Bryan's RV8 Wings! HOBBS 187.0 hrs

Last week my friend Bryan Raley kindly invited me over to help him unload his wings and do inventory. I say 'kindly invited' because I'm sure he knows how excited I am to see what those buggers look like out of the crate! I may have been almost as excited as he was to crack open those crates...thanks for sharing Bryan!

Mine will be pretty much identical to his, the RV7 and RV8 use the same wing. So, it was like a dry run for my delivery next month. It was very cool to see the parts and help out a little bit with the inventory. As I told my sister when she asked how it went? I said, "for the cost of that sub-kit, you'd think there'd be more to it!" haha! Such is the aviation hobby...things arent cheap.

Here is Bryan's blog entry describing the event...

Bryan's Blog Entry

Trip to China! HOBBS 185.0 hrs

I had to take a pause in construction for a 16 day business trip to Hong Kong and mainland China...DongGuan. It was my first trip to the far East and it was quite interesting and different than what I expected. I cant remember a time where I learned more in a 16 day stretch, both on a personal level and also professionally. But, I cant tell ya how happy I was to be home. I love to travel, but the best part of every trip is coming home. :) Here are a few pics from Victoria Point (not mine) and a Google screenshot of Hong Kong Island where I stayed for several days.

Wing Delivery Date!! HOBBS 185.0 hrs

I received my estimated ship date for my wings. The week of May 17th is what Van's has informed me. This is actually about a 10 week lead time rather than the 12 week lead time they have stated on the home site. I normally would be thrilled for the earlier delivery, except that my money (Employee Stock Purchase Plan) to pay the balance will be tied up until toward the end of May so it may be a little later than that. But, either way, they are in progress and the clock is ticking!!

Elevator Travel HOBBS 182.0 hrs

One of the things that needs to be done on the empennage is trimming the rear spar for elevator clearance. The control arms on the elevators (not shown) will contact the rear spar flange and limit its travel. So, part of the flange needs to be trimmed back, as you can see in these pics. Of course, we never want sharp corners, so a nice radius was added to eliminate stress concentrations. I didnt see a note in the plans to do this, but it is just good practice to always follow this rule. The vibration caused while in flight will wreak havoc on stress concentations, causing cracks. I also did my typical edge cleanup with scotchbrite.

Tail Camera Wiring HOBBS 182.0 hrs

Here you can see my homemade 'fish tape' for routing wiring for a possible tail cam later in the project. I just used some nylon cord with a ring on one end. This is the hole I drilled in the VS for this purpose. If in fact, I install a tail cam later, I just need to mount it in the VS and route the wires down to the fuselage. 

Speed Mods Continued HOBBS 182.0 hrs

And more shots of the speed mods in progress....

Speed Modifications HOBBS 180.0 hrs

I am filing in the open cavities on the elevators with contractors foam and then glassing over the top of the foam and filling/sanding them smooth. The reason for this is twofold, first, for aesthetic reasons, second for speed improvement. This should slightly cut down on parasite drag to give me a cleaner airframe. It has been done various ways by lots of builders with good results in the past. I was somewhat worried about moisture getting trapped inside and causing corrosion. To combat this, I primed everything first. I also am using contractor foam that is guaranteed not to retain moisture. My examination of it seems to show it is very resistant to water. I figure, worst case scenario is I will be rebuilding my tailfeathers in a couple years because of cracking or corrosion! :) It will be something I keep an eye on as the airframe ages.

Edit (08/05/10): This mod idea turned out to be no good and I had to remove it. I couldnt get the AN3 bolts into the hinge brackets...whoops. Oh well, every idea is not going to be a success! :) 

Fiberglass Tips and Trim Tab HOBBS 178.0 hrs

Here are some snapshots of the fiberglass tip progress and my custom trim tab. The last couple shots are of the VS tip, same process as on the HS. You can see various stages of the process in these pics. All of this will look much nicer when I throw a coat or two of filler primer on these.

Wings Ordered!!! HOBBS 175.0 hrs

Well, it has officially been done, today I mailed my 25% deposit for my wings!! woo hoo! I had planned to take delivery by about the middle of May since that is when I will have the balance saved. So yesterday, as I was checking out the new higher prices on the home page, I noticed that the lead time had gone from 8 weeks to 12. That triggered me sending in my deposit now instead of next month. 12 weeks from now should put me about the end of May. I gotta say, I'm already excited...even though I still have 3 months to wait. I tell ya, buying the wings makes the committment of what I'm doing sink in a little more. The wing kit, along with the capacitive option will set me back $6755. By the time I pay the balance on the wings, I will have about $10,000 into the project including tools and supplies. Thats a pretty serious chunk of change. I will most likely purchase a builders insurance policy when the wings arrive to protect my investment since homeowners insurance wont cover it in case of loss.

In the meantime, still working on the fiberglass tips. They are looing pretty good. It is a time consuming process and it is something that really is hard to make a lot of headway on.I usually only get about an hour working on it at a time. It goes something like this: do a layup, wait 24 hrs for it to dry, sand, fill, wait 24 hrs, sand, fill, wait 24 hrs, sand, etc. I can see why most builders do this task as they can in between other stuff. Since I am waiting on my wings, it doesnt bother me, it keeps me doing something for the time being. But if my wings were already here, I would be doing things differently. The good news is I will be done with it by the time the wings arrive, whereas most builders have it linger for quite awhile throughout the project. Although I have enjoyed the process and I've learned a lot, I will be happy to have it done and over with.

The Cannibal Queen HOBBS 170.0 hrs

Lately there hasnt been much going on in the ol' aircraft factory. I have tenatively pegged May for the delivery of the wing kit so I am in save mode. Because of this, the urgency to finish up the empennage tips has kind of taken a backseat to other stuff. I am still working on them from time to time and certainly will have them done by May. I'll post some pics and a progress report soon. Lots and lots of sanding...

In the meantime I just finished reading an excellent book called "The Cannibal Queen" by Stephen Coonts. Mr. Coonts is an excellent aviation author, I really enjoyed his writing style and I highly recommend this book to other aviators. To get an idea of his writing style, check out the link on my blog page under "Why I Fly"....his words, but definitely how most pilots would say it if we all could write so eloquently. He also was the author of "Fight of the Intruder" which was later made into a movie. Stephen flew Intruders in the Navy before becoming an author. The Cannibal Queen is about his personal 'Aerial Odyssey Across America' in a 1942 vintage open cockpit Stearman biplane during the summer of 1991. The other cool thing is that he actually was living in Boulder, CO at the time, so he references flying in Colorado quite a bit. During his aerial odyssey, he lands in all 48 states in one summer. That would be quite an adventure, and it was quite a good story to read.

He had several paragraphs in the book that I really liked but this one was probably my favorite...this is how it feels to be passionate about aviation.

Excerpt taken from "The Cannibal Queen" by Stephen Coonts, copyright 1992, page 140,

"Dont you ever get bored up there?" someone once asked. No, I don't. As the miles slowly pass I think of many things, of things I have done, of things I wish to do, of my children and my parents and people I have known. Over a mile above gorgeous country on a gorgeous day, my mind wanders freely.

Up here life takes on its proper perspective. You are a mere gnat afloat in this endless sea of air, above this huge, sprawling land. You and your earthly concerns shrink to their true significance. Ambition, love, lust, acquisitiveness, pride, envy--all of these components of the human condition lose their attraction and their sting up here in the vastness of the sky.

Today is my day to fly and get a glimpse of eternity. This is my day in the sun. Yet like all living things, I will grow old and my eyes will dim and someday soon I will be part of that earth below. Then it will be someone else's turn to fly up here, breathe this pure air, feel the sun's warmth on his arms and hands, look with mortal eyes toward that horizon that stretches into forever. Perhaps, just perhaps, he will do it in the Cannibal Queen or one of her sisters. With proper care this mechanical contrivance of Lloyd Stearman's brain and the hands of Boeing craftsman will still be flying long after I have joined Stearman in the grave. Stearman, the Wrights, my grandparents, my parents--all of those who went before.

But that still lies ahead for me in this great adventure we call life. Today I am here, aloft. Today is my day. Today is my day to fly."

I couldn't have said it any better, lets all celebrate our time in the sun and not take it for granted...

Pete Vinton Engine Hanging! HOBBS 168.0 hrs

Yesterday I swung by Everitt airfield, home of Rocky Mountain Airpark, to visit Pete Vinton's RV8 project. This is a great airpark property being developed near Parker, CO. Pete is one of the partners. I like Pete quite a bit, in spite of the fact he is a Cornhusker fan! :) If I won the lottery tomorrow, the following day I would be buying a lot out there with a house/hangar/barn and a couple of horses. Check it out here,  Rocky Mountain Airpark

Pete recently took delivery of a partially completed RV8 fastback and mentioned  he might hang his engine. I wanted to see his project but the engine is what perked my interest since he had purchased the same one I plan to install in my plane. An Aerosport IO-375 (see previous post for a description). I was dying to take a look at this beast. This particular engine dyno-ed at a whopping 217hp at sea level and weighs the same as a 180hp -360!! Thats gonna be impressive in an RV8 fastback!

Although Pete was draggin his feet a little about tackling this job, mumbling about cleaning up the shop or something. His partner Wes and I tore into it like two kids on christmas! There is something that just isnt right about a pretty new engine sitting on a pallet next to an inviting airframe. Although Pete has owned several aircraft, including most recently a C180, he was not entirely familiar with Lycoming engines nor had he hung an engine on an RV before. Wes and I were even less experienced. How hard could it be I thought? It just four bolts...

Well, its only four bolts but it was a little tricky getting them all installed at the same time. Because we were all new to this, it probably took longer than it should have. But, a few hours later, Pete and I were having a cold beer admiring our accomplishment. Wes had a dinner date with his wife for their 22 yr marriage anniversary so he had to bug out before the deed was done so Pete and I finished it up without too much trouble.

As Pete noted, the engine is the "heart of the airplane" that pumps the lifeblood needed for powered flight. Without which, the airframe is just a collection of inanimate parts. To me, hanging the engine is symbolic of the birth of a child, it will be nurtured and grow from here, but this is its start. Certainly a big moment in the evolution of a project and I was happy to share in it. I also learned quite a bit so that when the day comes for me to do it myself, I think it will go much quicker with the knowledge I aquired on this day. It really was a great way to spend a saturday afternoon.

A couple shots of the project. Here you can see the unfinished engine cowl in pretty pink, thats how it arrives from Van's.

A nicely done 'fastback' with aluminum skirt.

Van's stock tailwheel, Pete has already purchased a 'Flyboys' tailwheel that has better ground clearance. He will swap these out later.

He purchased some aftermarket gear legs that are pretty nice. They are all one piece, machined in the shape of a fairing. He says these saved him 11 lbs over the Van's stock legs and look pretty slick.

The engine as it arrives from Aerosport Power in Canada, after uncrating...

The stock valve covers, Pete has ordered an upgrade to these that will say 'IO-375 Magnum' I belive?

On the engine hoist getting ready to move it into position. Wes's son Clay looks on in the background.

And a few shots of the finished results...pretty huh?

RV7 Cutaway Print by Tom Johnson HOBBS 168.0 hrs

Awhile back I mentioned an aviation artist that was doing cutaway poster prints of RV's. His name is Tom Johnson, and his work is quite good. He has done many custom prints of various airplanes from a Gee Bee Racer to Pitts for their owners. The idea came up for him to do an RV, so he started with the RV8, which I posted on my site awhile back. His second model is the wonderful RV7, and this is a view of the finished goods. I orered a numbered limited edition print, #5 of 100. It should arrive by Christmas...call it a Christmas gift to myself! :)

Tom Johnson RV ordering information

New Dynon Skyview HOBBS 160.0 hrs

As you may have noticed, the project has been slowing down for me. My strategy is to pay for the entire airframe with cash, which will serve as my down payment, to finance the completion of the project. So...there will be a small lull in activity while I save money for the wings.

I have been working on the tips here and there. They're looking nice, I think I am going to like the finished results. I'll post more on this later as I near completion.

So, when not building, the next best thing is dreaming/planning paint schemes, cockpit designs and avionics. Which, I gotta say, is quite fun! The avionics out there on the market for kit built planes is utterly amazing these days. I plan to have a 'glass' cockpit in my plane. For several reasons: #1, I have flown a G1000 and am amazed at the added safety these systems CAN add to your flying. You still need to practice good situational awarenesss and see and avoid techniques, but adding the features a glass panel provides is key for safe flying. #2, glass cockpits are definitely the future of aviation. And #3, I am a 'tech geek' and these glass panels are really cool!

I am considering several MFD (Multi Function Display) and PFD (Primary Flight Display) options. I think I have narrowed it down to two companies.

The first is Advanced Flight Systems. I really like their new Advanced DECK.

Advanced Flight Systems

Second is the new Dynon Skyview. This just came out this year at Sun-n-Fun. Dynon has been around in the kitplane market for quite some time and most of the guys have had nothing but good things to say about them. Namely, they seem to have great value for the money, homebuilders love that! :) I personally didnt like the look of their previous flight displays...frankly, they look kind of cheap. But this one changes that, the look of this new one is much more professional in its styling. It appears that Dynon is growing up and ready to play with the big boys in the market. That, along with their good track record in the homebuilt market, has me interested.

Dynon Skyview Video

Both of these have the capability of using SV (Synthetic Vision), which is on my wish list. This is when you can see the 'virtual' landscape of the geography you are flying over right on your flight display, no matter the visibilty outside. Another great safety feature to have and also the way of the future. You can see it in action on the Dynon video.

Happy Turkey Day 2009!!! ...KPR (Keep Pounding Rivets!)