First Engine Run

[Bob Barrett]

We are pleased to announce that Friday morning 9/5/08 we had the first engine start on our RV-6A. It started without complications and ran smoothly. Dick Schaefer was at the controls. Virgil Harren monitored the external systems as we ran the engine. We ran the engine for about 15 minutes varying the RPM through out the engine run. Cyl Head temperatures were under 400 degrees, exhaust gas temperatures were 11000 to 12000 degrees, fuel pressure, oild pressure, and temperatures were all appropriate. We found no leaks. We ran fuel out of the left tank only because the fuel truck was out of fuel and we had to drive to St. Cloud Airport to get 5 gallons of 100 LL to run the enigine. I plan to drain the balance of the fuel from left tank and put it in the right tank. We will need to run an equal amount of time on the right fuel tank. I find that I will need to modify the exhaust pipe supports in order to put the cowling on and operate the engine. I will hopefully make those changes this week and get it certified for flight. I will keep you posted. Needles to say we were all happy!

[Bob Barrett]

The engine on my RV-6A N 784TB is an 0-320 160 HP that my Brother Howard and I rebuilt with the assistance and careful guidance of Bob Leaders, A & P and a real authority on aircraft engines. Their had been a prop strike when the engine was in a Cessna 172 that was a rental plane that I flew frequently. I had nothing to do with the prop strike!

[smithhb]

Congrats Bob, did you take any pictures?

[Bob Barrett]

Sorry we forgot to take along a digital camera so the only pictures I took were on 35MM film roll which has not yet been developed. Hopefully I will have a digital camera along for the first flight.

[dons]

Sounds like it was a very good day Bob. You are getting very close.