Old News Home

Mon 01.5.09 1252Z
Morning fellow Vanheads! Last Friday had lunch with some of the usual suspects and various kiddos (last few days of Christmas holiday). Turbo flew his -7QB around the patch for a few laps. Great flying airplane. I flew it for .1 Friday and have to say it has a smoother feel to it than my -6. Cream puff in the flare and an engine/prop combo that is silk. Silk. Home in time to watch the Cotton Bowl...the last year it will be played in the Cotton Bowl. Next year it goes to 'Jerry World' as it is known around these parts, and I'm not sure how I feel about it actually. Probably will never set foot in the place. I'm a TV football watching, bathroom ten feet thataway and refrigerator ten feet the other way kinda guy. Rather save the money for avgas <g>.
Saturday was lunch again out at 52F. I got a late start as the Yogi/Jewler had to teach a morning class and didn't get home until around 1145. Typical crowd, food and world stage conversation around our six top at the Blue Hangar Cafe. What was nice, and unexpected, was the 82°F temperature. It was too windy for my tastes so I stayed on the ground and practiced trying to video stuff using a tripod and cheap-O camcorder (with limited success due to hardware and user limitations - Forrest Fox is helping me with these things). One interesting part I got on tape was the stark contrast between a C-172 landing at 1min 11sec and the way Scorch landed at 1min 35sec. Note how the C-172 is forced on...nosewheel first...three times...and the RV-6 is kept in the air until it is ready to land. Something about the correct speed over the fence... ;^)
While we were out there we got word that a Nanchang CJ-6 crashed at nearby Propwash airpark (news report). It was one of the CJ-6's based at 52F and I've waved to the guy on more than one occasion over the years. The wind was gusting to 23 from the SW and (pilot) witnesses on the ground and in the air said the CJ-6 was on a right downwind turning right base for runway 17 at the time of the accident. Could have been stall/spin, mechanical or medical...hopefully the NTSB can determine. As I drove out of the airport property I could see the now-deceased pilot's truck parked in front of his opened hangar down on the south end of the field. Ugh. Don't kid yourself folks...aviation is inherently dangerous, and you can kill yourself quick if you don't continually give it the respect and attention it demands. I would urge every pilot reading this to re-double their commitment (as I am) to flying safe, properly maintaining their equipment and keeping physically fit in order to help minimize the risks. My sincerest condolences to the family and friends of all those involved.
Sunday was spent at Mass, re-stringing an acoustic guitar, on the treadmill and doing a dozen other things nobody would care about in the least. Normal suburbia. Did get a little time in the garage working on the RV-3B, and that keeps the mental gyros in alignment. Sunday night after the Philly/Vikings game there were 254 folks in the forums virtually meet'n and greet'n. Yowza.
Monday looks like drizzle mixed with freezing rain in DFW. No flying of course. Looking like a good day to spend going through email and returning calls, as the kiddos are back in school. They were not happy when we woke them up at 0630...<g>.
Hope your weekend was nice and that your week goes swell.

www.DeltaRomeo.com
RV-6 RV-3B IFR/Panel Track Blog

● Randy Rubs It In With More RV-3 Performance Trivia...222 mph TAS in one picture and 39.1 mpg (statute) in another.
"How about a bit more RV-3 performance trivia to help pass those long winter evenings?
Last time I posted an EFIS screen that documented the cruise efficiency of the RV-3 with MPG as the metric, and you may remember that at altitude I can always get in the low 30s. Today we had a break in the local weather so I went out and flew two configurations that show two other corners of the RV-3 performance envelope... let's take a look."

● What Did You Do In '08 ...Jay Pratt (and Scott Schmidt) set the bar high with their flying highlights.

● Homestead General Breakfast Fly In 1/3/09 ...courtesy Roger Hirschbein
"Here is a link to some photos taken Saturday at Homestead Generals Jet Center breakfast fly-in. As usual the food was great, the weather was great and the company was great. Looking forward to a lot more on '09."

● New Advertiser: Tuscaloosa Aircraft Painting & Interiors...their ad will live on the front page.

Safety
● A Frosty Reminder.....
   Louise and I got a little reminder this morning that hangaring an airplane in cold weather is no guarantee that you won't have to worry about frost. We had planned a sunrise take-off from Big Bear Lake this morning and got to our unheated but nicely weather-tight hangar about 20 minutes in advance to pack the airplane and get ready to go. The temperature was below freezing outside, with gentle winds, and a clear sky, but the temp/dew point spread was closer than it had been for several days. The hangar was probably above freezing, as the high temps had been in the 50's for several days.
   We pulled the airplane out after preflighting, closed the hangar doors in the gathering dawn, and prepared to strapped in for take-off. As sunrise came, we looked out at the wings as the engine was warming up, and to our surprise, we had frost on all of the surfaces except the fuel tanks. This had formed after pulling the plane out of the hangar. A cleaning session ensued before departure, needless to say....
   This is just a safety reminder for those that figure an enclosed hangar can, by itself, ward of the evils of cold weather flying. Check to make sure those wings and tail surfaces are clear before take-off regardless - I know this is second nature for those of us that grew up in the frozen north, - but it might be a surprise for the genteel southern folks visiting colder climes for a little winter adventure!
Paul

Building Tips / Techniques/ Mods
● Plans Stand ...holds plans and parts (and is on wheels). Done by Rick Leavengood.

Miscellaneous
● Hat Sighting: CW4 Terry Hester in Iraq ...and these caps have been in some pretty interesting places over the last few years (take a look). The more unique the place the better!

Some of the interesting places the caps have been taken... Note: 100% of logo merchandise profits go to charity. Order
Carnegie Hall	Great Wall of China	Apollo 11 Flight Director's Console
St. Peter's Basilica	British Virgin Islands.	Wright Bros. Bicycle Shop

Fri 01.02.09 1316Z
Happy Friday fellow Vanheads!!! Guess who ordered a RV-3B QB wing on 12/31? Yep. I is stoked. Have a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend!

www.DeltaRomeo.com
RV-6 RV-3B IFR/Panel Track Blog

● A Peak At A RV Documentary Being Made By RV-9 Emp Builder (Good Stuff) ...link posted by the guy doing it (Forrest Fox). You're gonna be floored around the 5min mark with the pan across Doug W.'s beautiful RV-4. Awesome stuff. Amazed at the quality of what is coming down the road for us to enjoy (HD, larger aspect ratio, better background music, etc). Great stuff, Forrest! Looking forward to seeing more!

● Sedona Day Trip (Last Trip of the Year) ...Scott Schmidt.
   "What a great way to end the year. (10 minutes to 2009 as I am typing) I was able to fly to Sedona with RaNae and great friends, meet many new friends during lunch and after, fly over the Grand Canyon, and have just an incredible day for flying in the RV-10.
   Before we launched from Grassy Meadows (UT47) near St. George, UT I put out a quick post in the Regional section on VAF that we would be flying to Sedona for lunch hoping we could meet up with a few others. With my post only going out about an hour before leaving I didn't think anyone would even read it.
   Gene Porter and his wife Carol were going to join us in their beautiful RV-7A but we decided to all go together in the -10. We headed out around 11:30 and had a 1 hour and 18 second flight to Sedona via Tuckup Corridor over the Grand Canyon. It was sunny, smooth and beautiful on the way over.
    We landed and stepped out of the plane into beautiful warm weather. It was in the mid to upper 50's but the sun made it feel like 80 degrees. After getting a table and sitting down we ordered our food and three guys approached us and introduced themselves. They saw the post and flew down from Flagstaff. I was really amazed they caught the post and very happy the came over to join us." continue with story (many more pictures)

● EAA Hospitality ...from RV-10 owner Jeff Hanson
   "Just wanted to pass along the latest example of the great hospitality and kindness of the EAA family. Hopefully you will include this on your website. This is my way of saying thanks to chapter 91 based at Lee's Summit municipal airport (KLXT).
   I flew our RV-10 from T31 to KLXT on the 21st to catch up with my family who had driven up the previous day. We have both sides of the family living in the Kansas City area where my wife and I grew up and I would be there five days. My wife was providing weather reports to me consisting mostly of "you can't believe how cold it is up here". The high for the day was 5 degrees F and the wind was 20 knots out of the northwest. No problem. The flight up was mostly good but a quartering headwind of 70 mph at 9500 ft. slowed me to spamcan speeds. Back down at 3500 ft. the wind was less but bumpier. Price of fuel still dictates 'endure the bumps and get there a little quicker'. Cross runways allowed a reasonable landing into the wind and the line crew directed me to the ramp to tie down. The 10 has a very good heater so opening the door gave me my first taste of the arctic blast that I had been flying in. I was dressed warm but tying down was a challenge, even with help from the line crew and my brother. The ropes were frozen and difficult to tie into the normal knots. Too cold and windy to wrestle the cabin cover into place, oh well maybe I can come back out later if the winds let up. We hauled my stuff into the warmth of the FBO and were getting ready to leave when the line crew that had endured the cold to help because he hadn't seen a 10 before and was looking forward to it (as relayed later by my brother) had an idea. The local EAA chapter usually puts transient experimental airplanes in one of it's THREE hangars!
   A quick call to the chapter president Larry Young confirmed it, put the RV-10 in the heated chapter hangar! I couldn't believe it. Back out into the cold that suddenly didn't seem so bad to undo what had just been done and a short taxi to the piece of mind that is a hangar. The 10 just fit but was in good company in this immaculate and well cared for building snug inside next to a Thorpe T18, a Zenair, an Acro sport (?) minus wings and Larry's beautiful RV-9A. Parking out in the cold is one thing but as the week went on mother nature continued to impress with rapidly changing conditions that included snow, sleet, and a mix of rain. I was able to smile as I looked out the windows of my family's houses knowing that thanks to the generosity of members of the aviation family none of it would touch my handcrafted airplane. Makes for a more relaxing Christmas.
   Leaving on the 26th things had warmed up a bit and while I was opening the hangar door a gentleman strolled over saying "you must be Jeff". "Yes sir, Mr. Young I presume". I doubt my smile could have been much bigger as I thanked Larry for the incredible hospitality. My intention was to give Larry and any other chapter members a ride in the 10, but the conditions were not favorable and we agreed next time we would make that happen. I asked what I could do for the chapter and he simply said "tell any EAAers who come this way that we will be happy to put their plane in our hangar". I've heard you say it before Doug, this is the world's best hobby made even better by the people you meet. I couldn't agree more."
Jeff Hanson
Hotel Whiskey Aviation
(the ER tank guys)

● A Christmas Gift For My Dad ...David F. Jones
"I am not too savvy with posting photos on the forums but as my son tells me, “you almost have the computer skills of the millennium”. Anyway, call it a keep pounding those rivet stories, but I spent the weekend before Christmas with my Dad down in Lockhart, TX. I have been working on this tail kit since 1999. It is one of those come down when you can to work on it, but if the weather is nice, we fly to Llano or Giddings or some exotic place for food. You know the drill. I am working on my writing skills to match brother Dye’s, but feel that I will need more practice. Hope you and your family have a wonderful New Year.
David F. Jones, AIA
Stogie 6
Germantown, TN

Advertiser's Corner
...sent in by the advertisers of this site.
● Avery Special: Clearing Some Sioux Stuff Off The Shelf

● OT: If you use Yahoo email... Yahoo has changed their opt-out link - the new one is here. You can also opt-out of multiple vendors by going to the Network Advertising Initiative site here . It is somewhat disturbing to see how many companies are already tracking.

Thu 01.01.09 1328Z
Happy New Year!!! Short edition today, but the RVator should keep you occupied for at least an hour. Hope you got the day off and can spend some time with your project or plane.

www.DeltaRomeo.com
RV-6 RV-3B IFR/Panel Track Blog

Wed 12.31.08 1330Z
Last day of the year...boy that went fast! Tomorrow I'll post the January wallpaper calendar, but probably not much more, since most everyone has the day off. There's always the Today's Posts / New Posts links in the forums for those needing their RV virtual shot in the arm.
Thanks again for helping make this site possible. I'm still getting comfortable with this whole self employment thing, but I'm starting to find my groove here a couple years into the process. I'll keep on keepin' on trying to provide an informative, safe, uplifting, encouraging environment for those building and flying RV's.
Here's hoping your 2009 is better than your 2008!

www.DeltaRomeo.com
RV-6 RV-3B IFR/Panel Track Blog

● Fastback 8 Impressions ...Jon Thocker
   "Today I had the pleasure of flying Scott Hesha's RV8 Fastback. It was against my better judgment that I accepted the front seat in Scott's new ride. We had just completed the final gross weight testing in his plane that also concluded the Phase 1 testing, and Scott asked if I wanted to fly it from the front? My initial reaction was "no", because I was very happy with my plane and didn't want to be "tempted", by the potential superior visibility.
   Then again I have never "turned down" the command seat in any aircraft, so off we went with me up front. HOLY COW!!! It truly is like flying a magic carpet.
   Anybody that's building a fastback is in for a treat. I was teasing Scott earlier this summer when I was flying with my canopy open. That novelty wore off and now Scott has the last laugh. Oh well! On a separate note Scott and I have nearly identical panels with Dynon Autopilots, I sat in back and took notes on his attempts to tune his AP...."
Jon
Habitual Offender
RV4, RV4, RV6A, RV8, RV8, RV8

● Are you "D" NOTAM literate? ...Matthew Brandes.
"!FTW 12/181 52F AD CLSD" - Would you know what this means?
"!COD 12/022 COD AD PAEW WEF 0812301052" - How about this one?
   A couple of years ago, I nearly completed a stupid pilot trick when I went flying without calling a FSS or checking NOTAM's/TFR's. It's easy to do... gorgeous summer day, 70's and you just want to go eat some pancakes. I flew from my home airport KOWI up to Topeka (KTOP) to the restaurant. A short 15 min flight. It wasn't until after I returned home, fat and happy with pancackes, that I realized I missed a Presidential TFR by a mere 2 hours! A few EAA chapter members designated me as "NOTAM Brandes".
   Now fast forward a couple of years... yes, I check online for NOTAM's and TFR's every time I go fly. I'm also working on my instrument rating which means I really have to pay attention. Last week, I pulled up the NOTAM's before I went flying and saw this: !ZKC 12/181 OWI AD CLSD. Hmmm... now most of the NOTAM contractions are somewhat logical and can be deciphered but this one didn't seem obvious. I called my flight instructor, who happens to be a FAA Center Controller, and asked him what the hec that meant. He wasn't initially sure but after thinking about it, decided that it meant the airport was closed.... and that "AD" meant Aerodrome. He said that the new "D NOTAM" contractions had changed from previous styles of NOTAM's.
   I went on a hunt to find "AD" listed somewhere. I looked quite a bit and never could find it, not even on the FAA site of NOTAM contractions, which, is outdated by the way. Andy (my instructor) and I set off to find it. After a week of poking around, I found something this morning that makes reference to it.
   So..... are you "D" NOTAM literate?? (more)

● Mod For RV-10 Nose Wheel Spacers ...from the guy who made it.
"I want to share with you the permanent fix that I have come up with for the front axle spacer problems we have been having lately. We have seen everything from gouging of outer yokes to the bearing spinning on the axle due to the loss of bearing pre-load."
fmi: The RV-10 Forum

Construction
● -7 Status Shot ...Robin Hunt.
"I am repeat builder. this is picture of my Dad and chief engineer in our 7. Hope to flying in 2009."

Video
● Video of Bob Stack Landing RV-8 In Crosswind ...w/slo mo. Coolest part for me was around the 39 second mark where Bob pulled the throttle back to idle and the rotation rate matched the frame rate of the camera - prop 'freezes' for a bit.

Ongoing Maintenance Issues
● Warning On Tightening Hose Fittings ...Bob Axsom
   "On my RV-6A I have two fuel configurations one for races less than 500 miles and one for cruising which has 4 tanks. At the end of the season (last race Nov. 22) I removed the racing tips and installed the tip tanks and stock tips with the lights etc. (increases the wing span by 3 feet). After the change I fueled up all tanks and flew to Pine Bluff for an operational check of the entire system. Everything worked fine and each tank was used for approximately one half hour verifying the valves, fuel lines and tanks. When I returned to Drake Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I refilled all tanks. The fuel consumption was just over 10 gallons/hour which is normal under the conditions I was running it under.
   Eleven days later the Avionics shop said that my repaired altimeter was back so I delivered the plane to them. When I started the engine three EI fuel gauge gross fuel level indicator lights were top end of the series green and the left tip tank was bottom of the series red and the digital display read "2". When I got to the shop I removed the cap and looked in the tank and saw fuel at a low level in the tank. I was sure I filled it but I did give that a lot of thought.
   When I got back to the hangar I looked at the floor I saw what looked like old fluid marks In the locations that indicated a leak had occurred but not a big stream puddling leak. I looked at the under side of the wing at the inboard edge of the tip tank and I saw a single small sub-drip formation of blue fluid. At this point there was no question that there was a leak on the inboard side of the tank. When I removed the tip and the tank (involving around 100 screws, three large nuts on threaded internal support shafts, 17 wire terminations) I saw that the inboard wall/rib of the tank was dry and showed no leakage stains from any penetration or seam. I put my finger under the flexible hose fitting and it came back with a wet blue fluid (fuel). I remembered when I reattached the hose to the tank flare fitting I had the wrench on the hose coupling nut but I had a little trouble keeping it off of the fitting nipple wrench flats which are the same size (11/16") and I probably turned it when I was tightening the coupling nut on the tank fitting. The problem is that this is the loosening direction for the hose fitting assembly (nipple out of the collar threads) on the end of the hose itself.
   OK now I knew where the leak was and my plan was to tighten the assembly with two wrenches, add fuel and test for leaks. I did that and it leaked significantly more fuel at the hose fitting than when the tank contained very little fuel. It was obvious to me that if you break that seal between the hose rubber and the fitting nipple you cannot easily fix it by retightening the fitting assembly.
   I brought the hose home cut off part of the service loop to get a new termination surface where the cutter/wedge ring could do its work to spread the rubber and seal against the nipple, etc. Even clamping the hose in a vise and holding the collar both rotationally and longitudinally to tighten the assembly on the hose and prevent hose pushout per the instructions in the Aircraft Spruce catalog, this is an awkward task. The fittings are Aeroquip 816 and the hose is steel jacketed "601". I have not been able to leak test this hose yet.
   Hope this warning makes someone else a little more careful. Had I taken off knowing the last time I put the plane away I had filled all of the tanks and if I didn't have the EI gauges with the indicator lights and the individual digital readout for each tank I would have had one empty tank. It is common for 4 tank installations like mine to run the outboard tanks into the inboard tanks with no gauge for the outboard tanks."

Miscellaneous
● OT: Weird Planes ...brought to my attention by Mannan Thomason.

Tue 12.30.08 1301Z
Monday was "Take Your Daughter To Work" day (for me). Susie looked up from her monitor at her desk around 0900 (we have two desks in the office that face each other). The 'office' also goes by 'upstairs spare bedroom' I should add. Anywho...she said, "Why don't you take Audrey flying today?"
OK. Sounds like a plan to me.
So, instead of doing year end paperwork all morning like I had initially planned, I blew it all off and drove my daughter to 52F for some quality Daddy/Daughter flying time. If the weather is crummy where you are, don't read the next few sentences....
It was 60°F as we drove out to the field. Light traffic. NO wind at all - totally calm. Viz about 20 miles. Completely CAVU. Not a cloud from horizon to horizon.
We got Flash out of the stall and I added a quart of oil as Audrey changed out the batteries in her headset. Handed her the camera and launched for the neighborhood after the oil got up over 80°. As smooth as the ride is in the chair you are reading this from is how smooth the flight was. It was one of THOSE flights that you don't get very often. We headed over to Ken's, then Scott's, then over Joe F's (who called my cell and left a message that said "Hey, is that you over my house?"), over our house, the school, out over Lake Lewisville to see the new bridge, over Steve's house under construction at Hidden Valley, back over our house and over the top of 52F on our way to Alliance (KAFW) for some touch and go's. Wanted to show Audrey the difference between 52F's 3500'X40' runway and Alliance's 9,600'X150' runway. I walked her through how to find the freq for (and get) ATIS, then how to switch over to tower, then we talked about what to say and how to slow the plane down to approach speeds using the AOA. That and 121.5 and why you would use "Mayday Mayday Mayday". Of course I'm doing all this little by little over a period of months to show her how to save her own skin if I blue screen someday in the cockpit. She thinks she could land at Alliance....actually called it a nothin burger. I think she could, too. Hopefully this will get her thinking about risk management more - something that could translate over into a safer teenage driving experience (a Dad can hope).
We logged .9hrs. On the ramp back at 52F we found Scott Toornburg (RV7) and Bill Freckman (RV-4 fastback) waiting for us. Had a nice talk (took a lot of pictures of Bill's newly flying RV) and then we headed out to lunch with Scott (Scholtzky's).
Back home a little after lunch typing away...after a few hours of quality time with my angel. Later in the day I ordered some jig stuff for the -3B through Avery, typed a lot more, worked on year end tax junk, processed some pictures and put two miles on the treadmill watching 'King of the Hill'. I tell you what...Monday was one good day. Hope yours was too.
Pictures from the day at: http://picasaweb.google.com/VansAirForce/AudreyFlying
Tuesday.....paperwork, I promise.

www.DeltaRomeo.com
RV-6 RV-3B IFR/Panel Track Blog

● Post-Christmas Blues Cured With RV-10 Ride ...Frank Stringham write up
   "Got up this a.m. with the post Christmas blues....good holiday food about all gone ....ya know, come to think of it my wife should have her own Food Network show......, adult kids/grand kids are back home, wallet is a bit thin, plane paint factory is closed (got to get this dessert to warm up).........
   Then I got one of those put a smile on you face calls. "Would you like to take a ride in the RV-10 this morning?"............Sweetheart I will see you later....Where ya going?..to the airport..........now you be safe......man I thought I would hear her say next...."you will shoot you eye out!!!!!!!or something like that........" continue
   related: The RV-10 Forum | Trip Write-ups

● Video Clip of "World Record Shortest Trip Report" ...Scott Schmidt
"I thought it would be fun to see how long it would take to take off from runway 34 at Grassy Meadows and land on 36 at Hurricane. The answer was 1 minute 38 seconds. Enjoy."

● Video of Bill Freckman taking off in his RV-4 fastback:
Direct link (embedded below)

Milestones
● First Engine Start ...Chuck Elsey RV-6
"It's Alive.......... Happy to report N349CE came alive today at 4:30 pm. First engine start went flawlessly. Engine ran perfect, instrumentation reported great, prop cycled. What more could you want? Been a long time coming. My mentor (Rich Jenowski) says it will fly by about the end of January and I have learned what he says is always bankable. Exciting times for an old fart like me.
Chuck Elsey"

Building Tips / Techniques/ Mods
● Baffle Mod ...Dan Horton
"Lycoming cylinders have a classic baffle problem. I don't know if anyone else has taken this particular approach to solving it (lots of ways to skin a cat), but maybe the pictures will help the new guys understand the issue. Here's the root of the problem. The intake side of the head has no fin depth in the area indicated by the pencil. but standard baffles for the left front and right rear cylinders place a plate directly against this area. There is plenty of air at "A", but there is no way for air to circulate down to area "B"" continue

Ongoing Maintenance Issues
● Screen Clean ...Pete Howell
"I know this is an old thread, but at the oil change tonight, I removed and checked the oil sump screen on my O-320. Removing, checking and reinstalling was not too hard, but replacing the safety wire was a royal pain. I was lucky Mike Behnke stopped by to drop off some books and stayed to help. Here are some pics that might help someone. Access on the trigear is a bit limited" continue

Mon 12.29.08 1314Z
Yo fellow Vanheads! A quick rundown over the last four days...stream of conscious mode and grammar bombs strewn about. Broke the frames of my glasses Christmas Eve. Luckily my prescription sunglasses use the same style frame, so I switched out the lenses. New problem...I don't have sunglasses now. Where does a thrifty RV guy go to get new glasses without breaking the bank these days? Presents from the familia were choice, and just what I needed. Christmas morning 0900 Dallas time there were over 100 folks in the forums...and 136 online Christmas evening (I was one of them <g>). Just gotta get my RV fix, albeit virtual.
Friday afternoon here in Dallas was 83°F...kid you not. I Vespa'd up to Cotton Patch for takeout....in shorts...on the 26th of December. I do love Texas!
Saturday we awoke to 73°F and rain. VFR by 1000, but windy. REAL windy. Hold on to a tree and hope it doesn't fall on your car windy. No flying. Around noon Paul Dye called my cell...he and Louise were passing through Dallas on their way back to Houston from up north. We met up at Spring Creek BBQ for lunch - very nice surprise to get to visit with them, if only for an hour. Bought my lunch even. I like these two <g>. Rest of Saturday was spent re-stringing a guitar and working in the garage on the -3B project for a few hours (mostly reorganizing and cleaning the garage). Took the HS off this image from Randy L's site and superimposed it to see if I could build my HS on the existing, ubur compact workspace. That was Saturday, not counting getting whipped by my daughter at 'Rock Band' over at the neighbor's house that evening. Man that 13yr girl can play!!!
Sunday was PERFECT for flying here, so some of us did just that. Threw on some flame resistant, non-plastic duds (jeans, leather jacket, nomex flying gloves, etc) and headed out to 52F around 1030. Flew solo for a bit and then landed/fueled/briefed/flew/debriefed as part of a 5-ship with some of the usual suspects. I was rusty...it has been awhile. Hard, crisp cloudless VFR skies and around 60°F. Didn't log that much time (.6), but I covered all the major RV food groups: acro, formation and at least one good landing. Fuel is $3.39 on the east side of 52F, FWIW. Later in the day the Cowboys stunk it up something juicy. If they'd all had skunks under their shoulder pads they couldn't have stunk more. Turned the game off at halftime and started working on the site. Long sigh......
Hope you got some time away from work, got to hang a bit with your family and friends, and most importantly got to bond with the RV project or plane for a few hours. Have a great Monday!

www.DeltaRomeo.com
RV-6 RV-3B IFR/Panel Track Blog

● The Perfect Landing ...Iron starts a thread that blossoms.
"I was updating my logbook a little while ago, and saw that I have totaled over 9,000 landings in my flying career (so far). Why we total this number is beyond me, but it causes me to remember that I LOVE to land flying machines. I’ve had the marvelous opportunity to land an incredible variety – and all bring a little joy when handled just right. I think that landing might be the ultimate formation flying – coming into contact softly (and without damage) with your partner, which in this case is the earth. Whatever it is, we are judged (and frequently judge ourselves) by our landings – “good” ones being a badge of honor among those who call themselves pilots."
[ed. Ron Schreck's reply has my current vote for best reply...it's good. dr]

● Things I am doing on my 2nd RV-4 ...pretty detailed list by Randy Thorne.
1. Smoke oil in the wing (maybe)
2. Stewart Warner oil cooler.
3. Aileron push pull tube boot at fuselage
4. Turtle deck
5. Shear tips
6. All gauges and switches on the panel in front of me.
7. Prime only raw stock and between parts
8. EFIS, engine gauges will be steam. NO vacuum
9. 2 Axis auto pilot, coupled to GPS
10. Handheld radio in panel, with GPS docked
11. RV-6 Tanks, already done.
12. Sam James Cowl W/plenum
13. Rear seat foot wells
14. The best intercom/stereo and headsets I can afford.
15. Electric flaps
16. .020 skins and trailing edge extrusion on elevators. Ailerons and Rudder will get the extrusion and all will get ribs. Had a problem with tin canning.
17. Under wing vent ala RV8.
18. Seal tail cone holes at HZ stab spar with poly fabric.
19. Think out the panel, draw it out, plan it better, wait until the last second to buy radios etc.
20. No lights.
22. Continually change this list.

● A Builder Turning Pilot....Chris Carter of Franklin, TN.
"No doubt for all you veterans of G.A. out there it may seem a bit odd but, yes, I’m the guy who spent two years building an RV-7 BEFORE getting his pilot license. I did my share of hours over the years in a 150 and a Cherokee 6 (right seat) however, I was unable to book the time via FAA rules. So, when the “build your own airplane” disease took over I felt it more expedient to get into the commitment of the build before I chickened out. It actually worked for me. And, I wanted to train in my own plane for a number of reasons. I discussed it with a number of folks, including my CFI and we decided it was okay. Terry flew off the 40 hours for phase I so it worked out great."

● Don't Wait To Build ...a motivational read by Gene Bumgarner.
"A little history and some of the drawbacks. The fellow that got me into flying [after dreaming about it for half a lifetime], suggested the RV 6 to me in 1994 I believe. I had complained that I hated renting after getting my PPL. So I read the material on the RV6 and thought that was a really neat idea. I bought a compressor and stopped. Things I thought were getting in the way I now see as minor inconveniences, not real road blocks. I bought into a bad partnership and sold, I bought a spam can in Ohio and live in Washington State and flew her home with 79 hrs, under my belt [that is a great story] passenger says we wore out several angels on that trip! I sold half of the spam can to a good friend and it's worked out great. I never could get used to the poor performance of the C-150 in Mtn's and it takes forever to get somewhere, fun but very low key. I found Dan Checkaway's site and read it every night while distracting myself to quit smoking. I fell in love with the RV. I have read and surfed so much it's unbelievable. I finally started in sept. on a RV7, now instead of being 42 I'm 57. I can't see them dang little holes when dimpling, I can't bend worth a durn, I like to go to bed way to early and I should have been flying one of these for yrs. now. Don't wait, do it, do it slow if that's the only way but don't put it off. I never understood what my Dad meant about gettin a little age on ya, if you work at labor when your young it catches you and it isn't near as easy too do this building stuff. Waiting was a mistake. I don't have what I want and it sucks to have to buy magnifying glasses, by the way LSS has the best 6in/8in/12in interchangeable lenses. I've worked with my regular glasses on upside down to get the right transition lens lined up and it is embarrassing when the dog rolls his eyes and leaves the room. It's a little more physical effort now but I WILL NOT give up my dream !"

● Toolbox Condensation Issues (and a myriad of solutions)
"This is the problem I'm having. My toolbox is setting in a shed. It's a 10X12 wooden shed that is insulated and except for a small leak around the window stays dry on the inside. The toolbox is a Craftsman and sits opposite the wall with the window. I noticed for the second time yesterday that there was condensation on the front of all the drawers. The first time this happened I opened it up only to find many of my expensive tools had an ugly layer of surface rust on them. Tonight, that was the case again. The first time it happened I took everything out, cleaned it all up, and oiled with some oil I had around. Tonight I did that again. The chromed tools seem not to care, but steel tools, (pliars, pipe wrench, hammers) really get the bad end of it."

● The Garmin 696 is a Powerfull Receiver
   "For those lucky enough this year to get a 696 for Christmas or Hanukkah, or in trade for a vacuum cleaner (more to come on that), you have probably found that even with the internal antenna of the 696, it receives the signals where other units won't.
   I found that with the 696 mounted in my panel, it would hold some satellites even after I would push the plane into my metal hangar.
Sometimes, turning the unit on in the hangar, after about 5 minutes or so, it might acquire enough to navigate, but it was marginal.
   We did a test and taped the supplied external antenna to the area where my other 2 GPS antennas are, (under the rear window), and it acquired these signals in just a few minutes."

Motivation
● Tour of Texas ...Tobin Basford
"Well, three of us ended up going to Fredricksburg for breakfast. Jayne and I flew up this morning from Corpus and Jay Pratt/Carol and Mike Reddick came in from Hicks. After breakfast all three of us flew west to Sonora just for kicks. After that Jayne and I flew east to Brenham (they were closed but we didn't know that) and then back to Corpus. All in all a really good flying day. BTW, all though this morning showed lots of overcast throughout south Texas and showed lots of rain in some parts, ceilings were really high, between 6,500' and 8,500'. A lot of the rain showing up on radar was only virga and with the visibility being outstanding, navigating around any of it was a complete non event."

● Flight Deck Restaurant - Clinton Library - KLIT Little Rock ...things to do/places to fly entry.
"Better than average airport restaurant. Taxi up to the Central Ramp and walk 50 feet for lunch. Great full service FBO, usually has cars available for short trips, rentals easy and quick. Cabs available. No ramp fees. For historians of any flavor, the Clinton library is 5 minutes away along with a host of nice restaurants in the Market Center area on the Arkansas River. It's a nice tour no matter what your political persuasion look like :-)
USS Razorback ( WWII Submarine Tour ) is nice if you like that sort of thing.
Several RVs over at 1M1 (North Little Rock) just on the other side of the river.
EAA Chapter 165 operates out of 1M1
Bill S"

Construction
● Great Christmas Eve...Steve Eberhart
"Today is a red letter day (kandy apple red that is ). Besides being my 62nd birthday, bring on those Social Security checks, we mounted the wings on my RV-7A for the final time. My ever present building partner and hangar mate Larry Helming, Bob Molenkamp and I successfully mounted the wings. The only problem was my fault. Forgot to put the washer under the lower bolt head and had to wrestle the bolt back out of the spar. Those that have been there before me know what that is like. All turned out great in the end."

● Jason Rouault's RV-7A Progress ...look at these pics!
"Finally, installed the top front skin and the windshield...I am definitely starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Shooting for a first flight this Spring."

● RV-8 Panel update/Weight
I'm finishing up a new panel for my -8, see the link below. The weight of the panel as seen in the link is just under 10 lbs., which does not include the SL 40 VHF or GTX 327 transponder. The SL-40 and GTX 327 however are supported additionally at the rear of the units by the horizontal Z-channel so I'm not too concerned about that additional weight. Does anyone have any thoughts on the maximum permissible weight of a finished -8 panel? Is 10 lb.s OK? I could take the battery out of the 696 which would shed a pound or so, but would rather not do that. I spent all day designing/fabricating/installing the 696 and mount and it is fairly robust and adds good rigidity to the panel. I have seen other -8's with just as much or more stuff packed in, however maybe there was additional panel support that I could not see. FWIW, with all of the aluminum around the 696 it is not getting a good GPS signal...will need to use the remote antenna which is not a problem... Thoughts/comments appreciated. Thanks
Jim Shannon
RV-8 N52VV
Charlottesville, VA

Building Tips / Techniques/ Mods
● Using A Laser For Wheel Pant Alignment...Don Hall
   "I've had a laser level for years, and it never really came in handy. I always just found that strings, bobs, and levels worked better for whatever tasks were at hand. Finally with the wheel pants, this tool really helped. You're supposed to align the wheel pant vertically through the center of the tire, but the tire is tilted with the weight off. So the only way really to do that is by eyeballing it, unless you've got a laser. With the laser lined up to paint a line straight back and bisecting the tire, you can quickly align the wheel paint in two dimensions. Then you can fix the 3rd dimension by checking heighth alignment fore and aft.
   We also happened to have some 'decorative' rope lighting around the house. It became a shop tool today. By wrapping the rope light around the tire inside the wheel paint, I got good backlighting for drilling the pant to the brackets.
   Between the laser, the rope lights, and the green pants, I had a nice Christmas show in the shop. Ah, 'tis the season." (more pics)

Ongoing Maintenance Issues
● Rick Galati's 'Stolen' Wing Jack Idea
"I give Larry Geiger (Geico 266) full credit for making me aware of a simple low cost wing jack that according to him, some builders have been known to assemble in one form or another. I know a good idea when I see one and his photos was all it took for me to run out and buy the materials needed to roll my own example." more

● 2008 Donations Updated and Current (as of 12/28/08 at 1400z)...going to pick the December prize winner here in a day or two. Thanks again to all the readers who donated in 2008 for helping make this site possible.

Wed 12.24.08 1332Z
Good morning fellow Vanheads! I'll be taking Thursday and Friday off for Christmas with the familia. If you just GOTTA have your RV fix over those two days you can use the Today's Posts / New Posts links for the forums. That area is always chocked full of vitamins R and V.
Rosie, I got the present! I owe ya, mate! Tanya, I got the cookies...and they are already half gone! Don, I got the chocolate covered pecans (more)...looking for the scale to climb shortly! I am one lucky guy to have such great friends.
Something tells me I'll do a Saturday edition...if only a small one. If there isn't enough news for that I suspect next Monday's will be a doozy.
Wishing you and yours a happy, safe and RV-filled Christmas season. Merry Christmas everybody!!!

www.DeltaRomeo.com
RV-6 RV-3B IFR/Panel Track Blog

● RV9 First Flight - Dennis Rhodes ...pics below and congratulate thread HERE.
...this text from son Jeff, "Dennis Rhodes, of Taylorsvile, Georgia flew his new RV-9 for the first time yesterday - December 22, 2008. It was very cold for North Georgia - about 30 deg.! The airplane flew great. It's a day/night VFR RV-9. Lycoming O-320, 160 HP. Flew straight and true with no major issues. Looked like about 145 mph with no wheel farings and easy power settings. First flight was about 40 minutes. Look forward to flying again if we can work around the weather.
Congratulations, Dad! It's a great looking airplane! Now, can I have the keys?"

● A Merry Christmas Card from Mike and Dianne Kelly ...in 1024x768 wallpaper size. Awesome!

● Winter Ops ...Dick DeCramer's take on it.
"Here in Minnesota we fly all the time in winter but the RV is NOT a great airplane for that but it does okay. The wings are too low to the ground so they do not clear even medium size snow banks when taxiing, it is also built low to the ground so its bottom will get beat up from any ice that gets picked up, and its wheels are very small for that type of flying. My RV6 has been flying since 2004 and I have not tried to operate off of deep snow covered runways yet but I have flown off packed snow/ice." continue

● How To Cure Depression ...Scott Chastain style. A great read.
   "Well, after six months of pure exhilaration flying the RV-8 through Phase I and beyond to OSH and back, I found myself in a state of depression after coming home from the classroom every day and having nothing out in the garage but a bewildered dog, two growing kitties, and not a speck of aluminum to be had anywhere. A few days ago, I was curled up like a fetus on the sofa listening to the rain come down and I remembered what a joy it was to find little aluminum curlies stuck to the bottoms of my shoes each night before going to bed. I remembered how the sound of the Scotch Brite wheel on the edge of a rib would warm me up on the coldest winter day, and how the smell of curing primer made the corroding world around me seem like a decent place to live.
   "How is it that flying these wonderful homebuilt machines just isn't enough for people like me?" I wondered. "I must be going crazy!"
   The next day, I dialed a phone number, placed a completed RV-3B order form on top of the tray, and watched as the fax machine gobbled up another commitment to build again. Today, I cleaned out the garage, made two trips to the hangar to bring my building tools back home, and now all I have to do is wait for the tail kit to arrive sometime in the near future.
   Call me crazy, but you can tell the psychiatrists on my behalf that there are far better ways than popping pills to get out of a rut. For me, it's all about living the dream."

● A Trip To Steve's
   Tuesday I met with my friend (and last boss) Steve Horstman, and a few of my former coworkers for lunch. After that Steve gave us a tour of his (and wife Rhonda's) new house being built at the Hidden Valley Airpark (map) off Lake Lewisville. Steve is building a RV-10 and is STHorstman in the forums. Couldn't be more happy for him and the Mrs. Great guy!
   The house is super energy efficient (look at the bottom pic of some of the attic storage space) - Steve says the builder projects a monthly average electric bill of $70. That is not a typo.
   Good on ya, Steve!

fmi: www.HiddenValleyAirpark.org

Tue 12.23.08 1254Z
Have a nice Tuesday. No flying around here, as it's in the 30's (but I'm not complaining having seen the weatherdude talk about what folks north of us are dealing with). Today I'm eating lunch with RV-10 builder (and coworker at the old job) Steve Horstman. We're going to go look at the progress of his new house at the Hidden Valley airpark. I'll get a pic.
Hope today is a laid back work day for you.

www.DeltaRomeo.com
RV-6 RV-3B IFR/Panel Track Blog

● Mothership on Ice ...text courtesy Joe Blank
"Thought you might enjoy a couple of pics from the snowy Pacific Northwest. Here at Vans, there is about 6-8" on the ground. Alternating snowfall, ice pellets, and freezing rain since last Wednesday or so. Demo flights are on hold until the prototype shop fabs up some skis and known ice equipment for the fleet. Non-stop weather coverage from the local news stations. Can't wait until July gets here... "

...from the factory site:
"The Northwest is in the grips of a 'dandy' winter storm. Many of our staff are unable to get to work and shipments into and out of Van's are questionable for the next day or two. Please be patient if you're trying to contact us. Thanks for your understanding."

fmi: www.VansAircraft.com

● Phase 1 complete!
Well, I finished flying off my 40 hours over the weekend, in spite of having to fight off the weather. In all honesty, I suspect the airplane likely flies like most RV-7's. The best thing is that the more I learn about the airplane, the more confidence I get in it and the more fun I have. I got the prop governor and the fine pitch stop on the prop hub adjusted, basically through trial and error and with the help of you guys. It took several tries but I just kept tweaking. The wing heaviness is long gone and she is very stable. The ADI PII is working great and the AFS 3500 is just a wonderful piece of equipment. I'm very glad I spent the extra money on this EFIS / EMS. My tail dragger skills have greatly improved, but I'm definitely not a pro yet. I squeak several landings and then I get humbled with a bouncer or two. I made my first night landings the other night, to get current again. The wingtip lights are better than I expected, adequate, but nothing to brag about. They are better than those in the spam cans I flew, so I'm satisfied. I guess the most surprising thing to me about this airplane is its almost unbelievable climb rate. It is the polar opposite of the Cherokee 140 I owned for 8 years, in that regard. I have several friends and relatives that have been asking for rides, and I have an appointment at a paint shop as soon as the weather allows a cross country flight. I had no real equipment malfunctions or maintenance issues. Thanks for all your help VAF!
Joe Schneider
RV-7, IO-360, BA Hartzell, N847CR
Flying but not finished

● N678PR First Rivet To First Flight: A Video...click link and then 'watch in high quality' for higher res. The clip runs over 8 minutes, so get your coffee ready, take your office phone off the hook and enjoy one really nice, motivational video. Awesome stuff!

Mel (DAR):
You need some kind of chronological record of what you did. There are no specific rules of how detailed it has to be. For experimental light-sport you will need to show that you followed the plans exactly without deviation. For experimental amateur-built you will also need pictures showing that "you" built the aircraft. I typically use a spiral notebook. Many people use the plans and just date each procedure. It's not critical as long as there is a chronological record of some kind.

'Squeak':
I made notes and recorded building hours in the builder manual. Took about 100 pictures of the building process nothing fancy and the DAR were satisfied. After I started flying went to the local FSDO with the same Documents and got my Repairman Certificate.

Erich Weaver:
In my case at least, the DAR wasn't particularly interested in builder documentation - I had it out for him but he didnt check it - he was too busy checking for, well, airworthiness. Only an FAA man can sign off for the repairman certificate however, and that is more the part that requires proving to their satisfaction that you were the primary builder. He actually asked ME what documentation I was supposed to have (there is no standard). He flipped through maybe 25-30 photos I had in a binder, then looked over the plane, asking me several questions about how I had fabricated a few things - basically checking to see if I knew what the heck I was talking about. No problem. My suggestion for both the airworthiness check and repairman cert. is to identify the individuals involved and COMMUNICATE so you are not surprised during their visit

Tom Lewis:
In my case, when I went to the FAA for the repairmen's certificate they did not want to see anything but the form filled out properly. But then, my DAR, Mel, had written a letter stating that he was satisfied that I had constructed the airplane. Once the FAA guy saw that letter, he just wanted to make sure I had filled out the form properly. Worked for me.
Mel had visited my project several time when inspecting other completed experimentals on our airpark and I had showed him how I was dating and adding notes to the Van's construction manual showing when I completed sections.

Group Buy Updates
● Group Buy: Partain Transport
- additional focus: (QB kits) book by Jan 15 '09 and save 10% on RV7,8,9. On 10’s save 20%.

VAF Family
● All I Want For Christmas Is My Medical Back ...and a call out for qualified RV pilots in the St. Charles, MO area.
"Last February I had some chest pain shoveling snow and went to the ER after trying to ignore it for several weeks. Ended up with 4 stents inserted into my right coronary artery. I waited the 6 months required by the FAA to have a stress test and passed no problems. I had heard over the summer that the medical back log in OK City had been greatly reduced and they where processing special issuance medicals faster then ever. I sent in all the info in August and expected to be flying during the great STL fall weather. I waited and waited. After 60 days passed I finally got a letter from the FAA asking for more info from my cardiologist. Got that sent in and waited and waited." continue

Safety
● Notes from the Flightline ...Craig Vince
It was a cold and dreary day. Actually, that has nothing to do with this article, but I’ve always wanted to write something that started like that. On second thought, it sort of does play into the story, but I’ll get to that later. This is the first in what I hope will become a series of articles from perhaps a different perspective than what we pilots are used to reading in our magazines. I’ve been thinking for months about writing a column and making a regular contribution, but today was the day I’d let my fingers do the talking.
Today is Sunday and I just got home from spending the day at the Tracy Municipal Airport, where I work as the sales manager for our FBO. About 3 o’clock this afternoon, I answered the phone and was introduced to a Lt Colonel from the US Air Force. I was told that “they” were receiving an ELT signal via satellite, coming from approximately a mile and a half west of our airport. He had my attention. As a pilot, I certainly understand the gravity of what I had just been told. I grabbed my hand-held radio from the charger and dialed in 121.5. Sure enough, there was a very strong warble tone coming through. The Colonel asked me to check the field in case there was an accidental activation, while he initiated an investigation on his end. continue

Miscellaneous
● OT: Appreciate That $20 4GB Memory Stick That Clips On Your Keychain
This is a 1956 5MB Hard Disk Drive. In September 1956 IBM launched the 305 RAMAC, the first computer with a hard disk drive (HDD). The HDD weighed over a ton and stored 5 MB of data." ...sent to me by Danny King

Mon 12.22.08 1241Z
Winter is officially here...like I gotta tell you that (wind chill map). This past Friday, believe it or not, some of us in N. Texas got to go flying. The weather was P.E.R.F.E.C.T. and I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear about that if you're dealing with two feet of snow up against your front door. If not, keep reading....it was 55°F in the morning. Light wind. 10-15 mile viz. Buddy O' mine Rob Reece, who is building a RV-8QB, was my pax. I let Rob fly for 15-20 minutes before we joined up on the rest of the gang as they launched off 52F headed for KSEP and BBQ. Ended up in a 5-ship. Ross, Jerry, Danny, Randy and me. Don't even remember which number I was...but I was one of 'em.
Most of the usual suspects were on the ramp 1100ish when we landed....Jay, Gary, Roy, Stan and many others. We had a great meal (as usual), lots of Dublin Dr. Pepper and some laughs. When we got back to the ramp to leave we first stood around for a bit and watched Randy and Tony de-cowl the -8 they had flown down in so they could remove a broken alternator belt. They had enough battery to get the engine started and flew home no comm on Scorch's wing. Nothin' burger. Formation skills pay off again.
Rob and I launched from KSEP with the intention of getting some rough air to air shots of Jerry 'Wolf' Lawlor in his newly-purchased RV-8. Jerry flew Harrier 'A' models back in the day and his station keeping skills are all still there. "Stuck on us like a cheap suit" is how Rob put it. That's a compliment, right? Pics below. Later, when the lighting is better, we'll get some better shots using the 'real' camera. Guy has a new ride - he's gotta have a shot of his bird for his screen saver <g>. Jerry and I joined up on Sky as a 3-ship when we were done, went through Alliance's airspace for a straighter leg back to 52F, and ended the day with 1.3 on the hobbs. Stomachs full and ears ringing. 77°F on the ramp when I shut Flash down. Friday was a good day.
There was C.O.L.D. weather and winds forecast for Saturday afternoon, so I resigned myself to no flying. But, when I woke up the trees were still and the air still warmish, so I Miata'd out to the airport for a quick solo flight - a.k.a. the exact opposite of a formation gaggle. Did the normal 'quick' circuit: Ken's, Scott's, Melanie's, Mine, Joe's, some acro out west of the airport, lots of hard banks, overhead break at 1,650' MSL followed by a coupla TnG's. RVs just fly better solo and with half tanks. Wheeler and a 3-point. Logged .3. Home by 11am as the winds started to pick up and the temps started to fall off the Earth. Worth every penny and all the effort involved. Pink Floyd's 'Have a Cigar' on the radio during the drive home. The guy singing the song wasn't a member of the band, but you probably knew that. He sounds better than me, though. I can't out-sing a sick cat in the key of 'E'. Trust me.
Saturday night the Cowboys blew it. Bah-lew it.
Sunday was spent on the treadmill and building up a pile of stuff we don't use anymore about the size of my car for the folks at C.C.A. to come pick up this week. Felt great.
Hope you had a great weekend, your Monday is low-key and your work week is short. Susie and Audrey are spending the day down at a food distribution center sorting donated canned goods into boxes for a church thing. I'm gonna try to keep Tate occupied while I do paperwork (like that's going to happen) <g>.

www.DeltaRomeo.com
RV-6 RV-3B IFR/Panel Track Blog

● First Flight! RV-8A N678PR
"Well, it's a project no longer. Airworthiness was Friday the 19th, First flight was .6 hours on Saturday the 20th. No real squawks. Put another 1.1 on the clock today. I would try and elaborate about how great it was, but there's no way to put it into words. I'll post more info and link a video later...."
- congratulate (and more pics)

● Jim Cone's tail kit pictures 12-19-08
"Sorry for the delay in getting more pictures of the tail kit, but I have been in the hospital and a bit under the weather lately. I am way behind other builders, but here are pictures of my progress to date."

● Kevin Cameron's Panel
"After thirteen months of downtime I've finally gotten my RV-4 flying again. Here's the new panel:"

Building Tips / Techniques/ Mods
● Sliders Guys Only ...Pete Howell
"I found a new way to mount my flashlight in the cockpit and after a few night flights, I think I like it. I modified a AA Cree LED flashlight with a multi setting PWM regulator and used a Fenix Bicycle mount to make a versatile and convinient cockpit light. As a bonus, it is indepenedent of ship's power if it becomes a dark and stormy night."

● Tip: Caster wheels for a small garage
"I wanted to share my design of some casters I made for my rv-8. I have a 1 car garage so putting the plane up on wheels would prevent me from being able to slide the fuse from side-to-side. Plus, it makes the fuse a little lower to the ground and easier to continue to work on. I bought a 4' piece of AL angle at Home depot, cut to length, and bolted these casters on. each caster is rated to 250#. I had to re-drill the mounting holes as you may notice once I got it sitting on the gear. I also used a couple of extra washers to level the caster so that it would swivel easily. The axle is mounted on the inside so that I could use the stock AN4 bolt for this assembly.-Brad"

● New RV-10 Panel Out of SteinAir
"Here's the latest RV-10 panel that left here yesterday along with the pedestal that we sell for the RV-10 (it screws right onto the existing tunnel). Also, see another RV-10 panel installed in an RV-10 along with a third RV-10 G900X panel. I'll have more for you later!"
fmi: www.SteinAir.com

Miscellaneous
● OT: How To Fix An RV After Lunch
Monkey's alternator belt broke on the way to KSEP Friday. Two guys de-cowling the RV and (11) guys standing around staring (including photographer). ...photo courtesy Stan Price.

Fri 12.19.08 1221Z
Somehow, Seattle's normal weather moved down to our neighborhood yesterday. 1SM BR OVC003 pretty much all day. Hopefully today better...some of us want to fly around lunch time Friday (before the next cold wave hits Saturday). If it's all crumped up where you are weather wise, hang in there.
Most of today's edition is centered around the motivation and experiences revolving around our desire to begin aviating. I started poking around in a thread Paul started a few weeks back, and got so drawn in by some of the replies that I thought I'd use most of the space up here today showing them off. These type stories are the marrow of aviation in my book...and I like reading about them on occasion. Especially on cold, wet, low ceiling days that don't allow for the greatest hobby on Earth.
It's supposed to get colder than snot again here in DFW on Saturday, so if it's too cold for garage time I'll spend a few hours flying the RV-4 r/c model that I found for the RealFlight R/C simulator that I bought the kids a few weeks back as an early Christmas present. Yeah, for the kids.....that's the ticket. I should also mention that their Ryan STA looks a whole lot like an open cockpit RV-3 <g>.
Have a happy, safe and RV-filled weekend and here's hoping you get to spend some quality time with your RV plane or project.