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Help for Boulder CO High School Build needed

fr0gpil0t

Well Known Member
I received an email from a friend whose daughter attends Boulder High School in Colorado asking for help.

Sadly her technology teacher was killed in a plane crash this summer. He had planned a student build of an RV-12. I understand the new teacher is keen to move forward with the build and but doesn't quite know where to start.

I have just completed an RV-12iS so I can offer some advice but living down in Colorado Springs it is going to be difficult for me to be of much practical assistance. I understand they have started the inventory of the kit.

I have pointed them towards local EAA chapters. As I get more details I wondered if anyone local to Boulder could offer some help ? I was a member the Colorado RV group but can't seem to find the login details to their forum - Larry can you help me get back in.

PM if you can offer help. I am talking to the new teacher later this week.

https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/boulder-high-school-teacher-killed-plane-crash/73-7a666ba8-e06d-4732-950c-c95423fb8cbc
 
I'm mentoring them one day a week. Right now I'm the only mentor. The main teacher is a substitute who's looking to get hired in as a full time teacher, so at present he doesn't have the clout he should have. He doesn't have a big airplane background so I'm the airplane guy. But he does have teaching skills, which I don't have.

They have a brand new finance officer as of yesterday who's just now learning the details. The project does not yet have access to whatever funding there might be. They did get the airframe kits. I did not see a finish kit or the engine kit or avionics kits. So far I haven't found out what's been ordered for the project.

The students are inventorying the kits right now. They have parts bins for the hardware and are learning hardware as they go. I need to do a bit more teaching there.

They don't have a good work space. We did find an area, that with some rework should suffice.

The also don't yet have tools. They'll need almost everything. I gave them 150 clecoes that I didn't need just to get started, but they don't even have cleco pliers yet. I did leave them a list of tools which I'm going to refine a bit, so at least they have a starting point.

Next week I'll bring them a nice sheet of aluminum. I think it's .025, for them to cut up into 4" squares for deburring, drilling and riveting practice. I can bring in some tools and some solid rivets but they would be the tools that I use daily on my own project. I'm building an RV-3B but have mentored an RV-12iS before and am generally somewhat familiar with the plane.

The students are good, sharp, well-motivated people. We could certainly use at least one more mentor. Also, as I said, I'm only going in once a week so the other class time should be covered. Incidentally, the classes are 1:45 long and include setting up and putting away, since the space is used by other classes too.

Anyone interested, please PM me.

Dave
 
Last edited:
Vans Rocky Mountain RVs

Robert
I sent a link to Vans Rocky Mountain RVs to your Gmail account. You joined about a year ago. You should be able to reset your password and get back on. Let me know.
The old Colorado RVs e-mail group still exists but I have no involvement and doubt anyone looks at it.
 
Dave,

Really pleased to hear you are already engaged. I will definitely try and make a few trips up to help. I can bring some specific Rv12iS knowledge.

Robert
 
Dave - let me know if I can help. My RV-10 is 99.9% done and I can chip in. My son is a sophomore at Fairview, but I will let that pass.

Also, the guy next to me in my hangar is a Frontier captain and his sons all went / go to Boulder high. He might be interested in, too.

Michael Schlachter
720-288-1504
 
List of tools needed?

Dave,
Post a list of tools needed. I have quite a few I am willing to donate and I bet others are too. I think we know most things but a list will jog memories and help you get what you needed. I have a ton of clecos I can send and other stuff.

Thanks.
 
Yes, Dave, please post the list of tools needed. I might be able to shake a few trees to get some of them donated. Also some of the folks in the Longmont EAA Chapter (648) are heavily involved in a RV12 build at the St Vrain School District Innovation Center. It might be a good idea for a consult with them about what is needed and in what order. Robert, pm me and I'll provide some names/numbers. Best of luck with this very worthwhile effort. Cheers, Ken
 
You are welcome to borrow my DRDT dimpler (I know you are a C frame guy, Dave) for the kids, if you don't have one already. Won't need it until I become a repeat offender
 
Thanks, guys, I'll post a list in a day.

I've given them 150 clecoes so they have a start on those. They'll mostly need the copper 1/8 ones, and I have enough silver 3/32 ones that they can have so they'll be good there. They'll need some 3/16 ones too, and of course cleco pliers.

A list will follow.

Dave
 
Build help

I don’t know if this helps but contact Alan (Tucson Al) he now has done 3 student Rv-12 builds in Tucson. Im sure he is a great resource.
 
Tool List

We're not going to need a C-frame or DRDT thing. This is an RV-12iS and it uses protruding head blind rivets.

Here's the tool list. I've omitted things that they probably already have like wrenches and pliers, and things that tend to be consumables like drill bits. I've also omitted things that I've already donated to them. The list is from the RV-12's Section 3 which is the tool guide.

If you want to donate, PM me and I'll respond with my address. I'll hand-carry the tools in and avoid their incoming processing.

1each Dimple die sets (only from Cleaveland)
3/32
1/8
#8

1 Protruding rivet set (tall, 1/2” thick)
1 Flush head rivet set (short, 1/8” thick
1 Flush head rivet set (tall, 1/2” thick)

Countersink cutters, 1 each size, 100 degree unless specified
#12 pilot
#19 pilot
#27 pilot
#30 pilot
#30 pilot, 120 degree
#40 pilot

200 #30 copper clecos

4 Cleco pliers

Any deburring tools in general

1 Fluting pliers, narrow Gotta have a narrow “bite.”

2 Hand rivet puller “POP” Riveter PRP-26A, USM Corp Any tool vendor
Or Cherry G-28 Most aircraft tool companies
3 Pneumatic rivet puller

1 Pneumatic squeezer, CP214 style with 3” yoke
I want to avoid hand squeezers.

1 Adjustable ram for squeezer
1 Hand seamer, 3” end
1 Olfa RTY-2/G 45 mm rotary cutter or equivalent
Wiss #20W upholstery shears also works well
1 Left-hand offset metal cutting snips
1 Right-hand offset metal cutting snips
1 Multimeter with continuity checking capability

1 Tubing cutter
1 Tubing bender
3 Battery powered drill motor (get small high-speed ones)
Alternative - pneumatic drill motor, Sioux 1412 is fine
1 Cable tensiometer

Thanks!
Dave
 
Update

I got some advice from a gentleman from Tango Flight, who kindly offered me some practice kits.

He said that unless we have one qualified mentor for every 5-6 students, mentors with RV construction experience, the project will fail.

Today, I got promises from two more guys, so now we have 3 mentors if they come out. With more than 20 students, we could certainly use one or two more. Any Boulder area volunteers, please PM me.

I mentored at the Longmont project for a while earlier. Good group and they are definitely making progress. They have sufficient mentors. I got tired of the drive from Boulder and when the Boulder group was started, moved closer to home.

I didn't expect that the project would suffer the loss of the teacher pushing and organizing it, but the shop constraints were even then obvious.

Dave
 
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