| Hot
threads online |
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Panel
cutouts
Is it best to have one large one, or several small ones?
(VAF) |
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Cracked
canopy. What now?
Been there. Done that. (VAF) |
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Tin
whiskers
Reasons why lead-free soldering falls short. (AeroElectric) |
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RV-6
bellcranks
Are spacers different lengths or equal lengths? (RV
List) |
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New
nose gear
How have they been holding up in service?
The anecdotal evidence says so far, so good. (VAF)
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Fuel
prices effect
Has the rising price of avgas changed the kind of plane
you want to build? (VAF) |
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Best
tools for final canopy trim
I used a Sears Belt Sander and about 20 different sizes
of sandpaper and a block. One "bob" tip: Treat
each cut like the final cut. Clean it up! (VAF) |
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Canopy
cracked, now what?
An update on last week's thread. I wish someone would've
mentioned the type of countersink cutter to use earlier.
(VAF) |
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Pop
rivets in subpanel?
Yeah, another stupid question from your editor. (Rivetbangers) |
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Newbie
questions
Always good to remember there are folks just starting
out. (VAF) |
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| OTHER
NEWS AND BLOG UPDATES |
Lycoming
mandatory service bulletins
Lycoming has learned that all new, overhaul, rebuilt,
or repaired engines with a Unison Industries Slick
model 4300/6300 series or LASAR model 4700/6700
series magneto with the serial number range listed
may experience premature carbon brush wear.
ONE
RIVET AT A TIME
Kevin Horton prepares for engine start on his RV-8
and diagnoses a few ignition woes.
PAPGOLF
CHRONICLES
A trip to the Indy car museum.
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RV
BUILDING |
Landing gear changes for the RV-7A
In many ways, it's funny that I'm building
an experimental aircraft because I'm not the
experimental type. If there's a tried and true way of
doing things, I'm all for tried-and-true.
That's not to say, of course, that I don't admire those
who make changes to the stock plans and specs for the
RV line of experimental airplanes. I do. And that's why
this week, I'm highlighting a series of modifications
that were highlighted on a Web site which RVer Dan Baier
alerted me to. "In order to increase my confidence
level while landing at my grass strip and others
like it I have installed slightly larger main gear tires
on the original 5" wheels. I have also installed
a new nose gear fork which accommodates a 500 x5 wheel
and tire," the unknown modifier writes on his Web
site. (More).
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Fly-ins
follow-up
 I
talked to a few people who ventured to Boone, Iowa for last Saturday's
fly-in. Squirelly winds, apparently, allowed attendees to see
a wide variety of crosswind techniques. The other big fly-in last
week was in Scappoose, Oregon. Here are pictures from both.
Images
from WC Aircraft Works (Boone)
Pictures
of RV fly-in in Blooomsberg
New! Benton
Holzwarth's Scappoose images (105 great pictures!)
J.W.
French tackles the country
 This
isn't RV specific, per se, unless you take into account that J.W.
French is bound to run into RVers along what is an enchanting
project. He's touring the country on the "Sam Burgess Memorial
Junket." Perhaps you read of his plans in the current EAA
Sport Aviation magazine. He's on his way, and the blog
Letters from Flyover Country is following him.
Teens
tackle RV building challenge
 Every
few months we hear stories of youngsters starting an RV project,
often as part of a school project. In Indianapolis, a couple of
teens, who are in a charter school that encourages project-based
learning, figure they'll be flying by next year.
(More)
RV
service bulletin in pictures
 The
RV-10 tail service bulletin has a lot of folks flustered. I guess
Van's figures it can be done in a few hours, although some of
the RV-10 builders I've talked to are giving it at least a weekend.
Now, an RV-10er has posted a
step-by-step in pictures.
Submit
your Web page, thread, or article for consideration for the next
issue of the Hotline.
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CALENDAR
June 22-28,2008 |
| MN:
Sat 6/28 Crystal. Quarterly meeting of the
Minnesota Wing of Van's Air Force. Burgers and brats.
Pete Howell explains his APRS system. Hangar 82D.
Noon. (More)
WA: July 9-13 Arlington Fly-in. (More)
FunPlacesToFly.Com
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| RV
INCIDENTS |
| None
reported this week. |
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| JB
HORNE, RIP |
"I
moved to Jackson a little over 2 years ago. This
"old guy" came up from the house behind
us to introduce himself. He heard the noise of a
rivet gun, and knocked on the shop door. Being a
bit of a handyman, he was fascinated by wing spars
in a stand. Needless to say, I had an instant bucking
buddy and he helped me put in every rivet in the
wings and fuselage. We fussed and cussed over the
canopy. According to his daughters (4 of them),
my RV gave him inspiration to live and he was around
for a lot longer than they had expected. (More
on VAF)
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| CHECK
YOUR SPAM FOLDER |
| I'm
getting a few bouncebacks each week for the e-mail version
of the Hotline. Part of this because resurrecting the
Hotline has required me to go through an aged mailing
list, part of it is the mailing service I use for some
folks has been identified as a spammer, and part of
the reasons some of you may not receive the Hotline
when sent is it's stuck in your junk folder. For tips
on how to solve this, go here. |
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Check
flap skins
I am interested to know if anyone has had an issue with their
left flap skin being rolled from the incorrect point. Three of
us are building 7's and the leading edge of all three left flap
skins have been roll formed with the fold point behind the rivet
line. When fitted this results in a severe depression in the skin
shape between the ribs because the skin pulls flat across the
fold line. Unfortunately we had dimpled all the flap skins prior
to realizing the issue so its too late to refold the skins in
the correct location. We have compared the skins to the right
flap skins and they have definitely been folded in the incorrect
location in the manufacturing process (slipped past quality control
I guess...?). Once you have dimpled the skins it's too late to
refold them without creating a serious mess. We are about to contact
Vans to request new skins however before we do I am interested
to know how wide spread the problem is. (VAF)
How
to install a BNC connector
This question came up on one of the forums -- probably VAF --
this week and this link was suggested as an all-answer source.
(More)
See also:
Installation
of coax connectors (Aeroelectric)
Using
a three-blade coax stripper (Aeroelectric)
Do
it yourself rotissiere
 Made
this rotisserie to save my back. Stands are from old wing stands
I made - used a vertical steel squared post from Home Depot/ etc
bolted to plywood gussets and 2 X 4 legs. I guessed center of
mass and came out right on - I can rotate this thing with my pinkie,
and it doesn't swing back in any position. (More
on VAF)
Paint
run removal
 A
really good YouTube video explains how to do it with a razor blade,
always use a new razor blade, dress it in one director on the
sandpaper (no lower than 1500) to create a uniform edge. It creates
a burr on one edge. Bend it slightly to keep the edges of the
blade out of the paint. then find the piece of dirt (or run) and
scrape it to level it. Don't use much pressure. You'll see dark
spots to expose the low spots. Continue until they're gone. (Watch
video)
Fuel
lines 101
I can offer advice on the fuel lines that will keep your work
looking nice and at the same time save you from a lot of frustration.
First I'll say that after your landing gear brackets are bolted
into place it is possible to chase the fuel lines in around and
through them. I found it to be very difficult to do well and was
more like fighting with the tubing than just finessing them into
place. So to begin with start by installing your landing gear
brackets. As close as the brackets were matched drilled to the
spar carry through right out of the box my bracket bolt holes
still had to be opened up and or elongated in order to get the
bolts to slip into place properly. Don't finish the bolting of
the brackets into place since you'll need them out of the way
to fit the tubing. (More at RV Forge 7)
ARCHIVES |
| See
a list of previous RV Builder Hotlines organized by
date and subject. (Go) |
|
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PICTURE
OF THE WEEK
Omaha -- an
an RV -- never looked so good! Sandy Faris took this
gorgeous picture of husband Kevin. He has 68 hours on
the machine now. "I was out doing some takeoff
and landing practice," he wrote. "At the same
time a band of thunderstorms was approaching from the
west. It made a neat shot. Taken with a Canon 40D.
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