Jack Beck
Active Member
On November 12, Joe Norris (DAR) inspected the RV-9A that we had been so carefully building for nearly four years. Thanks to the advice and encouragement of all our EAA technical counselors (Chris Good, Jeff Point, and especially Rick Glick), the inspector found no deficits and consequently granted N565VT an experimental airworthiness certificate.
We then set quickly to the task of returning access panels and covers to their appropriate locations. With an eye towards Nov 21 and building high pressure, we saw a weather window that looked perfectly suited for a first flight. As the fog lifted on Saturday morning, a busy crew of family and friends made final flight preparations. Rick Glick who had graciously offered to fly his RV-7A in chase and as camera platform took to the air first.
Then the time had come. Even with more than two thousand hours of careful work on this airplane and multiple high-speed taxi test runs behind us, there was still that hint of uncertainty on just how the engine and control systems would perform when a full air load was put on them. There was only one way to find out; push the throttle in and be ready for anything. Our airplane broke ground quickly and climbed with the same passion the builders had put into its construction. During this one-hour flight, our RV flew straight and true demonstrating no undesirable characteristics. We had always thought that flying the airplane largely built in our home would be an amazing experience. It proved to be that and so much more.
For the story which lies behind our build see the article by Bob Collins found here.
http://rvbuildershotline.com/articles/2008/leap_of_faith/leap_of_faith.html
We then set quickly to the task of returning access panels and covers to their appropriate locations. With an eye towards Nov 21 and building high pressure, we saw a weather window that looked perfectly suited for a first flight. As the fog lifted on Saturday morning, a busy crew of family and friends made final flight preparations. Rick Glick who had graciously offered to fly his RV-7A in chase and as camera platform took to the air first.
Then the time had come. Even with more than two thousand hours of careful work on this airplane and multiple high-speed taxi test runs behind us, there was still that hint of uncertainty on just how the engine and control systems would perform when a full air load was put on them. There was only one way to find out; push the throttle in and be ready for anything. Our airplane broke ground quickly and climbed with the same passion the builders had put into its construction. During this one-hour flight, our RV flew straight and true demonstrating no undesirable characteristics. We had always thought that flying the airplane largely built in our home would be an amazing experience. It proved to be that and so much more.
For the story which lies behind our build see the article by Bob Collins found here.
http://rvbuildershotline.com/articles/2008/leap_of_faith/leap_of_faith.html
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