| Hot
threads online |
|
Cost of EFIS vs. steam gauges
The EFIS may actually be the more cost-effective alternative, although it depends on what EFIS you go with. (VAF) |
|
Twisted wires vs. parallel
Would paralleling the positive and negative wires tightly together have the same effect as twisting them together? (AeroElectric List) |
|
Static system assembly
A builder is rebuilding my static system and am looking for "how did you do it" suggestions.(RV List) |
|
Wiring route RV-8
How to route the battery cables through the main spar splice plate. (VAF) |
|
Brake sealant
Should you use any sealant on brake connections? (RV-10 List) |
|
Oil cooler selection
Is the stock Van's oil cooler sufficient for RV-7s?(RV List) |
|
Thin bucking bar technique?
Personally, I'm a fan of the no-hole yoke, but others offer alternative bucking bars in hard-to-reach areas. (VAF) |
|
Always hot battery buss
Limits on the length of wire. (AeroElectric List) |
|
Fastback 8 impressions
Anybody that's building a fastback is in for a treat. (VAF) |
|
Spare alternator belt
An old trick that doesn't work very well, according to the experts. (VAF) |
|
Aileron pushrod interference
An RV-10 pilot finds the shop head of an aileron push rod
rivet (W-1018 assembly) stuck forward of the bottom edge of the
hole where the push rod passes through the rear spar. (RV-10 List) |
|
A star is born?
An RVer gets some camera face time for the pilot of a show. Fingers crossed. (EAA 105) |
|
| VIDEOS |
Metal Feather
See, the great thing about kids is they are not afraid to exclaim outloud, "woweeeeeeeee" when an RV airplane flies by. (Watch)
Flying Dentist
You know, those trips to the dentist, and the conversations you have there, would be a lot more interesting if the doc was an RV builder and pilot. "Did you remember to fly everyday?" (Watch)
Landing in Oakland
Corey Feldman lands his RV-7 in Oakland after a short trip around the Bay Area. Say, does anyone have some sightseeing video of SF Bay? I'd love to see it. (Watch)
|
|
|
|
FEATURED STORY |
In the deep FRZ
AOPA writer Dave Hirschman remembers a flight over Washington DC some years ago. "I wanted to experience that sort of pride and witness the wondrous sights of Washington from the air again. But this time, instead of simply passing by, I planned to go there in my own airplane (an RV-3), and, hopefully, not get arrested in the process.
Despite all the imposing blue and magenta ink on today’s aeronautical charts depicting the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and even nastier Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), it’s still possible for regular pilots to travel into the heart of the world’s most protected airspace." (More from AOPA writer Dave Hirschman)
|
RVator issue available
 Van's Aircraft has posted its sixth issue of 2008, and this one has plenty of good stuff. There's another rant against high-speed taxi tests, Paul Dye asks how much equipment you need in an RV, musings on the RV-12, and the new prices for kits and subkits has been posted. (See the issue)
Related link:
Index to RVator articles (2001-2008)
North Carolina crash kills RV pilot
A single-engine plane crashed in Anson County on Christmas Day, killing Steven Reamer. His wife survived the crash. The sheriff's department says the plane went down just after 3 p.m. Thursday. Witnesses say they heard the engine cutting in and out. (WCNC)
Related link:
Photos of N675RV
VAF thread
2008 was one of safest for RV pilots
 Considering that the size of the RV fleet has reached record levels, pilots of RV airplanes had one of the safest years on record in 2008, according to data compiled by the National Transportation Safety Board. In fact, ignoring the rapidly increasing size of the fleet, the year held its own. At the end of the year, 6,039 RVs were flying. (More)
Daytripping in an RV
Sedona day trip
 What a great way to end the year. I was able to fly to Sedona with RaNae and great friends,
meet many new friends during lunch and after,
fly over the Grand Canyon,
and have just an incredible day for flying in the RV-10.
(Scott Schmidt on VAF)
Other trips:
Lunch in Lima (PapaGolf Chronicles)
Christmas trip to Knoxville (Ted Chang)
Bradley gets his grin
A sweet story from Tom Roberts. "While fueling, a young
boy and his mother came over. She said her son had
been asking her to take him to the airport to see the
planes. The young man’s name was Bradley and he
was about nine or ten years old. His
mother had told him, 'The Newberry
Airport never has any planes there.'
Bradley replied, 'Well take me anyway.'
We were the only plane there." (More from EAA 242)
| I LEARNED ABOUT FLYING AN RV FROM THAT |
OK, you RV pilots, it's time to play CFI. Perhaps you had an "aha!' moment while you and your flying RV were getting to know each other. Granted the RV is said to be a docile aircraft, but there are still some peculiarities in flying it, especially for those who come from the world of Warriors and 172s. What is the characteristic of the RV that you find more, shall we say, interesting? What tip did you learn about handling an RV that you think would benefit others. Please submit your story and we'll share it with others in a future issue of the RV Builder's Hotline. |
|
|
| EDITOR'S PAGE |
|
 Every now and again I write one of these editor page things, although it's more "again" than "now." It looks like the last one was written in May 2007 which a little while ago didn't seem like that long ago. But it's 2009, or -- as we like to say at my house -- "The Year of Three Years After When We Thought My RV Project Should Be Flying." Or "Year of the Dog." Your choice. (More)
|
|
| ACCIDENT REPORTS |
None reported |
|
| OTHER NEWS |
RV-12 project profiled
 One wonders if even Van's has been surprised by the popularity of the RV-12. The December newsletter of EAA Chapter 59 has a few pictures and words about one RV-12 project. Joe Foy and Grover Rogers. It shows how much progress can be made on the model in a short period of time. (More)
Other RV-12 Web sites
Jerry Greenberg
Marty Santic
A look from above
This article, which includes the mention of an RV builder, again challenges the bluster of some people who say the media never covers the positive aspects of aviation. (South Lyon Herald - Michigan)
Middle school students soar like young eagles
The LA Times gives some love to the positive side of general aviation. And I'm pretty sure that's an RV gracing the top of the page. (LA Times)
Bend leads in Oregon airplane accidents
And then we have the other side of the coin from the former hometown of Van's. (The Bulletin)
RV-10 overhead console
Nonstopaviation.com unveils an overhead console. Bring your checkbook. It ain't cheap.
Pireps made easy
An Air Safety Foundation should make it easier for you to tell the rest of us what's up. (ASF) |
| |
|
|
|
Caster wheels for a small garage
 This is one of the more fascinating ideas I've seen in recent years. On Van's Air Force, the threads looks at one builder's idea for making the project movable around the hangar or garage. That's followed by many other innovative ideas. (VAF)
Do-it-yourself wing jack
 "I give Larry Geiger (Geico 266) full credit for making me aware of a simple low cost wing jack that according to him, some builders have been known to assemble in one form or another. I know a good idea when I see one and his photos was all it took for me to run out and buy the materials needed to roll my own example.
The basis for the clever design is a 3 ton ram jack available at Harbor Freight for $45. http://tinyurl.com/7eb5ed
The other required items needed to assemble the wing jack brought my total cost to about $60. Not bad.
My local HF had the jack in stock and I then swung by Home Depot to pick up a 2'X2'X3/4" piece of plywood, two 3-1/2" band clamps and one 10' stick of 1/2" electrical conduit."
(VAF)
| |
|
PICTURE
OF THE WEEK
 |
There's something about the various lines and color of this photo that intrigued me, not to mention some of the cool things in the hangar. The plane is registered to Bob Upson of Bloomfield, CT (K-MC.pics via Flickr)
|
|
|
