One year ago today...

[N941WR]

I made my first flight.

In the ensuing year I have put over 180 hours on my -9.

Keep pounding those rivets, it is worth it!

 

[bsacks05]

Yeah Baby

Oh, the joy of RV ownership.

Every flight just gets sweeter.

You will catch me soon. I just turned over 250 hrs in two years since first flight.

Here's wishing you many more rewarding years with your -9 and I hope we can finally get together soon.

 

[fstringham7a]

RE:Fantastic

I made my first flight.

In the ensuing year I have put over 180 hours on my -9.

Keep pounding those rivets, it is worth it!

Bill

Congrats on that first year of flying.....I do envy you. I got the engine/prop last August and with excitement said we will be in the air by January 2008.............YA RIGHT........maybe January 2009..............

Anyway next flight think of we ground bound rivet pounders/electrical/FG/FWF......guys and gals.

Frank @ 1L8 ...RV7A...Painting Prep

 

[Geico266]

Bill,

Congrats!

Anything you would do different?

Have you learned to master the "hard to fly" 9? It takes a real pro!

I miss the -9A I had. Made me look like I knew what I was doing.

 

[Jeff R]

It takes a lot of motivation to get out to the shop, with the heat and humidity of Florida (not to mention the swarms of mosquitoes) that can make building almost miserable. I have notice my own building has slowed down considerably as personal issues have also cropped up, but hearing of your success story will certainly help me to again get out tomorrow and do some more work. Heck, I got my engine and I have a hanger waiting me, so what am I waiting on? I am so happy that all is going well with your airplane, and I want to thank you for the advice and help you have provided me since I first started building a little over a year ago.

 

[N941WR]

Bill,

Congrats!

Anything you would do different?

Have you learned to master the "hard to fly" 9? It takes a real pro!

I miss the -9A I had. Made me look like I knew what I was doing.

Thanks, and other's please chime in.

You are right, Van's kept telling me the -9 was the most difficult of the tail draggers to fly. Most of that centered around the wing, the thing just doesn't want to quit flying. Once you get used to that, it is not a problem. I three point it w/ full stall landings almost 100% of the time. I found that when wheel landing it, if I put the tail down to quickly it will pop off the runway but with the tail up, it will coast of the end of my 2300' runway. Three point it and I can turn around at midfield w/o touching the brakes.

As for what I would do differently...
I do like the O-290 but Craig Catto mis-cut my prop because he had never cut one for a -9 with this engine. The result is a really good climb prop but it limits my cruise speed to 165 MPH TAS. I need to do some speed runs and have him cut me another one based on the results of those runs. At 8,000' DA I can only run 64% power or I will over speed the engine.

Other than that, I'm happy with how it performs, the options I put in the plane and the things I left off in an effort to keep it light.

My interior is nothing but paint. I did insulate and carpet the floor but there is nothing on the firewall, nor do I feel it is needed.

I'm particually happy with my FWF installation. I used a LOT of Adel clamps to hold my wires from moving around (There are pictures on my web site.) and as I work on my condition inspection nothing has moved or worn out FWF.

Down the fuselage, I found I should have put zip-tie pads every 6" rather than every 12" to keep the wires from rubbing on the skins. (All zip-tie pads had the sticky tape removed and were glued down with Goop automotive trim adhesive.)

I did not paint first and still hope to get that done soon. This was a good move as I must have had the cowling off a million times in the past year, which would have chipped the paint. Now I feel it is ready for paint.

The plane is a simple day/night VFR ship and I didn't go for fancy things such as flap position sensors, wig-wag flashers, etc. for reasons of my own. (I don't wish to start a debate on the benefits of such things on this thread. If you want my opinion, shoot me an email and I'll give you my thoughts)

Every item installed in the plane was scrutinized for future maintenance issues and installed in such a way as to make that future maintenance easier. One of these things was the use of the Affordable Panels modular panel coupled with a tip-up canopy. 8-32 cap screws were used in place of the pan head screws where that made sense as they can be easily removed when access is limited such as the tank access plate and up under the panel.

The throttle quadrant from Dayton was worth every dime and doesn't cut into leg room and I love flying with it!

There are so many little things that I did when building the plane that it would take pages to list them all. As other builders follow, the only advice I can give is to think through every change and option you put in the plane and then figure out if you really need/want it. Then simply build the plane you want, not the plane others want you to build.

One thing I would have done differently would be to glue the canopy in place rathern than hold it in place with screws.

The TW vs. NW question was never an issue for me as the plane is one of the easiest tail draggers I have ever flown. In fact, I gave up building a -6 when Van's announced the -9A hoping they would introduce a -9. Shortly after that introduction I ordered my tail kit and sold the -6 kit.

 

[N941WR]

It takes a lot of motivation to get out to the shop, with the heat and humidity..

Jeff,

When I started I had the same problem with my basement shop. After starting on my wings I insulated and dry walled my basement. This simple change not only reduced the HVAC bills on my house but made the basement some place I could spend many hours in. If your shop is not comfortable, it is difficult to spend time there.

Keep pounding, the results are worth all the time!

 

[pmccoy]

Congrats

Keep pounding those rivets, it is worth it!

Bill, congrats on the anniversary! One year later and living the dream!

I have at least a year to go... currently working on the canopy. Anytime I can get additional motivation it's a good thing.

I would love to come up and see your plane some time. I live in Southern California, but my company just signed a new account in Charlotte, so I will be in the area a few times over the next couple of months. I'll send you a pm to see if you have any spare time around one of my visits. Thanks.

 

[dhusk]

Already!

I can't believe it's been a year since your first flight. You've taken some nice trips in the plane, too.

Good to hear that your extra effort to make sure things are held in place properly is paying off. That's something we're trying to pay attention to as well.

Congratualtions on the first year. Let me know if you come back through 1D2some time. It would be nice to meet you and check out your plane.

 

[ergie63]

180 Hours, Wow!

I don't wish to start a debate on the benefits of such things on this thread.

I have been to your website many times. The logic for your choices is among more reasonable in the community. Other builders should pay attention. This is one reason why I wanted to get a glimpse of your plane when you were in town -- oh well, some other time.

I can appreciate wanting to turn the engine slower at crusie, but I'm not sure you want to go too much faster than 165MPH. In other threads, the -7 pilots are adamant that their aircraft is just as efficient as the -9. The only way I can reconcile any truth to the assertion is that the parasitic drag of the -9's larger wing becomes a greater hinderance as airspeeds go much beyond that point. Besides, the climb pitch prop must be a big help in controlling your energy for landing on your short runway. Put a cruise prop in there and you'll be sticking you feet through the floor boards like Fred Flintstone to bring it in.

 

[N941WR]

...I'll send you a pm to see if you have any spare time around one of my visits. Thanks.

No problem, just let me know when you are in town.

...Congratualtions on the first year. Let me know if you come back through 1D2some time. It would be nice to meet you and check out your plane.

Thanks. I was at 1D2 for about two hours on the way to OSH. (Still need to write up the trip.) Went to lunch with some old friends and blasted off. My last flight to 1D2 was on 12/5/87. (Just looked it up in my log book.)

I have been to your website many times. The logic for your choices is among more reasonable in the community. Other builders should pay attention. This is one reason why I wanted to get a glimpse of your plane when you were in town -- oh well, some other time.

... Besides, the climb pitch prop must be a big help in controlling your energy for landing on your short runway. Put a cruise prop in there and you'll be sticking you feet through the floor boards like Fred Flintstone to bring it in.

Thanks for the comments. Regarding the prop, I'm not sure there will be a problem with a new prop. My hope is to change the pitch AND make it longer, 70" vs the current 68". The combination should increase my speed w/o changing my ROC. At least that is the dream and it may very well be a dream.

The plane has worked out great and we are really enjoying it, as you may have guessed by the number of hours I have put on it.

 

[Robert M]

one year

Congrats Bill! Sorry about the delay on the response but I've had my head buried in the garage - as you put it "Keep pounding, the results are worth all the time!" By golly, I'm a poundin'! Well actually not yet.

Got the TC visit in and I'm gonna close the wings. Fuselage moving quicker than expected.

Oh and I hope to have my one year anniversary, one year after it gets flying