Van's Aircraft RV-9A experimental aircraft kitplane

Mike Hoover's Van's RV-9A
Aircraft Construction Log

Home - Mike Hoover's Van's Aircraft RV-9A Construction Website
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Getting Started
Preparing the old workshop
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Moved project to hangar

Van's Aircraft Builder Websites
Don Alexander - 9A
Mike Schipper - 9A
Andy Karmy - 9A
www.n2prise.org - 9A
Paul Eastham's - 9A
Bill's Aircraft Factory - 9
Vern Little - 9A
Dan Checkoway - 7

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EAA242'ers Dan & Jerry's
KR2 WannaBee

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Official time building my Vans RV-9A: 2164.84 hours.


Category

Total Records

Total Hours

Empennage

79

193.7

Wing

274

607.5

Fuselage

366

912.4

Firewall Forward

104

380.5

Finish

29

47.0

Supplies

0

0.0

Tools

4

0.0

Journal

38

18.8

Reference Materials

0

0.0

Flight Instruments

4

0.0

Miscellaneous

0

0.0

Workshop

0

0.0

Electrical

1

5.0

Hangar

0

0.0

TOTALS:

899

2164.8

Van's Aircraft RV-9A experimental aircraft kitplane

7 most recent log entries:

2012-02-02 Hours: 5 Category: Finish Helper: Pam Manual Ref: ID#: 1172
Riveted the top forward skin
Pam helped me rivet the top forward skin on. After a few sessions, we finished all but for rivets that are hard to get to, so I will use a pulled rivet in those places.
Photos:
I was able to do many of the rivets by myself.
A view from the cockpit showing my panel 99% complete.
Most all of the top forward skin rivets done!
[Top]
2011-10-02 Hours: 4 Category: Firewall Forward Manual Ref: ID#: 1171
Got tail light and strobe installed and working
Installed the tail light and strobe wiring through the fuse aft bulkhead and got it working. I choose to route the wiring through a hole located in the center of the aft bulkhead between the two bolts located on the lower rudder bracket, drilling a 1/4" hole through the center of the tie down bracket.
Photos:
View of the fuse aft bulkhead where tail light/strobe wires exit.
Another view showing the wiring entering the rudder bottom.
[Top]
2011-09-10 Hours: 4 Category: Firewall Forward Manual Ref: ID#: 1168
Wiring and misc.
Finally got around to cutting a slot out of the bottom of the bottom cowl to clear the fuel drain installed in the gascolator. Also started assembling the various antenna cables. Borrowed a great little tool from Ken that makes all the cuts on the cable to install the BNC connector. What a great tool! Not sure where this particular tool was purchased but you can find cable strippers at Radioshack.
Photos:
The bottom cowl notched out to clear the fuel drain.
A view of the gascolator drain valve from inside the bottom cowl.
[Top]
2011-08-14 Hours: 4 Category: Firewall Forward Manual Ref: ID#: 1167
Panel painted, installed some avionics
Painted my panel two days ago with Jetglo Stone Grey. I am really impressed with the paint itself. My work with it turned out okay. There are a few fisheye bubbles and lots of tiny ones, but they are not very noticable. I am pleased with the end result. I installed most everything back in the panel hopefully for the last time. Now to get it all wired.
Photos:
My newly painted panel with most everything installed.
[Top]
2011-08-07 Hours: 3 Category: Firewall Forward Manual Ref: ID#: 1166
Removed panel to prep it for painting
I removed all the panel items and took the panel out of the fuse to prepare it for priming and painting. Still not sure what color I will use.
Photos:
My panel removed from the airplane, scuffed and ready to prime.
[Top]
2011-08-06 Hours: 5 Category: Firewall Forward Manual Ref: ID#: 1165
Installed comm antennas
Installed two Comant 122 comm antennas on the bottom of the center fuse on the left and right outboard bays about an inch aft of the aileron push tube holes. I removed the primer from the inside of the bottom skin, and riveted the antenna reinforcement plate to the bottom skin and the next to outboard seat rib.
Photos:
The comm antenna reinforcement plate riveted installed.
The Comant 122 antenna installed.
[Top]
2011-07-14 Hours: 3.5 Category: Firewall Forward Manual Ref: ID#: 1164
Finished installing the radio stack mounts
Test fitted my radio stack after finishing installing the mounts. I attached the SL-30 and PS Engr PAR100EX trays together with pieces of 0.040. Had to put a joggle in them because the tray for the PAR100EX is slightly wider at 6.31 inches versus the SL-30 tray at 6.25". Also anchored the SL-30 tray on vertical angles riveted to the subpanel. The whole structure is very sturdy and solid.
Photos:
Side view of the radio stack installed.
My panel in its current condition with radios test fitted.
Close up of my radio stack.
[Top]

6 Long, Long Years Ago Today:

2006-02-06 Hours: 1.75 Category: Fuselage Manual Ref: 8-14 ID#: 855
Getting the right wing ready to fit into the fuse
Removed the aileron from the right wing and stored it. Cleaned the wing up nice to get off all the dust and bug stuff that has collected over the past many months of sitting up. Trimmed the right side aft spar center section bars from 1/16" at the top tapering to zero at the bottom, same as the left side. Got the edges cleaned up nice and smooth. Marked the 3" lines for the bottom screw holes on the wing inboard bottom skin per manual. Still need to bevel the edges of the wing spar where they insert into the fuse slot to make insertion easier.
[Top]

7 Long, Long Years Ago Today:

2005-02-06 Hours: 1.75 Category: Fuselage Manual Ref: 8-3 ID#: 568
Started deburring all the bulkhead parts
Started the tedious task of deburring and edge-smoothing all the various bulkhead parts to get them ready to prime. Has a few places on a couple of bulkheads where the flanges overlap each other. Don't know if I should clip these so the skins will lie flat or what.
Photos:
A photo of the overlapping bulkhead flanges on the 708. Should they be trimmed?
[Top]

8 Long, Long, Long Years Ago Today:

2004-02-06 Hours: 0.5 Category: Wing Manual Ref: 7-6 ID#: 66
Removed tank attach bracket and baffle
I removed the tank attach brackets and baffle from the tank assembly to prep them and put on the platenuts.
[Top]

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