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Almost-done RV-7A project

ideas

Bob,

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I don't live in the Minn area, so being there in person to assist is not possible. However, if you need assistance in any other way, I can help.
 
Sorry, Bob, I missed this for a couple of days. REALLY sorry to hear your plight and you and your family will be in our prayers. If it should happen that your plane comes to OSH to be finished, I can promise about six kids who would love to help out. I just might lend a hand, also. Do try to finish what you start. Your heart will thank you for it.

God bless,

Bob
 
I'll be at Oshkosh for the first time ever and would be glad to chip in with help to get the 7 closer to completion.
 
Bob,

Very sorry to hear about the medical issues facing your family. I have enjoyed all the fellowship you have shown with the Oshkosh get togethers, your dedication to the RV community, and especially the time you spent with me and Karen at Oshkosh last year. Not sure what I can do to help you from here but the willingness is certainly there. I hope to see you again in July and on one of our typical morning flights at OSH you are certainly welcome to join me and our band of outcast RVers hiding out in the N40. I truly hope for the best for your family.
 
Bob you might be amazed at what a dozen prior RV builders could do in a few days on your bird!!!

I say finish it, it is not worth the sum of the parts unfinished.

Use the help being offered and get er done.

I am open to attending a group work session if you can wait till warmer weather or move it to a heated hangar.
 
Brantel said:
if you can wait till warmer weather or move it to a heated hangar.
Click to expand...

It was 40 yesterday! If that darned rubber lining at the bottom of the door weren't frozen in ice, I'd have opened the hangar door.

The countdown is underway to the first mosquito sighting. (It's a very small window up here.):D
 
Bob,
Let me know when you are having your build party and I will come on down to help you. I am a local builder in Hugo, MN and have been following your posts since being on the VAF. I'll help but the ball is in your court. PM me when the day arrives and I will be glad to help out.
You mentioned that Pete Howell offered hanger space at KANE. That is a great hanger, it just produced Peter Fruehling's 7A. I think it would be a good move to send the plane up there. In just that hanger alone you have enough wisdom to put a plane together pretty quick. KANE is my home base as well so it would be easy for me to hop over there and help out.
Keep me posted!
 
Here's a shoutout to Pete Howell, Alex Peterson, and Bernie Weiss, who flew their RVs over to South St. Paul last Saturday to check out the project. It's a long story but I left the propane heater on while I ducked into the terminal and came back to find the hangar filled with smoke. So I had to open the door just as they arrived. It was 9 degrees and poor Bernie was dressed as if he'd just gotten back from Florida, which he had.

After looking at the project briefly, it was decided to close the door and turn on the heater again, the likelihood of carbon monoxide poisoning considered preferable to the temperatures.

alex_pete.jpg


We were considering moving the project up to their hangar in Anoka, but decided quickly that since none of us knows a state patrol officer willing to stop traffic on I-694 at 2 in the morning, and me not happy about slicing a perfectly good SteinAir harness, I would look instead for a heated hangar at KSGS, and they would fly over on a few weekend to try to get the project completed -- or nearly so anyway -- to better sell as a completed airplane, or find someone interested in buying into it (know anyone?).

So, today I found a heated hangar on the field and I'll move the project next door until it warms up or Oshkosh, whichever comes first (right now, it's a "push").

So my plan to address the coming financial burdens is going swimmingly -- another $250 a month for a heated hangar (in addition to the $225 I'm paying now). :(

Anyway, that's the update. It was awfully nice of those guys to fly over.
 
any chance you can sublet your hangar for the time being, even at half price it's better than nothing.

Also PM me(or post) your address, I'll donate a little towards your Auxiliary hangar rent.
 
Well, Bob

Seems you have a pretty good group of friends. Might I propose you supply a paypal address or snail mail address and just see who might chip in for..

Bob Collins 2011 "Piece of Aluminum" Contribution Fund.

Just might surprise you how many friends you have out in cyberland that would feel good about helping a good guy out who was dealt a few tough cards lately. Its not charity, its support from fellow builders to get er done. We all have likely had a few bumps along the way, none of us are immune from your type of issues. Seems your friends just dont want to see you wave the white flag this far into the fight. Just throwing it out there Bob.

:D
 
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RickWoodall said:
Seems you have a pretty good group of friends. Might I propose you supply a paypal address or snail mail address and just see who might chip in for..

Bob Collins 2011 "Piece of Aluminum" Contribution Fund.

Just might surprise you how many friends you have out in cyberland that would feel good about helping a good guy out who was dealt a few tough cards lately. Its not charity, its support from fellow builders to get er done. We all have likely had a few bumps along the way, none of us are immune from your type of issues. Seems your friends just dont want to see you wave the white flag this far into the fight. Just throwing it out there Bob.

:D
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Agreed. We need to see this plane completed on behalf of, if not by, its original builder.
 
RickWoodall said:
Seems you have a pretty good group of friends. Might I propose you supply a paypal address or snail mail address and just see who might chip in for..

Bob Collins 2011 "Piece of Aluminum" Contribution Fund.

:D
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I don't know Bob, but gather from the outpouring in this thread that it is my loss that I don't. Pete Howell, Alex Peterson, or Bernie Weiss - since it is unlikely Bob will set up a PayPal account, do you think one of you could do that so that we can chip some hangar rent in?

Phil
 
Been to several

of Bob's RV BBQ events at KOSH, and I know he paid it forward. It's time to bay it BACK. Just let me know how, and I'm in. I'll be in the midwest mid to late May until the end of August. I'm all in...
 
Today was moving day.

pat_moving_plane.jpg


That's my youngest son, Patrick, doing the honors and pretending to be the world's strongest man. The project was moved to the next row over -- a heated hangar with bright, strong lights and everything!

If you're out flying around and need a place to warm up, stop down to KSGS. I'll be there on Saturdays, trying to get some progress on the plane so that if it has to be sold, it can go as a flying airplane.

I've been in the process of creating a "to do" list. It's posted on the blog. If you see a specialty of yours there anywhere, we could sure use you.
 
Good news, sure wish there wasnt better than half a country between us, makes it a bit hard to drop by for a work session.

If there is still anything to do by Oshkosh, my prior offer still stands.
 
I see a glimmer of hope

Bob Collins said:
I'll be there on Saturdays, trying to get some progress on the plane so that if it has to be sold, it can go as a flying airplane.
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Knowing what it takes to build one of these things, personally I hope you decide to, and are able to keep it. Best of luck either way!
 
Moderators, should we move this from classifieds to some more permanent location, so that the process can be followed until the plane flies?

Done, it is now in General Discussion/News.
 
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It is still a "for sale" project, but you smart people convinced me it won't sell unless it's done. I don't want anyone to think this is all a deal just to get it finished.
 
Bob Collins said:
It is still a "for sale" project, but you smart people convinced me it won't sell unless it's done. I don't want anyone to think this is all a deal just to get it finished.
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I can't speak for everybody, but I want you to finish because you deserve the reward of the long tough journey you've been on. Also you seem like a nice guy and "when" you finally sell it, I don't want you to take a $20000 beating.
 
Bob, I just found this thread and am so sorry to hear about your son and wife's illnesses. You are courageous and kind in your dedication to their wellbeing. Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

Roberta
 
Bob,
I just ran across this thread last night. I am so sorry to hear of your situation and I wish you well.
I have also been thinking about you all night and decided to share my thoughts. Please know that I know that I don't know the details and facets of your situation; therefore whatever I say may or may not be applicable. Know also that I feel deeply for your situation. I have experienced some tough financial times also; having "lost everything" more than once. One of my biggest lessons has been to fight for what is mine. In my first business closure, I felt compelled to give up everything; and grew to regret that decision. At the time I didn't see any other way and thought it was "the right thing to do". I later realized that I did have options and could have worked the situation much differently and ultimately could have saved some of what I had earned and built. I would encourage you to reconsider the outright sale of your aircraft, to wait some, and see how things unfold. I have lived most of my life not knowing where my next paycheck was coming from and learned that things do work themselves out. I am 56 years old and have a grand total of fewer than 2 years of receiving a paycheck; I have been self-employed or owned and run my own business for over 95% of my adult life. Integrity and a smile have served me well. From your posts over the past years I sense you have a smile also. Make sure that stays. You won't always know what is coming next but whatever it is, it will go better if you greet it with a smile. And an airplane at the airport you can go jump in and fly.

It's not about being materialistic but about finding the soul and joy in what you create. You don't seem to come from the point of "being a builder" in the physical sense; although you have been creating words and connections with people. I have been creating "things" my whole life and see the life those things bring into our lives; the soul one invests and the connections to people they in turn create. And the joy, the solace, and fulfillment they can bring. Your airplane could end up being a primary source of relief, joy, and enjoyment for you, or just plain escape from what may be troubling times.

I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds. Whatever you end up doing I'll be rooting for you.
 
Well said. Well received.

larryj said:
... whatever I say may or may not be applicable. Know also that I feel deeply for your situation. ...
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Thank you, Larry. I hope the wise counsel in your words helps Bob. I know it helped me.

--Stephen
 
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barn_raising.jpg


For a time today, it was like American Chopper at Ami Sela's hangar, where N614EF is getting more attention than she's had in quite awhile. All sorts of neat construction sounds were taking place.

(Left to right:) Brad Benson, Adam Youngman, Pete Howell, and Devin Pearce stopped by today to help. Pete made the large oil cooler fit around the engine mount and beefed up the aft baffle. Devin, who knows engines, solved the Lightspeed controller problem by fabricating a new bracket and moving the existing location forward one hole. Adam was able to get the prop extension off (which I need in order to put the prop on), and Brad fit the tail empennage fairing. I, meanwhile, took about 9 hours today to drill a stinking pass-through hole in the firewall (for the filtered air box emergency air cable). I really hate drilling stainless steel.

My wife was not doing very well today, but she stopped because she wanted to meet all of these neat people I've been talking about.

With today's accumulated hours, the project passed the 2,400 hour mark.

I'm sure that flying RVs is ten shades of neat. I can't imagine it's better than the people I've had the honor of meeting along the building process, though.
 
The thought never crossed my mind

Bob Collins said:
It is still a "for sale" project, but you smart people me it won't sell unless it's done. I don't want anyone to think this is all a deal just to get it finished.
Click to expand...

Bob,
Honestly that thought never crossed my mind. But now that you mention it, I like the idea j/k.

I think people would be glad to help not just because of your situation but also because you've given so much to the RV community. Although it is an online community, you can get a feel of a persons personality. You don't really know them, but you get a glimpse of their characteristics. I'd like to see you keep your options open and just say I'm seriously considering selling because of my current circumstances. Don't back yourself into a corner where you feel you have to sell your plane. You may still sell your project but I'd like to see you keep the option of keeping it open. I'm only on my wings and I know what I've put into my project. If I weren't so far away, I'd be honored to stop by and buck some rivets with you.

Like another said, I hope I didn't overstep my bounds. It's just sad to know what you've put so much into this project and the community to let it go. Having said that, you know your situation 100% more than I do. If you have to sell, you have to sell.

Either way I'm rooting for you!
 
Hi Bob--

You have many friends, not only in your home town, but here on VAF. The help that your getting, the advise, the love from many others is a tribute to you, my friend.
You're a long way from South Carolina, but I can help in other ways. If you need any other hose assemblies to finish up, let me know, and I'll donate them to a VERY worthwhile project; to help out a good man.
Reguards to you ans your loved ones--
Tom
 
TS Flightlines said:
You have many friends, not only in your home town, but here on VAF. The help that your getting, the advise, the love from many others is a tribute to you, my friend.
You're a long way from South Carolina, but I can help in other ways. If you need any other hose assemblies to finish up, let me know, and I'll donate them to a VERY worthwhile project; to help out a good man.
Reguards to you ans your loved ones--
Tom
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Thanks, Tom. That's very generous. But I'm on old New England yankee. If I don't pay you in dollars (actually, I will ), then I'm obliged to pay you in maple syrup.

One of the next steps is plotting the effective route of the servo-to-divider fuel line. I could go up through the bottom baffle, but it might be better to go up behind the engine. I'll figure that out in the next few weeks and I'll be in touch. That line you made for that throublesome route between the fuel pump and servo was just what the doctor ordered. It was perfect.
 
Lookin' good, Bob. Don't forget to remove the "THIS SIDE UP" notation on the fuse once you start flying. Don't want to ruin the fun of having an RV. :D
 
Congratulations, TRBC! I just read and was deeply touched by your "Almost Done" essay, just like I've been taught, buoyed, and inspired before by you. There are so many examples of excellent projects which get written up on VAF -- creative mods, stunning panels, exquisite workmanship, art as paint -- but we sometimes forget to honor the transformation of spirit in a person which it takes not just to undertake these endeavors, but to persevere, to run the gauntlet completely to its end, and finally, ultimately, to finish.

Bob, there are great craftsmen in our midst here who inspire me to do better with my aluminum projects. You are the great craftsman who, by crawling out of your shop weary, bloody, but triumphant, inspires me to endure until the end.

Nice work, sir.

--
Stephen
 
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