RV Builder Profile Archive
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#60

Names: Glen Miller and Mike Allardyce
Model: RV-7A
Location: Columbus, OH
Profession: Manufacturing and engineering
Building Since: Ordered tail kit at Airventure 2001
Comments: "We are currently working on the finish kit and hope to have the plane completed by summer. This is our second project, having completed a Glastar in 1998. The plane is equipped with an Aerosport O-360 with a fixed pitch prop. The panel will be full IFR with an S-Tec autopilot. We bought the QB fuse and slow build wings. The timing worked out just right, as the fuse arrived within weeks of completing the wings. Also, the quality of the fuse work is excellent. Glen is shown in the picture working on the wing root fairing (or maybe just pretending to be working)."

#59

Name: Rick Galati
Occupation: Retired factory worker
Age: 55
Location: St. Louis, Missouri 
Project: RV-6A standard kit

I am fortunate to have an understanding, even an open-minded and forgiving wife in Linda. She knows. Truth be told, I started a tempestuous love affair with my sultry aluminum mistress, "Darla" in March of 2000. "Darla" like most mistresses, can at times be high maintenance, expensive, and emotionally frustrating but with her good looks and figure is she ever beautiful! Occupying our attached garage, I keep her close by, with the door to her quarters open so I can often cast a loving glance towards her. Linda prefers to call her "Mistletoe" believing the simple act of walking anywhere near "Darla" causes money to be kissed goodbye. At age 53, I took an early retirement from my SMAR (sheet metal assembly, riveter) job at McDonnell-Douglas aka...Boeing. I now devote, even lavish considerable attention on "Darla," a lifelong dream of using my own two hands to build a high performance airplane and doing it minus the ever present time clock and factory whistle holding claim to significant chunks of my life. Though I have 34 years of combat aircraft assembly experience that began with the F-4 Phantom program, and over the years to include such stellar performers as the F-18 Hornet, F-15 Eagle, and the T-45 Goshawk, there is much to learn, particularly as I embark upon the systems and firewall forward phase of this challenging project. I even approach my comfortable-as-an-old-shoe Cessna 150 with a new found appreciation and more than once have found myself examining a given detail on my trusty old spam can to find myself saying ....."so that's why they did it that way!" The Internet has become an indispensable aid to augment my builder's tool box and I will freely and shamelessly copy any process or application deemed worthy of use anywhere on "Darla's" sweet little airframe. The RV community in the St. Louis, Missouri area is a vibrant and growing one. I've met many builders of Van's designs through EAA Chapter 32 www.eaa32.org and several of us stay in frequent touch monitoring one other's progress and to be there with a helping hand when needed. Over the next several years as our aircraft projects reach fruition, I am hopeful the local contingent will grow to be a significant presence in the RV community aptly recognized as Van's Air Force. But first things first. Although the sheet metal work on my 6A is nearing completion, only the forward upper skin remains to be permanently attached, a detail any slider canopy builder knows of all too well. The factory new Lycoming 0-320 D1A has recently arrived and I managed to mount it by myself in about 40 minutes, yet with its considerable investment comes a new set of technical challenges to deal with for the first time in my life. The ageless wisdom of the old saw "90% done, 90% to go" has proven to be a wry gem of an understated irony. There is a lot more to building an airplane than just sheet metal and rivets. But hey, I'm not in a race, just on a pleasant and hugely rewarding journey on the path of self discovery. 
--- Rick Galati
--- rick07x_at_earthlink.net
--- EarthLink: It's your Internet.

#58
Jay Pratt - n46rv_at_outdrs.net
Age, 56
Profession, Sailor / Beach Bum
Project, RV6 N46RE Flying
Project, North Star/Super Cub (building).  Also run 'RV Central'
Location, #584 Hicks airfield T67, Fort Worth, Texas
"My earliest child hood memory is flying a tissue covered Rubber band model into the only tree in my parent's back yard. My dad built it and I couldn't wait for him to come home from work. I was about 4 yrs old. I think I have been trying to replace that thing all these 56 years. I have built all kinds of flying models all of my life. I dreamed of lifting off in my own creation. Being frugal and practical I never could JUSTIFY flying lessons. I did manage to live in Aspen, Co for 4 years and ski and play ice hockey. I did go flying in the gliders there a few times.

Then came 10 years in Tortola, British Virgin Islands sailing 50 foot and 60 foot boats. Living aboard let me save enough to afford flying lessons. I started flying at year 35.  Built some ultralights. Got commercial / inst. soon after and started a charter service out of Grand Case, St Martin. First with a V 35 P Bonanza then a Cherokee Six. After 8 years in St Martin and looking at 50. It was time to move on. A job in Dallas near Mom and family brought me home to Texas.

I knew the RV series from OSH visits. I finally had the chance to start An RV 6. That Cherokee Six only got 24 hours the first year I was building. I knew no other builders and stayed focused.  I found that all the info was in the manual if I looked long enough. After the first RV 6 was finished I still had some energy left. I built a RV4 for a guy and started a RV 8 for myself.  I got laid off the job and was the proud owner of two flying RVs. And no job. Panic! The RVs were sold and a new flying job was found.  I immediately started another RV 6. It took me 6 months to get that Q.B. flying. That was a LONG 6 months. After having an RV, doing with out one is not good.

Well, I am still building RVs. Guys are bringing them in to my shop in various stages of completion. I like the Q.B. 8s the best. The easiest to build (RV A anything the least).  Hardest to build. I think I have helped on the major portion of 12 RVs. They are a lot of fun to fly and build. I am building a Super Cub with Alaska mods and a 180 Hp engine along with several RVs here now. A Murphy Moose is on the horizon too. Lots of airplanes to build."
Jay
[ed. Jay operates RV Central.]

Due to disk space issues I had to delete some files...If what you're looking for isn't here I'm sorry.  dgr