This part shows….

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We have started painting the interior and it is turning out GREAT!  Tom has a lot of experinece wih paint, so I’m letting him do the most. Really nice too.  We are using simple shaker can paint in the inside with Dupli Color self etching primer and Rustoleum Professional Light Machine gray enamel as the top coat. Easy to put on, easy to fix and low cost.  I got the idea from Van’s Airforce where other folks have used the same.

RV-9A Interior

RV-9A Interior

We are finishing a bunch of little detail stuff, and working on the top skin. I also bought the three part panel from Affordable Panels. I got the XL version with the extended throttle quadrant.  I have pictures of my old Skyhawk, and that is the style I’m looking for.  With digital gauges of course. The Affordable Panels guys are great to work with, but you’ll need to talk to them on the phone to get all the options. The web site is a bit out of date. Go to

http://www.affordablepanels.com/

for an impressive system. Maintenance will be a snap!

 

 

Interior paint!

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I finally got the interior paint selected and started painting. We chose Light machine Gray for the interior color. We are using Rustoleum Professional enamel and it looks GREAT!

 

RV 9 interior

RV 9 interior

We also installed the frame for the battery box and we are looking for a heater control valve we like.

We also glued in the air vents.  These came our really nice.

 

Air vent on RV-9A

Prosealed Air Vent

 

Top is on! (Kinda)

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Today is the first offical day when folks stopped asking “Why are you building a canoe at the airport?”

My baby is looking like a real airplane!

RV-9A top panel

No more Canoe jokes!

We have painted the floor and removable siding (Rust-Oleum Professional Machinery Light Gray) and primed the rest of the cockpit. we installed the top for match-drilling and looks at the fit and finish of the pre-punched parts. Perfect of course.

I ordered the three part-panel from Affordable Panels, and we should that that in the next day or so.  I also got an ELT (old style) that will work until I get out of the 40 hour phase I.

Fuel line are in!

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The four fuel lines (one from each tank, one from the valve to the electric pump and the one from the fuel pump to the Gascolator) are in!

Floor is primed, Gascolator is mounted, and we are ready to start work on ?

Plans say wings, be we are not totally done with interior basics yet.

Firewall work, and maybe paint.  *sigh* MANY small details.

Here is my hint of the day: Be sure to add a little Boelube (or oil) to the aluminum tubes when flaring. Looks MUCH smoother.

Fuel pump on firewall

Fuel Pump and lines installed.

More to come!

 

Engine Purchased!

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On Friday, October 5th, Tom and I hopped into his truck and drove 600 miles to Green Valley, AZ. We spent a nice night in a Best Western (I really recommend these guys!) and had a nice evening walking around and enjoying the sites.

Next morning, we drove down to the hanger where Ken was waiting for us.

We spent some time discussing the 150hp motor (my new motor), his cool plane (Cessna 150 tail dragger), Ken’s work, a new 160 hp motor, a 250hp Franklin, life, fairness, faith, justice, long-distance running, kids, experimental aircraft, life-long missions, and global freedom.

At the end of it all, I purchased a Lycoming O-320 E2A 150HP engine that is going to be the heart of Loud Emily.

Lycoming O-320 Aircraft engine

To slip these surly bonds…

Funny, but every time I see an aircraft engine strapped in for transport somewhere, I envision the engine straining at the straps, not to prevent sliding around, but to burst skyward in escape! To become free and airborne once again, as if the natural place for such an engine is in the sky.

The engine is mid-time, and my intent is to bolt it in and fly as-is. Of course, my A&P will check it out, but I’m hoping to get a few hundred hours before I add upgrades, like electronic ignition, lightweight start and alternator, etc.

So, at 9:00am on Saturday October 6th, Tom and I started the long trek home, to safely deliver the engine to my hanger, and to get home before it was too late. Oh, and the engine has a vacuum pump.

Vacuum pump? What’s that for?

 

 

 

Off plans…

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Anytime you go off plans, it creates a bunch of work and can add significantly to the timeline. However, adding cool features is what an experimental is all about.

Now, I’m not an aeronautical engineer, so I NEVER just go off plans by myself.  I have some pretty strict rules:

1. Does the mod affect safety of flight? I never go off plans on these mods. No mater who else did.

2. Would Cessna do this? I keep this thought in the back of my head as a guideline. Cessna Safe.

3. Is this a well documented mod? Are the parts involved aircraft parts?  Like adding parking brakes.  I’m in.

4. Is the mod a kit I can buy that many others have done? My Nav lights fall into this category.  LED lights for wings and tail. Thinking about Electronic ignition.

5. Have many before me done this mod?  Flap up travel limit switch falls here and in 4 above. I may buy the kit or do the Automotive relay thing.

6. Are the risks small?  Fairings on the rudder cable go here. My Avionics tray fits here too.

7. Cost appropriate? Am I overbuilding for the plane I want?

8. Is this a Real mod or am I just fantasizing about it? Rotary Engine?  Retractable landing gear?  Three seats?  Propane operated simulated machine guns????  Wow!  Nah…

 

For now, I’m building a standard, 150HP Lycoming, Mags and a carburetor with a wood prop. BUT after I’m flying a bit????  We’ll see…

Dkb

 

 

 

This Site is run on WordPress…

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RV-9 Ribs

RV9 – Ribs

Someone asked about how this site is run and hosted.

I use WordPress for this site and I host it myself (about $70 a year including the domain registration) The theme is called “Notepad” but there are thousands of themes.

If you go to WordPress.com, you can get a free web. If you want your own domain name, add $13/yr  I always recommend that you own the domain name, no matter what path you choose.

If you want to do the whole thing yourself, I use Netfirms.com They have a one-button WordPress setup.

WordPress is very  fast to setup, easy to use, and easy to load pictures and other media.

So:

To use a WordPress site:  www.wordpress.com

To get WordPress software (free):  www.wordpress.org

To do easy self hosting: www.netfirms.com

Cheers!

Dkb

Turtle Deck is Complete!

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Finally!  It is starting to look more like a plane than a canoe. *sigh* Lots of small stuff and you see no change. Do a little BIG stuff and it looks like real progress.  So, top skin is on, and parking brake valve is back.

Fuselage under construction

Fuselage under construction

We had a visit from the man who will be giving us the pink slip tonight. I wanted him to see how we are working, and get an idea what to expect when we are done.

I think it is VERY worthwhile to have professional eyes have a look at the project every once in awhile.  We have an A&P/IA wander by. The local EAA guru has been by, and now the future DAR has had a look.  We do careful work, but extra looks are always welcome.

When getting advice from more than professionals (friends, relatives, other builders, etc.) it is a good idea to listen and evaluate. There are a ton of OWT, SB, and OCITIHIOTI out there that will need to be evaluated. Always look for stuff in writing before you believe everything you hear.

 

OWT: Old wives Tales

SB: Superstitious behavior

OCITIHIOTI: “Of course it’s true, I heard it on the Internet”

Dkb

 

Avionics tray…

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I had an avionics tray in my Skyhawk, and we had a lot of stuff to put there.  As electronics got more modern, and smaller, the tray was almost empty. Now the pendulum is swinging the other way again with EFIS and Radio avionics going remote.  Add a tray. Pretty light, and leaves more room at the panel.

 

avonics tray

I have an inspection this week, so I’m trying to be real careful to get the shop clean.  I also got my parking brake valve back so that will go in next week-end.

The battle of the fuel pump(s) is/are over!

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I want to use mogas in my plane.

Mogas is getting up to 10% alcohol in it, and that is not going away. Now in California, you can no longer get gas without alcohol at any regular gas station. So a good solution is to use electric only fuel system that pushes fuel instead of trying to pull it.

No worries about vapor lock, and no worries about the effects of alcohol on rubber parts in manual pumps! Two pumps with two independent switches would eliminate the need for a valve. Fuel pump placement at the root of the wing would eliminate considerable plumbing inside the cockpit.  I talked with lots of folks about the idea. Many support it, and in fact fly with it today. Many poopoo’d the idea as too risky. What if this and that and that happen???

Well, after considerable thought, and the ringing of my motto in my head: “What would Cessna do?” I decided to wimp out and stay with the plans.  Keep the valve, one electric pump and one engine driven pump.

Fuel pump

Fuel pump

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, this is an experimental  aircraft, but I’m not an engineer.  Also, when you go off plans (which i have done once or twice) you add many hours to the process.  So, I’ll live with the current plan, and maybe do some experimentation later.