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Rv-7 Ordered

busdriverbill

I'm New Here
Hi All. I just placed the deposit on my kit today. Excited to get started. Any helpful hints before I get those project started?
 
Buy shadow foam and shadow your tools. Simply lay the tools onto the foam, trace them with a pen, and cut with an Xacto knife. Youll need 1 fresh blade per tool for a clean cut. It will save you countless hours over the course of the build.
 
Get a swear jar.... You'll be able to afford your engine by the time you get that far!
 
On the soapbox again

At the very least, take a Fundamentals class. EAA offers them, as do some of the build assist facilities.

I took both and found the Fundamentals from Synergy Air to be a lot more useful.

You are also more likely to complete your project if you do a full empennage build at one of the assist facilities. You will also learn what quality work looks like and probably make less mistakes during your build. I think it's money well spent and will save you money in the long term.
 
Heres an example of my shadowed tools. Its a fun project while you wait for the kit to arrive.

IMG_7634.jpg
 
1. amass tools..do research and then buy cleveland tools or anything avery if you can find it. dont cheap out...they make a huge difference.
2. get a 2x and a 3x rivet gun....yes you can use just one a 3x....but i wouldn't give my 2x up for anything.
3. plan to spend 3k on tools then double it...and add tax...that might get you 2/3 of the way there.
4. arrange your storage space and tools. ensure dryness.
5. practice the **** out of drilling, dimpling, riveting and drilling out rivets.
6. dont get caught up in the whole alodine chromate primer wars.
7. remove all the vinyl not just strips..then protect it with blue tape and covers.
8. follow the instructions.
9. remove water and oil from your air lines.
10.you will think about dropping your bucking bar just before you do it...protect structures with foam etc.
11.if you think the squeezer might contact something sure as eggs it will and it can FSU very quickly.
12. dont rush.
13....if you cant follow rule 12...slow down.
14...if you cant follow rule 13...you were told.
15. dont work tired...and stop on a high.
16. dont assume anything
17. before you drill or rivet ask yourself is this the right side?
18. failed to do 17?...you just got the wrong side.

very rewarding experience but these are a bunch of things i have learnt since starting.
 
Location? Experience?

First off, welcome to the wonderful RV community, you made an excellent choice. VAF is the best tool there is, and the one you will likely use the most. Based on your "profile", the VAF community knows nothing about your location, or your capabilities or underlying RV knowledge..which is fine, however, many of the suggestions you get may be less helpful than with a slight amount of intel. Almost anywhere in the world there are RV builders and pilots within arms reach to help you dive in. If you live anywhere near central NC, I invite you to come spend a couple hours in a shop that has built an RV, and meet other RV builders including one that built a -7. I am quite certain wherever you are, there is a builder close by..and that's the best place to start. I ,and others on this site, have mentored many "newbies" from zero RV knowledge, to building their first airplane. The RV community is like no other on the planet. Just remember, patience is of utmost importance, but with VAF, answers come quick..back in the Jurasic pre-internet and VAF days it took us a minute to figure things out.
 
Hi All. I just placed the deposit on my kit today. Excited to get started. Any helpful hints before I get those project started?

Don’t skimp on quality tools, I am building a 7 and have a 3x gun, not one single issue and do not regret only having the one. Do the practice kits! This one is big, look and read several quality build logs from other builders!! Also remember that perfection is the enemy of advancement. It’s fun and time flies, before you know it, you will be 2+ years in.
 
All good advice so far. I would add just a few things. Make sure your shop/build area is well lit and comfortable. If you can make it air conditioned and heated, that's even better. The easier it is to go out there and work without it being a big production, the more progress you will make. You'll find that even if you just have thirty minutes or an hour, it can add up over years and help keep you engaged.

Stick to the plans as much as possible. Most every deviation where you think you have a "better idea" will likely add a LOT of time and frustration. I had others tell me this during the build, but I'm one of those dang engineers that wants to find a better way. If someone else has already figured out a good shortcut or method and shown how to do it online, that's one thing. But I'm talking about the "what if" scenarios where you want to build a better latch or a support method, or whatever. They can add a bunch of time. Trust me, I've seen me do it.

Lastly, Sharpie markers are your friend. Write anything you want directly on the skin. Rivet callouts, this side up, left, right, leave this hole open, do not drill, etc. They clean off easily, even after years of being written on there, and they don't damage the metal. Dark blue seems to work best and is easily read.
 
Plan ahead and order everything (you can afford) ahead of time. I'm talking engine, prop, exhaust, avionics, interior and anything else that may delay your build due to possible supply chain issues.
It is really frustrating to reach a point in your build when something is back ordered for months. As stated, quality tools make a big difference, one place not to skimp.
Depending on your personal schedule, it is much more productive if you can dedicate blocks of hours to the build, rather than multiple short blocks of time. It takes me at least a half an hour to get up to speed from previous days work. Larger blocks of build hours are much more productive.
VAF is a wealth of knowledge-enjoy the build!
 
Try and do something on your project every day - even if it is only making shopping lists or reviewing the drawing. Don’t have expectations of when it will be finished or ready to fly. People would ask “ when will it be ready to fly?” I would reply “ on Thursday- but probably not next Thursday” its all about the journey.
It took me four and a half years to first flight.
KT
 
Random thoughts--Make a copy of you plan your working that you can write on and spill stuff on without fear. For shop: Hang an old TV that you can connect a notebook to for plan display, videos, manuals, internet searches etc. and DVD or antenna programs. Speakers and an old stereo for some tunes. Power outlets and compressed air drops in ceiling in work area so not tripping on cords and hoses. Run PVC hard lines in ceiling and wall locations for compressed air with compressor outside of your work area or in a sound insulated box. Band-Aids and/or blue tape and shop towels for cuts.

Cooler for refreshments. Bathroom or convenient tree near shop. If possible-Insulated, heated, air conditioned and with enough lights to comfortably read everywhere in shop. As long a work bench as you can install for things like flaps and tail. (I went full shop width with a center portion moveable on wheels positioned just right for a wing to fit in gap when installing wings). Moveable work bench becomes extremely handy. Posters and enough airplane stuff to make it your man cave. Back before cell phones, I had an intercom so I could be called in for dinner. Make it so once you are in the shop to work, nothing will pull you away until you are ready to quit. Otherwise a short trip to the house could pull you away for hours..............Do something every day even if you just check VAF.
 
If there's an EAA tech counselor near you, make friends and get their input, especially early in your build. If you can find another RV7 builder near you, go visit often. The folks at Vans and on this site are terrific, but no substitute for a builder who can look over your work in person.

Building an RV7 is a ton of work. You'll have to become obsessive about it for some of the time, or you'll never finish. Doing something every day really helps, but that realistically means working from home. Take the time to do things right and redo them when they aren't right, or you'll be rightly scared when you go to fly the plane.

Lead times can be up to 18 months, so order the empennage, wings, and fuselage right away, and the finishing kit and engine once you know your pace.

I spent a lot of time looking for parts and fasteners. On my second build I've invested in four boxes of organizer drawers so I can put every type of fastener or small part in an individually labeled drawer. You'll quickly earn back the time investment.

The cost difference between a nice glass IFR panel and a VFR steam gauge panel is a small part of the total build cost, but makes a big difference in the flying experience and resale value.

Agreed with the comments about getting good tools from the beginning, and not deviating from the plans if you want to finish in a reasonable amount of time.

A caveat is that the plans don't show avionics and wire routes. You'll need to plan ahead with conduit in the wings and a main spar penetration. It's much easier before everything goes together, so after you finish the empennage, plan out what avionics you might want and how you are going to get wires to it.

David
 
thanks! All great help. We are in the process of finding all the tools and getting what we need ordered. Hoping to meet some great people here in CO that are building or flying the -7. You guys all rock with the help. Hopefully I can show off a flying -7 one day!
 
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