RivetBangers.com

hello is this thing on?



been a quiet week, everybody is either busy pounding rivets or bored to death.

Outside of work and an EAA Chapter meeting, Ive been working on this plane, making great progress to boot! I think a bunch of us have a bit of a fire lit under our butts.

Sometimes it gets a bit quiet around here, but generally everyone is around. We don't always engage in tons of idle chatter *snicker*

OK, I'll get the conversational ball rollin'. Today I helped my buddy with his control surface practice project kit from Van's. He wants to build an RV-8. I am training him so he'll be ready when his tailkit arrives.

Yep, even the practice kit instructions are tough too. Looks like he's doing pretty good, huh?

Man I wish I was working on the project. The past week has been full of full of non-RV stuff to include:

1) Buying a new truck
2) Getting the house appraised for a refi (read: cleaning the house)
3) Replacing the drum brakes with disc brakes on my boat trailer
4) stripping and repainting the bottom paint on my fishing boat.


I think tonight I will be able to get some quality time with my aluminum mistress. Hopefully next weekend I will have some of my panel fired up!

Hey Guys (and Patti),

I haven't been posting in a while since I am trying to get my -9a to the airport next Saturday. I had a blast flying 3.7 hrs with Vern Darley last Saturday (in a -9a) for my transition training.

Today I installed the XM WxWorx receiver and only lack my AFS screens. Hopefully, I will have them by next Saturday.

Plans now are to have Vern perform the DAR duties on April 18th and then first flight sometime around May 2.

Whew!

I flew briefly this morning then came home, disassembled the electric flap housing, drilled and dimpled all the nutplate holes and after little time outside enjoying a nice late afternoon, I started prepping everything for priming and paint.

Tomorrow I will finish prepping a few more parts then have a major priming and paint session.

When I left SFM there was a nice little 6A on the ramp. I also met a guy who just finished an 8A and was getting ready for his first flight. Unfortunately I don't recall his name.

Man am I looking forward to flying mine. I still have a long way to go though.

Man...no RV work for me this week either, well, since Monday anyway. I trial fit the plenum and baffles...



Other than that, been getting a new computer up running...old one shot craps...I think. Today me and a few friends went RC flying all afternoon at Jack's house (I'll have a SWEET fly by video to link up on YouTube Monday or Tuesday when I get it off my friends camera...Jack's 7). That was fun!

I think I'm getting close to getting a hangar too!!

I've been working on my Coyote, dodging layoffs at work, cooking hot dogs for Young Eagles today, and taking a ride in my buddy's plane. He's getting me on the insurance so I'll have a plane to fly soon. Gotta love friends like that.

I have been settling into my new job and helping with our newborn. I have snuck a few days in working on the emp tips.

I plan to order the first of three batches of wiring and avionics related items at the end of the month.

Till then I am only doing little things that I can do without spending much money. Although that Acrylic Urethane Filler Primer is expensive stuff!

I've been dancing with the devil over here, prosealing both my left wing tanks this past week. I've got all the ribs in, I'll do the fuel pickups and access plates this morning, and with any luck I'll have both the baffles on tonight and be ready to pressure test tomorrow.


While we've got some activity here - let me ask this question.

On my auxiliary tanks, I've got a vent feed system that brings outside air into the outboard end of the aux tank, and a crossvent line that picks up the vent from the lowest point of the aux tank and pipes it to the highest point of the main tank. That way as I burn fuel from the main, the vent will automatically move fuel from the aux to the main until the aux is empty, and then vents air.

I also have a Facet pump in that same space to force the fuel across. I installed this primarily because Pat Tuckey did so in his, and his logic made sense - if you have a partial fuel load in the main, and fuel the aux, you can run the pump to displace the air bubble in the main with fuel from the aux tank. It also serves as a secondary fuel transfer in case the vent system plugs up.

The more I think about it, the more I question the need for the transfer pump. The only times it would be needed are in the case of a plugged inter-tank vent line, or a need to dispace an air bubble in the main tank to the aux tank. The first scenario is very unlikely, and the second can easily be avoided with proper fueling technique. I am considering pulling the pumps and going simply with the vent transfer lines.

Your thoughts?

I have been plugging away at the plane... there is not much left to do now without the finishing kit.

I've got almost all the fuel / brake / vent lines in, the parking brake, fuel selector, gascolator, primer solenoid mounted. I also mounted the battery box (different & cheap) and the 2 relays. Just finished the elevator pushrods yesterday, and am building a wee sawhorse to put the fuse on the down low.

Also been flying a lot - flew to beautiful Galesburg IL today!

Here are few random pics

Just got back from finishing my 3rd annual conditional inspection. Worst thing I found was a leaky fuel vent line. Fortunately I last filled my tanks when it was 17F, and this weekend it was around 50F. Amazing how much expansion occurs in that temp range. Was about to reinstall my main gear intersection fairing and noticed that the wingroot fairing was wet under the airplane. Thar she was, a leaky vent line fitting. One soft aluminum adapter/washer and no mo leak. Wouldn't have found it unless it had fuel in it like today.

Just have to reinstall my wheelpants and fix some interference with my brake pedals that has started since I installed some rudder pedal extensions.

Bring on the flying season!

I've been s l o w l y making progress on my fuel tanks as higher priority non-building tasks keep cropping up. I'll update my fuel tank thread once I get something to post.