What a beauty!

Mike Hoover's RV-9A
Aircraft Construction Log

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Columbia, SC Weather

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HANGER

Empennage
Wing
Fuselage
Firewall Forward
Finish
Supplies
Tools
Journal
Reference Materials
Flight Instruments
Miscellaneous
Workshop
Electrical
Hangar

Misc. Fun Stuff
Preparing the Workshop
Tooling up
Sheet Metal Practice

Useful Links
AOPA
EAA242
EAA
Van's Aircraft
Van's Air Force

Vendors
Avery Tools
Aircraft Spruce
Brown Tool
Cleveland Tools
Duckworks Landing Light Kits
Dynon Avionics

Reference Materials
Dynon Skyview User and Installation Guides
Dynon US AV/OB Database Updates
Garmin GPSMAP 496 Quick Reference
TruTrak ADI Pilot I & II Installation & Users Manual

 


Official building time: 2224.3 hours.


Category

Total Records

Total Hours

Empennage

79

193.7

Wing

274

607.5

Fuselage

366

912.4

Firewall Forward

104

378.5

Finish

38

86.0

Supplies

0

0.0

Tools

4

0.0

Journal

50

33.2

Reference Materials

0

0.0

Flight Instruments

4

0.0

Miscellaneous

0

0.0

Workshop

0

0.0

Electrical

4

13.0

Hangar

0

0.0

TOTALS:

923

2224.3

Van's Aircraft RV-9A experimental aircraft kitplane

7 most recent log entries:

2022-11-07 Hours: 0 Category: Electrical Manual Ref: ID#: 1198
Replaced faulty wing strobe light
Spent a few hours trying to figure out why my right wing strobe light was flashing intermittently. It would only flash once and every several seconds with no apparent pattern. It should have double-flashed in synch with the left wing. I switch wires on the power pack and got the same behavior. Then I switched the left and right bulbs. That revealed the bulb was the culprit. Scoured the internet to find a replacement. I purchased my LED navigation and strobe light kit many years ago from CreativAir and apparently they no longer are in business. After identifying the bulb as a Nova Hide-A-Flash (HAFC ) clear bulb with Amp connecter, I found several sources with prices all over the place. Stumbled on to Strobes-n-more's website located adjacent to an airport in Rhode Island. They had the lowest price I could find. Around $31 with shipping. Installed the new bulb and everything works great!
Photos:
My left strobe light was firing erratically and finally quit altogether.
I switched the wires on my Avi-Pak power pack and got the same behavior.
The replace bulb is a Nova Hide-A-Flash clear (HAFC) with Amp connector.
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2014-07-05 Hours: 4 Category: Electrical Manual Ref: ID#: 1197
Had to degrease my flap motor
After 89 tach hours, my flap motor succumbed to the well documented grease problem that has plagued many RV'ers. At least, I expect that is the problem. Ironically, I had just signed off on the annual condition inspection. I cannot image that is anything but coincidence. I was on the ground thankfully when I discovered the issue. I was retracting my flaps while and there was no response when I pushed the switch up (or down). The next day, I tried again and the flaps went up but when I tried to put them down, the switch did nothing. I put a little pressure on one of the flaps as I pushed the switch down and the flaps extended. And went back up when I tried to retracted them. The next day, they worked without a problem. I tried them several different times that day and they worked fine. Geez! I decided not to ignore the problem and did some research on VansAirforce.net and found the Vans SB regarding the flaky flap issue. I removed the flap from the airplane and disassembled. I found a lot of grease in the motor. It had worked half way through the housing but had not yet gotten to the brushes. I cleaned it up nicely, reassembled and reinstalled. It seems to work fine. We shall see. The hex tool required is a 7/64th. I used laquer thinner sparingly and some q-tips to clean out the grease. I used strands of wire to hold the brushes back while reinstalling the brush horseshoe back onto the armature. Here is the link to Vans SB about the Flaky Flap Motor. Google Pittman 9234S004-R1 Lo-Cog 12VDC motor to find the motor and data sheet.
Photos:
Plenty of grease half way up the magnets in the housing.
Grease all over the amateur and end cap.
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2014-04-14 Hours: 2 Category: Firewall Forward Manual Ref: ID#: 1196
Added air dam to number one cylinder
I had removed the previously riveted air dams from in front of numbers one and two cylinders as they were causing high temps. Number one is coolest by about 20 degrees so I recently added some foil tape and tested. The final amount added resulted in cylinder one matching two and three, with number four now coolest by about six degrees. I made an air dam out of some .040 and attached it to the baffling using three of the rivets holes that existed in the horizontal flange that supports the ramp. I will have to fly again to see if this air dam has the same effect as the foil of the same profile.
Photos:
The new air dam attached to the baffle in front of cylinder one.
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2014-01-18 Hours: 5 Category: Finish Manual Ref: ID#: 1195
Installed upper and lower main gear intersection fairings
Installed the RVBits upper and lower main gear intersection fairings. The lower ones were easy to locate and drill. The upper one fit nicely but finding places to drill for screws is limited. I used trail and error to find the hole under the foreward bottom skin. Missed by just 1/8" on my first try drilling and hit the steel plate that is on the gear leg weldment. Then figured a way to calculate and draw a line on the bottom skin that was approx. 1/4" forward of the edge of the steel plate on the gear leg weldment. It is a line four and a half rivets outboard of the floor stiffener rivet along the span wise row of rivets in the bottom skin and foreword center section flange. I drew a line 45 degrees off that line and this approximates a line about 1/4" forward and parallel to the fore edge of the steel plate on the gear leg weldment. With the intersection fairing held in place, the "sweet spot" for drilling is apparent. The other two screws were, one in the wing root fairing and one aft of the center section under the outboard seat bay. Had to use a rivnut there. I used #6 screws with tinnerman washers for my intersection fairings.
Photos:
The foreward inboard screw location in the upper intersection fairing.
The lower intersection fairing on the left side installed. Pretty nice fit!
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2014-01-13 Hours: 4 Category: Journal Manual Ref: ID#: 1194
Back to work on the wheel pants
First, thanks a bunch Scott for volunteering your afternoon to help me get started on my main wheel pants. I have put this off long enough. We got the wheel pants lined up and clecoed. That was the hard part. Long afternoon!
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2013-08-16 Hours: 0 Category: Journal Manual Ref: ID#: 1192
RivetSizer iPhone App is finally a reality!
I finally got my RivetSizer iPhone app up and running. I was approved and went live on the App Store a couple of days ago. It calculates the rivet length as the user inputs metal thicknesses. You can choose which rivet diameter you need too. It is meant for metal airplane builders so RV builders may enjoy it. It is meant to be quick, and I think I have accomplished this. It was a bucket list item to actually learn how to program an iPhone app. Visit the app store and search rivet sizer. Or click this link: RivetSizer on the app store. or visit the blog I set up for it at RivetSizer.com.
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2013-04-01 Hours: 0 Category: Journal Manual Ref: ID#: 1193
Photo of my panel
I never uploaded a photo of my finished and flying panel, so here it is!
Photos:
My finished panel. This was taken in April 1, 2013.
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17 Long, Long, Long Years Ago Today:

2007-03-19 Hours: 1.5 Category: Finish Manual Ref: 10-2 ID#: 946
Installed brake lines from fuse to brake calipers
Installed the 1/4" aluminum brake lines from the fuse to the brake calipers. Started with about 3.5' length of tubing, flared at the caliper end with fitting nut installed. Put the spring tube bender on and bent around a can of WD-40 at about 1.5 from the end. Bent it around until it crossed back over at 90 degrees, then installed on the brake caliper and worked the bends around the gear leg and straight up to the fitting at the fuse. Cut three each side 2" lengths of 1/4" OD clear tubing and positioned them along the gear leg and taped into place with electrical tape. Made sure none of the tubing contacts the gear leg.
Photos:
Started the brake by wrapping around a can of WD-40, 1.5" from the end.
Right side brake line installed at the brake caliper.
View of the right brake line installed with clear tube and electrical tape.
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18 Long, Long, Long Years Ago Today:

2006-03-19 Hours: 1.5 Category: Fuselage Manual Ref: ID#: 891
Marked trim lines on emp fairing
Marked the trim lines on the emp fairing. This took some studying. Trimmed some of the excess off along the VS and HS. I want to "sleep" on it before I trim along the forward part to make sure I get this right. Positioned, drilled and clecoed the left side lower emp fairing strip to the fuse. Got this one in the correct position, using existing rivet locations along the longeron.
Photos:
Emp fairing with trim lines marked in the proposed trim location.
The left side lower emp fairing strip drilled and clecoed into place.
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19 Long, Long, Long Years Ago Today:

2005-03-19 Hours: 0.5 Category: Fuselage Manual Ref: 8-5 ID#: 613
Dimpled aft fuse bulkheads
Dimpled the 707, 708, 710, 711, and 712 bulkheads flanges. Omitted the rivet holes where the longerons go.
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