Workin' the Rudder HOBBS: 78.5 hrs

The rudder work is progressing...a little slowly, but we're getting there. I now have it dimpled, deburred, primed and cleco-ed back together awaiting rivets. The one thing holding me up is the top rib, near the trailing edge. As you can see from the pic, this is really tight and my rivet squeezer nor my 'pop rivet' die set will fit into this space so that I can dimple the last four holes. I ordered a vice grip dimpler specifically made for such tasks from Avery tools to tackle this job, it should be here in a day or two. Once it arrives, I will get those last dimples done and start riveting.

The rudder assembly poses a couple new skill sets, one of which is unique. Rolling the leading edge is new (I have done it previously in my SportAir class) but not unique as it will repeated on the elevators. The trailing edge construction is also new (also done in my RV building class), and is unique, as it is a skill that will not be repeated during the project. It is a little tricky to get a nice straight trailing edge (Van's recommends no more than 0.100" deviance from a straight line). I plan to use 'pro-seal' epoxy in conjuction with 'double flush' solid rivets as called out in the plans. There are a lot of examples of 'tricks' to help keep the trailing edge straight. I have borrowed a combination of some that I like. I am using two piece of aluminum angle that I bought from Home Depot. I match drilled them to my trailing edge. They serve two purposes, primarily to keep the trailing edge nice and straight...but also to aid in countersinking the aluminum AEX piece that sandwiches between the skins. Worked good so far, the end result will be the true barometer. I will say, to any builders out there that use this concept. Be careful to drill your holes straight through (perpendicular to the rudder centerline) instead of perpendicular to the skins like I did. It caused some of my holes in the farside skin to obround. I did a search on VAF and I found that I am not the only one to make this mistake. And the general concensus is on the forum, it will be ok since the pro-seal is added along with the rivets. Between the two, the trailing edge should be ok.

Here are the four holes (2 on each side) that I couldnt dimple with the tools I had. The vice grip dimplers should fit in here without a problem.

Cleco-ed together...match drilling holes

This is my trailing edge setup. Notice the alum angle pieces from Home Depot. I have it resting on a four foot level to check it for straightness...it looks perfect. This is where a nicely built flat table is important. If you look closely, you can see the AEX alumimum piece sandwiched between the skins.

Another full view of the setup cleco-ed together for match drilling.

This view shows the two flathead screws that hold my lead counterweight in place.

And a view from the other side showing the counterweight and mounting screws. I had to trim the weight slightly to fit in between the rivets.

Riveted nut plates on the main spar...

Counterbalance skin...

The bottom of the rudder

And a full view of the rudder awaiting rivets. It is a pretty large control surface, essentially the same size as the vertical stabilizer. This larger rudder was incorporated into the later -7 and -9 RV designs for greater rudder control authority. And since this is going to be a taildragger...I am a fan of more rudder control!!

RV9A Breakfast Flight! HOBBS: 72.5 hrs

Still pluggin' away on my rudder. After the quick completion of the VS, the rudder seems a little more complex. Consequently slowly me down slightly. I will write more about this later and post some pics.

During the construction phase, it is very helpful to seek out 'inspiration' as often as possible to keep pounding those rivets...knowing that one day it will be a flying machine. I am learning that the construction phase will have its ups and downs along the way. That 'inspiration' may take many forms. From reading about the excitement of first flights or cool trip reports like this one to AZ http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=44602 on VAF. But the one 'inspiration' that beats 'em all is the chance to actually go flying in an RV. I have been fortunate to get two RV8 rides so far...the -8A factory plane, and of course John Loretz's 'straight 8' as previously posted. Well, this weekend I was invited to go flying by local builder and pilot Scott Mills http://www.itsallaboutusnow.com/ based at Front Range airport. The airport is about 10 mins drive east from my house. This is probably where I will keep my plane when its finished if I havent moved to the other side of town by then. So I was excited on a couple different fronts, one-to see his hangar and plane and two-to see the side by side cockpit view of the RV9 which will be identical to my 7. So far I have only seen the tandem view of the 8's.

Our flight on this day would be a breakfast run out to Greeley. Scott tells me this is standard fare for himself and several flying buddies and hangar mates. If they are in town, they are flying, usually for a breakfast run...weather permitting of course. Greeley is far and away the most popular destination for homebuilders in the area. Weekend mornings are usually packed with homebuilts on the ramp. It is a short flight from Front Range, skirting Class B airspace of DEN along the way.

It was an unusually gray day for a June morning in Colorado, but we've been having a lot of crazy weather this year. So, I find the hangar easily, Scott's directions were solid and the airport isnt too big. It was a nice hangar and big, with the beauty of three RV's parked inside. Two RV6A's and Scott's RV9A. Immediately upon arriving, I was thinking this ROCKS! I can see why they spend so much of their free time here. After some chit chat about airplanes, weather and our destination we pull out the three flying machines.

We departed FTG as an RV flight of two...a loose formation takeoff. Very cool...I had never flown in formation before so I was digging this. FTG is a tower controlled airport so I wasnt even sure you could do this, but it was no big deal to these guys, apparently they and everyone else there does it all the time. Of course, Gary in his 180hp RV6A pulled away from us slightly on takeoff and climb but we hung in there. We flew east away from FTG until we got outside of the class B airspace and then took a left turn and headed north toward Greeley. Gary, who was flying in front of us did about a 75 degree bank, high performance turn...really could see the performance of these planes from our vantage point. They are literally like poor man's fighter planes. So, up to Greeley we flew in loose formation...with another RV6A and Glastar in trail....four planes total.

Arriving at the hangar...it was spacious, three RV's fit easily.

What a sight, three RV's lined up and ready for some fun! Notice the substantially bigger 'tail feathers' on the 9 compared to the older 6's. This was a design change in the 7's and 9's.

On our way back from breakfast, we stopped at Platte Valley airport for some cheap 'go' juice. This is SOP for pilots in this area looking for cheap gas, Platte Valley is well known for that. Neat little airport, self serve pumps and a few houses along the runway. It must be an airpark community.

Gary filling up the left wing tank on his RV6A.

Scott getting ready to do the same. Scott did his own patriotic paint scheme on his 9A. He grumbles about some things he doesnt like about it (all builders probably do!) but I think it looks nice.

Here we are flying lead with Gary tucking into formation off our right wing, a little low.

Summary: Had a blast, great group of guys and I felt fortunate to be tagging along. The cockpit view and size of the RV9A was excellent. Scott also has the tipup version so that was nice to experience as well. I enjoyed this day very much!! Back to pounding those rivets so someday I can join in the fun!

Rudder Skin Stiffeners HOBBS: 65.0 hrs

With the VS done, its on to the Rudder construction. And more specifically the rudder skin stiffeners. These are a little tricky since they have to be cut to size from larger pieces. Each one is a different length and have a different orientation for each side. There is also a specific angle to be cut. Since I had done this in my two day SportAir workshop, that helped me in this task quite considerably. And really turned out to be a non-event but I could see how it could be confusing.

I started by cutting these with my aviation snips. I really didnt like the way it looked 'nibbled'...maybe I am not very skilled with my snips?? So after the first one, I did the rest with my dremel tool with a cutoff wheel. Have I mentioned yet how much I like my dremel tool?? A must have for the shop! You cant see it very good in this picture, but one was done with the snips and the other with the dremel.

A shot of the stiffeners cleco-ed into place on one side of the rudder skin, just before match drilling all holes.

After match drilling, disassemble...debur all holes and edges, dimple and then scotchbrite in preperation for priming. I did these skin stiffeners a little ahead of plan so I could primer them along with the VS parts. Worked well, more parts done per cleanup.

Vertical Stabilizer Done!! HOBBS: 64.0 hrs

Another milestone in the books, the Vertical Stabilizer is now done. After doing the HS, the VS seemed pretty easy and straightforward in comparison. Not only did I finish the VS, but got started on the Rudder also so I could prime as many parts as possible at one time...I will talk more about that in the next post. Thoughts/observations so far....

Primer: the HS parts really came out kinda ugly. I kept telling myself that it just has to be functional not necessarily look good, but gosh did it bother me that it looked so bad. Well, fast forward to priming the VS and rudder stiffeners. What a difference!! It wasnt marginally better, it was like night and day how much better these parts came out. It all came down to adjusting the spray settings on the gun properly...which I figured out by reading the owners manual in a little more detail and playing around with it before shooting parts. I would have never thought something as simple as this would make such a difference but it sure did. I was very happy with the appearance of this round of parts as you can see from the pics.

Riveting: I am certainly getting better at this. No dings in the skin for the VS. Tricks to better riveting: slow down & set the gun pressure properly for the rivet being used....and get good at drilling out rivets!! haha! All in all, the VS came out looking pretty good. As a side note, regarding the ding in the HS: Spruce actually has filler that is specifically design to fill dents in aluminum aircraft skins!! I was happy to see that, I figured I could fix it, but to know that there is a specific product designed exactly for this purpose sure put my mind at ease. I will definitely try not to do it again, but it is nice to know I have the option if needed.

The VS cleco-ed together before match drilling all holes in the spars, ribs and skin.

My countersunk holes on my Spar Doubler. It has been gone over with a scotchbrite pad so that the primer will adhere better, which is what causes scuffed up appearance.

These are the dimples that will fit into the above countersunk holes. Doesnt that look cool!

And here is the two of them shown together. They will lay back to back in the finished assembly.

My DRDT-2 dimpling the VS skin. Bob Markert showed me how to adjust this tool properly, as I was using it improperly before, and now it works much better.

Here are the VS parts after priming, see how much better they look this time around. I always like to say, "if it was easy it wouldnt be any fun!" Well, I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that after struggling with this the first time around and being very frustrated, I learned something in the process and it came out much better this time. That brought a smile to my face, very rewarding.

The rear spar after priming and riveting is complete.

All of these rivets were set with the pneumatic squeezer. I am really enjoying the view of a nice consistent row of rivets now.

Pop rivets used to fasten the rib. This is the only way to get to these particular holes, since solid rivets couldnt be bucked inside the now closed up assembly.

This is the 0.625" diameter hole I added to the top rib for my future VS camera. This is where I will route wires down through the VS into the fuselage later in the project.

And there ya go, sub assembly #2 of N531RD finished!!! Crankin' along! As you can see...the blue protective film has been removed. I have officially changed my stance on this. Most builders leave it on except to remove a strip where rivets go. I found this kind of a pain do to and a little time consuming. After thinking about it, and reading posts about it on VAF, I am convinced it isnt needed. I am not doing a polished plane, so paint will definitely be applied at a later date. The paint process starts by taking a sander to 'scuff' up all surfaces that are going to be painted for better paint adhesion. Well, what is the point of keeping the surface scratch free now only to watch the painter do it later!!?? Waste of time, in my opinion.

RV8 Builder Visit HOBBS: 53.5 hrs

Before I started building my airplane, I heard many stories of the legendary flying characteristics of the RV series. Because these stories were so widespread, you just kinda had to believe it to be true. In fact, I decided on Van's aircraft before I had ever flown one. But, when I finally was able to get my hands on the stick of an RV8A, words and descriptions couldnt do it justice...it was pure heaven, a delight to fly! I certainly had the RV grin.

Well, the same thing goes for the stories I heard of the great people associated with experimental aircraft and more specifically the RV builder community. I am still pretty new to this wonderful world of RV's, but I have already experienced great warmth and friendship from everyone I have encountered along the way. The stories, once again, really dont do it justice.

Last night was another example. Samira and I, along with another brand new RV8 builder (Bryan Raley), were invited over to visit Mr. Bob Markert's RV8 project. Bob and his wonderful building partner and wife Mary treated us like old friends, even serving us strawberry shortcake! As Bob was quick to point out, we already 'know' each other because we are 'RV' people. That pretty much sums it up, and is the general feel I get from everyone involved in this great passion for aviation and homebuilding. From local RV8 pilot John Loretz, whom I had never met, offering me a free ride (and refusing to take payment for avgas!) a couple months ago and now continuing with Bob and his wife graciously opening their home to us as old friends. I was really taken aback by all of Bob's offers to use his tools and jigs once he was finished with them. It is so refreshing to see this small group of people that still show the qualities that make America great. I feel very fortunate to live in a country where I have the freedom to be part of this great 'hobby'. I also thank Bob, who is an ex F-15 driver, for giving us that right and protecting this great country with his service.

Now for the details of Bob's project. Bob is working on his wings right now, and is just about to start sealing his fuel tanks. He is doing a few modifications at this stage, including a flop tube for inverted fuel (combined with the Christen inverted oil system) and extended range fuel tanks that will add 9 gallons to his fuel carrying capacity. These ER tanks are manufactured by a company called 'Hotel Whiskey'. These are all options I am considering for my project so I had a keen interest in talking with him about the details of each mod. Since this was the first time I had seen a project in progress other than pictures, it was very fascinating. For starters, Bob has a real nice shop setup in a three car garage. I was also a little taken aback by how big the wings look in the garage, and in comparison to the empennage. When you fly in an RV, the 'hershey bar' wings looks short and stubby...but seem much bigger when they are in a garage and not attached to the fuselage. I was also stuck by the magnitude of the work I have ahead of me, I now know the empennage is peanuts compared to the wings. There looks to be a lot more things to contend with on the wing construction, even a little intimidating. I did envy Bob's position though, although I am enjoying the building process, I cant say I wouldnt mind being at his stage in the project. Soon enough, for now, its the Vertical Stabilizer...followed by the rudder...elevators...trim tab....and on and on. Before I know it, like a child growing up too fast, it'll be over as quick as it began. I shall savor the moments.... :)

Ready to Prime the VS HOBBS: 53.5 hrs

Spent last night dimpling, deburring holes, fluting ribs and cleaning up the edges of the VS parts. They are now ready for alodining and priming.

No building tonight though, Samira and I are visiting a local RV8 builder, who also happens to be a United pilot, that is working on his wings at the moment. I will post more later about the trip, I am really looking forward to seeing someone else's project.

Vertical Stabilizer Started HOBBS 51.0 hrs

This weekend I got started on my Vertical Stab. First order of business though was 'storing' my finished HS, which I did by putting it on my ceiling storage shelf that I built for this task. It worked perfectly and will keep it safe until I need it again. I only spent a few hours working on the VS, but it is going pretty quickly. Part of the reason could be attributed to the fact it is a smaller structure with fewer parts than the HS, but its also due to the fact it is building on skills I used for the HS. I can follow the plans easier now and understand the concept better at this point, which makes things go faster. After only three hours I am almost ready to prime parts again....and of course, riveting to follow.

I am considering adding a small 'bullet' video camera to the VS (see this website for what I have in mind, http://www.thedukes.org/rv/tailcam.html ). This is a pretty slick setup and I like the thought of having this option available to video document flights later. Of course, if I do, this is the time to do it. At this point of the project, I just need to add a way to route wires from the fiberglass tip down the VS into the fuselage before closing up the skins. The rest can be done later.

Here is an interesting camera option that I like,

http://www.amazon.com/Factory-Integrated-Microphone-Extreme-tactical/dp/B001H11TLU

Horizontal Stab Finished!!! HOBBS: 48.0 hrs

Last night I reached my first milestone on the project, I finished the first major sub assembly of the plane....the Horizontal Stabilizer! Hard to describe how good that felt! It was very exciting, had to have a celebratory drink when it was done. I was working like a mad man as I got closer to being done, there was no way I was stopping last night until she was finished! :) Its pretty neat to watch as these flimsy alumimum parts slowly come together with each rivet set to become a solid structure. Aluminum aircraft construction really is quite amazing from an engineering standpoint, lightweight and strong.

My riveting skills on the skins started off shaky again, on only my second rivet my gun got away from me and I put a nice ding in the skin! Ugh! It quite honestly made me sick to my stomach to see that. But as I read some posts on VAF of others that had the same pit of the stomach feeling on their own projects and did some thinking I came to accept that this will not, try as I might, be a 'perfect' airplane. I will strive to do the best job I can, but also accept that there will be certain things that I wont like. As long as it is just a cosmetic issue, and not a safety issue, I am ok with that. It will add to the character of the airplane. Otherwise I would drive myself crazy...and this is supposed to be fun, not stressful. So, I have decided I will 'hide' that ding with some bondo later and no one but me will ever know...good thing I am painting it rather than polishing!! The good news is I steadily improved as I moved along. The right horizontal stabilizer looks much better than the left...the left was the first one. I also got into a rhythm with my riveting and by the end was able to set a -3 (3/32") rivet quickly with one precise pull of the trigger. I'm sure I will continue to get better and dont expect the quality to be as bad as that left HS. By the time I get to the wings I should be a pro...onward!!!

Here are some shots of my alodined parts, just before priming.


My homemade paint booth,

Spars hanging after primer,

Riveting the nose rib on the inside of the HS, I had to reach in here and buck these rivets.

The riveting of the skins begins,

Here is my SECOND rivet, and the afforementioned 'ding' in the skin. Damnit! :(

This is more like it, nicely done rivets.

Riveting the skins to the front spar, once again I had to reach my arm in here to buck these rivets. You can see a couple of cleco's in there as well.

And voila, my finished Horizontal Stabilizer. I felt like I had just given birth to my first child!! haha! As you can see from the smile on my face, it was a very cool feeling. Can you imagine what I will be like when I get the fuselage done??!!

And, me being me, I had to have a celebratory shot and beer to mark this momentous occasion! My girlfriend Samira, who took the photo, passed on drinking a shot with me...but did have a glass of wine! :)

N531RD Reserved! HOBBS: 42.0 hrs

I just reserved my N-number with the FAA. My flying creation will be known by the FAA as, "5-3-1 Romeo Delta" or "1 Romeo Delta" for short. The number was derived from my favorite number 5, 31 in honor of my Dad's birthday which is the 31st of December and of course 'RD' are both my Dad's and my initials. I originally wanted "3-1-5 Romeo Delta", but it is sadly already registered to a Mooney in Austin, TX. As the song goes, "you dont always get what you want!" :)

Construction update: Started riveting the last couple days. It is nice to start doing a permanent assembly after assembling and disassembling so many times with cleco's. The riveting started out a little shaky as the learning process continues, but I am getting better at it with practice. I will admit I have had to drill out a few botched rivets already. As of right now, I have riveted the front and rear spar's and am ready to start riveting skins now. Pics and more details to follow.

Aviation tools HOBBS: 40.0 hrs

My new DRDT-2 dimpler and support tables that I built,

New tools: rivet gun, drill, drill stop, pneumatic squeezer and tungsten bucking bar,

My 'practice' toolbox kit that I built,

The pneumatic squeezer in action, dimpling a spar

The horizontal stab assembled, cleco-ed & match drilled

Removing the blue plastic covering with a soldering iron, if you look closely you can see the lines scribed into the plastic.

In this view, you can see the plastic removed on the left side.

Looks like an airplane part, very cool!