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PIREPs from OSH'22

4 1/2 hours until the prototype arrives

Good morning.

Here’s a reminder that in about 4 1/2 hours if you’re interested in seeing the RV 15 engineering prototype you need to be somewhere around the Vans booth starting at 10 AM.

Help the mothership walk it the last few feet into its parking space at the booth. And history.

A new RV and a new era. Come share in the moment!
 
Going to Germany.
Saw it on flightaware.


NICE

Boomer

Don't tell my Chief Pilot. I swear there was a cloud on our route that required us to deviate just a little west of course and happened to take us near OSH.


Steve: I've been in that exact situation before. Frustrating, isn't it?:(

Doug

Seattle area

Yep, but it's Ok, Sun n' Fun is more my speed, too many people at OSH for me. I'll make it there someday.
 

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No Web Cam for Homebuilder Area!

Trying to see the crowd around the RV-15 and have realized it's somewhere between the web cam for Vintage and the web cam for Warbirds.

Does anybody but me see a discrepancy here???

EAA started as a homebuilder's organization and there is no web cam for the homebuilder area at Oshkosh.

Maybe I'm missing something but I've been "perusing" for a while this morning...

P.S. And from Google Earth there appears to be a camera tower right next to the location of Doug's plane (from his "lat/lon" post) which would be right in the middle of the Homebuilder's area. Probably used for the Airshow.
 
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Here's some from me. The 15 is /wide/.
 

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2 very special pictures

Axel and Van five minutes after the reveal.
 

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[QUOTE=Maaaaaybe? :D More like 180.

I guess they liked my idea.:D:D

Boomer
 

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Engine in the prototype?
Cruise speed?
Stall speed?

All those pulled rivets will make it slow, I would bet they are flush in the kits
 
Article

Engine in the prototype?
Cruise speed?
Stall speed?

All those pulled rivets will make it slow, I would bet they are flush in the kits

The article said io-390. I have not seen a report on speed yet thou. Still waiting too.

Like you said, those rivets will make it slow, so I wouldn't want to guess if Vans will ever publish a speed for this version.
 
The article said io-390. I have not seen a report on speed yet thou. Still waiting too.

Like you said, those rivets will make it slow, so I wouldn't want to guess if Vans will ever publish a speed for this version.

Big wing, rudder and stabilizer would allow for extra speed if flush rivets and still have great control at slow flight maneuvering
 
Pop pop pop goes my hydraulic pullers! They been sitting lonely in my tool boxes for years...time to get em overhauled!

This kit will fly together like an RV12 kit....well maybe not that fast - but it will be exciting. Might be no 3 for me. Better get hustling on No 2.
 
Big wing, rudder and stabilizer would allow for extra speed if flush rivets and still have great control at slow flight maneuvering


Those big bumpy rivets didn't seem to adversely affect the DHC-2 Beaver - best bush plane ever built!
 
Won the RV Red class today, Airventure Cup . Our own Daddyman. Celebratory beer drinking in progress.
 

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RV Formation Fly-Over

RV Formation Fly-Over
 

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My Favorite photos today

The opening of the airshow today. (07-25-2026)
Flying East to West.

Screen Shot 2022-07-25 at 11.55.13 PM.jpg

Flying West to East

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The RV Pilots that flew the 50-ship.

Screen Shot 2022-07-26 at 12.04.58 AM.jpg
 
Pop Rivets?
Hope solid flush is an option for durability.

Do pop rivets on the engineering prototype mean that the production version will use pop rivets too? I was assuming they used pop rivets for ease and speed of prototype construction.

Other question…if it’s a bush/utility plane that might be landing in tight quarters, is aerodynamic slipperiness detrimental to STOL performance? Maybe some induced drag is an OK thing?
 
Could the Beaver be better with flush rivets?

Flush rivets won't buy you much, if any, performance gains at these speed ranges. They do, however, look better and contribute to ease of cleaning and painting.
 
Do pop rivets on the engineering prototype mean that the production version will use pop rivets too? I was assuming they used pop rivets for ease and speed of prototype construction.

Other question…if it’s a bush/utility plane that might be landing in tight quarters, is aerodynamic slipperiness detrimental to STOL performance? Maybe some induced drag is an OK thing?

That would be parasite drag, not induced drag, but yes, drag can be beneficial for steep approaches. However in this case with fowler flaps going to 55 deg having enough drag should not be a problem. At anything beyond 35 deg a fowler flap will be fully separated generating a massive wake (which might be what you want). Slowing down won’t be a problem.
 
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Locking

Flush rivets won't buy you much, if any, performance gains at these speed ranges. They do, however, look better and contribute to ease of cleaning and painting.

I like flush because it locks everything together, and does not just rely on rivet shear strength. Also, a smoother skin is easier to clean and keep clean. Yes it is more work, but for a plane that will get twisted and stretched, I think flush will hold up better. It will be riveted together only once, and assembly line speed has no contribution to my construction costs. This is the difference between homebuilding and factory assembly, my labor is free; I am the best assembly line worker because I really care how the final product comes out and I work for free.

Lastly, I suspect some would want to vinyl wrap parts of the plane; cant do that with non-flush rivets without creating corrosion problems.
 
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Our visit to Airventure was especially great this year. It was wonderful to see old friends again and see the new RV developments like the RV-15. It looks like it will be another popular build and fill a gap in Van's arsenal.

Stopped by to visit Georgianna in the Van's tent. Ran into Paul Dye and Louise by the RV-15. Caught up to many of our old friends from our building and volunteer days. EAA Airventure is always a homecoming and family reunion for Rich and me.

We stayed later to watch the 50th Anniversary Celebration for Van's Aircraft. very much enjoyed the history of the Company and how Dick developed it. It was really cool to see several of my pictures used for the slide show prior to the presentation and to be chosen from so many that were submitted.

Although I am no longer flying or building, Van's Aircraft and EAA Airventure will always have a warm spot in my heart along with my many aviation friends.

OH!!! The 50 Plane Formation was AWESOME!!!!

Roberta:):):)
 
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Answer to pulled rivet question

Ryan just discussed the decision to use pulled rivets and he confirmed that pulled rivets were for speed of build and that flush are still a possibility. More to follow…
 
Video/Photo's at Theater in the Woods

Great ovation for VAF and Delta Romeo at the Theater in the Woods tonight!

What? No video??

Not even a photo???

I'm sure the humble Editor in Chief would prefer not to see even a mention of the occasion, but I'm hoping to see some (perhaps from EAA) by the end of today.
 
What? No video??

Not even a photo???

I'm sure the humble Editor in Chief would prefer not to see even a mention of the occasion, but I'm hoping to see some (perhaps from EAA) by the end of today.

Sorry, I was too distracted by the content to think about pulling out the phone. Luckily I know someone here was videoing the RV 15 design discussion this morning…
 
Banquet Location

Is the banquet being held at the Nature Center Pavilion? If so, is there adequate parking available?
 
Anyone know if the Vans theatre in the woods program is available to watch somewhere?

Based on the event I did last year, I’d expect it to be available in a few days - they do record and post the links. But I don’t have any specifics for you at this time.
 
Tuesday Visit

I make a day of Tuesday from 7am Ripon arrival to a 6:45PM departure. I took my neighbor for the day, a first time for him! [Departed home 5am, arrived 8:50pm.]

RV15 - the pulled rivets are prime path, soft (yes soft) flush rivets being investigated. Back seats, what ever you want to put there within W&B. Nicely done landing gear design! That pivot gave it away with the first photos.

Found Doug and Danny, chatted with James, missed DanH, found Tim, Larry and Keith at the pavilion. Saw Tanya, but she was busy w/the Falcon team, so no contact :(.

I got parked in the expansion lot by warbirds.

Waiting for airshow close and departure the F35 demo was AWESOME!!!

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The Brain Trust

discussing where to eat ?
 

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70+ more images from the show now online

I’m camped out in the media center here during the lunch hour on Wednesday (they have high-speed Internet so I can upload) after spending a few hours going around the grounds in a golf cart looking for RVs and RV people to take pictures of.

As you can probably guess, the things I want to photograph usually contain people. Images that tell a story and maybe contain smiles. Or an interesting paint job or modification that just grabs my attention. But mostly I’m looking for people. At least in my opinion that’s what this hobby is mostly about.

So, if I see one or two people standing next to what I believe is their RV I will come up and as quickly as I can say, “hello my name is Doug Reeves and I run the Vans Air Force website and I’d like to take your picture with your permission”.

So without further ado, I’ve added 74 new images (and one short video clip of the RV flyover) to my SmugMug cloud folder that you can access here:

https://dougreeves.smugmug.com/DougsOSH2022Pics/n-RWxJB4/

I hope you enjoy, thank you to everyone that let me take your picture, and an extra special thank you to my friends Rob Reece and Scott Toornburg who spent a big chunk of their morning driving me around. “25 feet forward, quartering shot from the left. Click. Onward ho!” 😁

v/r,
dr
 

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Jay Pratt hard at work at HBC.
 

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Home builders dinner this evening

Home builders dinner this evening
 

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2022 AirVenture Oshkosh operating expense

What most RV owners do not want to know but builders may:

Round trip from Charlotte area (NC25) to Oshkosh and back was 12.3 hobbs hours with 94.27 gallons of fuel burned for total expense of $611.67. This is higher than it should have been with weather diversions of one hour each way. Fuel cost was as low as $5.99 per gallon to a high of $7.49 per gallon with average of $6.49 per gallon.

I did add a quart of oil to the engine before I left home and did not need to add any on the trip. Will be time to change oil before I need to add another quart so oil cost is not included in this PIREP.

For me, the experience was worth the cost. Had I known that I was going to have turbulence that knocked my headset off my head on the way, I may have elected to drive instead of fly. The Wx on the trip home had me ready to make a 180 at any point if I did not like what I was seeing in front of the airplane. I did NOT like sitting in line at OSH for departure for 55-minutes with a takeoff oil temperature reaching 221 degrees as I was told to line up and wait on the 36L.

There were so many airplanes trying to get to and depart OSH as well as people on the ground, I need to reevaluate my future AirVenture Oshkosh plans. I like smaller events and am not crazy about how big AirVenture has become. This was the 21st time I have taken my RV to AirVenture Oshkosh.
 
What most RV owners do not want to know but builders may:

....

I hear you. Thanks for the report. Those are all good and valid points to be aware of. Like you, I and perhaps most, fly RVs for the joy of flying and the warmth of the friendships we make along the way. Airventure is just one venue and by no means mandatory. So I hope you won't let this year's experience sour you on enjoying the other fine venues available and the good memories of former Airventures.

Likewise, for those who have yet to experience flying into Airventure in an airplane they built, it is the highest item on life's bucket list and an experience to be treasured. Yes, Airventure has become very big, very successful, and a bit too commercial for many, but I applaud the success and the ability of EAA to spread the excitement of aviation in all its forms to such a large audience. You really can't see all of Airventure in one visit, so when you attend, I suggest you break your time down into those things you really want to see and ignore the rest -- you can always see the other items the next time.

After flying my RV-8 into Airventure 10 times, this year I opted for the airlines. A 5-hour delay on the trip out and a 1 hour delay on the trip back has made me rethink that decision for the future:rolleyes:.

I hope to see you next year, when gas is cheaper :mad:, the enroute weather is CAVU :cool:, and everyone has read the NOTAM ;).

All the best,

Chris

Always one of my favorite AirVenture scenes: The Peddle Planes and their fledgling pilots:








 
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My first AirVenture trip

I just did my first AirVenture trip yesterday. To make the Fisk arrival easier I got up early and joined the Green Lake transition at about 7:30. The arrival was super easy, but after landing I had to taxi for more than one hour to get from rwy27 to the homebuilt parking. Is it normal? Should I plan a different arrival time slot next time?

PS: during the final part of the long taxi, I witnessed an RV8 chopping off another smaller aircraft's rudder from behind, quite scary...
 
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I just did my first AirVenture trip yesterday. To make the Fisk arrival easier I got up early and joined the Green Lake transition at about 7:30. The arrival was super easy, but after landing I had to taxi for more than one hour to get from rwy27 to the homebuilt parking. Is it normal? Should I plan a different arrival time slot next time?

Landing on 18/36 makes the taxi to HBC easier. If they offer you a runway choice, that's the way to go. But it does create the opportunity to be in the 18 arrival, which is the most challenging of the four options.
 
Landing on 18/36 makes the taxi to HBC easier. If they offer you a runway choice, that's the way to go. But it does create the opportunity to be in the 18 arrival, which is the most challenging of the four options.

Friday afternoon, the ATIS said "Winds variable, gusting to 16", something I had never heard before. What, gusts from random directions? Forecasts and other local airports were generally 220~240, so both runways were sure to be moderately crosswind. I got 18R, pink dot, and lucked out with probably the best I've ever done at OSH....which naturally, no one saw, so it didn't happen.

Assumed the departure lanes might get real crowded Thursday morning, so I fired up about 7:20, and got released about 8:00. Would have been faster, but there was some holding while 36 was closed to push the 777 out of the Square. Sounds like things did get slow later.

Gary, ain't pickin' on ya, but let's not blame the system for hot oil. Long idle and taxi times are just another design point for cooling systems.

Who did the tail chop? It happens. Between that and storm damage, a fella could probably make a few bucks bringing fully assembled rudders to OSH.

No way I'm taking the airlines to OSH. Been there, done that, it sucked, and things are worse now. Some day I might switch to an RV with wheels in Scholler, or join a vendor for a house stay. For now, I'm 4 hours or less to/from south Alabama, and the gang at HBC is just too much fun ;)

After the Big Storm, conversation again turned to parking HBC with the airplanes all facing west, into the prevailing wind, and where all the nasty weather comes from. It has been brought up by board members and others in the past, but tradition dies hard at OSH; airplanes have always been parked facing show center, except for the North 40, where they nest nose/tail. Jack Pelton was due at the HBC pavilion Sunday evening to dedicate it to Van (entirely deserved!), so we got a plan organized to solicit his support with some crowd encouragement...after proper prep via channels. The upshot was the question didn't require audience participation. I spoke with him, he knew the deal, and (I quote) "It's your fly-in. Tell the parking chairman what you want, and that I support it". Being me, I pushed a bit, asking "Can I tell him you said get it done?" The response was a clear "Yes".

That said, there are right and wrong ways to do everything. I think as a group, we greatly respect the volunteers who do the hard work, and nobody, including me, is going to be silly enough to tell them what to do. That probably includes Jack. And not everyone will support the idea. We'll see how it goes.

This poor fella is obviously stuck in the departure line...
 

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