Looking good, Bruce! I'm right behind you. I'm thinking my finishing kit will get ordered right before Van's does their yearly price increases. This part of the build really starts to slow down and get complicated. I'm trying to decide on a lot of big issues like prop, engine, avionics, and interior...

I finally got around to doing the same thing. Mine aren't as colorful. Instead I had the brake pedals and side rails bead blasted and clear anodized. The bead blasting puts a nice matte finish on the parts. Kind of reminds me of the finish on my MacBook :) http://www.overthehills.com/RV-9A-Project/F...

I would leave it off until after you have fitted the side skins. After everything comes back apart for deburring, then you can rivet it to the bottom skin and the F-705 bulkhead. The forward part and the sides get riveted to the side skins. Also, make sure you run a tap through the platenuts that ev...

Mike, I have installed a couple of brackets holding the conduit just inside the forward end of the seat pans. All of the places where the conduit passes through the bulkheads have been prosealed in place, and also across the step tubes. Dave, I installed the crotch strap brackets before I put the ce...

I've put a couple of conduit runs under the seat and baggage floors. I've also got the steps installed. http://www.overthehills.com/RV-9A-Project/Fuselage/Cabin-Interior/IMG1089/1073308808_7xKy8-M.jpg Before I rivet the seat pans down, is there anything else I need to consider doing under there? See...

I have the longeron yoke, the 3" yoke and a 4" no hole. That does it for probably 98% of the potentially squeezed rivets. The other 2% are cases where the 3" yoke is either a little too big or too short. Having a 4" yoke with a hole would be nice in some cases where you are trying to use the dimple ...

Not just no, HELL NO! It might get off the ground, but I don't think the landing will be very pretty.

You'll need more than 1 quart of JetFlex, and 2 is probably too much. I still have the tunnel covers, flap motor covers and the forward seat pans and center console parts to go. Haven't thought about the instrument panel yet. Thin it with about 20% distilled water and it shoots really nice. The colo...

Productive night in the garage. Seat backs and seat pans are done! Did one long day of priming and painting last weekend. Interior color is gray-beige satin JetFlex water reducible. Seems to take a couple of days to fully cure and be ready to take riveting. http://www.overthehills.com/RV-9A-Project/...

Some things to do sooner rather than later: AP Brackets/servos/pushrods? Firewall mounted items? Wires to the tail? Strobe PS? ELT? Antennas? Trim cable? Crotch Strap Kit? Flap position sensor and wiring? Elevator pushrod? Crotch Strap Kit? Aux fuel pump? Vent lines? Fuel lines? Fit & rivet those f...

after I started the tail kit, I'm at another big milestone. Rolled the canoe tonight and finished the riveting on the side skins. http://www.overthehills.com/RV-9A-Project/Fuselage/Forward-Fuselage/IMG0744/1026701105_rR2jX-M.jpg http://www.overthehills.com/RV-9A-Project/Fuselage/Forward-Fuselage/IMG...

Probably a stupid question... Spent the better part of my entire weekend building the 2 seat backs. The plans don't really give any guidance on making the hinge pins for the seat back braces. What is the best option? 1) Cut to 15.5" (hinge length on the RV-9) and leave straight? or 2) Cut longer and...

I bought a mostly completed tail kit that had the electric trim (and a bunch of expensive tools) for a total of $500. The electric trim option is worth at least $300, so I came out way ahead on that deal. Ended up junking the tail kit (some parts were not airworthy) and getting a fresh kit. I did sp...

Really love the colors. I'm thinking yellow will definitely be prominent in my paint scheme.

The 9 is an excellent choice (not that I'm biased against the other models).
Meets my mission profile.

That's exactly what I did. Got a new unibit from Harbor Freight with a 1/4" hex shaft, then hit it with the bench grinder until I could get the bit inserted in the small chuck of the angle drill adapter.

I'll wait until I roll the canoe to get down in there to drill the holes.

Thanks!

Best to do this step before you rivet the seat ribs to the bulkheads and the center section floor skin. Just happened to catch the little note on the plans about this. Now I have to figure out how the heck I can get a 5/8" hole drilled down in between there. My unibit won't fit in the tiny angle dri...

Center section done! Just as a point of reference, all of the center section bottom skin can be riveted solo - if you have long arms. And, if you rotate that section around on its various sides for access. It took 3 evenings, but I got out there late and didn't push the riveting noise much past 10pm...

I'll take some pictures once it looks like I've completed something! :) Seems like the parts have been together and then back apart several times. Yesterday I got the seat and baggage ribs riveted to the 904/905 bulkheads. At this point I'm ready to start pounding rivets in the center section floor ...

What about running an edge roller along the outer skin? Would that make the seam tighter looking?