Hangar door still has 4" of ice in front of it (north facing), so no RV anything, but I did get to finally use the Dwarf Mini ‘smart telescope’ I ordered many months ago. Arrived a week back. I hope to take this on trips in the RV-6 to VERY dark skies in West Texas. Having said that, it’s pretty shocking (below) what you can get from a light polluted backyard outside Dallas, TX. With a nearly full Moon and streetlight 200’ away. Here’s M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. (160) stacked images over the course of an hour and six minutes. Captured on a telescope that's the size of a quart of oil and costing $200 less than the cheapest iPhone.
25 years ago I barely got a 10” Meade SCT in my passenger seat while building the fuse - planning for this very type thing. Amazing tech these days that doesn’t load down the baggage compartment at all. What a time to be able to combine aviation and astro-photography! I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing my RV this week. I sure miss it.
Hope you had a nice weekend, and that you enjoy today's edition. Thanks again to those who help keep it afloat.
v/r,dr
FMI: https://dwarflab.com/products/dwarf-mini-smart-telescope
I preheat my oil and my cylinders before flight this time of the year every time I fly. My OT is 100 or above when I start my engine. I also have 100% of the air blocked from going through my oil cooler. My in flight OT still can’t make it above 135* on these very cold days. Normally the daytime highs for this area is in the mid to upper 30’s. During those normal conditions my OT will make it to about 145-150. On a 50* day, I’ll see maybe 160-165. These are all with my oil cooler butterfly fully closed.
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THE VAF LIST (a list of RV-related lists)
25 years ago I barely got a 10” Meade SCT in my passenger seat while building the fuse - planning for this very type thing. Amazing tech these days that doesn’t load down the baggage compartment at all. What a time to be able to combine aviation and astro-photography! I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing my RV this week. I sure miss it.
Hope you had a nice weekend, and that you enjoy today's edition. Thanks again to those who help keep it afloat.
v/r,dr
FMI: https://dwarflab.com/products/dwarf-mini-smart-telescope
WDYDWYRTW? Jan 31 - Feb 1, 2026
(What did you do with your RV this weekend?) …. not very much it turns out. 😊 North Texas. Our hangar door faces north and is in the shade all the time, so we’re gonna be the last square inch of the airport that thaws out. I did drive out there yesterday to check on things. v/r,dr PS: So...
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First Flight - With an Impossible Turn
Today is the day I did my first flight in N890GF! All ground run checks were in the green, so I taxied out to the runway for a beautiful, calm normal takeoff. Climb out at 2700 RPM making full power, fuel flow perfect at 15GPH, fuel and oil pressure all in the green. About 800 ft up I some...
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I preheat my oil and my cylinders before flight this time of the year every time I fly. My OT is 100 or above when I start my engine. I also have 100% of the air blocked from going through my oil cooler. My in flight OT still can’t make it above 135* on these very cold days. Normally the daytime highs for this area is in the mid to upper 30’s. During those normal conditions my OT will make it to about 145-150. On a 50* day, I’ll see maybe 160-165. These are all with my oil cooler butterfly fully closed.
Too cold to fly?
When is it too cold to fly? I know it’s cold everywhere right now, but can it be too cold to fly? I ask this question because the last time I flew my RV6, about a week ago, my oil temp never got above 133*. My oil cooler (O-360) is mounted on the firewall fed through a 3” SCAT hose from the...
vansairforce.net
Alternator B lead
I need a little help here. I have a B&C 40 amp external regulated alternator. I don’t know where to attach the B lead. Would one of you let me know on what boss it gets attached to. This will complete my engine wiring with the exception of the engine ground wire. Thank you. Arnie
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Filling joggle seam
I have a slight gap (approx. .050") between the edge of the rudder skin and the lip of the joggle in the fiberglass tip. indicated by arrows in the attached photo. The gap does not run the entire length, only in the middle. I'm looking for the best way to fill this gap. Can I simply tape the...
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Cowling hinge pin
In working on RVs using hinges for mounting, it’s not uncommon to see unsecured hinge pins. For the vertical hinges, this method allows for an easy grip and secure mount. Just install an Adel clamp with a longer screw on the motor mount to catch the handle end of the hinge pin. You could also...
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Third time is the Charm. My 4 Will get done!
Third time is the charm! I've started this project too many times not to finish, with the first two kits being sold for various reasons, and I keep getting sellers remorse. This one is gonna fly. My mission has been refined to a point that make this 4 very old school with bits of Rocket. Two...
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Fuel Injector Restrictor Tuning Help
I’m trying to address a pretty wide GAMI spread in my F1 Rocket’s IO-540 with an Airflow Performance FI system. With .028 restrictors in all cylinders, my average EGT peak fuel flows from 10 runs at 10-11,000 MSL, 20.5 MAP and 2100 and 2200 rpm are: #5 13.15 #2 12.29 #6 12.17 #3...
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Spray Rack for Priming
What have people come up with for holding parts while priming? I build a chicken wire table that works fairly well for the larger flatter parts. I have have pondered some type of vertical setup that would allow me to spray the entire part without having to wait for them to dry and then flip. A...
vansairforce.net
Fuel Injector Restrictor Tuning Help
I’m trying to address a pretty wide GAMI spread in my F1 Rocket’s IO-540 with an Airflow Performance FI system. With .028 restrictors in all cylinders, my average EGT peak fuel flows from 10 runs at 10-11,000 MSL, 20.5 MAP and 2100 and 2200 rpm are: #5 13.15 #2 12.29 #6 12.17 #3...
vansairforce.net
OFF TOPIC:
Please consider donating annually to help keep this American 1-person pirate ship afloat:
Get your VansAirForce.net Charity Cap!
VAF Charity Cap: Help your charity and promote this site.
Get the cap all the cool kids are wearing! I don’t get a penny. It’s around $15. $5 more if you want your N-number on the back (I put 'STAFF' on the back of mine because it makes me laugh. Put STAFF on yours too if it makes you smile). And down the road $10 to the charity of your choice...
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Past ‘VAF News’ issues:
Doug's Area ...The VAF News, About VAF, My Resume
Pushed out every now and then.
www.vansairforce.net
THE VAF LIST (a list of RV-related lists)
THE VAF LIST (a list of RV-related lists)
The VAF List ...a list of RV-related lists. RV-related things you might want to browse over (a closed post that is sticky and maintained by dr). Link to this in 'Links' in the menu. v/r,dr Small businesses that help bring you this list of RV-related lists: 360 Avionics www.360Avionics.com Ace...
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