I have an RV7a that I need advice on finishing

[Renegade47]

I have all the fuselage, empenage, flight surfaces, and metal work done, the remaining items are installing my wingtips, landing gear, io360 engine, and complete avionics panel. I have it in my garage and I have the interior kit which i am thinking about doing last.

Any advice on the order for engine, panel install, gear, and paint/interior is much appreciated

 

[Renegade47]

A limited number of items are still required for completion:
New canopy to allow for the slider
Nose Landing gear will need to be purchased as original gear leg was not powder coated in certain areas
Firewall forward kit for the IO-360 from Vans Aircraft
The intention was to install the new Aerosun wingtips from Vans - need to place that order
Goodyear tires

 

[mturnerb]

You are close to Falcon Field, home of one of the best RV communities around. I'm sure some of them will be along to reach out and connect.

 

[Renegade47]

Yessir I am in the group so much appreciated! And I agree it’s the best rv group of people I have ever met and I am blessed to have the community

 

[Desert Rat]

I did all the avionics with it still on the fuselage stand. It was a lot easier to bend over and work on that stuff with the fuselage a bit lower. But I also still hadn't installed the forward upper skin at that point, so that made a difference.

Then I got it on its gear before I hung the engine because you spend a fair amount of time under the engine hooking stuff up and it was nice to have it a bit higher.

I had done the slider portion of the canopy about a year prior when it was hot to try to minimize the chance of cracking it. Once I was fairly confident that I was done under the hood, I riveted on the forward skin and installed the windshield.

I did all that stuff before I moved to the hangar. Driving to a hangar is a time suck on productivity compared to just popping out to the garage.

I'm in final assembly at the hangar right now and don't plan to install interior or paint until after phase 1.

 

[TS Flightlines]

I did all the avionics with it still on the fuselage stand. It was a lot easier to bend over and work on that stuff with the fuselage a bit lower. But I also still hadn't installed the forward upper skin at that point, so that made a difference.

Then I got it on its gear before I hung the engine because you spend a fair amount of time under the engine hooking stuff up and it was nice to have it a bit higher.

I had done the slider portion of the canopy about a year prior when it was hot to try to minimize the chance of cracking it. Once I was fairly confident that I was done under the hood, I riveted on the forward skin and installed the windshield.

I did all that stuff before I moved to the hangar. Driving to a hangar is a time suck on productivity compared to just popping out to the garage.

I'm in final assembly at the hangar right now and don't plan to install interior or paint until after phase 1.

Really good people at Falcon field---Vic is there too. Synergy South is in Newnan, and thats 'close'. Lots of help in the area, and maybe the best of all, Spruce is THERE---gee thats a huge advantage!!
Tom