Hot threads online • Garmin 296 How does it work with other equipment? (RV Builders on Yahoo) •  Aft CG on an RV-9 Would it preclude a wooden prop? (RV-9 List) •  Airflow pump on firewall? Some folks have done it; others say "no" (RV-List) • The 5-point harness When to install? (RV-7 List) • Alternative engines One builder's idea. (RV Builder's List) • Engine timing It's all a matter of ... timing. (VAF) • Gluing the canopy With pictures and everything • Titeseal What more is there to say? • Detonation vs. pre-ignition Know the difference • Is low RPM harmful? Things that come out of a chapter meeting! (RV-List) • Preservation oil Installation timetable for a Lycoming discussed (RV-List) • Trim cable installation Why you should remove the plunger (VAF) • Ring gear box indexing The preferred method is... (Ohio Valley)

FIRST FLIGHTS Wayne Pedersen Claresholm,AB. RV-7A. 5/13/06 (More)  Steven Behrends Humble, TX. RV-6. 2/28/06 (More at Van's)

Flying Stories Trip to Grand Canyon Katie and Tom ended up spending most of Friday reassembling their RV-4's fuel tanks to comply with a new Vans service bulletin. Saturday morning we departed early at 6:30am. We flew GPS direct from Deer Valley Airport to municipal airport at St. George, Utah. We flew over the western part of the Grand Canyon at 11,500 feet which gave us a comfortable margin about the Grand Canyon special flight rules airspace. We were expecting to see a lot of tour traffic but only saw one other airplane. (Tom and Katie Velvick )

Installing the Lightspeed ignition system
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Doug Weiler, head of the Minnesota Wing of Van's Air Force, laments that the days of a $3 fill-up for his old Volkswagen are never to return, and sees the aviation writing on the wall. So he tackles a big change and documents it in his terrific RVator's Log, the magazine of the wing. "Both Tom (Berge) and Jim (Lenzmeier) have Lightspeed systems. I was attracted to the new P-Mag/E-Mag systems but I wish they had a little more of a track record. I had heard of some reliability problems with a couple other manufacturers also. On the other hand, Klaus Savier’s Lightspeed EI system has been around since the 80’s and after much digging, I really couldn’t find anyone having any significant problems with the LSI system.

About this time, RV-6A builder Alex Peterson was on his third failure of his Unison Lazar system so he was on the verge of jerking the Lazar system off and using it for a boat anchor. A short discussion later and we decided to convert our respective airplanes to dual LSI systems."
Related Links:
Lightspeed Engineering Web site
Cafe Foundation: Ignition Dynamics
Van's store: Lightspeed system (unsponsored)

RV-12. It's alive! Sort of
While the bigshots were at SNF, the worker bees at Van's were busy building another chapter in the company's history. Ken Scott has an update on the RV-12. (More at Van's)

Constant speed vs. fixed pitch
Handling a variable pitch propeller can be confusing but the golden rule, to ensure no engine damage is done, is to reduce the manifold pressure(ie, the throttle or power lever) before the propeller rpm is reduced. (Popular Flying Association - UK)

Lauran Paine's RV flies
One of the most widely-followed RV projects in the world has been completed as Sport Aviation magazine (and others) columnist Lauran Paine Jr., flew his RV-8 in Salem, Oregon last Friday. "...to be aloft in an airplane built by your own hand, just makes ya feel good all over!," Paine told Van's. (More at Van's)

Texas Fly-in a success
Eight-one RVs showed up at the Texas regional fly-in last weekend. Doug Reeves has snapped some pictures for the benefit of the poor saps who are stuck back home....building RVs . (More)

And there's Chino
Last weekend, the Planes of Fame Airshow brought a large number of RVs to CNO. According to the SoCAL RV List, it was an impressive gathering. Mark Chamberlain wrote, " Leaving Chino, we(26L) had a
simultaneous takeoff with a B-25(26R). He got the jump on me, but I started to catch up once airborne."
Related stories:
A SWRFI Diary (EAA 59- Waco)
All eyes look to the sky at PUC Air Expo ( St. Helena Star)