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Junior Lives!

Ironflight

VAF Moderator / Line Boy
Mentor
This afternoon, ?Junior? (our RV-3 project) shook the airpark with his mighty voice for the first time ? the Mattituck TMXIO-320 roared to life with just a few turns of the prop after sitting pickled for a year. No doubt the two P-Mags had something to do with the quick start, and the Whirlwind 151 prop was incredibly smooth. With Louise on fire watch on the left and friend Ernie on the look-out from the right, I hit the starter to end the building phase and begin the final inspection phase ? the next several weeks will be a time for detailed examination of every critical part with lots of little finishing bits here and there. We took a bunch of pictures and some video, but it will take a couple of days to figure out how to get those moving pictures out of the camera and put them somewhere viewable. Here?s a post-exercise grin!

IMG_1418.JPG


I was really impressed with how well the whole system has gone together, and we are just about a month over two years from getting started on the project. We spent the morning pouring in fuel a gallon at a time to calibrate the G3X fuel gauges ? this was an incredibly slick process, as you see it build the calibration curve graphically as you ?mark? each gallon. Garmin has done a stellar job at creating an easy process with this one ? it is really easy to see when the gauges max out (in our case at about 12 of the 15 gallons on each side) and you can?t see any more increase (due to dihedral). I was a little amused at the fact that the gauges were labeled ?1? and ?2? in the software calibration process, so I gave our friends at Garmin a call ? and by mid-afternoon I had an email with a screen shot of the revised software that said ?1/L? and ?2/R??.and the operational display shows thaem as ?L? and ?R?. Now that?s what I call responsive!

Louise pours in a gallon of 100LL
IMG_6164.JPG


And Paul took ?marks? on the G3X to build the calibration curve:
IMG_6169.JPG


Following the fuel gauge calibration, we did our climb attitude fuel flow checks by disconnecting the fuel line at the firewall, attaching a temporary line, and using the EFII boost pump to flow fuel into a calibrated bucket. The result? 48 Gallons/hour?..yeah, I think I?d call that ?adequate? for an IO-320!

IMG_6171.JPG


All in all, it was a great day at the Polly Ranch Airplane factory! We have a lot of work to do yet before we stand at attention for Mel?s inspection, but with lots of picky neighbors who like to stop by, I think we can get there. Next up? A taxi down the runway to do the G3X magnetometer calibration. If it goes as slick as the fuel gauges, the avionics will be all set!

Paul
 
That is great news! Congrats to both of you. I can't wait to hear about the first flight.
 
Neat!

Great (fast!) work, Paul and Louise. You started Junior just as I was joining this community. I've learned so much from you three (okay, four, including Val). You teach us most of the time, then inspire us the rest of the time. Thanks for your stellar examples.

--
Stephen
 
High tech

The funnel reminds me of me....high tech:D

Yep...the first time a new engine starts always seems like the "breath of life!"

Congratulations on waking the neighbors.
 
Great news Paul! Congrats to Louise and yourself. Good luck with the myriad finishing details and the first flight.

I'm looking forward to meeting Junior at OSH next year.
 
Congrats!!!!

Paul and Louise----you have done an awesome job. All of us in VAF send our bests to you both for a job well done. Cant wait to see JR leave the nest!
Tom
 
I love that you call it "junior".

What type of sending units did you use?

Kavlico sending units - the ones that came with the G3X - better than anything I have ever used in any airplane - certified or experiemntal!
 
Paul and Louise,

May "junior" live a long and prosperous life, congrats on a great looking airplane and the first engine run.

Just curious, how much time to build would you estimate over a slow build 8?
 
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Good to See Junior with his Wings on

Congrats, Paul and Louise. Good to see the 3 almost ready for flight.
 
Just curious, how much time to build would you estimate over a slow build 8?

I'm an engineer David - I don't have to estimate....I have meticulously-kept records....:p

So far, the RV-3 log shows 1895 "people-hours" of shop time. My RV-8 took 1040 hours (Quick build - Usual delta for slow build is about 350 - 500 hours for an -8). Both numbers without paint. I am guessing that the -3 will be just shy of 2,000 hours at first flight.

Paul
 
Not sure how representative these numbers are

I'm an engineer David - I don't have to estimate....I have meticulously-kept records....:p

So far, the RV-3 log shows 1895 "people-hours" of shop time. My RV-8 took 1040 hours (Quick build - Usual delta for slow build is about 350 - 500 hours for an -8). Both numbers without paint. I am guessing that the -3 will be just shy of 2,000 hours at first flight.

Paul

First, I'm sure Paul spent a lot more "pondering time" on the -3 then the -8. Those hours aren't recorded.

Second, I'm quite sure that two people with Paul's experience and skills would have dramatically dropped the required shop hours. Paul spent a lot of "billable" shop time teaching and mentoring me through the process, for which I am very grateful.
 
Second, I'm quite sure that two people with Paul's experience and skills would have dramatically dropped the required shop hours. Paul spent a lot of "billable" shop time teaching and mentoring me through the process, for which I am very grateful.
Also, Paul ad Louise have been very helpful in letting much-less-skilled builders (myself, my father, etc) come, help and see the process, and while it is very appreciated :), that slows things down too.

TODR
 
Congratulations, Paul and Louise. I'm sure that misdrilled hole is long forgotten now. Looking forward to that first flight report. Thanks for sharing Junior's build experience with us.
 
3 Envy!

RV-3:
The ultimate goofing around or traveling machine with the perfect number of seats... IMHO!
 
engine start

Congrats on the milestone! We need to see the video of the engine start. Thanks for the excellent updates, anxiously read every one.
 
Congrats!

Congrats on the engine start... Surprised that no one else has mentioned it, but running it with your wings held on by one row of clecoes... I dunno... :D

John
Dreaming of the day my RV-10 breaths it's first breath of life!
 
Congrats on the engine start... Surprised that no one else has mentioned it, but running it with your wings held on by one row of clecoes... I dunno... :D

I was wondering when someone was going to ask about that...those are REALLY strong clecos....:D
 
FYI - I don't know how the senders with the G3X work, but I know that my senders read differently when i'm tail-down vs. when i'm in flying attitude... Did you raise the tail to do the calibration? Or do the G3X senders work differently?
 
FYI - I don't know how the senders with the G3X work, but I know that my senders read differently when i'm tail-down vs. when i'm in flying attitude... Did you raise the tail to do the calibration? Or do the G3X senders work differently?
So did mine and with a tail low attitude, it reads as if it has more fuel than it really had :eek:
 
Great Prop

Congratulations P & L on your new addition to the family!

Your going to like that prop.
 
Excellent!

Congratulations guys.


What is this? If it's a brace to keep the plate from cracking how did you attach it?


junior.jpg
 
FYI - I don't know how the senders with the G3X work, but I know that my senders read differently when i'm tail-down vs. when i'm in flying attitude... Did you raise the tail to do the calibration? Or do the G3X senders work differently?

I'm fairly sure the fuel quantity senders in this airplane are regular old Stewart Warner float senders as supplied by Van's. The G3X system does allow you to set up independent fuel level calibration curves for "in-flight" and "on-ground" states, although last I heard Paul and Louise were moving too fast to want to drain and re-fill the tanks for the optional second calibration curve. :)

mcb
 
Matt is correct - we have the standard float sending units, and just did the "in flight" calibration for now. I don't really depend on fuel gauging anyway, preferring to trust the totalizer. I use the gauging to tell if I have a gross leak.

Vlad, that brace was made by Louise from 4130 tubing. It attaches to the throttle-body mounting stud and a bolt on the air box. That is one RIGID air box mount!

Yellow Spinner? Clue to the paint scheme? whatever are you talking about Ed?! ;)

Paul
 
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Congratulations guys.


What is this? If it's a brace to keep the plate from cracking how did you attach it?


junior.jpg

Yes. We have a brace like this on all the planes. Below is a photo showing the attachment points, although Paul's made me make the piece over with tubing for the final product. He figures it will hold up better.

IMG_5951.JPG
 
Yes. We have a brace like this on all the planes. Below is a photo showing the attachment points, although Paul's made me make the piece over with tubing for the final product. He figures it will hold up better.

IMG_5951.JPG


I see. That's interesting. I made a brace too but attached it to the sump bolt.



brace.jpg
 
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