Van's Air Force
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Finally Took The RV-12 Plunge
- Thread starter JJStines
- Start date
DonFromTX
Well Known Member
Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the group of 12 builders. It is a choice you will become more sure is the right one as you build. Don't forget you can change those things you don't like, either after ELSA certification, or you can go EAB from the start and build in those changes you wish to make. The build goes very fast compared to most homebuilts.
Thank you Don. This is my first build so I'm gonna take it slow. I plan to build and register it as an ELSA so I guess initially there won't be any changes. There are some things I feel can be improved upon besides the cost, but it's nothing I couldn't live with. It's nice to know that there's such a wealth of knowledge right here to tap into.
While you wait for your kit, one of the best things you can do is read as much of this forum as you can. Copy text and links to specific issues you think you will want to remember later. I highly advise 2 blogs - Dave's and Marty's at:
http://www.schmetterlingaviation.com/
On this one, look at the right-hand side and download the PDF file that contains all of the posts from Dave's first half of the build. Highly informative as well as entertaining.
And
http://martysrv12.blogspot.com/
Now there are many other greatr blogs out there but these are the two that I read totally while on a business trip and based on them made the decision to start the kit.
For great pictures of some detailed stuff, also see Tony's photo album:
http://tonytessitore.smugmug.com/RV-12Project
Highly valuable.
This build has been one of the most fun things I've ever done. Have fun!
Bill H.
http://www.schmetterlingaviation.com/
On this one, look at the right-hand side and download the PDF file that contains all of the posts from Dave's first half of the build. Highly informative as well as entertaining.
And
http://martysrv12.blogspot.com/
Now there are many other greatr blogs out there but these are the two that I read totally while on a business trip and based on them made the decision to start the kit.
For great pictures of some detailed stuff, also see Tony's photo album:
http://tonytessitore.smugmug.com/RV-12Project
Highly valuable.
This build has been one of the most fun things I've ever done. Have fun!
Bill H.
welcome
Welcome to the club. I posted this under the ?New Builder? thread a few months ago. There were a lot of good ideas from other 12 builders.
My posted reply: ?I wanted to share with all of the new and Future RV12 builders a tool that assisted me by cutting down the build time, reducing the OOPs errors, and enhancing the building process. I purchase the video series from HomebuiltHELP a few months ago. These videos have allowed me to cut the build time down significantly. I still go by the Vans plans to the letter, but I read the section first, watch the video, then read again, and then build. This has been a great tool, at least for me. I do recommend it to anyone building in the future. I just ordered the Rotax video and got to talk to John, he shared some of his experiences building the 12 on the video.?
I have close to 500 hours and the 12 is a great kit. You will enjoy the journey as all of us have.
Welcome to the club. I posted this under the ?New Builder? thread a few months ago. There were a lot of good ideas from other 12 builders.
My posted reply: ?I wanted to share with all of the new and Future RV12 builders a tool that assisted me by cutting down the build time, reducing the OOPs errors, and enhancing the building process. I purchase the video series from HomebuiltHELP a few months ago. These videos have allowed me to cut the build time down significantly. I still go by the Vans plans to the letter, but I read the section first, watch the video, then read again, and then build. This has been a great tool, at least for me. I do recommend it to anyone building in the future. I just ordered the Rotax video and got to talk to John, he shared some of his experiences building the 12 on the video.?
I have close to 500 hours and the 12 is a great kit. You will enjoy the journey as all of us have.
Welcome, John.
Regarding priming, opinions are all over the map. After spending way too much time pondering and researching the priming issue, I settled on this: For mating surfaces in the interior, I roughened with red Scotch Brite, wiped with acetone, and primed with self-etching primer from a rattle can. If I inadvertently scratched the alclad where it didn't contact another surface, I used the above procedure. I also primed everything that's not alclad. Yeah, two-part epoxy would be better, but for all the stuff hidden under the skin, I think what I did is good enough.
Enjoy the build.
Jerre
JJStines - Jerre basically answered your question the same way I would have. I did the same as he did. I contact many guys and it seams like it is divided. Really ask the question where is the plane? humid or dryer, inside or outside storage. But one of the personal builders at Vans quote' " I didn't prime and just build it"
Just an opinion - not right or wrong - just what I did. Enjoy the build and the experience.
DonFromTX
Well Known Member
My priming decision was made when someone asked me "is the Ercoupe you are flying that has passed its 65th birthday primered?" The answer was no it was not, no corrosion in 65 years, at my age that will do it for me. I would just as soon not be flying all that paint around for the next 65 yars.
