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-18C at our house this morning but climbed to -3C without much wind. I am not sure how it did that. I saw -11C in flight. baro was 30.66 so the air was thick and cold, and great for performance. going vertical and observing the beautiful landscape. a lot of airplanes flying today, busy. heater on, wearing a fleece, it was good. the RV9 is a good airplane. pull it vertical and kick the rudder at the top and pull immediately on the downside. you will barely exceed 2g. the 9s are launching in the cold while the RV8 drivers are in the hangar inspecting their canopies for cracks.

simply beautiful today.

in flight music, again Dreams.... leave it all behind.
Van Halen - Dreams - Blue Angels Cinematic - 2022
https://youtu.be/q9uMBKvkEoY?si=IJol2m4yFEE1jiG-

I decided to reduce the profile of my tow bar spring retaining rods by 0.5 inch. drilled new holes and cut. now the profile of the entire tow bar does not exceed 1.5 inch from the aft baggage bulkhead. hey, I load a lot of gear in this space, and I need every 0.5 inch I can get. now it's snug as a bug.

slowly making some progress for assembling a hose. I am only going to be able to test to 1000 psi. make the -4 lines first, then the -6 and -8. my installed lines are 2012 vintage. AN vice jaws are from Precision Raceworks. they are nice!

I haven't touched the installed hoses in 10 years, except for the hose end at the carb to confirm fuel flow rate at condition inspection.

inspecting some hose end connections that I plan to use. match it to Mil-H-27267 hose per the specification. it is important to match the hose to the correct end connections. these things are artwork. moly coated threads. reuseable connectors and lifetime certified PTFE hose. note: lifetime is relative. I do wonder about galvanic corrosion potential with Alum fittings at the ACOC. the only thing I will not be able to meet cert with is the pressure test value of 3000 psi. I will only be able to test to 1000 psi. my fuel system operates at 5 psi.

the ceiling was dropping but I thought I would take a look. no, I didn't like it, but the oil temp reached 175F with the ACOC taped and large cowl inlet air dams. however, I was still able to extract moisture from the engine.

inspecting these hose end connections. these have provision for lock wire. I wonder how they cut these holes, EDM or something else.

the ceiling was dropping but I thought I would take a look. no, I didn't like it, but the oil temp reached 175F with the ACOC taped and large cowl inlet air dams. however, I was still able to extract moisture from the engine. the oil looked OK after 30 hours.

inspecting these hose end connections. these have provision for lock wire. I wonder how they cut the lock wire holes, EDM or something else. these parts are artwork.

I decided to remove the cowl to determine how much -6 and -8 hose to order for hose replacement. while I was in there, I checked my remote exhaust ball joint oiler tube (looks good) and sprayed the rubber parts with AT-205, a plasticizer. all rubber parts are 10 years and looking good, all original. I saw a YouTube video by Vic Syracuse, Base Leg Aviation, about drilling a hole in the fuel vent aft side and I thought it was a reasonable modification, a Vic Trick. I used .060 diameter which is plenty. I always watch Vic because I like his style. I use fuel vent bug blades in the Summer but remove them for Winter in case of icing. I have an upcoming trip across the plains in February and I know the weather can be bad. I re-oiled the air filter through the snout with a syringe and cleaned the housing with a paper towel on a stick.

I sure don't spend much money or time for aircraft maintenance, very low cost.

Steve,
What are the wires running along the mount bars? Reif heater?

yes, REIFF sump heater, two pads, total 200 Watts. the REIFF heater electrical cord appears to be house cord but sprayed with AT205 once a year keep it flexible. I just wound the cord in a loop. a thermostat on the REIFF heater will control the temp to 150F. a very reliable system, so far, 10 years.

If you are traveling to Kansas in the Winter, like I do, call the line boy and have them plug it in the night before. use an electrical cord with a light on it to be sure you have power.