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What did you do w/your RV this weekend? (11/5-6/2022)

DeltaRomeo

doug reeves: unfluencer
Staff member
(Click on any image for a larger version)

A good, cold, crisp Saturday morning around N.TX. Let the autopilot drive me around the lake and Denton’s airspace.

Lake Lewisville dam


Fishermen


Wide angle with no processing. Really clear morning.


Different clarities merging. Recent heavy rain.


Wide angle on A/P (makes panel top look bent…it’s not) ;^)


The track:

v/r,dr
 
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Went out to the Wadena airport yesterday to get in a sunrise flight. The sunrise was gorgeous, but fog was about 6’ thick right over the runway. I had a limited time window, but waited about an hour. The fog thickened over the runway, so I closed up the hangar and went home.
 

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Flew my new to me RV-4 home.. Lots of fun to fly, and a very enjoyable flight. Occasionally practiced aileron rolls to the left and right.. just because I could.

Sunday, flying out to Lake Havasu for lunch with some other RV'ers!
 
Was going to re-install my repaired SD8 on the vacuum pad, B&C had mentioned oil on the SD8 and the associated oil seal in the accessory case. I found the seal was leaking because the seal was spinning inside the accessory case.
I’ve got the -D suffix accessory case so I can’t just take the spacer off and knock the old seal out.
A couple picks through the seal material and I could manipulate it a bit but it got tight as I tried pulling it out. I had to use my 90* drill, tap and #6screws/washers to pull the seal out. Nerve wracking trying to drill the seal body with a 90* drill with limited access on the back of the installed engine. Patience and the advice from a friend who has done it before made it happen. It pulled easily alternating between the 2 screws, really wasn’t much for shavings leftover using grease on the drill bit and tap. Looks like whoever installed the seal used too small of a driver and smooshed the middle in.
 

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Kind of dragged myself out to the airport after Men's Group this morning, but after I got going, started having more positive thoughts. Then I hit a rainshower, definitely low IFR, but was out the other side by the time I got to the airport.

Absolutely no traffic at all, at least until I started the engine. Three airline departures and a comparable number of arrivals popped up out of nowhere. Took off on Rwy 19, tower said downwind for 19, then changed me to downwind for Rwy 10. I asked for the LPV approach to 19 to get some actual IFR time and to let them handle the arrivals and departures. It got a bit busy feeding the avionics the heading, altitude, squawk code, changing frequencies, etc.

Got all that done and was set for vectors to final. Was told to cross the IAF at 2,000 -- chart said 2,500, but radio was busy and I knew there was nothing out there -- and on final, approach requested maximum speed to the airport. I was at 120 knots, told him I could give him 140, didn't want to do 160 in case there were bumps on final. Once handed over to tower, they asked me to reduce speed by 20 knots.

Turns out there was a Cessna Columbia 400 on right base for the other runway, he was at 1500 feet and the clouds were occasionally down to around his altitude, but the ceiling was very inconsistent. From his radio transmissions, he seemed to be doing okay but I think he missed his instructions to square the turn to final. Tower gave me a go around when I was at 700 feet, so any conflicts resolved well in advance. In a nearly identical situation a few months ago, there was a good old boy in a Bonanza who landed gear up...

Next time around, tower asked for a short approach, and I was happy to oblige. The G3X said 14 knot tailwind on base, and the turn to final in a 30° bank -- steeper than I usually do but still with fat safety margins -- got me exactly on centerline with the correct crab angle. I want to say it was skill but I think I know better.

Next time around was a full stop. 0.7 hours of good practice.
 
Lunch...

The KGTU crowd flew to KCXO for lunch...
 

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What IPAD mount are you using? Looks nice!

Kicking myself for not buying this years ago.

PIVOT T21A Titan: https://pivotcase.com/pivot-t21a/.

Video snapping IN/OUT of RV: https://dougreeves.smugmug.com/Hardware-Reviews/Pivot/i-jjZ695w/A

I have an iPad mini Gen 6. Screw mount in the RV. Claw mount in the Cub. Leg strap for sim work. Suction cup mount for contract jet work.

Pics I’ve taken of it from various angles and in different hardware:
https://dougreeves.smugmug.com/Hardware-Reviews/Pivot/

v/r,dr​
 
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Lake Havasu Lunch

Thanks to Josh for organizing and Mark and Beth for hosting. Great meeting all of you.

Bonus for me when I returned to KRYN there was a B-17 doing pattern work, landed parallel runway as they were taking off...yay!

Perfect cap to N567AJ's first year, she's now down for annual condition inspection and laundry list of minor tweaks. I might even paint, or at least prime, the fiberglass :rolleyes:

George
 

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Great to see everyone, and meet some new people! Really nice turnout, and great conversation over lunch. A few photos of the planes that flew in for the RV gathering.. including DR in the G550. :D
 

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Got a hangar!

Finally, after over a decade under the elements, my aircraft is under a roof.

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Rock Springs WY KRKS, a beautiful place. Went exploring vicinities right away.

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After spending over an hour low level relaxing I started building a workbench.

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Then drove home only 77 miles one way via a scenic highway 191 (elevations 8K+). Those who can not afford Alaska come my way. It's nearly the same believe me I've been there four times :D

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77 miles? Wow. That's a long commute to the airport. Sounds like you need a plane so you can fly to the hangar to go flying in the RV.

:)
 
Thanks Doug. I think I will order one of those!

Highly recommend Pivot mounts and cases. Though the new covers are not as good as the old design.

There's a reason almost every airliner in the US sky uses these.
 
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On the -6, I finished cleaning up the to-be-repaired areas on the gear weldment in anticipation of having the weldment repaired and gussets added.

On the -10, I re-bled the right brake, which had grown soft, aired up that tire, finished an oil change, and went flying for a few minutes.
 
While getting ready for final inspection of my 10 (read DAR, but in Canada it's a bit different and more involved) found that my cyl.2 bottom plug does not work well. Spent time to figure what is exactly wrong and ended up rebuilding/refreshing both of my Lasar Slick mags on the bench.

It was rare (in my experience) issue:
- cyl 2 bottom plug of my IO-540 in static test gave good spark, clear and visible
- with engine running during first 2-3 min bottom plug acted well
- after ~3 min EGT of cyl 2 slowly goes up by 100F, engine runs well, but obviously ignition of cyl2 now goes in to exhaust
- mag check returns ~200rpm drop

Outcome:
Slick mag distributing cover's contacts worn, so replacement was the option here.
 

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Finally, after over a decade under the elements, my aircraft is under a roof.

Ha!! Congrats! You might have the record for outside RV storage and you saved a boot full of dollars over the past decade I’m sure!
 
Great flying on Sunday, taking a friend on a Los Angeles tour.
Venice Beach/Pier
Malibu Houses
Hollywood sign

I got my smoke oil injectors cleaned and holly smoke its good now. From now on I will remove and clean them on every condition inspection.
 

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