ideas of how to secure the -7 lower cowl vertical hinge pins. How did you do it? Post picks if you have them. TIA.

A: This is an old shot, but take a look just above the upper motor mount bolt. That hinge pin was bent into a loop long enough to settle and tuck in just below the cleco

CSK 100 degrees, both sides AN 426AD 3-3

Following the instructions: CSK 100 degrees both sides AN426AD3-3 stub spar assembly: what am I doing wrong? The rivet is to short and how can the fabricated side of the solid rivet exactly fill the CSK hole?

2023 AirVenture Lindy Awards Announced

..lotsa RVs in the mix.

What are your thoughts on the -15 for a more typical GA mission.... not big tire back country?

Is it realistic to think that a builder might put smaller street tires on, or even some minimalist wheel fairing?

In my flying experience of all East coast, I've landed on grass quite a few times, but that's not what I would classify as back country...that's more like front country...and certainly doesn't need the big tires (drag & higher cost for replacement). I get that they can make landings more forgiveable, but I'm not thinking it's a great idea if they are never really needed

I really have NO idea where I would ever go to land on a gravel bar, or a beach, or true back country. I recon that describes quite a few pilots, but yet there seems to be a big trend lately for "back country beasts" (ala the AOPA sweepstakes C-170)

As I daydream about a retirement project in a few years, I've been leaning hard to the RV-14. Mission as I see it now would be cross country, short and long trips, for me and my wife. And probably quite a bit of local flights too. Low fuel burn and at least moderate cruise is important. Instrument capability is a plus.  --->

Ramp Seal Gap ...Carl PIREP

Here are some photos of my ramp gap seal. Not shown is the strip of aluminum on the underside to rivet the nutplates. A little JB weld (or pro-seal) holds the strip in place while removing and installing.

RV-6A wheel installation issue (Jurassic problem)

Installing the main wheels on a -6A, the first step is to fit the U-403 flange brackets onto the axles to mount the brake calipers and the wheel pant brackets.

The gear legs have the holes already pre-drilled in the axles for the 5/16" bolt that pins the U-403 in place, and the U-403s that I just recently bought were also pre-drilled.

When the U-403s are mounted onto the axles the position appears incorrect and instead of being oriented vertically they are rotated forward by 27 degrees. The plans indicate that the bolt hole should be horizontal, however it is inclined 27 degrees, causing the flange to be in the incorrect position.

Normally in a situation like this I check to see what I did wrong. However, the gear legs are in the correct sockets L&R. The axles are also aligned, so the gear legs are oriented correctly in the sockets. The only thing I can think of is that the gear legs were drilled incorrectly at the factory. Anyone recall this happening before, mid 90s?

I've contacted Van's support over a week ago but no response yet, I guess they are busy dealing with the laser cut parts problems.

As for the remedy, I'm hoping to be able to re-drill the holes in the flange brackets to match the holes in the axle. I stripped off the powder coating and took the parts to a local TIG welder for him to fill in the existing holes. I'm hoping that there won't be any interference between the bolt and the caliper!

Broken Exhaust on the way back from Oshkosh

The exhaust pipe connection to the heat muff separated on takeoff. Causing elevated c02 and burning the inside of the cowling. The c02 level was detected by a Home Depot c02 detector which only goes to 999ppm so I don't know what the actual level was. I am very glad I had that c02 detector in the plane. I was able to get back to the airport quickly with minimal damage to the cowling. I did feel light headed, but I'm not sure if that was just the stress of the moment seeing the 999s on the screen. I believe exhaust breaks a rare but I can now see how they can be very impactful if unable to land quickly.

7/28/2023.  Issue #5,873. (previous day's news).
  If you're back from the show, please chime in HERE, and if you get some photos online please tell us about them in the thread below if you feel so inclined.  Hope you had a wonderful time!
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

>>> OSH'23 Pics and PIREPs <<<
...the yearly thread where people there rub it in. <g>

WX Forecast

Chris Pratt's Beautiful RV-8

I was in the hangar office doing VAF computer things Thursday morning when the phone rang.  "You in the hangar?"  It was Chris Pratt, having just taxied up and shut down at my place.  Nice visit.  Chris has one of the most beautiful RV-8 paint jobs on the planet.  Designed by his sister if memory serves.

Seeping Fuel Valve

Q: My Vans fuel valve is seeping slightly just below the handle. Anyone bothered to rebuild one? Assume it's a matter of replacing O rings or seals? Don't suppose Vans has a kit

A: Just unscrew the cap and replace the two o-rings.

Erratic CHT?

On a flight a few days ago, immediately after takeoff I noticed my #5 CHT being a bit erratic. It would jump up and down 20 or so degrees. There was no apparent other effect - the EGT wasn't jumping around, there was no discernable sound change, and the engine seemed to be making power just fine. My initial thought was: bad sensor.

Then, it started spiking. It climbed way up. I leveled off with intent to return to the airport, and pulled the power back to enough to stay level. The temp kept climbing. Again, no noticeable difference in the corresponding EGT. No roughness, no other indication there was a problem.

The temp came back down. Then it went low. Then back up. Again, no apparent issue. I really thought it was just a bad sensor. I brought the power back in again, and it eventually smoothed out, and was fine the remainder of the ride.

Here's a graph of what the data looked like. The bottom 3 lines are 3 of the CHTS, the top 3 are the corresponding EGTs.  --->

7/27/2023.  Issue #5,872. (previous day's news).
 

>>> OSH'23 Pics and PIREPs <<<

...the yearly thread where people there rub it in. <g>

WX Forecast

OSH'23 RV Stuff

Thursday

10:00 AM - 11:15 AM CDT
Homebuilts In Review - Van's RV-10
Homebuilts In Review venue
(across from the Home Builders HQ building)

1300 - Forum Stage 8 - Shuttle, Houston (Paul Dye)

As Seen Around HBC ...DanH in the 'PIREP' thread

Common Wiring Harness

Q: I suspect this has been discussed before, but my attempts at searching came up short. I'm starting to install my panel which includes the common wiring harness, WH-000125, that connects to the wiring harness already installed in the tailcone to the panel. I purchased this wiring harness from Stein Air with my panel. They did a beautiful job building the wiring harnesses, but I'm at a loss as to how you would route it through all the brackets, spar, etc. The holes that are provided for that purpose are simply too small to allow the connectors through and I have been meticulous in not making holes bigger or removing metal throughout the build. I want the structure to remain as strong as possible. It seems the only practical solution is to remove the connectors, route the wiring, then reinstall the connectors. Of course that comes with the risk of getting the pins in the wrong holes. Anyone care to comment on how they did this with Stein-built wiring harnesses?

A:

Home Safe From OSH ...yearly thread

(DanH) I'll start. Bugged out early, just after lunch on Tuesday. Wednesday didn't look great, Thursday departures will be very, very busy, and I must travel again on Friday.

And of course, the prospect of a nice tailwind is like pilot candy. Love it when GS starts with a a "2"

Greatest bunch of friends a fella could have. I am a very lucky man. Thank you all.

Bandit Panel Upgrade ...Smokey's Former -4

With all the OSH hubbub ongoing, small items of interest seemingly get lost in the shuffle. I missed this year due to relocating which would have been my 30th attendance. However, a great news story for me this week was the current owner of my first RV build DC "Killer" a former F18 driver shared a pic of "The Bandits" new panel. In a word, WOW! A big change from the Fly Market "very well loved" gauges previously installed back in '95! He says an AP is in the works too!
Thanks to DC for sharing!
V/R
Smokey

P-Mag Timing Fu**up

I was lately introduced to the concept of "****up-sessions", where in a company you do a competition for the biggest ****up. The goal is obviously to learn and avoid the same mistakes in the future. My latest attempt in P-Mag ignition timing would be a good candidate for such a session.

After doing our second annual/100H maintenance this week, my wife and I wanted to finish up with a ground run and check everything. It was already 11p.m. and I was tired after getting up at 4 a.m., working an early shift, then 10 hours in the workshop to finish the annual. It was already dark outside and we pulled the plane out of the hangar and onto the apron. I went into the cockpit to do the runup, because my wife had to go to the loo. She agreed to observe from the outside. The cowl was not installed, so we could check for leaks after the runup...

When attempting to start the engine, I didn't use the checklist. And the engine just didn't want to start... After realizing my mistake, I turned ignition on (dual p-mag with separate switches) while the engine was turning. of course it "shot" twice, but didn't start. I stopped, waited half a minute and tried again. Also no success. And my wife even saw some fire/flames but couldn't locate them exactly. It was dark, so you could see them, during the day probably not...

Because we were both tired and suspected the engine to be flooded, we decided to pull the plane in the hangar again and try on the next day. So we finished everything up and went home. --->

Canopy drilling redux ...-12

Section 39 advises "pulling the sides of the canopy down" and securing with duct tape before drilling the front and rear bows.

I want to be sure I understand this because pulling it down will probably take it down below it's normal position (flush against the attach angles) when finished, which seems problematic if you're drilling and, thus, locking the canopy into position.

Or, do they mean pulling the canopy IN to secure it so it's flush against the attach angles?

7/26/2023.  Issue #5,871. (previous day's news).
 

>>> OSH'23 Pics and PIREPs <<<

...the yearly thread where people there rub it in. <g>

WX Forecast

Video of the 1hr 19min Mon 0830 Forum (What's New @ Van's)

...shot by Brian 'Brantel' Chesteen. 

The first 36 minutes has to do w/the laser cut issues.  36-51 is various company news.  51+ is about the RV-15.

Maybe sharper video down the road, but not bad for sitting here in my home office 850+ miles away watching from the second row <g>.  Thank you again Brian!!!

Slides from the Monday 0830 Forum RE: Laser Cut Parts

....testing update.  Taken by Chris (RavenAero) from his seat.

Engineering Changes to the RV-15 Prototype

...these images courtesy Brantel.  Added to the OSH'23 Pics and PIREPs thread.  Aircraft kindly labeled changes.

7/25/2023.  Issue #5,870. (previous day's news).
 

>>> OSH'23 Pics and PIREPs <<<

...the yearly thread where people there rub it in. <g>

WX Forecast
 

The RV Social ...Mon afternoon/evening ...Tayna pics.

(and another)

Engineering Changes to the RV-15 Prototype

...these images courtesy Brantel.  Added to the OSH'23 Pics and PIREPs thread.  Aircraft kindly labeled changes.

Mon 37 sec Video Report from Jay Pratt

OSH'23 RV Stuff

Sunday

7th Annual HBC Beer Tasting

RV-10 Dinner

Monday

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM CDT
RV-10 20th Anniversary
Dick VanGrunsven and Greg Hughes
Forum Stage 7

Vic's Airventure Seminar schedule
Mon July 24 11:30-12:45 Pre-buys for amateur-built aircraft - Homebuilders hangar

1:00 PM - 2:15 PM CDT
Owning, Flying, and Maintaining an RV Aircraft
Homebuilders Hangar

1430 - Homebuilder's Hangar - Flight Testing 101 (Paul Dye)

>>>RV Social (after airshow)<<<
[ed. I think we all recognize this is THE event of the week!!!! ;^)  v/r,dr]

Tuesday

8:30 AM - 9:45 AM CDT
What's Happening at Van's Aircraft
Technical, Product and Business Updates
Van's Staff
Forum Stage 7

1:00 PM - 2:15 PM CDT
An Angle of Attack Instrument Can Save Your Life
Forum Stage 5

2:30-3:45 Amateur-Built Aircraft Fuel systems- Homebuilders hangar

2:30 PM - 3:45 PM CDT
Mogas in Aviation - Knowledge
Rian Johnson of Van's Aircraft with Ron Singh
Forum Stage 10

Wednesday

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM CDT
Which RV Is Right for Me?
Greg Hughes/Van's Staff
Forum Stage 6

Shareware HUD for Experimental Aircraft (RV8)
11:30-12:45 Homebuilders Hangar
Cecil Jones

Thursday

10:00 AM - 11:15 AM CDT
Homebuilts In Review - Van's RV-10
Homebuilts In Review venue
(across from the Home Builders HQ building)

1300 - Forum Stage 8 - Shuttle, Houston (Paul Dye)

Friday

Let me know if there is a RV event!

Saturday

Let me know if there is a RV event!

Sunday

Let me know if there is a RV event!

VAF Advertisers who have chimed in RE: OSH'23:

Aerosport At EAA AirVenture
New Dynon D30 Touch Screen
Garmin at EAA AirVenture 2023
Monkworkz at Oshkosh
James Aircraft at Oshkosh

 

Misc:

Camp Scholler - We'll Be There, Who Else?
HBC - Where are you?

Bruce Hill's OSH'23 Photos

...posting more daily.

Beach trip to Iroquois (CNP7), Ontario

Sunday, another beautiful day and my friends are now partying at Oshkosh. Shirley wants to go to the beach and proposes to go to Iroquois.

Nice! Iroquois (CNP7) is a PPR aerodrome. Facilities include paved runway, free parking and overnight camping (I think that still holds true), campground, marina, golf course, and of course a beach.

You can drive there, but ... those who are members of this elite forum know better :-)

We flew out early afternoon from CYRP (Carp, Ontario) and encountered a small localized rain cloud. Free "car" wash. Only about 20 minutes from Carp, we landed and felt a few drops. Opened up our umbrella for a few minutes to stay dry, the shower quickly dissipated and we were then able to walk over to the beach. You can see how Shirley managed to fit the umbrella in the plane.

It's not KOSH, but it sure was fun.

Soft Start Explained

Some of us early in the RV-12 program have engines that were furnished with green label ignition modules and these preceded the newer yellow label modules that are sometimes referred as "soft start". I was curious how soft start actually works and so looked it up in section 74 of the heavy maintenance manual.

Once started the 912ULS engine runs with 26* Before TDC. It could not be started at this advance so the modules combined with cams on the flywheel determine retarded timing advance for starting. The engine ignition timing is actually controlled by the edge of trigger cams on the flywheel and the modules can time when those trigger points are used. Note that there were 2 flywheels used on the 912ULS. At startup the early flywheel will time at 4* Before TDC with or without the soft start modules installed. The later flywheel will time, at start, 3* After TDC either with or without the soft start modules. So, it is the flywheel cams that provide the soft start. The soft start ignition modules compliment this by delaying the change to full advance by 3-8 seconds.

So the early engine starts with 4* BTDC and then advances to the full 26* at 650-1000 RPM and that must happen very quickly. With soft-start modules on this engine with the early flywheel the advance from 4* BTDC to 26* BTDC is delayed by 3-8 seconds. This provides a "semi?" soft-start.

With the later 966872 flywheel the engine starts at 3* ATDC and switches to full advance after 3-8 seconds aiding the soft-start.

If you have an early non soft-start engine you would need to have the new modules and the new flywheel to get the full effects of soft-start.

Here is the data table:

7/24/2023.  Issue #5,869. (previous day's news).
  Welcome to the show.  If you feel so inclined, please post your OSH happenings in the OSH'23 Pics and PIREPs thread so those of us who didn't attended can share in the fun.  Hope everyone has a wonderful time. 
 

>>> OSH'23 Pics and PIREPs <<<
...the yearly thread where people there rub it in. <g>

WX Forecast

Sunday 1030 conga line.

Brain trust help - #3 CHT HIGH

My engine was torn down and rebuilt with dual PMags replacing Slick mags following a prop strike at last year's AirVenture by Popular Grove with Myers Aviation handling the removal and reinstall plus some other work. Had cylinder heads IRAN during rebuild with new guides installed. Picked aircraft up in late March and flew it home. Ran great with all CHT temperatures below 400 degrees.

CHT #3 is now having a hard time staying below 400 degrees in cruise. The engine has 20 hours since rebuild. Wish it was more but other issues got in the way of flying.

I've basically been flying at 24", 2400 rpm and 12 gph at cruise since leaving OSH last March (break-in recommendation). Did my initial oil change at 12 hours post rebuild. Had a PMag problem with rpm dropping 200 rpm when doing mag checks at around 12 hours. EMag replaced the bearing on one PMag which corrected the issue. Infant mortality - it happens!  --->

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (7/22 - 7/23/2023)

Crack in cylinder? + bronze flakes in cylinder

RV7 O-360 A1A 900 hours

Today was in the process of borescoping all the cylinders and i think i have discovered a crack in the spark plug hole of number 4 cylinder.. im not sure if its just lead debris that made it look like a crack or what.. is there anyway to tell 100% without removing the cylinder?

In addition to this i have been getting bronze flakes in my oil... when looking into this cylinder i notice bronze flakes all over the place, but not present in other cylinders , maybe this cylinder is completely trashed?

A HOT day to test the 2nd oil cooler ...-12

Last October I added a second oil cooler to tame the oil temps when flying on hot days. We have had some hot days since and it has performed well but with this flight today I am beyond convinced I did the right thing.
Today's flight was extremely HOT and put the 2nd oil cooler to the test. On the way back to So Cal from Montana I stopped by Hurricane UT for gas. It was noon and HOT, the plane was at gross. The density altitude was 7300 and my engine was hot from the flight in. On departure the air temp was 104f. I climbed out at 85 - 90 kts continuous to 13,000' DA. The oil peaked at 225f about 5 minutes into the climb then fell back. Coolant also peaked at 230f and fell back. I kept the throttle at 100% until I reached 13,000 DA. When I leveled off the oil was 201f.

7/21/2023.  Issue #5,868. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.  I'm staying home this year (no OSH) - we're starting the 'finally at nearly 58 fixing up the broken stuff at the house' phase of our lives.  I'll be near the keyboard and will try my best to cover the event the best I can.  If you see I missed some RV-specific function, please send it my way so I can include it on the front page here.
v/r,
 

Blog -12 (Dutch)

I made a blog of my RV12.
In Dutch, but the photographs and short films are bilingual, hope you enjoy!! For those not familiair with Dutch: (Piet) Mondriaan was a famous painter.
I used his way of painting to cover the epoxy parts, while leaving as much as rivets and aluminum as possible open for 'elbow grease'. She's an eye-catcher ;-)

Flop Tube

I've opened my fuel tanks to remove sloshing. My Inspector pointed out that the flop lube, probably rubber, is subject to a life limit and therefor it would be a good time to replace it. So I went to the local hose supplier who stated that hose for fuel is not rubber. So if it's not rubber is it still life limited?

A-740 cable broken

Good Morning VAF

I was nearing completion of my first annual. Part of my annual maintenance checklist is a simple pull test of the A-740 cable for the alt-air on the airbox. What could go wrong. Someone in the cockpit to pull alt-air knob while I watch the door swing open. Nada.

The cable pulled out in the cockpit with no resistance. I unscrewed the end at the airbox and about 9" of cable pulled out the FWF side.
The cable has no kinks, no wear. There are no cuts. It's just cleanly broken. The cable follows a very gentle curve from the cockpit to the alt-air door.

I have a USB microscope at home. In looking more closely I can see an obvious dark spot within both broken ends that extends out to each of the matching sides.

I'll try to find a place to post this if people are interested (I don't have anywhere that I post images online - not on social media)
but my question would be if others have seen this type of issue. These are 0.050 stainless steel cables. They are incredibly difficult to wrap around the end at the alt-air door so I can't imagine how this could break.

Titan IOX-340 valve interference with rocker cover

I have a Titan IOX-340 with about 50 total hours, for which I am in the middle of a condition inspection. Compressions were all good (all 77/80 or better). However, boroscope of exhaust valves was not so good -- #4 exhaust valve shows some uneven heating. I took off the rocker cover, and it appears that the valve spring retainer (is that the rotator?) is wearing against the stamped rocker cover.

This wear is enough that it has a groove that can be felt by fingernail, worn maybe 1/3 through cover. Although clearly the valve operates, I am thinking that if the cover pushes the valve to the side, it might not rotate or settle properly.

I am hoping to be able to lap the valve in place. Sealing area "looks" ok. Has anybody else had this issue, or advice?

To torque or not to torque

Just installed 4 new Millennium Cyls to replace the ECI ones with the AD on the O320 in my RV9A

I have one mechanic telling me to torque those 2 through bolts to 65 ft pounds as marked in the foto even though I never touched them.

I have another one on the field that tells me to leave them alone.

The case only has 500 hrs or so on it.

Whose right?

In all honestly, I have a tendency to lean towards leaving them alone.

Elevator mount gap

After making sure I didn't have to replace my H-stab rear spar I figured I'd get to mounting tge elevators and the rest of section 11.

That's when I ran into a small conundrum. Instructions say to make sure to fill the gaps with 960-10 washers. As the pics show, clearly there is no gap. In fact these are significantly closer than a gap.

So the question, is thus a normal starting gap with the pre punched holes and its totaly normal to bend the brackets away from each other?
The side question is do I actually have the correct swivel link for the ms3614r?

7/20/2023.  Issue #5,867. (previous day's news).
  Tomorrow I'll start compiling the annual bullet list of RV-specific stuff at OSH'23 so I can place it up here on the front page during the show. Broken down by day.  If you see I missed some RV-specific function, please send it my way!
v/r,dr
 

Benua's hangar open house

Popped over to Dan and Sun Benua's place on Sunset airstrip for their hangar open house. It was great to catch up with all the old gang including Dan, Brent, Rion, Van, Jerry, Stan and others I don't see as much since I moved over to the coast. It's only 50 mi away now, but still. This photo features Dan's RV-3. They sold their -6A a while back, still fly the -10, and are currently building an -8. Dang.

Mag Idler Gear

Have a Lyc 0-360-A2A (Power Sport) with 2 sets of 3 yr old PMAGs on my 6A. Rt PMag wont keep its timing. When timed and prop is pulled through, the timing (which was TDC) moves 20 deg left (as viewed from the back of the fly wheel) with every full propeller rotation. I pulled the emag to bench test and all seems well there. They mentioned maybe a missing tooth on the idler gear (cant feel anything missing, but going to dig into this more when I get back to the hangar.)

The pmag had been running fine when I pulled it and was sent in for a flashing yellow light error. It would drop 100 rpm compared to the left one but thats it. When I reinstalled it ran terrible, backfired, etc. This was when I noticed that the "green light" that normally is indicated at TDC was off 20 deg per rotation. All wiring and plugs check good (tested, cleaned, re-checked for proper wiring).

If it is an idler gear, does the engine need to be torn down to repair? Thoughts?

Engine dehydrator. Plug the exhaust or not?

Hey guys. I'm starting to work on the exhaust, and due to losing the preservative oil out of the cylinders I'm building an engine dehydrator.

For those of you who did this, did you plug the exhaust in order to limit the amount of soggy shop air getting past the open exhaust valves into the dehydrator closed loop or just not worry about it?

Part of the reason for throwing together a dehydrator is that I'm leaving on a trip today and won't be able to get back to this for a bit. currently 50% humidity with 40 degree daily temp swings in KS.

Couple that with the facts that the engine has been out of the bag for 6 months or so and I just drizzled all the oil out of at least a couple of cylinders when I took the shipping caps out of the exhaust ports, and it just seems like it might be a good idea.

The fuel controller is already taped off and the dehydrator is sucking in through the breather tube And returning through the dipstick tube. I went ahead and taped off the exhaust because I figure it can't hurt

Even if it's just a placebo it was a fun exercise to put together. Once I acquired the parts from Amazon and the dollar store it went together in about an hour. The desiccant was the most expensive pet of the whole contraption.

It would be all well and good to just keep the engine in a temp controlled shop and not worry about it unfortunately I don't rate a climate controlled shop.

Fuel tank fix

Q: Just finished the cutting hole in my 6 tank baffle and prosealed the tiny leak I found. Any advice before I close it up?

A: Scotchbrite both mating surfaces of the baffle and repair kit. Clean thoroughly with acetone, butter up both surfaces before you put on the repair plate. Give it a slight twist to make sure the proseal on both surfaces are set together. Swirl the ends of the pull rivets in proseal before you set them.

A: Make a slight bevel around the edge of the cover plate on the side that contacts the baffle to make it easier to remove if necessary in future (hopefully not). Also I don't believe it's necessary to "over do" the proseal on the cover plate, it needs only a small amount per the principles in the Vans tank building video.

A: Clean the inside of the tank really well.
You will note that aluminum shavings from the hole cutting process like to stick to all the PRC seams in there, one trick is to lightly paint over those seams with left over sealant & lock the shavings in place.

Shield grounds for CDI

Apologies in advance if this is not the correct section.

Looking to interface a GNS-430W with a MD200-306 CDI. Based on the Garmin installation manual, shield grounds should be terminated at both the GNS and the CDI (first picture below). I understand that shield grounds are terminated on the GNS end via the connector backshell. However, there is no provision for terminating the shield grounds on the CDI connector backshell (second picture).

Do the cable shields need to be grounded at the CDI end? If so, how?

The Garmin manual (in note 2) seems to indicate connecting shield grounds to "aircraft chassis." Do people actually do this? Harnesses I've seen don't have any provision for shield grounding at the CDI.

Clevis pin vs cotter pin

The baggage door lock cam uses a 1/8" safety wired clevis pin to pivot on. I have some 1/8" stainless cotter pins. Any reason why I shouldn't use a cotter pin instead?

Check them flaps stops...VAC

The mighty RV-4 has manual flaps. Clever design with a simple aluminum bar connected to the flaps that locks into the side of the pilot's seat. There are some small, beveled blocks on the seat that hold the handle up (and keep flaps down) when the flaps are deployed. After a while (about 2000 hours, including lots of flap use for flight test), the bevel on the flaps 40 detent was pretty worn down. Warning, there is a bit of sporty language in the video:

It may be one of the few airplanes that has manual flaps and a flap position sensor. That sensor is part of the AOA system. If you have an AOA system, it's important that the system has an accurate calibration for each flap setting. If you watch the video closely, you'll see how the system responds when the flaps retract with a "bang" (momentary slow tone during the AOA excursion or "spike") The initial pitch-up is caused by the pitch trim change when the flaps retract uber fast. If you watch the "indexer" (military slang for the visual AOA display), you'll see that the trend indicator responds to the event (as well as the % lift indication), but it happens fast. Real fast. The tone does a better job of conveying the "slow" condition to the pilot.

7/19/2023.  Issue #5,866. (previous day's news).
 

RV-8 and the 3 Day Weekend ...ArlingtonRV RV-8

Friday and Saturday 7/14 and 7/15/23 were, while warmer than I care for, very nice days in the PNW. We went to Westport on Friday and Chehalis on Saturday and both flights were quite pleasant. We also got to get some photos and video in as well.

You can read about the whole thing here, including the video links. Of course, clicking on the photo also takes you to the object.

Garmin GHA 15 Height Advisor - New Product Announcement

Garmin is pleased to announce the GHA 15, a small and lightweight height advisor that uses radar technology to provide height above ground level (AGL) information on G3X Touch flight displays for experimental aircraft.

AGL readouts are shown on the G3X Touch display and drawn on the altitude tape or gauge at altitudes as high as 500 feet AGL. Using the readings provided by GHA 15, G3X Touch flight displays can also provide AGL audio callouts via their audio output to help keep the pilot's eyes looking outside the cockpit.  --->

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...update

When we departed Y14 it was hazy, flyable but with reduced visibility. Obviously smoke was drifting in from the wildfires in Canada with the northwesterly winds. I climbed to 9500ft and it was better there - it really cleared up just before Minneapolis and from there I had the usual good flight conditions. The landscape always seems nicer to me when water is visible and so it was when approaching Mackinac Island - my destination for the day. I stayed a little north of the direct and shortest route in order to remain in gliding distance to the shore. At the end of Lake Michigan is the Mackinac Bridge which divides Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, although technically they should be one lake, there is no natural border. So Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron and the place is just beautiful. Good airport there, no cars. So bicycles or horse carriages are the mode of transportation. I choosed to walk and inhale the nature, sure not detrimental to health. It is touristy there but hey what am I.  --->

Bucking trouble

I'm having trouble bucking the rivets on the skin side of the upper engine mount bracket flange in my RV-8. Does anyone have a suggestion on what kind of bucking bar or technique I should use on these rivets? The shop heads of the previously driven rivets are making it hard to get and keep the bucking bar in position. I drove two rivets (that will be drilled out) already and you can see how bad the shop heads are because of this.

RV-8 cockpit storage pocket

I've been looking for a good way to store frequently used loose items like sun glasses in the space under the pilot's right side armrest in my 8. I looked at a number of storage systems intended for automobiles but couldn't find one that would fit in that area. For the last year or so I've been using an automobile sun visor organizer which worked OK but it didn't fit the space well and the main pocket was a bit small.

7/18/2023.  Issue #5,865. (previous day's news).
 

Build Status...Brantel -12iS

Worked on getting the camper RV ready to go to Osh and worked on a bunch of the 12's center section aft of the center channel.

WD-1002 alignment

I know the WD-1002 brackets tend to give builders trouble but it seems like most people have to figure out how to get the top and bottom tabs pushed inwards far enough to be able to match drill them. For me it's the vertical tab that is not aligned well enough with the F-1040 upper fuse channel so the tab runs into the curved part of the channel.  --->

The mystery oil leak continues?

So I've been chasing a mystery oil leak for a few months. I'm wondering if anybody else has had this problem. Engine is a Titan 0-360. It was a kit built engine. 500 hours on the Hobbs and it hasn't missed a beat.

Engine is stock, except for a oil filter adapter. So here is where the leak is: On the baffel behind cylinder #3 there is a fine mist of oil. I thought it was coming from the oil pressure relief valve, so I replaced it. But that wasn't it.

Pulled the cowl today after a 1.8 hour flight and the fine mist was on the rear baffel like before. I have had a few other guys look and it and they shake their head like I do. Is it possible or common for the push rod tubes to leak?

Any words of wisdom are appreciated.

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (7/15-16/2023)

Where to put a battery in an RV-4 ...Roadjunkie1 PIREP

Ah, the things people do to their airplanes! And what one has to put up with after they acquire said airplane!

I wanted my (heavy lead) battery as far forward as possible to compensate for having a wooden prop but also a Landoll balancer. It is mounted on the floor, foward in the "tunnel". I also needed space to put a radio, TPX, intercom, fuel system gauges, switches and circuit breakers that would be handy. And also a place to put......what were those things called.....? Oh, yeah: charts! I designed and built a stand-alone center console that is held in place by 4 bolts, 7 screws and 5 quick-release electrical connections with two antennae connectors. Takes less than 5 minutes to pull out giving access to my far-forward battery. I also have a quick-connect terminal on the port side of the tunnel for charging the (heavy ) battery without removing the console. I really like my setup. I have flown behind this panel for over 1100 hours and the only thing I have recently changed was to put a Dynon where the RMC mUcomputer was (upper panel) and replace the (very antiquated) Trimble GPS with a remote iFly 740b. The 6 panel instruments are mounted on a shock-absorbing removal panel that I can pull out and modify without disrupting the entire panel.

My W&B turned out great and, with just me and full fuel, the elevators are perfectly lined up with the horizontal and trim is neutral. I have packed a 190 pounder back there, which was interesting, but no freaky control changes, other than a pretty light elevator! What would I change? Nothing. Long live steam gauges!!

The front office photograph was taken MANY years ago. Not much has changed except as above and the hours on the tachometer! And the throttle and mixture nobs are painted!

Things Found in Wings ....yikes

One of my favorite and most useful tools is a pair of duckbill pliers I found in the fuselage of the Cub when I first bought it....... Yeah: tool count after doing a job is pretty important....especially if it is in the fuselage or other closed place

During my USN days, we had an A-4E that we received from the USMC. Couldn't stop the fuel leaks, so we decided to replace the main fuel cell.
Found a Gov't issue office chair inside, and it kept punching holes in the fuel cell.

Friend has an RV8 built by a well known Van's builder. He recently found a bucking bar inside the wing that had been there since it was built, most likely got stuck to some proseal for awhile, finally let loose leaving several outward dents on the bottom skin of the wing.

I lost a 5/8" Craftsman combination wrench. Could not find it anywhere finally bought a new one. I found it right where I left it, inside the left wing root to hold the aft bolt. Fortunately it had done no damage, my aerobatics demonstration pilot had to be super smooth. Thanks Chad!

All was inspected before 1st flight and wrench was found 9 mo later in a total/complete deep inspection before Phase I sign-off.
I remember a maintenance crew pulling a mattress out of a C-5 wing that had been flying that way for years.

I find a few things during inspections. Like clecos riveted into RV-12 stabilator!

7/17/2023.  Issue #5,864. (previous day's news).
  Please take a moment to re-read the forum posting rules.  We've refined these over the past two decades and feel it's the best mix of what works in today's upside down world which lacks civility.  If you have a problem with 'um, an email to me is the way to go with that.  The 'why did you delete my thread' (because you violated the posting rules) back and forth has me looking forward to my next colonoscopy (it'll be more enjoyable).  Ugh. ;^)
  I hope you had a nice weekend.
 

What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (7/15-16/2023)

Seen at Richmond Aircraft Service

...my home field.  dr

Goal is to fly to Petit Jean THIS YEAR

I am helping Jules Mominee finish up his RV-7A. Goal is to fly "Wind Whisperer" to Petit Jean this year. He is tired of having to park his Mooney in the outcast area.

Checking Balance of Retreads Before Mounting

I just got a set of first run (mine) Goodyear Flight Specials back from Wilkerson for a recap. I've only had one other set of caps (Desser), and I didn't think about this then.

Here's the question: Has anyone checked the tire balance only after capping to see if the Red "dot" needs to be moved? I did, and the answer in my case is yes.

As you can see from the pic, on this tire the red dot is now at the bottom instead of at the top (light side). The other tire did not have the red dot up either, but less offset for the lightest point. Also, the tire that was 180* out of "phase", was also 4 oz. (~5%) heavier - don't know what that means. I balanced all of the rotating mass (shaft, nuts & hubs) beforehand to remove any "masking" of the real issue.

YYMV - And probably will, but I'll mount tires to wheels according to my "new" marks.

RV-3B Status Update ...David Paule

Here are the cones installed. I admit I'm not the world's greatest painter.

The baffle seal strips will include keeeper rivets for these, as they are currently only bonded on.

Since then, I've been working on the baffle seals, using McFarlane Aviation's brand of material. It has considerably lower friction than the colored silicone or the black stock material. It's easily identified either by touch on the black side or by the other side, which is gray. Part of the job are the baffle seal retainer strips I made. You can see them at the lower edges of the seals. I expect that as the cowl goes on, I'll need to tweak these a bit here or there.

Look what I found inside the wing!

I'm still building my -6A but the wings are complete and they have already been installed for rigging and then removed for painting, before final installation.

At the moment the wings are sitting vertically on supports and I just went to secure the AOA tube inside and accidentally dropped a small part that fell inside and landed on the rear spar. Retrieved it easily enough with a mirror, but also unexpectedly found an old towel that was in there. It was used during rigging to protect the aileron control tube from scratching while it was being slid out. I guess that when we removed and stored the wings the towel slipped down out of sight and it wasn't missed. It was bunched down in the same bay as the aileron bellcrank, so I'm glad I caught it now, kind of by accident, rather than later.

JD Air Fuel Rings are back!!

Hey Everyone, the JD Air Fuel rings are back. I apologize for the delay. My first vendor closed shop due to family health issues. Since then I've been developing a new design with new materials. They are made of a proprietary material 3D printed. They will withstand very high heat and have been tested with a 100LL bath.

The fuel rings are fastened on the tank and frame your fuel cap. The rings help protect your tank from the fuel nozzle when fueling. They also meet the FAA requirements for fuel display. No need to get your fuel caps engraved.

Additionally, we can do custom gallon amounts for those with aux tanks.  link

Dropped iPad implicated in fatal Rotak Chinook helicopter crash

Hangar rash

Stupid mistake, but it happened. Scraped the wing tip on a chain link pole by the fuel pump. Not the builder, so apologize for the questions.

The edge does not appear to be split, but there in a nice gouge where it ran along the pipe. It appears that the damage is mainly in filler right now, but hard to tell without sanding it out. The damage is roughly 20" from tip to the start.

I am going to feather in to the glass where the paint wrinkles are on the top and bottom. I was going to run a ~1" band and then a ~2" band using 4oz tape. Depending on the profile I may also use a 1/2" band to start. The glass will be centered along the tip edge. As it gets closer to the tip, I am just going feather out the 2" and just use a single 1" band. Going to use west systems epoxy and will try to use peal ply to weigh it down if I can get the shape to hold.

Will sand and then will mix up a slurry of micro to finalize the shape. As I get to the last 6" near the tip not sure I really can do anything with glass and will just use the micro to shape it. I am planning on making a few templates to make sure that I keep the profile as true to the original tip as possible.

I have some experience repairing glass on boats, but none on aircraft. Please poke holes in my approach.

7/14/2023.  Issue #5,863. (previous day's news).
  Please excuse the early Fri push - working an extra paper route.  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

My home field.  Hot, but almost
always VFR.  dr

EAA Technical Counselor PIREP ...DanH

The program was created pre-internet, when assistance was harder to find. Today a builder can get advice in an hour or two. As a result, quite a few builders think they have access to all they need. They're wrong (see below), but it's understandable. Why call Old Bob from your EAA chapter when you can watch a YouTube star with his own channel?

There's a flip side. The Old Bobs and the YouTube personalities have one thing in common...the quality of their advice varies widely. The TC program is not necessarily better in that regard. Different media, same folks.

So, neither is perfect. That said, here's why you want to call in a TC, or two, or three, or your whole Chapter.

Hands on instruction: Reading a description, or watching someone do something in a video, is not nearly as educational as picking up the tools while someone watches you.

Eyeballs on errors. This is The Big One. No video or forum can substitute for an eyeball inspection. And trust me, errors are always a surprise. I've yet to meet a builder who wasn't flabbergasted when his attention was drawn to a screwup which, in retrospect, was obvious as sunshine.

True story: I once built an airplane, flew off 40 hours, flew it to OSH and regional fly-ins, won prizes, and got on magazine covers...then at the first annual, discovered a nut missing where the aileron pushrods met the stick.

I had flown it the whole time with nothing holding the bolt through the rod ends. It was a humbling lesson, and to this day, you're all invited to come take a look before I do a first flight. Please. You'll be doing me a favor.

Update on Dimpled Hole Cracking on Some Laser Cut Parts

....7/12/23

Upcoming Events from the VAF Calendar

Camp Scholler - We'll Be There, Who Else?

...Alex Peterson gets this year's list started.

We plan to get there on Sunday, possibly Saturday evening staying until about Saturday. All weather dependent of course!

Oil quantity ...-12

... I replace my oil lines on the 912 uls. Burped (sound different than before) and it looked low so I added half a quart. Flew it and it ran great. I've been busy the last few weeks so I haven't flown since. Went to fly yesterday and after burping (again just a different gurgling/ burping sound than before) and the oil quantity was too high. It was beyond the hole for the dipstick. I drained some out and rechecked the quantity and it looked good. I ran it for about a half hour, oil pressure was good, and it ran nice. Shut it down and burped it again and rechecked the oil quantity and it was again way too high. Above the hole for the dipstick insert. What am I missing? Any thoughts as to why it would be too full? Thanks in advance

ForeFlight 15.6 Now Available

Hot EGTs ...-12

Yesterday was the hottest day ever measured in the Netherlands: in the 93's F.
I still flew my '12 - and enjoyed!!
However the EGT's got high, both of them the same. So high that the alarm went off and I reduced throttle.
Today I searched internet and learned a lot from causes, but I'm curious whether one of you '12 pilots encountered this problem as well - and how you coped?
High EGT means lean mixture, so when in the shop, I will
- pull plugs for evidence of leanness
- check carb's working perfectly (both EGT the same so I don't expect too much of this)
- check carb rubber for leaks (idem)
- choke lever range complete (idem)
- fuel filter for debris
- idle screw for 2 turns open
Some site recalled the wrapping of the exhaust pipes to reduce heat under the cowl. that might be a solution in the future.
To think I just (20 hrs ago) added an oil thermostat to quicker heat up oil during run-up...
All ideas highly appriciated!!

7/13/2023.  Issue #5,862. (previous day's news).
 

RE: Brake Cooling on a Tightly Panted Wheel ...DanH

With the previous sealed pants I made it a point to be conscious of brake temperature. It had the standard thin disks, so very little margin even when well vented.

Here I left a cutout at the caliper. Would have needed a bump to clear it anyway. And this time I mounted thicker disks for more kinetic energy capacity.

Venting CO2 (dry ice)

I'd like to be able to carry a couple days' worth of fresh food on my summer Virginia to Oregon trips and ice in a cooler melts too quickly. If I were to use dry ice, I'd be concerned about CO2 accumulating in the cabin. The two air vents' breeze is evacuated out the gaps in the slider canopy and aft of the luggage compartment, but it would likely be safer to send it more directly overboard.
If I were to plumb a hose through the luggage compartment cover, would there be enough air movement to evacuate the CO2 out the openings in the empennage? Does anyone have experience making this or other options work?

MK319BS too short?

This looks like the rivet is too short. Is that true? If so what is a longer version of the MK319BS?

Part number for this Vans (?) Firewall Pass-through?

Can anyone tell me the part number for this throttle-cable firewall pass-through?

I believe it is a Vans part, but I did not find it on their website.

Flap actuator jam nut

My excuses if this is a stupid question but I didn't find a part number of the jam nut at the bottom of the ES-85615-157 flap motor actuator. The one that is safety wired by SB07-4-12. I also didn't find the part number of the rod end bearing on DWG33.

Can anybody please tell me the torque value for that jam nut on the flap actuator.
thanks in advance.

gr from Belgium
Jurgen

Removing bolts

Does anyone have an idea on the best way to remove this type of bolts, or perhaps they should be called rivets? What is their name?

7/12/2023.  Issue #5,861. (previous day's news).
 

Carbon fiber plenum for the RV-8

Really happy about the way this turned out. It just snaps into place.

Engine baffling/baffle seal

Hey all, I recently purchased a flying RV-7 that has consistently high oil temperatures (210-225). It has the IO-360-A1B6 (angle valve, 200hp) engine.

First off, it doesn't appear to have all of the baffling/baffle seal installed relative to other RV's I have seen (at least in the front). Is there a schematic somewhere that shows what it is supposed to have?

Single brake hose setup pics...pls

Q: Vans plans are for the dual brakes even though single brakes are 'standard'.  Well I'm only putting in pilot brakes (pls no trying to convince me otherwise) and I have no instructions.  Does anyone have any good pics of a single brake install? I've been looking at builder logs and those I've seen were either dual brakes or single on a taildragger.  I'm building the 7A btw.

A:

Houston area monthly lunch (July 2023)

Well, the calendar has lined up nicely this year for the third weekend in July to not overlap with OSH, so that takes away an excuse for folks to miss this lunch gathering.

Let's get together at the old standby of Hooks this month, for burgers or what-have-you. Hope to see you all there!

Where: Aviator's Grill at Hooks (KDWH)
When: Saturday, 7-15, 11:30 AM

Announcement- Oshkosh aircraft parking & thunderstorms ...Jeff Point

Good morning,

The big show is just a few days out, and there has been a lot of discussion lately about the aircraft parking arrangements at Oshkosh. For those of you who don't know me I'm one of the chairs of Homebuilt Parking (which includes camping) so I'm involved in the planning and implementation of the parking plan.

We're well aware of the damage that resulted during last year's big storm on the weekend before the show, and we've tracked all the discussions about which direction to park airplanes, gust locks, tie downs and the like. We've had a lot of discussions among ourselves and with EAA staff. Bottom line is this- we're not going to make any wholesale changes to the parking scheme, but we will accommodate individual requests as best we can.

Within the boundaries of Homebuilt Parking, we literally have aircraft parked facing all four cardinal directions, in order to make best use of the limited space that we have. If you look around the airport at large, you'll see as well that there are aircraft facing all four directions. So, the idea that we should park every single aircraft facing west just is not practical. For example on the flight line (where my tube & fabric homebuilt will be tied down) the rows are aligned E-W with aircraft parking N-S. There is no practical way to re-align those rows without impacting the flow of traffic or reducing the number of aircraft we can accommodate.

We do understand that there are some folks who are pretty hard over about facing their aircraft west, and we will do our best to accommodate that. If you find yourself in a row facing east and you want to turn your airplane around to face west, that is certainly acceptable. The trick is that you must keep your aircraft within the lateral boundaries of the parking row so that you don't stick out into the taxi lane. We keep the taxi lanes pretty tight (between 60-80 feet depending on the section) so that we can maximize the number of aircraft we can fit, and we need to keep the lanes clear.

While I have the floor I'll make my pitch for good tie downs. Don't be that guy who insists on facing a certain direction then uses tent stakes to tie down. That guy is going to get the bar tab from the Monday beer social! Invest in good tie downs and use them properly per the manufacturers instructions. If you use the Claw, that means straight up and down, not at an angle, and certainly not at an angle. The photo below is a textbook example of exactly how not to use the Claw.

Fly safe, READ THE NOTAM and I look forward to seeing everyone next week.

Strange Oil Pressure readings

I am a non builder owner of an RV-7 is an O360 A1A with fuel injection added after (so now an IO360 I suppose) and a constant speed prop. On the Skyview my oil pressure gauge has 2 "green ranges" with a red line at about 90 but green above that seems to top about 120psi. I can't seem to find any data on high oil pressure of an indicator with two "green" areas of pressure. I've been seeing 115 PSI which is in the green band but from what I have read seems high?

My question is really three:
1. Is that oil pressure normal/okay for my engine?
2. Is the indicator with two split green arcs normal?
3. If the oil pressure is not okay, what are the normal remedies to fix it? I have seen many low oil pressure posts but can't seem to find anything for high pressure.

JD Air Parts, Last call for Osh delivery

Hi Everyone,

Friday at 2359 hours will be the last opportunity to order for delivery at AV. Remember the discount code is AV2023 for 10% off anything in the product line. In the notes section, advise you'd like Oshkosh delivery. The discount runs through the end of the month.

If you'd like to pay cash at Oshkosh send me an email at jdairparts@gmail.com with what you'd like and I'll bring it along.

Thanks for the great support everyone. See you soon.

Wheelpant Gap Seals ...DanH

Molded some urethane and glass to make wheelpant gap seals for my new pants, which are mounted much higher over 380-150's.

These seals match the exterior profile of the pants, the idea being to be symmetrical top and bottom. The tire cutout shown here is preliminary, and will be trimmed more upon installation.

Checklist for Ditching in the Ocean ...SuperCubDriver

Ok here it goes:
I developed a checklist for ditching in the ocean. If engine fails first thing is do a restart, switch tank, boost pump on, ignition and so on. If no restart make emergency call immediately and activate ELT, PLB and Emerg button on satellite tracker. PLB and satellite tracker in pockets of drysuit so they are with me when leaving the plane. Declare emergency on ATC frequency, when not in contact (there are stretches without radio contact) try 121.5, usually airliners are listening to it, or 123.45. Then shutdown according checklist and prepare for ditching. RV's are surely not the best when it comes to ditching and I would expect a flipover, if not egress would be easier. Land parallel to swells or into the wind, I would most probably only use flaps 20, don't need the extra drag and elevator authority is better. I expect a hard touch into the water and fear to bang my head onto the rollover bar which could knock me out which in turn could ruin my day! That is why I wear a helmet, would be good over rugged terrain also, but at least drowning is not a risk there. I imagine that when under the water upside down no matter what you want to get your head above the surface. My thinking was have a snorkel to cover the time fiddeling with seat belts and other obstructions doing this. Then when safely out of the plane don't loose it and the equipment, I'm not in a swimming pool and there might be wind and waves. So I'm connected to the plane with ropes, also the emergency equipment, everything stays together. My plane would not sink so will have all the time I need which makes me kind of relaxed. I have foam in the wings to displace water so it is buoyant. Then retrieve equipment, life raft and others. Time is critical in cold water, so best is have gloves on according checklist. When all was successful make yourself noticable again with satellite tracker, PLB, Satphone or handheld. Having more options is sure better than relying on only one devise. Of course a drysuit or immersion suite is a must for protection against the cold. It is of utmost importance that it is closed (checklist item). I would expect rescue within a few hours in coastal waters but much longer in the middle of the ocean where helicopters are out of range. I learned that even civil ships will be diverted but this takes time. They have an emergency network and are connected to aviation when things go bad.
I could go on but hope this is a quick reply to the question.

Flying over the Atlantic in a SE plane is not for everyone. On the other hand we take risks even on our breakfast flights. A lot of planning, investment for equipment which I hopefully never need for the worst case! The flight itself is the fun part, the preparation is 99 percent of it.

So in one sentence: Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Bronze/Copper flakes in oil

Hello all I have a new to me RV7 with an O-360 the engine last had an overhaul in 2001 and currently has about 900 hours on it. During the last two oil changes i have performed i noted small particles on bronze and copper colored metal in the filter paper. Both times i did an oil analysis and it showed no abnormal wear metals in the oil. The oil suction screen is also completely clean. The material im seeing is not magnetic. Im guessing if i collected the material it would not be more then a 1/4 teaspoon based off what im seeing, and no pieces bigger then a broken pencil lead.

I have sent the pics both time to my mechanic and he has said no issues and this can be normal, but it still bothers me. I drained he oil today im seeing what looks like glitter same colored particles, my mechanic also said this is normal for high time engines.

Is this normal? and if not where can i begin investigating to find a cuase? what produces "copper" color particles in he engine?

7/11/2023.  Issue #5,860. (previous day's news).
   A nice person helped me out here a few years back printing a large poster for our airport and I can't remember their name. I have a current need to print an actual size panel (for a turboprop paper tiger I'm building in my office). Side hustle.  I have a PDF file that is more than sharp enough...just need access to something that can print something 4' wide.
  Anyone who can help is much appreciated. Memory items and flows to learn, and this helps my 9-celled brain.
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (7/8 - 7/9/2023)

...more entries.

Lower Cowl Contouring/Shaping vs a bump out

Now that I have my cowling fitted and close to being finished, I have a couple of concerns that may/may not happen once the engine settles. Right now, my Vetterman Trombone exhaust is about a 1/4 to 3/8" from the lower cowl. The Vetterman folks said this was ok would be nice if it was a little more. Second, I had to cut out a section to allow my horizontal induction mixture control to clear. So, rather than add a couple of bump outs, "Pimples", on the lower cowl, I am considering going to the extreme by lowering the bottom center about an 1" to clear the exhaust and the mixture control. With that, are there any gotchas and tips I should be aware of before heading down this path with regard to cowl structural integrity or the what glass to use, etc?
Here is a picture of what I have in mind. The "X" on the right is where the #2 exhaust tube is located and the square hole is where the mixture control linkage is located.

RV-7 to 7A

Un-started -7 Fuselage kit, thinking of building as a 7A. Understand from Mothership I need a "7A Fuse unique outright kit". Tried searching to no avail, any ideas of complete parts list or where I can find the mentioned kit, before I contact them again.

EZ-STOP RV-8 Canopy "Half" Stop

EZ-STOP is a little tool to hold RV-8 canopies (sliders) in an intermediate position for single pilot ops.

There are certainly other options out there: The pinned "teardrop", the commercial "set up" pin from FlyBoys, so mine is really just another (less expensive) way to do it. Mine, has a "detent" (CW rotation) when retracted so the lock is non invasive when a passenger is aboard and the canopy needs to open completely.

Mine differs a bit from the FlyBoys offering in that the mounting plate is slightly curved to match the mating curve of the canopy rail - that "fit" makes for a more robust connection.

I have a few left over from my last batch. If anybody wants one, I've got around $10 in parts + shipping costs should do it.

Just PM me and I'll send one out. Once they are gone, they're gone - unless someone else wants to start producing them, and then ???.

The time "stamp" on the PM will determine order - thx.

HFS

Tailwheel Bearing Interference

I noticed my Tailwheel would squeak pulling the plane in the hanger after 60 Hours. Rotating by hand it felt gritty. When it was first installed it was very smooth.

I replaced the tailwheel with the sealed bearing version.

When I removed the old one it was obvious one bearing was ruined. A closer look showed that there was enough misalignment in the tail wheel fork to pinch the bearing race and distort it.

The new wheel is thinner and allows washers to be added to get the forks to clear the races.

AirVenture 2023 grounds update- ground is hard as a rock

I spoke with an Airventure volunteer that just returned from a work party. The grass is beyond brown and the ground is so hard it is cracking. We all hope for rain very soon will provide some relief. A few things to consider:
-It may be a real challenge to pound in tent stakes or set airplane tie down anchors
-Rain water during the show is likely to puddle or run rather than settle into the hard ground.

-8 Build Status Report ...Webb

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.

7/10/2023.  Issue #5,859. (previous day's news).
  I hope you had a nice weekend and got to fiddle around with your RV plane and/or project a few hours.
 

Hydra's -8

Rob 'Smokey' Ray's F-16 buddy 'Hydra' flies this -8.  Smokey sent me the pic and I thought it would make a nice Monday splash image.  dr

(full size)

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...latest update

Next day flew to Corona airport to visit Aircraft Spruce, there is always something I need. Usually what I really need I remember when I left the store!
I met Steve there, he has a wonderful RV-8 with very meticulously done detail work. He made molds for parts, and the parts just look perfect, I saw a lot of work there!  --->

Update from Greg @ Vans RE: Parts with Laser Cut Holes and Potential for Cracks

Here's the initial info (7/4) from the factory.  Greg posted two updates over the weekend in the forums.

Weekend Update 1:
Our team continues to work diligently on updated information, including finalizing the list we will publish of all parts from each kit that were laser-cut at any point in time between February 2022 and June 2023. The number of kits, parts, and permutations that we need to review, check, and validate is significant so it is taking some time. Our staff is working late this evening and into the weekend if necessary to complete this, and we will post the information as soon as that process is complete..

The list will include classification information for each part and, where and when applicable, testing-related information. In addition, once the list is published we will begin emailing customers who received kits during the time period that could contain affected parts.

I will post another update here, and we will update the information on our website when the parts list and other information are available.

Weekend Update 2:
I wanted to answer a few questions here before gets to be tomorrow. Can't get to them all tonight, but there have been a few themes, so...  --->

Sunday Evening Update: (factory site)

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (7/8 - 7/9/2023)

RV14A - Scotland ...new user chimes in

Hey everyone, after a couple of years of going between building and not, I've decided to jump in! Order the tail & wings kits, hopefully the tail kit isn't too far away so I can start building.

At the moment I'm keeping busy with getting the workshop prepared, reading articles, watching YouTube and getting myself as prepared as possible. I've already completed the toolbox project, I have the wing section next, and then the light box.

RicoB Daily RV Pic Entry

Must be time for more friends

Soooo...
After the last few months of taking care of house projects I can get back to building! Trying to plug away and make progress on my -10 build but have reached the point of attaching the tailcone aft top skin where my arms just ain't long enough.

The local friend group claim to be eager to help, until they're asked to actually help. Or not available till Aug

So anybody near enough to the Bonney Lake, Wa are that would like to help buck a few dozen rivets?
I can provide general kibitzing, awkward silences', and cold refreshments afterwards.
__________________
Eric Bell

RV-10 #42683

7/7/2023.  Issue #5,858. (previous day's news).
  Picked up a SIC side hustle Thursday with a person in a thing to a place and back.  CA picked me up at my airport in his RV-8, saving me about an hour of rush hour driving - two worlds colliding.  Here's DFW from FL280 later in the morning.  In this one shot: where I flew R/C planes in the 80's, where I built our -6, where we live now and where I worked in cubes for 20 years in I.T..  Circle of life <g>.  RVs make life easier sometimes.
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.

(enlarge)

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...update

A few day trips today. When I arrived at the Torrance airport after the overcast burned away and asked to open the door to the apron the man in the office remembered me from 2019, even some details from back then. Chatted for a while then flew via the LAX Special Flight Rules Area to Santa Paula for a late breakfast and chilled there for a while.

Hamburger Social at 3T3 July 18th

Hi all, just wanted to let those of you around WI and MN know about the hamburger social we are hosting at 3T3 on the evening of July 18th from 5-7PM, hope to see some RVs there.

[ed. Added to the VAF Calendar.  v/r,dr]

Brantel -12 Update

So to follow up on the issue with dried up lube on the Cherry rivets from Vans, I ordered a few from Aircraft Spruce to replace the ones that did not pull correctly. Since they are so close to me, stuff shows up fast.

So true to my luck, the replacements are a different brand and do not look the same as the ones Vans provides after correct pulling. The lock is engaged but the shop tail looks different.

My OCD can't handle it so I just ordered more from Vans to ensure I get the same brand. Hopefully I will get all of them looking and pulling the same!

Two of these do not look like the others!

Delay riveting aft upper skin? ...-8

As I have posted in my build thread, I'm building in the basement of my NYC townhouse, which is going to make removing the plane an interesting endeavor. I'm going to be doing some slight modifications to the basement exit that will allow the fuselage to be removed to street level. I'm trying to make removal as easy as possible, so I am thinking about not riveting the aft upper skin and upper bulkheads to the fuselage until I get the plane to the hangar. This would significantly reduce the height of the tail, which will help when I have to angle the fuselage through the opening to the street. However, I want to complete the canopy work before removing the fuselage.

So my question is--will there be any interference issues between the canopy and the clecos holding the aft upper skin on? Maybe I could cleco from the inside? Are there any other issues than the clecos that I'm missing that would make this not feasible?

High / Erratic EGT on Cylinder #4 (IO 320)

I need help on this one. This started about 2 months ago. My number 4 Cylinder's EGT started ruining about 150 deg. higher lean of peek than normal in an oscillating manner. See data chart.

What I've done;
Replace EGT prob
Replaced both spark plugs
Replaced both ign wires
Switch injector with Cylinder #2

The engine runs perfectly smooth. Max speed has not changed.
Climb out is normal for all 4 EGT temperatures. This only happens lean of peek.

But at startup the #4 EGT is about half (500 deg) vs (1000 deg) on the other three. At runup #4 catches up with the other three.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Fuel tank leak advice

Working on the second fuel tank, Rv6a. Found a leak where the skin meets the rear baffle. I think the skin was not flat against the baffle flange when it got riveted. My repair idea is to remove four or five rivets, force proseal into the gap and rivet. Is this a viable solution or any one have an alternative.

Rudder Gust Lock for OSH 2023 ...plehrke

After looking through lots of posts on several threads (mainly this one from last year) I have determined that my best chance to avoid rudder damage, should a thunderstorm with high winds happen again this year, is to use a combination or two gust locks; one holding bottom and one holding top.
The first is the one from AntiSplat Aero. Just bought it so no personal experience yet, but based on reviews I have seen, I think it will work OK. It is a little awkward to install since the center of my rudder peddles (centered between side of fuselage and battery box) is not directly in line with my stick. The center of my rudder peddles on pilot side are about 1" left (outbd) of the stick position.
The second rudder gust lock is a homemade upper rudder holding fixture I made in about an hour from $10 of stuff bought at Lowe's. It fits very snug and works well to limit any movement of the rudder.
Parts list:
(2) 30" pieces of 3/4" PVC tubing
6' pipe insulation foam for 3/4" pipe (cut into multiple pieces)
(3) 1/4-20 bolts length (2) 5" and (1) 4". (I would have preferred eye bolt with longer threaded sections but Lowe's did not have any)
(3) 1/4-20 wings nuts
(6) 1/4" washers
Several pieces of 1/4" ID rubber tubing
Reuse of one "remove before flight" flag

7/6/2023.  Issue #5,857. (previous day's news).

What did you do w/your RV this July 4th holiday weekend (2023)

...more entries

What Coax connectors are these?

I'm ready to go to Coax School, so I went through all my boxes and antennas to see which connectors I need (rookie here) but these have me stumped. On the rear of a Garmin GNC 355 are the connections for Comm and GPS, but what are they? No threads. No bayonets. Just a clean conical place.

Cowling Needs Filler, or ??

Howdy everyone. Please take a look at the video link below at the 4:00 mark. It shows the misalignment I am having with both outside corners of my engine cowlings. The rest of the cowlings look great. I tried to fill in those areas with a flox and epoxy mix, but 24 hours later, while sanding, it just kinda chipped off and I could not get it to feather in nicely. I did not prep the surface, it was pretty smooth. (I'm an idiot and totally missed surface prep...)

The epoxy/flox deal is quite easy and I hoped that would work, but...how about some type of JB Weld, or...?

Much obliged.

Cables Thru Wiring Channel

Q: I'm installing a Stein circuit breaker panel and the Van's power module brackets. It has been difficult to route power wires from circuit breaker panel, WH-00125 harness, antenna cables, and pitot/static/AOA lines through F-14106 wiring channel and secure all.

Has anyone else experienced this difficulty? Are there any images available showing this routing? Feedback is appreciated.

A: If I understand correctly, you're having trouble getting all the wires to fit up through the "C" shaped supports on which the fuse panel is mounted. I found they won't fit without risking a short.

My solution is below:

Cup Holders

(Karetaker) Pictures of my simple plywood console.

(Scott Hersha) I also stole the chalk bag idea. Works very well. At first I had a one piece bracket velcroed to the front seat pan flange, but the Velcro didn't hold well, so I modified the bracket to make it a two piece with the lower half riveted to the seat pan flange. Upper bracket part is riveted to the chalk bag and attached to the lower bracket with a #8 screw/platenut.

7/5/2023.  Issue #5,856. (previous day's news).

What did you do w/your RV this July 4th holiday weekend (2023)

RV-12 - Yes it's a cross country traveler! 2,300nm / 14 states / 8 days

I'm posting this in the RV-12 section, to strengthen the claim that the 12 is in fact a great option for long distance travelling (albeit at sight-seeing ground speeds). Fellow RV-12 pilots, David Valcik & Jeff Vaughan, and I headed west last September from NJ/PA to the "RV Gathering" at Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas, which of course attracts around 100 RVs and others every fall and is incredibly well organized. Highly recommended for your bucket list as mentioned on here by many others.  --->

Vernatherm Seat Face Tool

Anyone have a homemade (or not) Vernatherm seat surfacing tool?

I am chasing a high oil temp problem. I replaced my Vernatherm with an (assumed) good one, and my temp problem got way worse. Looking at my old Vernatherm, it looks like it was wearing pretty bad, with a very solid indented ring, and maybe not completely round on the mating wear? I also measured my old Vernatherm at 185*, and it measured correctly right at 3.280 of the spec (at the wear ring).

My engine is an O-360, 1250 hours, in an RV-6. Never had any trouble until all of a sudden the last couple of flights oil was reaching 215* at cruise. Verified gauges and all that already (I have 2, a mechanical old Van's one at the back of the filter adapter, and a JPI in the port on the front oil galley. They agree within 8* of each other, and both are showing hot).

I have purchased the 62415 plunger and 69436 spring to test with, hopefully removing the Vernatherm from the equation for troubleshooting, but in the meantime, has anyone had success honing the seat face?

Here are 2 photos of the old vernatherm, hopefully you can see what I mean about the wear marks. Each photo is 180* rotation.

Oshkosh 2023 - 7th Annual HBC Beer Tasting - Sunday 7/23

HBC Sunday Night Beer Tasting is on again at the HBC Pavilion.

Other than last year, I've assisted Mike since the beginning.
This is Mike's creation, but will not be available this year and asked me to spearhead the event.

I would like to return to the original intent of this event, where everyone brings in a local brew, so everyone can sample beers from all over the US.
Please... (no Bud Light, Busch, Lite... These are not local brews.)
If you didn't bring your local brew, Spotted Cow will be accepted. Support the Oshkosh local economy.

This is not an EAA sanctioned event.

Simple Rules.
This is a NOT a Free Beer event. You must contribue a 6 pack to participate.
You must be 21 years old. Please don't ruin this for the future. We're watching.
Be mindful of others in the pavilion that are not participating in this event.
Clean up after yourself.
Drink Responsibly.

We will kick off the event at 5pm!
We will start setting up and accepting beer to chill down around 3pm.
We will have a donation jar to pitch in for the ice. We've been fortunate in the past that donations exceeded the ice expense supplied by HBC. Thank you.

Special Thanks to Jerry, Jay & the HBC leadership for allowing this event.
Please PM me if you'd like to volunteer with the set up & icing.


Oshkosh's policy has been, no outside alcohol through the gates, which they have seem to been cracking down on more and more each year. So be creative, find somewhere to sneak it over/under the fence, get the Welcome Wagon to help you get it through the gate, bribe the guard!

See you all there in a few weeks.

[ed. Added to the VAF Calendar.  v/r,dr]

Fuel Tank Tabs ...-.8

Curious for an answer, does anyone know what these tabs represent in both fuel tanks of our RV8?

There are four tabs, the bottom of which is the "tallest", and it is located facing forward. These tabs are all one piece and this component is hanging from the top of the fuel tank. There are four tabs total with the top tab facing aft and alternating as they extend deeper into the tank. You can also see the reflection of the tabs on the fuel in the tank.

My guess is that since each tank is 21 gallons, that the top of each tab is approximately 5 gallons while the plane is on the ground, with a full top off being slightly above the top tab at 21 gallons, but I am not certain and I don't know whether or not to trust the tank fuel info on the Dynon.

Before I drain a tank and fill it up a few gallons at a time, has anyone seen these before that could give me an accurate answer?

State-of-the-Art custom paint-shop for RVs

Welcoming a new advertiser.

Fulltron Aviation's state-of-the-art paint shop specializes in custom painting of new RV's. Fulltron is located at Springfield Downtown Airport (3DW) in Springfield, MO. Marlin Fullerton, owner of Fulltron Aviation, also manages Downtown Airport, and flies competition aerobatics. The paint shop specializes in painting all experimental aircraft, but they especially love working with RV builders to get that perfect custom paint scheme for their dream plane. Fulltron's staff includes an A&P/IA who has built six experimental aircraft, including RV's. The website is www.FulltronAviation.com  417-862-2418

7/4/2023.  Issue #5,854. (previous day's news).

In Congress, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776, "Had a Declaration..."

(Page 3)
Philadelphia July 3d. 1776

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

July 3, 2023  Issue #5,853. (previous day's news).
  Any chance there are AMEs reading this site that are RV fans?  I have a friend with a question and I'd like to get you two together.
  Hope you had a great Sat/Sun and your Mon is going fine.  No edition tomorrow, other than the yearly transcript of the Declaration of Independance. 
 

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour update ...Johnson/Big Creek

Now I am here in Johnson Creek already for three days - it was like coming home. This airstrip is surely one of my favourite, really love it - the place itself, the people here and the surroundings. No need to find things out, just be here, put the tent beside the airplane and be part of the group.  --->

From Greg @ Mothership

Any Audio Engineers? - no left channel

I built my audio system around a PMA8000B audio panel and have been having issues with my left channel being very faint (barely there) in both the pilot and copilot headsets. As the left channel is all using separate wires for both my sources and outputs, I presumed that something internal to the audio panel had failed. I replaced the audio panel recently with a known working same model, the problem persists.

I've attached the audio harness wiring diagram. Is it possible that a short or a dropped pin on one of the left channel inputs or outputs would cause the whole left channel to fade out? I can only think of the music jack and the headsets that would be unswitched, so probably one of those. Or a short anywhere else that might give the same outcomes.

I'm seriously considering rebuilding my entire harness (I do have a spare connector kit for the PMA) or even designing an entire new audio system around a DIY mixer (biggest benefit is that I would understand it). I'm prone to rabbit holes so I really should stay away from the latter, especially since I already own 2 audio panels that likely have nothing wrong with them.

I hope someone can spot something. I can live with this issue, but I'd really like it fixed.

What did you do w/your RV this July 4th holiday weekend (2023)

Tailwheel chain link fix

The chain link clip on my RV6 bent as shown in the picture, likely taxing over grooves or recesses on the pavement. What fix would you recommend (I'm not the builder so any suggestion is welcome)? Is there somethin sturdier than these clips?

June 30, 2023  Issue #5,852. (previous day's news).
  Any chance there are AMEs reading this site that are RV fans?  I have a friend with a question and I'd like to get you two together.  Next: today is the last day of 'Scammer Awareness Month' here on the site.  Learn it.  Know it.  Live it.   Be the full hot orator.  Trust nobody on the internet without all kinds of detailed, visual FaceTime/Zoom real-time proof...and even then be very, very careful.
  FYI there will be a Monday edition (but not Tuesday on the 4th).  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend. 
 

RV-12 Trailer Discussion ...Stuart Grant

We see further "standing on the shoulders of giants" - Issac Newton
Lots of giants on the Van's Air Force Forums.

Found some photos of David Kroner's trailer tail support system which are attached. I feel very lucky that he so carefully thought through his design and has shared it. He apparently uses various foam cushions (of different densities?) to dampen vibrations. He also attaches the tail tiedown ring to a rubber block. He does not use a stand like what I made for my build.  --->

June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.

 1. Demand a FaceTime/Zoom call w/any seller.
 2. Don't send more than you're willing to lose.
 3. Change your password a few times each year.
 4. Read every word in the link below.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.

Horizontal Stabilizer Rear Spar Hole Misalignment

Hi everyone, first time poster here. I started my build last month and am just riveting my horizontal stabilizer this past week. I just put on the rear spar assembly and am running into my first big issue (besides ruining 2 ribs ).

When attaching it, the first side, as in top or bottom, that I cleco fits perfect. No issues at all. When I flip to cleco the other side, every hole is misaligned slightly to the side.

There isn't really anything I can do to force it to the side, and I really don't want to ream the holes. I've also tried flipping the rear spar thinking I mislabeled the left and right, but the issue remains and rib attachment points no longer fit perfectly.

Anyone have any advice?? Thanks!!

Stand Alone AOA ...olyolson PIREP

I just did this with my RV-8 and researched a couple options.

What am i seeing on this piston?

I had another look inside one of my cylinders with the new Ablescope today. One the piston, i see these two little raised thingies (I don't know how else to describe it)... see the picture below. What am i seeing here?

$35 Hangar Security ...CATPart

I bought a 35 dollar dash-cam, and a 128GB memory card. It loop records 2 days of video. If I find an issue at the hangar then I at least have those 2 previous days to review. No internet required, just need USB power to run it.

Doc Pouch ...Scott Hersha PIREP

AW certificate, registration in this pouch from Sporty's (local to me) - first pic.

Op Limitations, W&B, Ohio yearly registration, and a couple other necessities in a robust zip vinyl bag in my side storage compartment, along with some other things - second pic.

In the first pic is also a couple rock climbers chalk bags to hold water bottle, wallet, keys, etc. There's a couple zippered compartments in the side of the bag for misc items. This was recommended by someone here on this website for storage/water bottle storage. I like it.

Found Single Point Failure in Some Heritage Ignition Systems

I found a single point failure in ignition systems that use a switch having a BOTH position.

I had a ACS FAA-PMA ignition switch in my RV9A short out during takeoff and ground out BOTH mags, engine went dead. Plane had 10 hours on the Hobbs.

During run up, at 1700 RPM all is normal.
But during takeoff at 2300 RPM both mags would cut out momentarily, This was experience as a stutter in the engine.

After convincing myself it couldn't be the switch, I changed the switched to a Cessna 152 part and all is well.

Theory: turns out the P-leads from the magnetos have high voltage on them when the engine is operating. I read something like 300 V at 1700 RPM and 500 Volts at cruise RPM. if the BOTH position develops a high voltage short, then it will shutdown BOTH mags. They are not independent redundant systems with a common switch.

I am changing to two locking toggle switches with a Key start soon.

I would like to find a high voltage tester to see where the breakdown is occurring.

June 29, 2023  Issue #5,851. (previous day's news).
  The US National Heat Index map is at red line around the southeast.  Not much RVating going on at my location here in N.TX.  Wiped down the 'ol girl and checked on a few things, but shortly thereafter crawled under an a/c vent.  Looking forward to that RV-15 shade-creating wing!
 

Power Outage Affecting Van's Wed Afternoon - Closed

Wed 2155Z: "Due to a power outage (a large truck took out a power pole), Van's is without power and will need to close for the remainder of the day. Sorry for the inconvenience."

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...latest update

In Anacortes I refueled the airplane with nicely priced Avgas of 5.60 per Gallon. Wanted to explore the islands there again and Ken accompanied me in formation up to Friday Harbor where we separated. A Bonanza landed behind me and the pilot and me started a conversation which lasted for the whole visit there. Then Arlington for another 2-ship-formation, I'm a bit rusty and that's ok, this makes me strive for more. The next day island hopping again - this area is beautiful. Orcas Island, Roche Island and again Friday Harbor, my favourite. From there I flew west along Seattle to Tacoma where Kai and Miko received me and offered all the help needed. Kai let me drive his truck so I went around by car this time and also visited the Museum of Flight in Seattle where I have been several times already. I can't get enough at looking planes and always discover new things. On this stay I also learned something about heart surgery - not really aviation related but the aviation talk was always going on otherwise.

Air filter popped out in flight ...Draker

Well, this was unexpected. I came home from a short (1.2hr) test flight, and lo and behold during my post-flight walk-around I saw this inside my air inlet:

Video Monitoring of Exhaust Systems - Anyone?

Any VAFer out there done any video monitoring of their exhaust system in flight?

Thanks in advance.

RV-15 Prototype at OSH ...Greg

Trade? RV6,7A for tail wheel parts ...THE Jay Pratt

Swap Nose for Tail

I have RV6A and would like to trade for RV tail wheel parts
Engine mount gear legs mounts, tail wheel spring.
Dynafocal 1.

I could use a Roll over bar, and a canopy frame, for RV6,7,9.

Text,,, 817-271-zero 5 ninner 4
I'm in Ft Worth, Texas

Thanks
__________________
Jay Pratt

Hangar Water Source

A few years ago I purchased a 50'X50' hangar at KBUU. The airport is owned by the city so they own the land the hangar sits on which I lease from them at a very reasonable cost.

One of the issues is the ability to have water in the hangar for washing my hands, the airplane, etc. My lease explicitly states I am not to put in a well of any kind, not even a sand point, although some have.
I was at a friends hangar and saw what he did so I copied his idea, sort of, and came up with my own setup. There is also information available on the web.

The setup is a dehumidifier draining into a condensation pump which pumps the water into a blue barrel, some dehumidifier's have internal pumps mine does not. The barrel also has an overflow line running outside, this eliminates the need to shutdown the dehumidifier if the barrel gets full. The water is then pumped from the barrel to a sink or hose on demand via an motor home type pump with a pressure switch.  --->

Greg's RV-9A ...update

Installed horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Torques fasteners. No surprises so far. Progress on the "new" factory floor.

June 28, 2023  Issue #5,850. (previous day's news).
   Might you have sold or bought your RV project or plane using the VAF Classifieds? If things went smooth for you, please take a moment to reflect on the fact that you weren't forced to pay to list/ask for it, and there wasn't a broker involved. Since this site is 95+% our family income, I need to remind folks of the honor system donate link over on the left every now and then.
   Sorry for the commercial, but it's time for dentist, blood workup and skin checks - the kinds of things a 1-person self insured small business owner pays out of pocket. ;^)
   God Bless you gonzo, RV-obsessed folks that help me keep the ship afloat.
   v/r,

Fixing broken RV7A leg fairing

Q: My RV7A gear leg fairing broke right above the hose clamp. On my plane that's all that holds it on. The upper part floats. Is there a better way to fix this?  Metal reinforcement or another way to attach it.

A: Flange clamp.  Difficult to describe but I made a clamp. The finger thing didn't feel like a solid long term solution.  Photo explains it pretty well. Two screws inboard and two outboard hold the fairing to the clamp. There's one other hole inboard to adjust the breeze clamp. Once it's all adjusted, the fairing comes off or on with the four screws.  Final iteration has the nutplates off set so they clear each other. I made four before I was happy.

Extra Holes ...Brantel -12

Anyone know what these extra holes are for in the main center section assembly?  They are right above the ones that get countersunk.

Tailpipe/exhaust to fuselage heat shielding

Q: I have an AWI 4-1 exhaust (I'll refrain from commenting for now). It will be pretty tight to the fuse. Picture is attached but a little tough to see because of reflections.

There's a plethora of scattered info regarding heat shielding the the affected area: stainless sheet, titanium sheet, fiberfrax layer, application method, interior/exterior, etc.

Can anyone share some pix/methodology/lessons learned here? Pix would help. RV4, 8, Rocket would be the closest matches but anything would be appreciated.

A: Scott, the -8 is by far the easiest. Throw away the aluminum ramp panel. If not done already, carefully seal the seams in the belly recess. Install a one piece stainless ramp. Seal the perimeter carefully. SS pulled rivets are fine. Polish it if you like.

Should you install an insulator inside? Plain ceramic refractory fiber is inert. The only risk is corrosion potential if an electrolyte is introduced, which should be low probability with good sealing. Shoot the aluminum in the recess with a good epoxy primer. Adding a top coat would be even better.

Hobbs 10 hour update

I passed 10 hours on the Hobbs on Friday 8/23. Mostly doing short hops in my test flight area to break in the engine; I see no use doing performance testing with the engine not broken in,

But on Friday morning's first flight, 9,500' over Techacipi, the engine hiccupped, just once. Then all was good again. And I finished the 2 hour flight.
Refueled and took off for another go, and at 2000 feet, the engine started missing, left or right mag made no difference. Immediate return to airport, and once I pulled the power back, engine ran smooth in pattern.

I decided to do the 10 hour oil change, fuel filter cleaning, and general look over. Oil change was done and both fuel filters were clean as a whistle. All things pointed to ignition switch (mine is keyed and FAA-PMA). But couldn't get my head around a PMA part being bad.

After oil change and fuel system inspection, during run up, engine started missing again with afterfire. This was with magnetos on both, left or right, made no difference. Retimed mags and both were off 2 degrees. Cleaned plugs; retried. Still rough at higher RPMs. These were all ground runs.

Finally decided to change the switch. During runup today, purrs like a kitten.
Will try again tomorrow morning, if runup good, will try flying, staying local for 2 hours.
__________________
John S ...-9A

Poll: How many hours on the RV aircraft that you fly?

June 27, 2023  Issue #5,849. (previous day's news).
  117*F heat index here in N.TX today.  Let's just leave it at 'nobody is flying'. <g>
 

Milestone: Rolled the canoe ...Webb -8

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.

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (6/24-25'ish/2023)

...more entries

O-360 Engine Upgrade ...YellerDaisy RV-4

Not a lot of activity here (RV-4 forum) these days so I figured a "maintenance update" might be welcome.

My -4 is an early one, serial number 107, and has been flying since 1984 with a 160hp O-320. She's constantly being updated and received a new glass panel a year+ ago. Early this year, she surprised me with an engine issue (cracked head). So, the factory sprang into action.

She is now sporting a freshly overhauled O-360, new cowling, loads of new parts, and firewall modifications for a future prop governor. As most can attest, many factors were involved with the decision to make such a swap - rarely a simple choice.

I've got ten hours on the new engine (in spite of the heat wave here in the desert SW) and am very pleased with it and the additional performance! Thanks to a lighter cowling and lithium battery, she actually lost a couple of pounds and is now at 970lbs (completely empty except for 6 qts oil). The 'real world' empty weight is 1010 lbs which includes all the 'stuff' that I normally carry (survival gear, tools, & spare parts). She performs normal and acro maneuvers exactly as before (meaning... Great!!) - but with a bit more pep.

Spark plugs, or do a whole project?

I had a dud spark plug appear the other day - caused me to pretty quickly turn back and land when things turned very rough after setting up for cruise. After pulling the plug on cylinder 3 (which showed much higher EGT as compared to the other cylinders) I saw that the insulation was broken away, so I just replaced both plugs since the other didn't look great either. They were most recently replaced over 300 hours ago so I will probably just replace all the rest of them anyway.

Anyway, there's a couple of things happening all at once
* Replace the plugs (~$300)
* The 500 hour magneto inspection is due (~$1000)
* I am considering replacing the wiring harness, since it's a little rough-looking and might even be original to the plane. ($400?)

Would anyone actually recommend doing this work, or instead doing the work to switch away from Slick magnetos?

I could instead:

Put in P-mags, with the added benefit of being able to use automotive plugs.

Or, an alternative such as getting a system32 EFII, which I expect is a much more expensive proposition but gives:
* More HP
* Fuel injection, no more carburetor and carb heat.
* Automatic mixture control
But, I also need backup power, since I only have the 1 battery+alternator (EFIS has its own backup). This would be a nice addition anyway, since having the GPS, autopilot and radio have backup power would be helpful.

What have others done in this situation?

Servo Range of Motion ...-14 jcbarker update

...dynon shows it mounted on the outside of the arm. I'm going to see if I can mount it on the inside. This will allow me to shorten the stand off on the bell crank. I'll report back.

Another Cowl Inlet Duct Post ...snoopyflys

Final draft...
I sealed up the inboard sides for the cowl ramps and applied some additional micro to transition the inlets to the ramps and the ramps to the cowling. Hoping this will help maximize the cooling. Time will tell.

June 26, 2023  Issue #5,848. (previous day's news).
 

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (6/24-25'ish/2023)

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...latest update

Tried to find a welder with the help of local pilots and found that the casing of the steering link is made out of aluminum while the rod out of steel, so not weldable. Flying without the steering link should be ok but steering on the ground with differential braking only. Tail wheel shimmy is the worst I would ecpect and this afternoon is still good to fly to the Skwentna Roadhouse and Talkeetna. But one hour into the flight over the pass just abeam the Eldridge Glacier the weather stopped me and I had to return - at least my addiction for flying is satisfied.  --->

Shawn's -4 re-build ...update

At this point, I am shying away from making mods to the weldment areas. Upon inspection of them, they all look good so whatever repairs were done seem well done. In talking with others, some say do it, some say don't. But since Van's does not support the installation of extra support, I feel like it should not be required. A good idea yes, but not required. That may change as the project goes on.

The engine mount was found to have a few slight cracks in it so it was sent for repair and more inspection. Waiting on that. While that was out, I was looking further at the bulkhead top piece behind the panel (F402C) It had been butchered and reinforced with smaller pieces of angles. I decided to fab a new one as per the plans. I had to dance around the previous rivet holes in the two vertical pieces for the new rivets, but feel better about the proper bulkhead in that location. I don't know how to calculate the strength of the pieces that made up the old one, but figured this one is better. You can see it in the photos below of the panel conflicts.  --->

Double Face Palm ...Brantel

Well I punted in the wings till
My new right spar shows up (factory rework defect that engineering said was a no go).

Started working on the fuse and almost immediately ran into an issue.

These two holes were incorrectly dimpled at the factory and are supposed to be left at #30 and drilled by the builder to #12 for bolts.

Anyone else run into this?

OSH22 - The Year We Flew Our RV12 to AirVenture...Karlyn Leth

As we near the 30-day countdown for #OSH23, I can't help but think back to #OSH22 as it will forever be the year we flew our RV-12 into AirVenture for the first time. It was a full circle moment for my father and I.

It was #OSH11 - my dad was at the Van's tent, and I was somewhere running from one seminar to the next. I get a call from him saying meet me at the Van's tent now, so I hustle over as fast as I can. Next thing I know, we were signed up for a test flight in the RV12. I remember that flight clear as the sky that day and when I landed, I had my first RV grin. To keep it short, we ordered a kit that day. Once we completed the build and had it flying, the dream of flying our homebuilt into Oshkosh became more of a reality. 2022 seemed to be the perfect year, especially since Van's was celebrating their 50-year anniversary. We spent hours reading over the NOTAM and watching videos of people flying the approach procedure.  --->

Oil door damage

I noticed that the piano hinge wire on my oil door is working it's way out, by eating away at the fiberglass on my cowl. Attached is a picture.

Have you had this problem? If so how did you fix it? I was thinking of filling the divot with epoxy, or maybe using epoxy to attach a little piece of piano hinge wire to fill the divot.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Garmin Experimental Avionics for VANS Aircraft - Monday Jun 26th 12pm Central Time

Swollen old PC680...overcharging, or just age?

I run two PC680's on the firewall. One of them is 3 years old, the other is over 6 years old. Two separate contactors on a split master switch, but they are wired in parallel. The electrical system normally will run from either or both master switches on. The (single) alternator charges both.  --->

Interior covering for upper longeron ...jsisk -14

The RV-14 canopy rests on the upper longeron assembly when closed. It is typically painted but subject to a lot of scuffing and wear. I ordered the Classic Aero interior, including sidewalls, but they do not cover this area. I found an inexpensive, thin EVA plastic sheet, actually intended for lining shelves that seemed a good candidate for this project. The other component is a very thin double sided adhesive, 3M 300LSE. Portions of the sidewall must be removed so the material can fit down under the top of the sidewall trim, more involved on the pilot side. I found putting the double-sided tape down first works best. Then fit & trim the plastic sheet using scissors and hobby knife.

Attached are some pictures of the process and results.

June 23, 2023  Issue #5,847. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Dog Needs Home

  Buddy the dog was found roaming 52F looking for people to hang out with and food to eat.  He is a 2-3 year old, 70-pound, all black lab mix. We got him chipped, neutered, UTD on vaccines and started on heartworm preventative. He's also gotten positive reinforcement training sessions through Boss Babe Dog Training.
  He doesn't bark. He doesn't bite. He loves to go on walks and walks well on a leash unless he sees a rabbit. He loves to play fetch and tug. He knows basic commands like sit, lie down, stay, look (at me) and shake hands and we are continually working on other commands. He's extremely food motivated which makes him pretty easy to train.
  He's not noise sensitive-he's use to airplane noise living at an airport and he doesn't get scared during thunderstorms. He sleeps in his crate at night and while we can't supervise him in the shop, he's never messed in his crate or indoors -  so house broken as well.
  His ideal family would be an active family as he still has lots of energy being a young dog. He will likely do best in a home with older children as he doesn't realize how big he is. He would do fine as an only dog. He's perfectly happy hanging out in the hangar with his people. If there is another dog in the home, the dog would need to be about his size, age and energy level because he loves to play with all dogs. He would definitely need a fenced yard to get his zoomies out. I'm not sure how he is with cats so best not to go to a home with cats.
  He's a great dog that we felt deserved a second chance which is why we have poured so much time, love and energy into him. We travel too much for work to keep him. He's a great pup and the trainers he's seen also agree that he's a good boy. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to Theresa at 765-414-4372 or Matthew at 817-291-8831. I've recently gotten him into a rescue while awaiting another foster or better yet an adopter. For more info on Buddy, you can find his profile on www.caninesoulmatesrescue.org.

Greg Saulsbury: 9A Milestone

Move the fuselage from the home garage to the hanger. Nervous but the towing company did very well.

Let the final assembly begin!

Panel Lettering ...PBell PIREP

Google Decalfxpro or in YouTube. If you can print what you want on a laser jet printer, you can make it into a decal. It's what I used and turned out pretty good.  It doesn't leave any carrier plastic only the letters. It does have a learning curve but beats paying the high price of having it done professionally.

High Prop RPM

I'm hoping that someone can give me an idea of how to deal with what I saw today.

In the first year of flying my RV7 with IO-360 and Hartzell CS prop, I consistently saw 2660 RPM on takeoff and climb, even after adjusting the governor high RPM screw. From what I've seen on Savvy, that's not uncommon.

On my first flight today, I saw a sold 2700 on takeoff and climb. I didn't understand it but I was happy to see it. On the return flight, I again saw 2700 on takeoff and climb. The issue came on a touch-and-go at destination. On the go, the RPM increased as high as 2784 and was abnormally high for 28 seconds, even as I was reducing the throttle.

Any thoughts?

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...lastest update

Yesterday did a 50 h inspection and oil change. Dave, the floatplane pilot helped with his equipment, he is there when needed.

The weather in Alaska is restricting my plans as well as Craig's and John's plans. We all wanted to explore some of the southern Alaskan sites but gave up - too long to wait for good weather. Tomorrow I will look into Talkeetna again but on Friday I think I head towards the south, just east of the weather.

Anyhow today we were all unsure what to do, I joined Craig and John, headed south to have a look and just wanted to fly somewhere. We did a 3-ship formation, roamed around and finally landed for a rest in Healy, then returned to Fairbanks. After landing I noticed my tailwheel steering is acting up just as many times before when the grease was pushed out the shaft and things got dry. But this time the steering link broke as I realized after I got out of the plane. I do have a spare - of course back home!

Part ID help with Empennage ...-12

Can anyone tell me where this part goes; specifically the elbow. It came with the empennage kit and I believe it was included with the trim motor wiring. Since I'm done with this kit, I don't want there to be an issue. Vans said they needed a part number, but this is all that I have. Thanks.

June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.

 1. Demand a FaceTime/Zoom call w/any seller.
 2. Don't send more than you're willing to lose.
 3. Change your password a few times each year.
 4. Read every word in the link below.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.

From Rich at Aircraft Extras

Shim between upper fuse channel and side skin? ...-10

I'm curious if anyone else has needed a shim between the F-1040 upper fuse channel and the F-1069 fwd side skin and if you have any tips on how to do it if you did?

The WD-1002 upper firewall bracket was not welded with the correct alignment so the face of the channel does not match up with the flanges on the firewall. I've contacted builder support and was told to use a shim to bridge the gap so that the skin can make a nice transition to the firewall.

You can see in the pictures below that the face of the channel is offset inboard of the firewall flanges and is slightly rotated, so the shim I make will have to be wedge shaped so that it is thickest at the upper forward corner and will have to taper off towards the bottom and towards the back. This also means that the rivets will be going through the WD-1002 bracket at a slight angle and I'm not sure if that is something to worry about or not. It seems like that would cause the shop heads if the rivets to want to tip over.

June 22, 2023  Issue #5,846. (previous day's news).

RV-8 Skyrunner on Tour ...ride along.

DIY Firewall Eyeballs ...DanH

Eyeballs are an expensive, fussy PITA.

Drill a 1/2 hole and four 1/8" holes, install four SS pop rivets, install the cable and pump sealant into the annular space. Done.

Tubular penetrations are gas tight and entirely fireproof, which can't be said for eyeballs. An intumescent sealant swells to keep the annular space closed as the plastic insulation or sheath melts away. Here's one heated red hot, with a section of #6 wire. The intumescent sealant is squeezing out the back, still fully sealed.

BTW, this is standard fire code for firewall penetrations in commercial buildings.

Countersinking on the rear spar assembly ...-12

Q: On page 14-03. In figure #2, countersinking the lower section of the W - 1207B (spar doubler plate) other than the holes required for the CS 4-4 rivet, do I go ahead and counter sink, the two outboard holes, and then counter sink the hinge bracket hole? I see those will require the CS 4-4 rivet in the next section .

A: I believe so. I didn't have any issues going forward. My wings are completed but not fitted to fuse. Here's a pic of mine. Note I over countersunk the outer hole. Go slow, remove cage from part and test often... I got greedy and went for it in one swoop and the shoe of the cage wasn't as level as I thought. But I left it as is since it was tight after riveting and the countersink hole wasn't larger than the material thickness or rivet body diameter.

More from the current 'What did you do last weekend' thread

(bhester) I flew my ZZTop cousin up from Hopkinsville, KY to Zelienople, PA (Pittsburgh) to visit his parents. I've been wanting to do this for a while and finally got the chance to do it. Love my Time Machine. Very hazy trip, both ways.

(rv6n6r) Post-maintenance flight locally, pic is about 4 miles north of my home airport.

(rockwoodrv9) Grandsons first ride. Only taxi around the airport but he loved it.

RV3 Spar Mod Help!

I completed the modifications to my wings, but the inboard angle/doubler interferes with the fuselage and the wings won't go in. Do I carefully grind back the doubler or make a hole in the fuselage around the spar (the wrong place for a hole) to accommodate the angle?

Does anyone have pictures of an RV-3A with the wings off and if the fuselage has a hole or the wing root around the spar to see if the doublers is trimmed back?

DIY Case Puller ...Mconner7

I made one, very simple and cheap.

FAA CAMI Research Study at EAA AirVenture 2023

The FAA is recruiting pilots attending EAA AirVenture 2023 to participate in a PAID FAA research study. For this study, we need pilots (18+ years of age) who have flown at least once in the last 6 months (including training simulator time), and who hold a current medical certification Class I, II, or III (not BasicMed). The study session takes about 4 hrs. and pays $300, $400, or $500 (dependent on medical certification class), and payment is dispersed immediately following participation!

Participation involves completing two (2) computerized cognitive tests related to tasks such as working memory, attention, mental rotation, and multitasking performance. This study has received FAA IRB approval.  The purpose of this study is to obtain pilot normative data for these computerized tests. The FAA uses these tests to help recertify pilots for flying following a medical event (e.g., stroke, head injury, certain medication). The results of this study will help ensure that aeromedical decision-making is based on the most current scientific data, and will contribute to the safety of the national airspace system.  FAA Cognitive Test PAID Study (Cogstudy) FAQs

 

If you scheduled to participate at EAA AirVenture 2023 already, thank you! If you are planning to attend EAA this year, we would like to schedule your participation in this important research.

 

To schedule, click the link below and complete the short form to select your top two preferred dates and times.

 

PARTICIPATION Form: https://airtable.com/shr1BF8D47eieA2CI

 

If you schedule, you will receive a follow-up phone call (or email) from a third-party contractor, Cherokee Federal, to confirm your time slot. Note that depending on your phone provider, the call identifier may appear to be SPAM.

 

We are depending on pilots like you to spread word about this paid research study. Please share this email or our contact information with any pilots who may be interested in supporting this research.

 

Thank you for your interest in this important research effort.

Best,

FAA CogStudy Research Team

 

If you have any questions about the purpose of this research, please check out our FAQ page at [FAQ hyperlink] or contact us or the Primary Investigators, Dr. Kelene Fercho or Dr. Susan Jay, at CogStudy@faa.gov  or at (405) 954-2647.

June 21, 2023  Issue #5,845. (previous day's news).
 

AX-O's Fastback RV-4 Update

Well... 2 years later I finally get to sand some filler on/off. RV-15 work has consumed every aspect of my life. Happy to get back to Dilemma for a weekend.

Check your NOTAMs!

For over 10 years and almost 500 hours i flew VFR in my -9A and never had a good habit of checking NOTAMs or proper weather briefings (as a VFR pilot i never looked at GFA, only METAR/TAF at a few points along route).
I once arrived in Chatham during an RC aircraft event. They had to clear the runway for my arrival and were irritated at that i hadn't called ahead.
Since starting my IFR training last month, i have smartened-up.
The other day i was about to leave from my home field. The runway was NOTAM'd closed because a bunch of cows had escaped a neighbouring farmer's field and were on the airport.
A couple of days ago I was planning to fly to see my uncle at a nice little airport in Parry Sound Ontario. I checked the NOTAMs to discover that the runway is closed for about 3 months for improvement! It would have sucked if i'd flown 1.5 hours there only to discover i couild not land. A couple of years ago i probably would have done that.
Another time last fall i left Kitchener ON with blue skies, and clear weather at my destination in Ottawa. An hour east of Kitchener I encountered lowering ceilings and had to divert and overnight near Toronto. A simple look at the GFA would have prevented that!
One thing about the IFR training is that it has made me much more aware of how many things are dangerous, and how important proper weather and NOTAM briefings are. I thought i'd pass along the reminder, in case any other VFR pilots out there have become as complacent as i was!

One fouled plug whilst flying

Whilst flying I noticed my engine beginning to run rough, and EGT No.4 rising significantly.

I tried a few things in the air (un successfully) to remedy the situation but nothing worked.

After landing I removed and inspected both plugs, the upper plug was definitely fouled, however the lower plug looked fine.

Q. Should I be looking any deeper into this issue ? or is it a simple matter of replacing the fouled plug ?

Transponder antenna under pilot seat? ...tims88 -10

Would the spot in the picture work for a transponder antenna?

Thanks to a moment of extremely poor judgement while working on the plane tonight I have a very bad dent/hole right under the front left seat. I'm hoping I can just use this as the center punch for my transponder antenna hole rather than cutting it out and installing a patch. I'd have to position the coax between the brake and fuel lines but it looks like there could be room for that.

I'm pretty sure I've read other posts where people have said they installed an antenna under the seats but they probably had the luxury of planning out the location a little more precisely than I did.

912iS MML (May'23)

The fuel regulator replacement isn't new, but eliminating the fuel-line hoses is. The short hoses connecting the fuel pumps and bypass valves in the fuel-pump assembly are the only ones we have in the iS, so makes you wonder if that's an omission error?

Note they also added the rubber pad under the coolant-expansion tank. Lockwood mentioned that one during their maintenance class, so looks like Rotax is acknowledging that too. Rotax apparently isn't too conscientious about using the revision bar to highlight additions, since they sneaked the expansion-tank pad in there without highlighting it. Makes you wonder what else got added?

Curious Boresocpe - Crazing ?

Seeking wisdom ...

Three of my 0-320 chrome cylinders have >2000 hrs and look something like the first picture below.

80 hours (and one year ago) I changed out one cylinder for a "repaired" unit (new piston, wristpin, iron rings, valve guides, serviceable valves), also chrome, which now looks like the second photo.

Engine runs fine and all compressions (warm) are in the 70s. The "new" cylinder broke in fine and oil consumption is < 1qt/10 hrs.

Clearly one of these cylinders is not like the others. Is this:

a). A BAD thing. Flakes of chrome are about to come off and eat your cam and most of your crank bearings ?

b). A GOOD thing. This cylinder was artfully re-chromed with this harmless crazing which helps the cylinder wall hold oil ?

c). Nothing ? A demonstration of my poor borescope skills perhaps.

d). Something else ?

Comant CI-122 Mounting PIREP ...stigaro

Just make a note that the mounting of the Comant CI-122 is via 4 screws on the corners while the Delta Pop uses two inline bolts. I made the mistake of not noticing the difference and drilled the skin for the inline holes and dimpled the doubler rivet holes. Had to make new doublers and then flatten & drill out the dimpled holes.

FAA CAMI Research Study at EAA AirVenture 2023

The FAA is recruiting pilots attending EAA AirVenture 2023 to participate in a PAID FAA research study. For this study, we need pilots (18+ years of age) who have flown at least once in the last 6 months (including training simulator time), and who hold a current medical certification Class I, II, or III (not BasicMed). The study session takes about 4 hrs. and pays $300, $400, or $500 (dependent on medical certification class), and payment is dispersed immediately following participation!

Participation involves completing two (2) computerized cognitive tests related to tasks such as working memory, attention, mental rotation, and multitasking performance. This study has received FAA IRB approval.  The purpose of this study is to obtain pilot normative data for these computerized tests. The FAA uses these tests to help recertify pilots for flying following a medical event (e.g., stroke, head injury, certain medication). The results of this study will help ensure that aeromedical decision-making is based on the most current scientific data, and will contribute to the safety of the national airspace system.  FAA Cognitive Test PAID Study (Cogstudy) FAQs

 

If you scheduled to participate at EAA AirVenture 2023 already, thank you! If you are planning to attend EAA this year, we would like to schedule your participation in this important research.

 

To schedule, click the link below and complete the short form to select your top two preferred dates and times.

 

PARTICIPATION Form: https://airtable.com/shr1BF8D47eieA2CI

 

If you schedule, you will receive a follow-up phone call (or email) from a third-party contractor, Cherokee Federal, to confirm your time slot. Note that depending on your phone provider, the call identifier may appear to be SPAM.

 

We are depending on pilots like you to spread word about this paid research study. Please share this email or our contact information with any pilots who may be interested in supporting this research.

 

Thank you for your interest in this important research effort.

Best,

FAA CogStudy Research Team

 

If you have any questions about the purpose of this research, please check out our FAQ page at [FAQ hyperlink] or contact us or the Primary Investigators, Dr. Kelene Fercho or Dr. Susan Jay, at CogStudy@faa.gov  or at (405) 954-2647.

June 20, 2023  Issue #5,844. (previous day's news).
 

It finally happened ...VANDawg

After several starts and stops, and many twists and turns, in late February I was able to have a DPE look me in the eyes, shake my hand, and say the words I've been waiting a lifetime to hear, "congratulation sir, you are now a pilot".

I didn't even fly the 30 miles home from the examiners airport, I just sat and enjoyed the moment as the instructor flew us home. So then I started the insurance flying requirements so that I could enjoy the RV-8A that my JetBlue flying son has really been enjoying for the past year and a half. (I have to laugh at that) Being cautious and doing more than twice what the insurance asked, my instructor so and I were finally comfortable enough to take my first passenger up in the RV. Here's a pic of my wife and I after we landed. This short plane ride was something we have waiting a couple of decades to accomplish. We hope to see some of you kind folks as we explore the country.

What did you do with your RV this past weekend? (6/17-18/2023)

RV-10 to NetJets ...Tim Jennings

I never would have guessed that in 2018 when I entered the RV world it would have the type of life changing impact it has had on me and my family. On a skin deep level when we got the RV-10, it took me from passion filled hobbyist flying a Cherokee and gave me the capability and capacity to traverse the country with my family. It revolutionized the way my family and I travel. Oshkosh and Sun N Fun and Triple Tree and Arcadia, the list of camping places the kids attend every year is astounding. The old adage "come for the (insert event name here) and come back for the people" is so true. This is the part that I saw coming.

What I did not see coming was the exposure to passion filled folks who call aviation a career and still fly for fun on their time off. With those folks as my inspiration, I decided to pursue a career in aviation some months back with the culmination of an application to NetJets.

After lots of input, thought, discussion, idea bouncing, and more deliberation my wife and I decided that NetJets was the right company for our family. After submitting an application through their website I interviewed with them over Microsoft Teams, got invited to Columbus for an in-person interview, flew their Sovereign sim, met some nice folks, and (6) days later got a phone call followed by an offer letter!

Thanks to all those on this thread and elsewhere who have contributed to my journey in aviation. It is true that we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.

June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.

 1. Demand a FaceTime/Zoom call w/any seller.
 2. Don't send more than you're willing to lose.
 3. Change your password a few times each year.
 4. Read every word in the link below.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.

Servo range of motion limiting bracket ...-14

Good morning (afternoon),

The instructions for mounting the Dynon roll servo suggests the Servo Range of Motion Limiting Bracket be installed. However, it interferes with where the molex connectors mount. What is everybody doing in this regard?

June 19, 2023  Issue #5,843. (previous day's news).
  Thanks again to those who help me keep the site going in a world where simple, focused, friendly onlines places are increasingly rare.  I 'ppreciate ya.
 

It's official! ...Chris Beebe

I figured I would share with the group my progress on my RV-3. Especially being the -3 thread doesn't see a whole lot of action. Basically I picked up this -3 about two years ago and was wrecked. Paperwork messed up and no log books. I had to build a new fuel tank, aleron, replace a rib, install new brakes and a handful of other things. I had to wait quite some time to get my transition training and tail wheel endorsement.

Yesterday was my first flight and it went well. The strip where I did the work is too technical and very narrow so I flew it out to a proper location 30 miles away! This aircraft has been down for a good number of years so it's cool to get it back up and airworthy! I also want to thank everyone for the help along the way with the questions I have had. Oh and one last thing to mention, I did my transition training in a 7 and felt that the 3 is way easier to fly.

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (6/17-18/2023)

KFRH BBQ Fly-in June 17 Pictures

We had an incredible turnout today. RV guys (Smoke On) from Bowman came up and put on a show. We counted over 40 planes on the ramp. Matt's food was delicious & he sold out fast.

Here are some pictures. My great friend, Mark, was the first one there in his gorgeous red & white RV8. The most beautiful Waco parked beside my RV7. It was beyond stunning. ...

... Incredible day to say the least.

We want to THANK EVERYONE that came to make the day such a success!!

June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.

 1. Demand a FaceTime/Zoom call w/any seller.
 2. Don't send more than you're willing to lose.
 3. Change your password a few times each year.
 4. Read every word in the link below.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.

Milestone: Panel Powered ...AdamB RV-10

Torquing top left engine bolt ...-12

How the heck to do you tighten this bolt, much less get a torque wrench on it? The other three weren't much of a problem. But there's so little clearance between this bolt and the engine head that I can't get a socket in there.

Also looks like I need to go back, pull all the bolts to add Locktite, then retorque them (to 60 N-M instead of 40). Sigh.

J stiffner back rivet...-14

I'm getting ready to install the bottom outboard skin on my QB wings. While match drilling the J Stiffeners (BTW no instructions to indicate you have to do this) a thought occurred to me; maybe I could back rivet the J Stiffener first and then install the skin. I tried it with J stiffener clecoed to the skin. Seemed to work fine as long as I left the inboard bay un-clecoed (see image). Has anyone else tried this?

OP-51 Practice Kit

Working through my first practice kit. Referencing the attached completed kit picture I found on the forum, as well as the print supplied with my kit.

The print references 5 An426D3-3.5 rivets, which I noted on the print, but the actual completed piece has 6. In addition, the one hole I circled is bigger than the others for some reason.

My first shot at this so I want to be sure I am understanding what I'm looking at.... basically a sanity check.

Quick question for the DARs out there

Q: Here's the scenario. The aircraft is being sold due to the builder having an unfortunate stroke. He had only taxi tested it and the FAA gave him the 25 mi radius to flight test in. If one were to purchase the aircraft, can the new owner fly off the 40 hours and sign the logbook as phase one completed? Would it need a complete re inspection due to new ownership? Can it be ferried out of the flight test area to a new location for flight testing?

A: (Mel) Any qualified person may fly off the test flights. To move the aircraft to a new flight test area, one would need to have the operating limitations amended.

If the new flight test area is not too far, that can also be incorporated within the new op lims. If it a great distance, it would probably be easier to complete Phase I within the original area.

DCBrown198's RV-10

Dual Dynon HDX. Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, MTV-12 propeller.

RV-8 Status: MIKE_JG

Well a small victory for me, gotta celebrate them when we can. After 4 years and 442 hours, the empennage is done (minus the fiberglass work). Drilled that final hole in the control horns this afternoon. Starting on the wings.

June 16, 2023  Issue #5,842. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

Dan_57 Living the RV Dream

Had yet another go with some other friends a couple of days ago... splendid weather, low tide, nice airplanes, what more can one ask for? Man do I love this place.

Herman's World Tour Update

This morning I was standing right there watching the ferry over the Yukon River.
Withe the help of Sara again and her husband I got to the airport, no taxies in Dawson and no hotel shuttle taking others than their own guests.
CBP manifest was filed and called customs in Fairbanks and announced my arrival. I was cleared so off I went on a bumpy flight westwards. I didn't have radio contact until 80 NM prior Fairbanks, but no complaints. Two very friendly CBP officers were waiting and we were done in 5 minutes. Then I taxied to the next FBO hoping to get fuel. It started all over again, didn't expect this here in Fairbanks. Nobody showed up, nobody in their hanger, shouted for somebody-nothing. Called Ground, then after I started up again a lady showed up and invited me to their office to do the credit card thing for their handling - what!! I said for what handling? She said this is a private place and parking up to four hours is $75 - parking, not for fuel. I didn't say but showed that I'm upset paying for nothing even when this is their place, nobody told me and there is no sign. I somehow got along with the lady and she waved the fee and called a fuel truck. Asking where are all these airplanes are doing their fueling - no answer. Later when taxiing to the east ramp I saw a self service fuel station. Anyway I finally taxied to the Airpark and the fun can begin.

June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.

 1. Demand a FaceTime/Zoom call w/any seller.
 2. Don't send more than you're willing to lose.
 3. Change your password a few times each year.
 4. Read every word in the link below.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.

Reported First Flight: Mothership

RV9A and pilot weight ...ve0kog

Hi folks

I'm thinking about my first airplane and an an RV9A checks all of the boxes except.. I'm in the heavy category at around 240lbs, probably closer to 250 with a headset and jacket on.

Are there pilots in this range flying the RV9A and do you find this a serious limitation? A passenger/instructor in the right seat puts on the edge of W&B and/or the nose wheel load limit.

On paper it looks like not the ideal situation but I wonder how big of an issue in practice. I've read about this being a high motivation factor to shed off pounds but losing 40lbs or so is not a small feat. Should I wait until this is done before jumping into RV ownership?

Corrosion Risk - Insulation

[ed. Spotlighting a very interesting thread from a year and a half ago.  v/r,dr]

I've previously posted regarding the fire transfer risk inherent in poor insulation choices on the cabin side of a firewall. Fiber insulations can also promote corrosion.

The components below were removed from a rebuild underway in my shop. They were in contact with a common aluminum foil faced fiber insulation still seen in a lot of RVs. Here the insulation was on the cabin side of the firewall and the underside of the upper boot cowl skin.

Note these parts are primed, or powder coated, or cad plated. Didn't help. This airplane is only a little more than 10 years old.

Static Lateral Stability

Q:  Went out to formally run through the Stability tests at low airplane weight. Results are as expected for all tests except one: I think my technique is very incorrect for the Static Lateral Stability test. From a few sources online (including EAA), Static Lateral Stability is tested by:

-Trim for some airspeed, level flight
-Bank in one direction and maintain heading with opposite rudder
-Release stick, use rudder input if necessary to raise low wing level

Basically, go into a side slip, then release the stick. When I release the stick, instead of wings returning level, I feel an immediate loss of G force (not quite negative G) and the airplane rapidly loses altitude (-3000 fpm). Let's just say it got my attention. I will not repeat this test until I learn the proper way of performing it. How aggressive does the slip need to be in order to verify stability?

A: (Steve Smith)
Try lesser amount of sideslip initially.
For more aggressive sideslip, you should probably re-trim in pitch so it doesn't go nose-down when you release the stick. Or release the lateral stick pressure but maintain pitch attitude with fore/aft stick pressure as needed.

A little bit indirect way to do the same test is to just qualitatively assess stick pressure as you increase the slip. Starting with a very slight slip, it should take progressively more stick pressure to increase the slip (and of course progressively more rudder pressure and deflection as well).

At a constant speed, if it takes increasing aileron pressure and/or deflection to fly at greater slip angles, then you are laterally stable.

Webb's Re-contoured Oil Door

I used the fiberglass door as the frame for a 0.063 aluminum door. After glassing it in place and sanding it smooth, i was very pleased with the result.

I didn't like the fiberglass door so this was my solution.

C401J Molex Connector

I just started wiring my wings for the RV14 and found that the C401J Molex connector that inserts into the holder on the tip of the spar does not fit. The shape of the connector is larger and of a different shape.

What have you done to fix this? I am thinking of re-shaping the holder with a file to fit the connector. Is there another common solution?

Truth Bomb

[ed. Sounds like the voice of experience in the land of lessons learned.  v/r,dr ;^) ]

-7 Emp Fairing Overlap Q:

Trying to confirm the emp fairing overlaps the inspection plate in this drawing.

June 15, 2023  Issue #5,841. (previous day's news).

Bill on the ramp at KXBP in his RV-8.
Click to see full size.

Please Help Larry (AOG)

Milestone ...PilotjohnS 9A

Plane is Complete.

I have been telling everyone it will be done on a Tuesday, and guess what, it was done on a Tuesday.

First Taxi test complete! Runs like a champ.

a BIG Thank You to all those who have helped with parts, services and support. Much appreciated.

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour ...SuperCubDriver Update

Yellowknive to Dawson was today's flight. Forecast again not at all perfect, had to cross the Mackenzie Mountains so gave it a try. This time it didn't work out as hoped. Started under a low ceiling and cruised at about 1000 AGL. After one hour climbed 8500, 10500, 12300 - clouds climbed with me and when coming over the mountains I didn't feel this is right anymore. So seeing the ground through the hazy clouds just a little I descended again as a diversion on top to the North also seemed no good option. I followed the valleys down low through rainshowers with for me still acceptable visibility. A good half an hour concentrated "low level" through the valleys with obscured mountains later the weather cleared and I could climb again and fly high through very bumpy air towards Dawson. Flight Plan was filed last evening with an EET of 5 h and in the morning with the then actual weather I thought I might have to adjust the flight due weather and so amended the flightplan with an EET of 6 hours - and that was good.
In Dawson no fuel, the guy in charge not here - no - not again. A C-180 pulled up unloading two Pax and when done with them I approached the female pilot and asked you just landed? She: "Did we met before?" Me: "No I just want to ask something". She: "Yes we met before a couple years ago in Johnson Creek!" I was surprised she remembered me and still knew details about my plane. She arranged somehow the fuel and drove me to the hotel in the village together with a brief tour of Dawson.

Help locating the source of a fuel leak

I wanted to ask the collective for some help with a fuel tank leak. I discovered I had one while calibrating the tank with 20.1 gallons of gas. It's on the filler neck. I have a video here.

I apologize for the lack of quality, it was hard to handle my phone and the light at the same time. Towards the end of the video, if you pause it, you can see the residue left by the leak. What I'm trying to figure out is: do I have 1 leaking rivet, 2 leaking rivets, or is the flange itself leaking?

Mothership First Flight Reports ...2 new added.

June 14, 2023  Issue #5,840. (previous day's news).

Does anyone else do this?

I'm studying for King Air 350 initial, so I build up wallpapers for my phone with little parts of the limitations data that I need to memorize.  I use the app 'Notability' and do all the work using my phone only. 

Below shows the Vle / Vlo, flap speeds (yellow), Vmc clean and flaps 1 (blue) and G limits with flaps up/down (red).  I see this a few dozen times over the course of a week with normal phone use and it's stuck in my brain.  No studying required.  Change to another topic.  In a month I know the limitations cold and it barely felt like work.

I was wondering if I'm the weirdo, or if other RVators use this technique to memorize RV emergency checklists, etc.

Man these RVs are awesome, CFI style!...jcarne

Well as some of you know I have been working towards my CFI and started last summer with my instrument rating, December was Commercial, and this month I finally took and passed my CFI initial on the first attempt.

Now many people have done this before but I just wanted to say how thankful I am for these RV aircraft because I did every one of those check rides in the RV-7A I built. Thanks to Van's for building such a kick *** airplane! It's always fun to see the DPEs reactions to short field takeoffs vs the Cessnas they usually check ride in.

Hopefully this will motivate some of you to build on, trust me its worth it!

June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.

 1. Demand a FaceTime/Zoom call w/any seller.
 2. Don't send more than you're willing to lose.
 3. Change your password a few times each year.
 4. Read every word in the link below.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.

Mothership News

Fuel pump overflow rv14 exp

Q:
Originally Posted by Dan Ruehl
Any advice for getting the fuel pump overflow tube out of the bottom cowl for an io390 exp taildragger?
Drilling a hole through the cowl seems the best option but looking to see what others have done.
Thanks,
Dan
 

A:
I routed the three required overflow pipes from the EXP119 through the front edge of the F-14190A TUNNEL COVER. It keeps things away from the exhausts and allows for easier lower cowl removal.  Seems to work fine so far... 80 hrs.

What Did You Do With Your RV This Weekend?

(June 10 and 11th, 2023) ...more entries

June 13, 2023  Issue #5,839. (previous day's news).
  Phenom 300 recurrent checkride yesterday.  I squeaked by, just barely,  again.  Good for another year.  V1 cuts in the sim are boring if you have any RV TW time at all <g>.
  And I think we're getting a new roof (below).

What Did You Do With Your RV This Weekend?

(June 10 and 11th, 2023) ...more entries

June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.

 1. Demand a FaceTime/Zoom call w/any seller.
 2. Don't send more than you're willing to lose.
 3. Change your password a few times each year.
 4. Read every word in the link below.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.

New Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR-T)

...Mr. Tony Kirk

Houston area monthly lunch (June 2023)

Hey folks - with the third Saturday approaching, I wanted to throw an option out. I'm planning on taking the Helio Courier to the BBQ fly-in at Giddings this Saturday, and I figured I'd get some input on whether people are interested in meeting up out there...or if you'd rather get together somewhere air-conditioned like Hooks or Lake Jackson. Weather is looking promising for Saturday, but it's gonna be a hot one.

I'll look for input here and get a finalized decision by Thursday.

Finished Product ...rph142

I transferred the cad dimensions to the panel then cut everything out by hand. For paint I chose spraybike rattle can paint - base coat is raven grey with a matte clear topcoat. I've installed LEMO jacks on the sub panel and the ELT faceplate is in the throttle bracket for a cleaner look. Aside from lettering it's pretty much finished. I should have it powered up in a week or two!

Rudder/Brake Pedal Angles

Q: I'm not sure if I'm just blind and don't see any callouts in the instructions, or if it's just not in there: I've got the brake pedals mounted to the rudder pedals, and now I need to drill holes for the brake cylinders. Given that the rudder tubes are offset from each other, is there a time tested method for getting the brake pedals set at a good angle and even with each other? I assume they should be set back a bit from the rudder tubes, but not sure how much.

A: If you are at a point that you can clamp in the pedal assembly and sit in the fuse on some cushions, you can get a better idea of how your foot will fit with the movement. Tie some thin rope to each pedal weldment so you can hold the bar against your foot as you try it....

Your foot does not point straight up with your knee bent. So if you have a normal inseam, the bottom of the weldment should be pulled towards you and allow you to apply rudder without riding the brakes.

Van's RV-8 Builder & Pilot David "Dave" Wilson Passes Away

We have just received word that former EAA Chapter 75 of Quad Cities, IA/IL, EAA Chapter 1643 of Galesburg, IL, and national EAA member David "Dave" Wilson, 75, died peacefully on Monday, June 5, 2023 at OSF Richard L. Owens, Hospice Home, Peoria, Illinois. You can read his full obituary here.

David was an accomplished instrument rated private pilot and experimental aircraft builder who built three Van's RV-8s in his garage. In 2001 (N297DW), 2003 (N297NW) and 2009 (N876ND), his airplanes won awards at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for Outstanding Workmanship. You can visit http://davidwilson-usaf-rv8.blogspot.com/ to learn more about his machines.

David gave numerous program presentations for our club including one in November of 2021, where he spoke about building and flying his Van's RV-8 (N297DW). He also wrote an article for The Landings for the June 2010 edition.

Fun Fly-In, First Formation

Last weekend I did my first formation flight (just two RV-7's, but still it counts).
Flying over beautiful Holland (Utrecht to be exact), on our way to the Fun Fly-In at Midden Zeeland (south west of the Netherlands).
The ULPower 520iSA engine in my RV (PH-MNX) perform's great even with OAT's reaching 32 Celsius (89 Fahrenheit).

At the end of July I'm going to cross the Channel to the UK. Got my life jackets ready.

Hanging the Engine in Less than 15 Minutes

Sorry you missed the video I shot a couple years ago when I hung the engine on my RV-7, but I thought I share the link again. My Granddaughter and I hung the engine in less than 15 minutes one rainy Saturday. It's not very entertaining and there is too much background noise, but it may be helpful to someone in the future.

Page 10-22, Step 8 ...-14

Q: "Step 8: Route the F-14124 Static Line forward along the base of
the F-01429 Bellcrank Rib and forward as shown in Figure 2."

Should the Static Line will be placed among the already tie-wrapped wiring harness? Or, what/how?

Pic(s) please.

A:

June 12, 2023  Issue #5,838. (previous day's news).

What Did You Do With Your RV This Weekend?

(June 10 and 11th, 2023)

June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.

 1. Demand a FaceTime/Zoom call w/any seller.
 2. Don't send more than you're willing to lose.
 3. Change your password a few times each year.
 4. Read every word in the link below.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.

Where to align TC timing mark?

I am trying to find the alignment position of the TC mark on the flywheel to the starter motor. People in the field is saying the reference timing mark is at the black line shown in the picture. Other said the reference mark should be to line up the TC mark on the back of the flywheel to the middle engine case. So what should be the correct alignment to use? From the position in the photo, the mark in the back of the flywheel is off the centerline of the case

Rudder Cable attachment

I've been noticing an excessive amount of play in the rudder cable clevis and R-405PD rudder horns on a number of RV's at my home airport.

It seems that there is a gap (~.062") between the clevis fork and the R-405PD, which over time allows the clevis fork to work/wear the bushing in the R-405PD.

Adding two AN960-10L (NAS1149F0332P) washers between the clevis fork and R-405PD horn will close this gap and prevent the clevis from moving up/down with respect to the rudder horn ears and causing excessive wear at this location.

Fuel and brake line routing ...rapid_ascent's setup

Most of these are from my log and show partial details as work was in progress. I don't have a final pic which shows all of the lines installed in the tunnel.

First Flights Reported on the Mothership

All these colored wires

The Dynon harnesses for the EMS and EFIS have more wires and longer wires than needed for my installation. I'm wondering how people have dealt with the excess, e.g. cut off and discard, or tie up into loops and store somewhere up behind the panel? Neither of the popular books (Aeroelectric Connection, Aircraft Wiring Guide) or the Dynon manual seem to cover this, but there must be a "good" way to do it.

Oil Breather exit ...Roadjunkie1's setup

Here's my solution. I rolled the end the tube goes on with a swaging device that is used on Continental push rod tubes. (That is NOT a crack in the engine mount. When I saw this picture, I immediately ran out and wiped it off: oil residue!!) ) This works well as it dumps anything coming out of the crank case (after an air-oil separator) onto both exhaust stacks and burns up. VERY little on the belly.

What Are the Odds? ...by Ariana Rayment for Kitplanes

"Axel flew the RV-15 over on one of his few unaccompanied flights. I stood in my lawn and watched him execute a handful of simulated engine-outs on either end of the runway since winds were calm. This was my first time seeing the -15 in action and I must say, I want one."

June 9, 2023  Issue #5,837. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend.
 

John G. about to give a ride in his -8 at 52F
 

RV-8 Skyrunner on tour

Today I started a major trip from Europe to the US - Oshkosh will be one highlight. I am already in Wick/Scotland and tomorrow I try to make it to Iceland and may be Greenland. The weather this time is not perfect for the crossing but not really bad.
I am heading towards Alaska, flying around there for one week and then will fly to Washington State from there. Idaho is a must, then will see what the weather brings. Utah, California, Arizona and many more places are on my list before I reach Oshkosh. After the show the eastern part of the US is planned. From there the route goes nortbound into Canada, then Greenland, Iceland, UK and back home.

Here is a link of my satellite tracker:

A Well Traveled Loaf ...Capt_Sandy

Roy and I have taken a liking to a whole wheat loaf made by a Mennonite family in our neck of the woods. The yummy sandwich-making goodness is baked from ground whole kernel wheat, water, salt, yeast, and vinegar for a preservative. I scored the last loaves in stock - bonus, they were on sale for 50% off, when provisioning for our trek to family gatherings two weeks ago.

The first loaf we packed in the car, along with eggs, sausage and sandwich makings to share with Roy's brother and his wife at our AirBnb near the house where the other 20 or so cousins were staying. We decided to travel like normal humans, since Chattanooga is only a 3 hour drive from 04TN. That loaf provided 2 breakfasts and a few lunches, and did not survive to make the trip home to 04TN.

Two days later, we packed our plane to travel to the next get-together with cousins on the other side of the family in Lafayette, LA. Again, we packed a loaf in our lunch bag with a jar of peanut butter, a jar of almond butter (I don't like peanut butter) and the dregs of a jar of honey.  --->

Painting inside of cabin top

For the first RV-10 I put in a foam backed headliner in the cabin top. It look great until the new owner move the plane to Florida - it failed under the Florida sun.

For this RV-10 I want to top coat the cabin top with the same PPG single stage paint as the rest of the interior. I'd appreciate recommendation on how to prep the surface.

Periodic Vibration RV4 O-320 wood prop

Does anyone have some insight as to what the root cause of these symptoms might be....? (I'll do my best to describe without going on infinitum...)
It all starts with trying to get to lean of peak.
At cruise power the mixture can be leaned back to about 7.1 - 7.2 GPH.
As it is leaned further, a periodic vibration runs through the airframe... can fell it particularly in my feet. The period is approx 2-3 sec.
The more lean, the more severe the vibrations.
Typically one would lean until the engine runs rough, then add a bit of mix to yield a LOP condition... but this engine seems to start running rough on the rich side of the max EGT.
I have captured EGT for each cylinder and the fuel flow as shown in the attached plot (manually captured on video then entered into Excel) which shows a 175*F difference between cylinders 1/2 and 3/4... not sure this is significant but the peaks and shape of curves are.
The vibrations start when leaning back to 7 GPH and worsens thereafter.
My thoughts are; one (or more) cylinders are running leaner than the others (intake leak(s), and or propeller balance are the contributors to this issue.
Thoughts?

RV-15 Dreaming

Wednesday morning the scheduling gods allowed a quick half hour off the surface in the 'RV-15 wannabe' that I am the current caretaker of.  It's starting to get hot here in Texas, and the fly-with-it-all-open configuration is very appealing (faces NW towards mothership and gives thumbs up for open window and maybe door RV-15 design).

The older I get, the more I seem to enjoy just putting along low and slow looking at wildlife and nature vistas.  That Cub high wing provides a lot of shade, and you can catch a lot of detail on the ground when the sun is low and the airspeed needle isn't even moving above its first labeled index of 40kts.  You can just....feel.....your energy state in that thing.  The door starts to come up before you stall, anyway.  An AOA even I can understand.

You would be surprised just how beautiful some of the scenery is around DFW in the morning before it gets too hot, even right near a big airport.  These were taken through the open window nine miles from the end of RWY 13L at KDFW.  With a smartphone.  Amazing how easy it is when you don't have to shoot through plexi.  That one with the beach?  I did TnGs off that a few years ago when the lake was lower.  Rumors of me taking a chair and laptop and camping out there under the wing for an hour can neither be confirmed nor denied.  Remote office done right (if it happened).

I would suspect when my RV-15 is finished that it will become my RV of choice.  The 20 yr old -6 will become the backup, used for efficient, effortless travel, acro and formation currency.  Will the Cub go away?  I dunno...will I be able to crawl in and out in my 70s after hand propping it.  Maybe not...but if it comes to be that the -15 will putt along at 40kts with the doors off, flaps one and cameras out, then maybe I'll let someone else maintain it.  I'm her 23rd owner.  There's a lot of heart in that old girl.

Moseying back to my home field I saw Kay there in his 8A setting up for the overhead break (I was a mile and a half from the field around 200' above a creek).  He pitched over and pulled it around, scrubbing off speed as a hawk joined up on me for a few seconds.  The visual there, underneath the 8A until he was pretty much in the flare, with a rising sun 40 degrees off my right, was probably the highlight of the flight.  That he's out there kicking ass in his 80's raises the bar for us all.  I want to do that in my 80's.

And my mind wandered into the future a bit, with thoughts of low wing RVs guarding the skies up high while high wing RVs tour the local creeks and lakes looking for fish, coyotes, turtles, and those strange creatures that ride bicycles on trails covered in mud.  Weirdos.

Six pics starting HERE.

The count?  1 turkey, 5 deer, 15 or so turtles, 30 or so egrets and dozens of fish near the surface (it was calm).  Not my worst morning status meeting.

Even not in an RV I'm thinking of an RV. 

It's what we do.

June 8, 2023  Issue #5,836. (previous day's news). 

EZ-OOPS Rivets for Fuel Tank Repairs ...HFS

I haven't had occasion to need these (yet), but Paul Dye's article in KP got me thinking about how to make a direct "drop in" Pop sealed end blind rivet to assist in this dreaded repair.

What I came up with was a combination of a little lathe work + cold working the remaining head into a -3 AN (100* angle) flat head. So it now becomes an "Oops" rivet: -4 body with a -3 flat head.

On my (old - 1981) -4 plans, before the rear baffle was turned around (allowing bucked rivets instead of sealed blind rivets), the callout was for Pop AD41H (universal head) for the rear tank baffle to rib flange & tank skin to rib joint would logically be AK41H (flat head). For the rear baffle to skin joint, the callout was for Pop AK42H, because the combined skin thicknesses warranted it.

I made a "die" set for the cold re-work of the head on these Pop sealed end rivets,
and have made enough of them to send "samples" out around the country for evaluation.

I have also undertaken pull-to-failure shear tests for these modified rivets to see how they compare to the design allowance of AN426AD3-3/3.5 rivets in shear, with .032 dimpled skins. That number is 217 lbs. All my coupons failed above that number - so probably not much joint strength compromise in using one or two of them for leak repair.

An "immersion" test is, and will be, an ongoing device moving forward to validate the use of these rivets for "weeping" rivet syndrome.

While I was at it, I also began to modify open ended Avex blind rivets to be replacements for the "smoking" rivet, whose replacement resists bucked rivets.

If anyone has need for either of these styles of modified rivets (only where there is really a need), I'd be glad to send one or two out, if doing so would help in those "testy" repairs.

Just PM me if you (really) need one.

Accelerator Pump Video Short ...Paul Dye

I took a video of this once with a carb sitting on the workbench - the stream of fuel went about three feet straight up into the air from the throat of the carb. efficient little pump

Turbo Nozzle Shrouds

I have seen Turbo Nozzle Shrouds on a few non turbo, fuel injected engines. The owners I asked could not provide any definite answer on the advantages as they did not build the aircraft.

Appears the 2 or 3 shrouds are connected to a ram air tube extending centrally in the cowling inlet, one ram tube for each side. I assume this modification is used to provide more uniform pressure to the nozzle / restrictor assemblies.

Anyone have them installed and can explain the benefits?

Southern Arizona Teen Aviation

We have finished 2 RV12iS airplanes. We sold the first to pay for the second. It was not painted. our thinking was that the buyer could pick their own paint colors and...we didn't have the cash for a paint job.

Our second one will be for sale in 4 or 5 months just as we finish #3. it to is unpainted.

Before the lead times started improving I ordered wings and fuselage for #4. they have delivered which means we won't have any interruption in our Sunday/Monday work schedule. the last couple years have been tough having enough for our students to work on so we are grateful that seems to be behind us.

THANK YOU Vans Aircraft for the support you give us and all the HS programs.

New Zealand Teen Flight Update ...Mike

I'm very pleased to say that we are currently finishing aircraft #5 here in NZ and we have kit #6 paid for and almost ready to ship.

Our teenagers are hand-picked from a local High School and typically we have one intake of 10 teenagers every two years. Covid played merry **** with the schedule so this year we've taken on new recruits as others have had to move away to jobs or University. The current RV-12iS should be flying by about October if all goes well. This aircraft has been sold and is being painted to the new owners specifications.

For our Trust, funding has been by very gratefully received dontations. Each aircraft we've built has helped fund the next project. The teenagers are all provided with flights in the completed aircraft and encouraged to at least go solo. Additional benefits are also provided such as field trips, so competition for placements on the team assures a high standard.

We've averaged one new RV-12 build every two years. The RV-12 is an ideal aircraft for such a project and support from Vans has been very mush appreciated. I find it heart warming to hear Greg mention over 70 aircraft have been/are being built in this way. Thats outstanding.

June 7, 2023  Issue #5,835. (previous day's news). 
  June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.
   1. Demand a FaceTime/Zoom call w/any seller.
   2. Don't send more than you're willing to lose.
   3. Change your password a few times each year.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.
DO NOT SEND MORE THAN YOU
ARE WILLING TO LOSE!  READ
EVERY WORD AT THIS LINK!!!

RV-8 and the Missed Museum Mission

Saturday 6/3/23 was too nice a day not to take advantage of. The plan was to go to McMinnville to see the Evergreen Air and Space Museum since we hadn't been in a couple of years.

When we got there, we learned that the museum no longer offered a shuttle to the airport. We also learned that the FBO there does accept reservations for their crew car(s), but that the last one was reserved by the jet folks that got there just behind us.  --->

On which side of this would you put the manufacture head?

For the AN470AD4 rivets that will secure these ribs to the bulkhead, I could have the manufacture head on the aft side, which puts the shop head on the web of the thicker bulkhead, but requires setting with an offset rivet set. Or, I could put the manufacture head on the forward side, which allows me to use a standard rivet set but has the shop head on the thinner rib flange.

Which way would you do it?

Edit: I ended up putting the manufacture head on the rib side. Due to lightening holes I was able to squeeze all but 8 rivets. The rest with the offset rivet set went fine. Would have been a bear if I needed to drill one out, but thankfully I didn't need to.

How Full is Full?

Q: the original sight glass window. Does anyone know where the total stated tank capacity would come up to in the little round windows?? I have installed the new gauge on top but as the window was not causing any issues I left it in place. Full on the gauge seems less than the tank will actually hold.

A: Because it is, by a small amount. If you look closely, you can see that the aft part of the fuel tank is slightly higher in elevation that the middle, where the mechanical gauge is located. That means the mechanical gauge will indicate full before the area above it at the back of the tank is filled with fuel.

Chocks

A polished airplane deserves polished chocks!

Trim tab misadventure

My 10 has had a heavy right wing since first flight. I've countered it with left roll trim as needed and trying to burn the right tank off first. Since it sometimes required all the left roll trim available with the factory spring trim setup, I decided to add a trim tab wedge under the left aileron to reduce the trim requirement. This served well on the test flight I made last week - neutral roll trim was right where I needed it to be.

This morning on takeoff for a cross country with the wife and a suitcase, the AoA started b*tching at us with "Angle, Angle - Push!" during climb out. I am accustomed to hearing this briefly in ground effect when I rotate at 60kts, but once reaching about 80 it stops alerting in a normal departure climb profile (I have mountains dead ahead of my home runway so max performance climbs or S-turns are expected with most take-offs if I'm not solo). Some time during the "what the heck is this thing squawking about - I'm at 100 KIAS with a normal-looking deck angle and it's showing one red chevron and saying I'm about to stall into a mountainside - not comforting..." I noticed as well that the plane was pulling very hard to the right. I circled back to the airstrip to land and sort things out and then saw the trim tab hanging off the TE of the aileron. I had attached it (tapered maple wedge) with aluminum HVAC tape fore and aft, and apparently the forward strip of tape had let go and the wedge was hanging on by the aft tape. It produced a pronounced downward force on the aileron in this configuration, exacerbating the heavy right wing.

During the left 270 to final, the AoA continued to chant and show just a couple of red chevrons most of the way to the threshold despite a normal looking descent profile and adequate airspeed on final (80 bleeding off to 65 over the numbers). I hopped out, tore off the trim tab, and re-launched. The AoA fussed a little bit but not as excessively as before, and began to indicate as expected during the cruise-climb phase. It also indicated as-expected when we flew the pattern at our destination airport.

I'm a little weirded out by this combination of occurrences and will examine the pitot tube closely when I get back to the field tomorrow for the return leg. The aileron trim wedge clearly needs permanent attachment now that I know it's the right size - I'll seal it with varnish and attach with E6000. The idea that I was somehow mushing along in a near-departure-stall needs further investigation and I intend to do that.

Full disclosure: I washed the plane last evening with a hose and wash mitt - nothing out of my normal routine but I suppose water in the static line or in the pitot is a possibility. Static tubing was routed with no inadvertent P-traps to collect water so I am discounting this possibility for now. Will check for bugs/nests carefully tomorrow before departure. I'd appreciate any thoughts from the hive in the mean time.

Panel ...RobPRV7

Not flying yet but so far everything working well. Plan to be in the air by September!

Canopy latch warnings and pitch trim, Oh my!

Howdy from the great white north!

I am just finishing up a 14A and the last few issues are propping up. Namely the limit switch for the canopy closed on the G3X and the pitch trim.

I am having a heck of a time getting the canopy pin to make contact with the micro switch. I have moved it as far back as I can and moved the pin as far forward as will allow? Any suggestions?

As for the pitch trim, I fabricated the arm but find the nose up (down) travel has far more movement than the up travel. Is that normal?

What fans fit here

I purchased partially built RV 10 project

The previous builder put these vents for avionics/ defrost

I am unable to find what fans would fit here
Need help

My first panel.

My buddy and I are upgrading our panels at the same time, but he's a little ahead of me so his panel (RV-7A) got cut first. Everything came out very well and we're both happy with the result. I used a CNC machine (Haas VF-4) to do all the holes and cutouts, and if I had it to do over I'd have used the VF-5 because it has a bit more "real estate" available on the table. Won't be a factor for my little RV-8A panel, though. And speaking of that, I have the bare panel from Van's and have almost completed my CAD model. I think everything is where I want it and minus a handful of circuit breakers and a few switches, I think it's done. If anyone has thoughts or opinions on component placement (or any other issues) I'd appreciate your feedback.

June 6, 2023  Issue #5,834. (previous day's news). 
  June is Scammer Awareness Month on VAF.  Please take a moment to re-read How to Minimize the Chance You Could be Dealing with a Scammer page.  Two things I can't stress enough in today's internet world:  1) If the seller won't show you (and let you record) their face and voice via FaceTime or Zoom while holding the item, you can't rule them out as being a scammer.  And 2), never send more money than you are willing to lose.  Period.
  The VAF classifieds are a great place to get rid of your squeezer or wing jig.  You should be VERY, VERY, VERRRRRRY careful buying electronics online anywhere.  Evil exists in this world.

----->>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<-----
----->>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<-----
...when using the classifieds.
DO NOT SEND MORE THAN YOU
ARE WILLING TO LOSE!  READ
EVERY WORD AT THIS LINK!!!

RV-7 N526RM Michael Fleming

6 years and 6 months and the construction is finished, now headed to the paint shop.

Bucking Rivets Help ...auburnaviator PIREP

First off, don't be discouraged! This is a learning experience and you are doing the correct thing by practicing and asking for help. You, like the tens of thousands that have learned to buck rivets before you (think Rosy the Riveter and all those during the wartime that were hired in to produce airplanes that also had no experience) will soon gain the knowledge/experience needed to produce beautiful shop heads.

I don't use the mushroom set with the rubber protector around it. I have one and even after grinding the rubber part down to where it sits flush on the piece (you must do this as the rubber piece is to long and will make your rivets sit proud) I found it to be to big/cumbersome and get in the way in to many places. The swivel head also made it more difficult to steady the gun for me. Take the time and get used to riveting w/o it and I think you'll be better in the long run. Here's how I started and taught my wife to run the gun also (although she prefers to use the bucking bar instead).

Any piece that is light enough to move around easily should be clamped down. Get your gun pressure set correctly (to high a pressure can make the gun difficult to control). Start with the gun on a wood block with low pressure and make sure you can control/keep it in one place and slowly work your pressure up to the pressure you want. From there you can move to a test piece of thick aluminum clamped in a vice or clamped to a table. If you're using a mushroom head put a piece of blue painters tape over the mushroom head (just makes for a neater looking finish on the skins after riveting. I do the same with the universal rivet set also but usually use the thicker blue vinyl that comes off the large sheets.)

Drill a bunch of number 40 holes in your test piece and dimple/countersink them (this is a good way/time to set your countersink depth) and then set a rivet in each hole. Practice keeping the gun as steady/still over the piece as possible. The bucking bar hand should have just enough pressure to keep the bar steady but not push the rivet back through the hole. Rest/steady your bucking hand with your thumb/forefinger against the piece. This will keep the bucking bar from sliding/slipping around on the rivet and creating a nasty mark/dent on the inside of your piece. After you have set a rivet in each hole, grab your drill and drill out each rivet as this is also a process you need to be proficient at. This is another topic that can be done the right way and the wrong way. Do a search here on VAF for the proper way to drill out rivets. After they have been drilled out grab the gun and bucking bar and set them all again. Repeat the process trying different gun pressures until you are comfortable setting rivets and also drilling them out (you will need both skills when building your airplane). When you're happy with your skill level and the look of your rivets go back and finish your toolbox.

Keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it in no time!

What did you do with your RV this weekend? (6/3-4/2023)

(AlexPeterson) Did a recon flight this morning to check out a place I and a friend are going fishing on Tuesday. The little lake in the upper left part of the picture has no public access, but has good fishing. We will put a canoe in the larger lake (lower right), and plan to cross into the smaller where the red arrows are.

For those who are curious, the larger lake (most of which is not in the picture) is Devil's Lake (MN), the smaller one is Little Devil's Lake, 2 miles off the departure end of 31 at the Perham MN airport.

 

(RV8Squaz) Oil change, topped off brake fluid, and removed prop governor. Governor was leaking oil through the shaft. And it was beginning to leave puddles on the ground. It was last overhauled in 2015 and has about 700 hours since OH at MT in Deland FL. Don't know if they'll overhaul it again. It's been in service for 16 years/1800 hours. I'll call them tomorrow.

(moosepileit) First Pilots n Pups
Saturday, 1 of four folks legs to get a rescue to her furever home. Small cage, 22x14x13 nested nicely just leaving the seat back home.

Nice having a coordinator watching flightaware keeping us all updated. Made my first time easy.

RV7 Auxiliary Fuel Pump Doubler

Hello,

I'm building an RV7 and have started on the firewall. My planned engine is an IO-360-M1B.

While fabricating the auxiliary fuel pump doubler and laying out the hole placement, I was confused about how the platenuts were attached. Going further down the rabbit hole, I did a search on the recommended fuel pump to check dimensions and stumbled on the fact that the pump on the drawing is not recommended for fuel injected engines.

So...

1. What auxiliary fuel pump is recommended for this engine?
2. Is a doubler required for installation?
3. If so, are there other plans (Firewall Forward) which would show the installation?

I don't want to box myself in by not approaching this problem when it's easiest to address it.

June 5, 2023  Issue #5,833. (previous day's news). 

Milestone: It's an Airplane ...PilotjohnS -9A

"Hide your fuel pumps and gas cards!"

----->>>>> How to Minimize the Chance You <<<<<-----
----->>>>> Could be Dealing with a Scammer <<<<<-----
...when using the classifieds.
DO NOT SEND MORE THAN YOU
ARE WILLING TO LOSE!  READ
EVERY WORD AT THIS LINK!!!

Range and Endurance testing ...Draker -7A Update

I checked my magneto timing, and lo and behold both were running at 27 deg BTDC. Data plate on the engine says 25 deg BTDC, so I retimed them. CHTs are a little bit cooler now. I can keep them under 400 degrees at all tested cruise powers now up to and including 25"/2600. They're still hovering around 360 degrees during very slow cruise powers, so not great but it's progress. I also cut down the "air dam" in front of my #1 cylinder a little to try to even out temperatures. Now #1 went from the hottest to the coolest (cut too much ).

Now that I'm confident that I'm not cooking the engine, I was able to start really testing cruise performance and economy. Methodology:

• Climb to 7000 ft density altitude
• RPM to 2600, WOT (25" MP)
• Lean to roughly 25 deg LOP, then hands-off mixture control
• At each MP from 25" down to 13", let airspeed stablize and then record IAS, TAS, FF

Repeat above at 2500RPM, 2400RPM and 2300RPM, re-leaning for each RPM.
Repeat the whole shebang at 11000 ft density altitude (21.5" to 12.5" MP)
Total weight was 1590lbs->1550lbs for the 7000 ft test and 1525lbs->1490lbs for the 11000 ft test.
IO-360-M1B, Hartzell 72" CS prop, RV-7A with all fairings.

Findings/Learnings so far. Most of this is probably obvious to you veteran pilots and aeronautical engineers, but I learned a lot:

• At a given TAS, fuel flow doesn't vary much. If I want to cruise at 130 TAS at 7000 DA, I have lots of options: 19"/2300, 18.5"/2400, 18"/2500, 17"/2600. And it's going to be about 6.2-6.3gph no matter which one I choose. That was surprising at first but I guess it makes sense when you think about it.
• The fuel flow was slightly lower at the higher DA test, but same finding: It changed with TAS, regardless of the MP and RPM setting used to get there.
• Best endurance is the bottom of the power curve, and is the same TAS at both altitudes: For me, 90 KTAS.
• Best range found by dividing TAS by FF and picking the TAS with the highest value: For me it was 105 KTAS at both altitudes.
• Assuming these values will be roughly the same at all altitudes (they should be as everything is calculated in true airspeed), I should be able to determine best indicated range/endurance at any DA.
• My top cruise speed during these tests was 147KIAS/162KTAS at 25"/2500 ~78% power, 9.2gph.

Other random cool things I learned in these flights and questions I'm left with:

• Autopilot in helps immensely with these tests! Let it hold altitude and I worry about one less thing.
• I can easily tell when I pass peak EGT without looking at the gauges. Even with constant RPM, you can "feel" the obvious power loss as you cross into economy mixture and go leaner. So cool.
• Between, say 14" and 17" of MP, tiny, tiny (like 1/8") adjustments to throttle knob make a big airspeed difference. I never really tried nailing and holding precise airspeeds over and over like this until I flew this test plan.
• All this testing held mixture mostly constant, letting the FI servo do its best at each different MP settings. I wonder if I can zero in on more accurate numbers by leaning at all airspeeds. Dunno.
• I'm wondering how these figures will change significantly with weight. I have not done any max gross weight testing yet.
• I also wonder how these figures stack up to similar RV's.
  
  Thanks and sorry for the huge stream of consciousness and data dump. This writing is how I organize my thoughts after these flight tests.

This thing called life ...Bob Collins -12

Temperatures hit 85-90 in the Twin Cities this week. Yahtzee! I've put off canopy/window work since late last fall and I was at the point where nothing else could proceed. So we drilled the rear window and I've been prepping it up with standing etc the last day or so.

I'd hoped this summer would allow me to get the canopy done and have first engine start, but, alas, other plans have surfaced.
My older sister (70) has leukemia and is getting a bone marrow transplant at Dana Farber in Boston. So I'll be moving back to Massachusetts for three months to take care of her.

The plane will just have to wait until next summer.

WH-P909 Alternator

Q: Question for the brain trust.

Working on hooking up the alternator on my RV-14A. The WH-P909 wire goes from the alternator to through the firewall.

That doesn't make sense to me, and I can't seem to find a reference to it anyplace else. How is everyone else wiring the alternator power?

A: Van's does not include the ANL Current limiter or ammeter shunt on their drawings. They show the Alternator wire going through the firewall. I connected it to the bar at the battery/starter relay then ran WH-P912 through the firewall to the Main Bus.

Inconsistent Cherry Rivets

I'm building a rv14 and the lower longeron uses 6 cherry rivets CR3212-4-5.

I' tapped the mandrel loose and added some lps-2 then tapped them back together as per the Van's video.

They all set well and looked good from the outside - the mandrel flush with the skin (or very marginally under).

On the inside however they are all very inconsistent. Of course - Vas only sends you one spare. The mandrels have pulled into each of the rivets properly - but the shop head sizes are different. Perhaps I had some different part numbers in the bag, but they all looked to be the same length.

What is the consensus on these rivets? Do they need to come out?

From Kitplanes ...Paul

June 2, 2023  Issue #5,832. (previous day's news).
  Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend. 

George Jenson's 'Victory Lap' Photo Album

What parameter is used to follow a hot start procedure

Hi all,

Lately I found myself twice in a situation where I started the RV-10 after it sat on the ground after a previous flight and wasn't sure if I should use the hot start procedure or not. What parameters & values do you use to go for hot start vs. standard?

Kind regards
Michael
__________________
RV-10 builder (flying)
#40511
Switzerland

Mothership FF News

Sticky valve at 160 hrs

Hei Guys

Just one more data point. With the great help of Dan 57 we just reamed the exhaust valve guide for cylinder nr2. After only 160 hours we experienced some morning sickness, clearly visible in the data with a dropping EGT2 for half a minute or so.

Cheers
Fabian

RV-9A For Sale

A local hanger neighbor at Schaumburg (06C) recently passed away and I am helping his widow to sell the airplane. The plane was finished and registered in 2016 and has not changed hands since. It has always been hangered and is a cosemetically excellent RV-9A (w/ slider canopy) with 244 on the Hobbs. There is NO damage history. Engine was a brand new Mattituck IO-360 at build time and has been well cared for. Mag recently had it's IRAN and also has one Pmag. Servo recently cleaned / overhauled by Precision, due to fuel contamination.

While I have not inspected or gone through this plane with any detail, it appears to be well built with a good attention to detail and has a VERY nice paint job.

The owner recently had issues with leaking brakes and recently seemed to have addressed the issue - brakes operate as normal with no visible leaking. However, I noticed one brake line feeding the master was without fluid, so brakes will need to be bled. I can assist the buyer with this task.

Unfortunately the CI just lapsed. Seller is willing to allow the buyer to choose a mechanic, so they can combine a pre-buy with the new CI. A ferry permit should also be easy to obtain.

Plane is equipped as follows:

Dynon classic 10" + 7" display
Dynon transponder + ADSB
Dynon Comm radio
Dynon A/P module
Dynon A/P Servos
Std Dynon pitot with AOA
PSE 1000 Comm / audio panel
Leather seats with Crow harnesses
Mattituck IO-360 (180 HP)
Catto 3 blade prop
Nav lights, strobes and landing lights
AS, ALT, T&B Instrument back ups

Please PM for more info or higher resolution pics. All log books and paperwork are present and in order. Seller is asking $135,000 and is available today for viewing. As a courtesy to our fellow VAFers, have decided to hold off on a B/S post for a couple of days.

Larry

Electrical issues on my new-to-me RV12

Hi everyone,

I've got a new-to-me 2015 RV12 with a 912ULS that has about pushed me to my breaking point. I won't get into all the mistakes I made as a first-time aircraft buyer, but after many months and thousands of dollars I finally got it running well... and now it's grounded again.

The issue this time is negative amps and no charging on startup. The first time it happened we were getting around -6 amps even during the runup, and "solved" it by cleaning up the the firewall forward connector on the control module behind the Dynon with a little deoxit and dielectric grease.

A few flights later I started getting around -2 to -4 amps after startup, but it would start to charge again once I added higher RPM for the runup.

Then it progressed to where I had to run 4000+ RPM for a considerable length of time to get it to charge.

At this point I decided to bite the bullet and get a new voltage regulator (B&C). The first time we started it up with the new regulator it was charging perfectly! Then the second time... nothing.

Now we're at the point where it won't charge no matter what.

The latest thing we tried was replacing the connector housing and all the connectors to the VR, but that hasn't solved it.

Unfortunately I'm more of a fly it vs. fix it kinda guy, so I may need someone to explain to me like I'm 5. (My buddy is much more knowledgeable about this stuff than I am, so if I need an interpreter I'll pass it along to him.)

Help?

TIA.

EDIT: Forgot to mention we've tested the battery and that does not seem to be the problem. Takes and holds a charge just fine.
EDIT2: From my smarter friend: "The c pin has already been jumped from the b terminal so the fuse should not be the issue"

June 1, 2023  Issue #5,831. (previous day's news).
  Pretty rockin edition today - an amazing bunch of contributors making my job easier.  RV people are pretty awesome. 

Victory Lap ...George Jenson RV-7

As I got nearer to the end of my 16-year build of my RV-7 I began to envision a flight touching the airspace of the 48 contiguous states. Alaska would have to wait and Hawaii just isn't in the cards for me and this plane.

The rules were arbitrary as these things should be. I once drove to the Panama Canal and back with a couple of friends over 42 days, a very similar sort of flag-planting adventure, and the rules for that "journey is the destination" trip were similar:
-Safety first should go without saying but I'm saying it anyway.
-Touch the airspace of every one of the lower 48, no need to land in all of them.
-Do so in roughly the least amount of flying necessary, both distance and time, while sensibly minding the weather and airspace restrictions. No hurry, but no unnecessary delays or diversions either.
-Don't try to see any friends or family, that'll be other trips.
-Don't sight-see unless it's truly on the way, that'll also be for other trips. This was more of a "first look recon mission" and given #3 above, limited in scope. There were many very interesting states that I was in for less than a minute. -Don't be offended if you live in one, I'll be back, probably with my wife this time ;-)

Yes, I recognize this is a little ridiculous from some perspectives but for me it was a symbolic "victory lap" that would be an incredible experience in the vein of my favorite flying stories from Richard Bach, Rinker Buck, Stephen Coonts, and many others. It most certainly won't be my last "flight of fancy" though I understand this sort of whimsy is a long way from everyone's cup of tea. There's no reason that learning and enjoyment, the foundations of experimental aviation, cannot be a little whimsical and perhaps even ridiculous.

I landed back in Tucson, AZ yesterday after 8 days and 7 nights travel and "tagged" all 48 states in the trip. Perhaps the most interesting part of the story is how absolutely routine and trouble free the whole experience was. Simply put, it was both incredibly exciting and fulfilling in all the right ways and absolutely uneventful and without incident, also in all the right ways. There are no truly noteworthy or jaw-dropping stories.

Big takeaways are far from final, I'm still processing the experience. These come to mind immediately:
-We live in an extraordinary country, from nearly any perspective. I only covered a limited track but it was more than enough to be even more impressed than I had been on prior travels. I had already been to 44 of these states.
-The aviation community is spectacular. Too many stories to tell but it confirmed what I already knew, we are very lucky to be part of it.
-I did not have a single unpleasant experience with anyone I met, just the opposite in fact, and it wasn't limited to the aviation side of things.
-I love my little airplane, even more than I could imagine. -Thanks to Van and all that are involved in making it possible to do this.
-Thanks in particular to Beetle Bailey, Paul Dye, and Mike Seager, just three of the very many people that helped make this dream a reality.

The rough route that I followed is below, see attached screen cap and don't mind the TFRs and fuel limit bar shown when I captured it. There were deviations for weather and to tag states. Flight Aware will give you even more detail if you really want to dive deep (N567AJ) though it lost me in a couple of places. Airports that I landed at are in bold:

KRYN KLVS KCAO KEHA KBVO KGMJ 0M8 2R0 0R1 KVPC KTOC KONGO KOKV KFDK 17N TICKL MICAL KDXR PUT KPSM KSDC KIAG 9G0 KCLE KIRS KMGC KGYY VPFTS KAXA KFSD HANTS KCUT KEFC ARCOT MAGYE KBIL KHLN KMSO KLWS KMAN KEKO 67L KEED KRYN

Here are some stats that help tell the story:
8 days of flying
7 overnight stays
17 flights, 17 airports
~45 flight hours (~145 TTAF to ~190 TTAF)
~6,000 NM
~300 gals of avgas

Day Hrs New States
1 3:36 2 AZ, NM
2 3:02 4 TX, OK, CO, KS
3 6:30 8 MO, AR, LA, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC
4 5:19 10 NC, TN, VA, KY, WV, MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT
5 6:34 9 RI, MA, NH, ME, VT, PA, OH, IN, MI
6 3:33 5 IL, WI, IA, MN, SD
7 6:12 4 NE, WY, ND, MT
8 8:53 6 ID, WA, OR, NV, UT, CA

A few pics and notes will follow in this thread in the next day or so.

Don't hesitate to ask me anything, I dare not attempt to go too far down any rabbit hole without that guidance as I'm likely to bore anyone near me to tears with my attempts to describe the experience.

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

(5/27-29/2023): Memorial Day Weekend)

(ronrapp) My 8 year old son and I flew over to Hawthorne (HHR) for lunch, as well as to look at the SpaceX headquarters and Tesla Design Center.

It was a quick and easy flight, but one of those odd days when you're vacillating between going VFR and IFR due to the clouds. I was going to do IFR, but at the last minute the weather improved enough that I cancelled the IFR flight plan in the runup area and we took off westbound.

After departing Hawthorne, we took an aerial tour of the South Bay beaches, Long Beach harbor -- including the USS Iowa battleship and Queen Mary -- and the Orange County coastline down through Laguna Beach.

It was clear along the coast but low clouds still persisted along the Santa Ana mountains, so we coordinated with SoCal Approach to work our way along the east side of the SNA localizer and through the Santa Ana Canyon back to Corona.

I would have gotten more pictures but between supervising my son flying, the weather, and the busy frequencies, it was a fairly busy flight.

(clam) Camp trip
Pulled my middle son (16 yr old) away from baseball for a minute, rallied my backcountry brethren, and went out for a camp trip. NW Arkansas. Camp, cook, float and fish. My RV-8, a C-195, a Super Cub, a Kitfox, and a C-172. (Technically a few days prior to the weekend, but close enough)

June Calendar Wallpaper

Mr. David Valcik (RV-12)

Moved my RV-10 to the airport today.

With the help of some friends, we loaded up my RV-10 and moved to Springfield Downtown Airport (3DW) today. Hoping to install wings tomorrow.

Why is my RV so slow?

I'm hoping some of you experts can help me identify if there is some issue with my plane causing me to lose an excessive amount of knots.

One of the reasons I purchased a Vans RV-6 is the speed that these birds cruise at. For some reason, my plane doesn't seem to be getting anywhere near these speeds. From what I have researched, I should easily be able to hit 160-170 knots. I think I did, once, in a dive, with full power...

Here is my current setup:

RV-6
Lycoming O-320 E2A (160 h.p.) ~1060 SMOH & ~50 IRAN.
Sensenich Fixed Pitch (set at 76")
All fairings installed.

Cruising at 10,500 at 2500 RPM I was seeing 150 TAS, 125 IAS, 144 GS.
Cruising at 10,500 at 2300 RPM I was seeing 134TAS, 112 IAS, 129 GS.

From what I have seen, 76" pitch on the prop is fairly low. I think I have seen most people running around 80-82". I was thinking about putting the twist up to 78" and testing the results, and maybe finally going up to 80 if need be. I am more than happy with my climb rates and would gladly trade some climb for speed.

Looking at the lycoming manual, I need to have a static RPM of at lease 2300 RPM WOT on the ground. As my plane is configured right now, I am just under that (around 2960 rpm WOT). Although I don't think there is much danger in adding 2" of pitch since my climb rates are good and I don't run the risk of sucking up all of the runway before hitting rotation speeds, I still have some hesitations.

Does anyone have any ideas on where some extra knots could be hiding?

Anyone with a similar config care to share your cruise & power settings for comparison?

Pics of O-360 Fuel Primer(Lower) Install

Q: We are getting ready to finish the Primer system on our RV-7 O-360 and have the kit from TS FLIGHTLINES (Fittings, clamps, hoses, nozzles, etc) but I would really like to see someone else's installation with pictures. ie: How the hoses were run, how they were secured, etc. We have the solenoid mounted on the outboard side of the gascolator and will run from there to the bottom of the cylinders. Using "T"'s to branch off for each individual line. Cly 3 has the MAP line so will be priming using 1, 2, and 4.

A:

Mothership OSH Banquet Tickets

(visit Van's store)

Charity Cap Sighting

Austin.  Pretty well known restaurant/sign.

May 31, 2023  Issue #5,830. (previous day's news).

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

(5/27-29/2023): Memorial Day Weekend)

(Veetail88) I was encouraged to share this here, so here ya go.

Most things in life, many dauntingly difficult and exciting in the beginning, become rote, routine, and the sheen comes off of them. For me, this hasn't been the case with flying.

Perhaps it's because my fascination with flight has been life long; the success of the pursuit of owning my own craft manifesting well after the AARP set their sights on me.

I'd mentioned to Nancy, my bride, during a flight the other day, that I love everything about flying. From wrenching on the airplane, to guiding it through the sky while watching God's creation slipping by beneath the wings.

An incredible blessing from our almighty God it is indeed!

And while strapping on the little airplane, firing it up and launching into the heavens has become as comfortable as sliding into an old pair of shoes, the adventure never wears off.

Today, I'll try to give back a little. Heading out shortly to go fly over a couple of local Memorial Day parades. As low as legally permissible, honoring those who gave their all for the freedom we all enjoy.

Jesse's Girl was painted as she is for the same reason.

So off we go, the little airplane and I, proudly displaying D-Day invasion stripes and military themed stars and bars, to dance over the memorial celebrations!

Smoke On of course!

Mothership OSH News

Alternator pulley hits cowl

The alternator pulley on my B&C 40A alternator started touching the cowl during 4G pulls after a year of flying. The mounts are the Barry units sold by vans and are installed properly and tight. I can't see the sag but it didn't happen in phase 1 testing. I did tighten the alternator once. On the ground it looked like there was plenty of clearance. I found a thread in the RV4 forum discussing it. I replaced the 7360 belt with a 7350 and cut an inch off the top side of the tensioning arm. No big deal but removing the prop is invasive and not fun. If you are building something similar do it now.

DanH's Fairing Mods

Every RV should have a few "I made it myself" parts. It's what makes it yours.

Wing Wiring & Conduit

I am a first-time builder of an RV-10 but thought this thread would go better here as the issue is similar across most RV builds regarding wing wiring and conduit. I have found and read lots of posts on the topic as well. However, I want to get some considered thoughts about the following options and potential pitfalls.

I plan to use ZipTips and I have the wire requirements for them. I plan to use a heated/regulated Garmin Pitot tube and magnetometer in the left wing. So I am thinking I need two physically diverse paths for the magnetometer (GMU 22 probably) and the pitot/ZipTip wiring? In the right wing, I plan to install aileron trim, Garmin GSA28 roll servo, ZipTip lighting, and archer antenna, again two diverse paths to isolate the antenna coax from the GSA28, ZipTip, and trim wiring.

Should the wiring be long enough to make it to the panel or attach a connector at the wing root? I am sure there is a whole school of thought on this topic.

1. Standard VAN's 3/4" corrugated conduit, seems to be the most popular approach, either through drilled holes or through the lightening holes with some sort of bracket. However, I think (not sure) I would need another path for antenna coax to isolate noise.

2. Amazon split wiring corrugated conduit, same as above but is split for easier cable management. Is there a reason why this isn't acceptable? I have not seen any posts of builders using this material.

3. Braided sleeve or wire loom, seems like a reasonable option. Easy to manage and allow reasonable access for future wire additions. That could be run through the drilled rib holes or attached with brackets to the lightening holes. Thoughts on why that is a bad idea?

4. Bilge pump hose (PVC), I have seen 3/4", 1", and 1 1/2" options there and the hose is thin wall, lightweight, similar to the corrugated conduit.

5. Fluorescent bulb guard plastic tubes. Extremely thin and lightweight, available in 8' lengths, about 1 1/2" diameter, would need to bracket them through the lightening holes, but seems like a reasonable option.

6. PEX tubing, I have seen several posts on the use of PEX, but it seems thick and heavy to perform the function of conduit.

Also, I was thinking about running the pitot and AOA tubes through a braided sleeve and then through the J-channel holes. Thinking the sleeve would protect the tubing from any aluminum rib contact. Any thoughts as to why that is a bad idea?

Again considered response would be greatly appreciated.

May 30, 2023  Issue #5,829. (previous day's news).

What did you do with your RV this weekend?

(5/27-29/2023): Memorial Day Weekend)

2700 Hour Report ...petehowell

Gizmo the wonder dog and I jetted down to see Mom and zip thru the to-do list last night- Mom made Greek Chicken with Orzo and Feta, and it was as good as it sounds. Gizzy might actually smiling as she dreams of Snoopy battling the Red Baron - I'm glad we fared better than Snoopy today.

EAA Webinar with Paul Dye: Flying with AOA - June 6th

Tip: Priming Elevator Skins

Wires holding the bottom down and top open.

Inner Aileron Bracket does not fit to the rear spar ...-9

Hi everyone,

when I cleco my Aileron Brackets to the Rear Spar, the holes on the second angle are about 1/2 diameter off in vertical direction. The two angles are the L-suffix-ones, and we're talking about the left wing. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Swapping the smaller angle with the R one doesn't help. Turning it around 180* doesn't help either.

It's the same picture when i try to cleco the right wing components to the right rear spar, without the doubler plate.

Fuel System Webinar

This coming Thursday, at 7 PM EDT, I will be doing an FAA webinar on fuel systems for amateur built aircraft. I think this is the link, and there is Wings credit for those of you who are interested.  Register

FOREFLIGHT 15.5 NOW AVAILABLE

May 29, 2023  Issue #5,828. (previous day's news).