TOP OUTSIDE POSTING

RV Aerobatics There are days when I question whether this avocation of ours will survive. So it was with great pleasure that I accepted an invitation last month to present a seminar on aerobatics at the Socal RV Rendezvous, a regional gathering of homebuilt RVs. Fifty seven aircraft and more than 100 people showed up. The event coincided with IAC's recent push to be more inclusive of recreational aerobatics, and the RV Rendezvous reinforced in my mind the wisdom of that shift.(More on the House of Rapp) Related link: Aerobatics in RVs (VAF)

Auburn fly-in
The 4th Annual Fly-In in Alabama came and went on Saturday, March 10, 2007 from 10 am - 3 pm. "We had a wonderful day full of planes, military vehicles, helicopter rides, good food, great weather and just "plane" fun!" according to the Web site. Judging by several postings around planet RV, the RV was well represented.
Links:
Snapshots from Sid Lambert (VAF)
Images from Donald Neuberg (Outwardbound Photography) New images added.

One and (not) done
I got so busy putting out last week's issue -- and taking care of my day job, which gets really busy this time of year -- that I didn't notice that last week was the anniversary of the Hotline's first issue, which profiled a Minnesota Wing of Van's Air Force meeting feature Dick Martin's suggestions for how to wring out a few knots from your RV. That's about six months more than I thought I'd be able to sustain. How will I celebrate? Well, next week is another MNVAF meeting.

All about avionics
I'm not a big fan of Kitplanes' online archive. $7.50 for a single article in a magazine that costs $5 on the newsstand is just a naked gouge to try to get you to think a $50 online subscription is worth it. But if you can't get the April copy at the store, buy the single article because I am a big fan of Stein Bruch, who starts a monthly series on planning your avionics. It's great reading and well worth the $7.50 -- or $5. By the way, Kitplanes, since RVs dominate the Kitplane market, is becoming the defacto RV monthly. Ken Scott has an article on airspeed indicators, and most other articles have an RV component. (Kitplanes $)
Reference:
Bruch: Panel Do's and Don'ts (Sport Aviation, May 2006)
Hotline: Principles and myths of instrument panel design
Photos: Instrument panels (Yahoogroup)

Who says flying is a rich man's pastime?
All too often on various Internet forums and through the readers letters pages of the flying magazines, recreational flying is portrayed as a sport only for those with deep pockets. The most irritating phrase I hear is, "If you have to ask, you can't afford it". The pompous twit who came up with that one needs his shins kicking!(Popular Flying Magazine)

Osh Update
This week, I'll put the volunteer list up for the RV BBQ at Oshkosh. We've tentatively decided to go with just brats and burgers this year (no chicken). We'd like to get as much pre-registration done in advance as possible to avoid long lines. But we really need some volunteer cooks so Darwin, me (I can cook burgers) et. al aren't spending the whole evening cooking and are unable to socialize. (BBQ site)

Brake lines front or back?
A thread on the RV List this week asked about whether brake lines should go down the front of the gear leg assembly, or the back? The prevailing wisdom was "back," but it didn't appear to matter. Multi-builder Randy Lervold offered this piece of advice, "Either way will work, choose whichever one leads to a cleaner path to the firewall and into the cockpit. In my case that meant putting them on the back of the leg. Just make sure you leave an adequate loop at the bottom for removing/servicing the caliper, and that the line won't hit the tire or inside of the wheel pant (chafing damage)." (See larger image)

How to get torqued properly
The FAA recommends that a wrench be calibrated at least once a year, and immediately if it has been dropped or abused. Many companies make it a practice to calibrate every six months or even every 90 days. I have heard many stories about the improper application of torque and the consequences. By the way, a “click type” torque wrench should always be set to its lowest torque setting prior to storage. This will prolong the calibration accuracy. Also, select a torque wrench that has the desired torque value in the 2nd or 3rd quarter of the scale. That is, avoid the top and bottom ¼ of the scale as the accuracy of the instrument is degraded there. (Dave VanDenberg in EAA 439 newsletter)

ARCHIVES See a list of previous RV Builder Hotlines organized by date and subject. (Go)

PICTURE OF THE WEEK I've heard of people building RVs in their living rooms, but I've never actually seen it done. Until now. There's an entire slideshow to do it justice here. By the way for pure beauty, check out this picture on Doug Reeves' fabulous Web site. (Pix)