Greetings

[tyconnell]

I've been thinking about doing this for, oh, 10 years now, and via one excuse or another it's always been pushed off...

I was at a family re-union yesterday, and met Joe Lofton who was showing off his RV-3 in his hangar / workshop on the family property there. Anyway, I mentioned I had been thinking about an RV-9 lately. He smiled knowingly, pointed to the workbench, and said "That's the fuel tank for an RV-9 right there."

I proceeded to grill Joe about his project; he was quite patient with me.

I took this meeting as a *sign* (if you believe in such things) that I just needed to stop making excuses and go for it.

Preview plans ordered today. I hope to have the tail kit ordered next week.

And I guess along the way, I'll have to learn how to fly.

 

[tc1234c]

Welcome to the club! I thought and talked about building an airplane for more than ten years. Along the way I built a sailboat and got my commercial, instrument and CFI tickets. Finally, I plunged in. That was in 2004. Now I have a wonderful flying machine. During the built process I posted a US map on my wall. On the map I drew five concentric circles center at my airport. The circles represent from 1 to 5 hour flying distance coverage. It covers a very large part of the country! Now I have been flying my RV-9A for almost 11 months. I have not flown out of circle three yet. But, I sure have a lot of fun.

Keep working on your dream and your dream will come true.

 

[Jeff R]

Congratulatioins! I have dreamed of building for 40 years and finally got started last October scratch building a wooded F12A, but for various reasons, switched to an RV-9A the end of May. I am trying to complete the tail, but managed to botch the left elevator yesterday (I am hardly alone at that, at least). This is my first experience at metal work and the learning curve is steep, but after a while, you start to get a handle on things. Well....I thought, seeing as how I have to scrap the elevator. At least Van's doesn't rip you on replacement parts.

Do you have the tools? The tail kit only takes a few days to arrive, so start figuring out what you need tools-wise and get them on order. I found you can't beat Brown's for the Soiux rivet gun and drill, and the tool kit (less those items) from Plane Tools with a pneumatic squeezer and DRTD-2 dimpler, is nearly unbeatable.

Hopefully, you will make lots of screwups to make me feel less like an idiot!

Welcome!

 

[tyconnell]

>> Do you have the tools?

No tools yet, other than the standard fare house / auto tools. I "started" my project last night by clearing / organizing the garage in preparation for tools, etc.

>> During the built process I posted a US map on my wall...

This is a fantastic IDEA!!!

>> Hopefully, you will make lots of screwups to make me feel less like an idiot!

I'll be sure to let you all know my first botched job. Given how (un)coordinated I am, it will most likely be sooner vice later!

Thanks for the welcome!

 

[Les Dial]

Ty:
Welcome aboard! Check your PM's. -- Les

 

[n2prise]

RV builders, Star Trek fans, it just keeps getting better all the time!

Guilty of all those "sins" and flying my RV-9A "Enterprise" around the country. It now has 234.7 hours on the Hobbs meter. I have been to Oshkosh twice since the first flight on June 9, 2005.

The Great Lakes, New England, plus Florida several times over the past two years.

LOE5 in New Mexico (beyond El Paso, Texas) in October 2005.

Denver in 2006 on business. A business day trip from Chattanooga, to Frankfort, KY, then to Greenville, SC and back to Chattanooga - - all between 8:15 AM and 4:45 PM on the same day.

Texas on Labor Day weekend 2005.

And around the block several times to say the least. I have not been to Van's Homecoming or to the Pacific Ocean yet. You can learn all about how I built my RV-9A and where I have flown it via my web site at www.n2prise.org and avoid some of my mistakes.

I also shoot in-flight videos with full sound capabilities from the intercom and the radios. Oshkosh 2006 was the first really good video I shot. You will find links to those videos on my home page, etc.

Jerry K. Thorne
East Ridge, Tennessee
(Near Chattanooga)
RV-9A - - N2PZ
"Enterprise"

 

[skyfrog]

Welcome

Ty,

Welcome to the club. It also took me a long time before I sent away for the tail kit. I don't know why I waited so long.

About a year ago I decided to go metal vs. composites and started collecting tools while deciding between the RV7, RV9 or the Zodiac. I got just about every tool at a discount, either from ebay, in the classified section of this web site, Home Depot/Lowes sales, etc.

Because of my lack of metal work experience, I signed-up for the Alexander Technical Class (see link on this web site). Unfortunately, my boss didn't let me take the vacation time and I had to pass. But I did take the EAA metal workshop in Lakeland which was only one weekend. This was extremely helpful. Since you are in Georgia, I'd suggest the Alexander class.

Well, I better get back to priming... By the way, the 3M full face respirator is outstanding.

John Edwards
RV-9A - Empennage
N5JE - Reserved