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RV-8 KTQK project

Russtbucket

I'm New Here
I've recently been pulled into a mess of a project. An RV-8 with several previous builders who each gave up and passed it on to some other gullible fool.

I have become this aircraft's latest victim. The current owners had their mechanic move away and I've become the closest A&P.

The airframe is mostly complete, but the previous builders wanted to make a Super 8. The engine that came with the project is an IO-540. The avionics are already installed with most of the wires run, but the wires aren't connected to anything or labeled, so that'll be a fun birdsnest to sort through. There is even a partially installed oxygen system.

My goal is to make a simple no frills RV-8. The plan is to get rid of the engine and get an IO-360. Since the glass panel is already installed I'm stuck with it, the autopilot, and all the outdated gps/nav/com equipment. I won't be keeping the oxygen system, so there's a few more pounds in weight savings. There's a whole lot of missing parts I'll have to scrounge together as well and several questionable design alterations that may need changed.

The thing that worries me the most is the prop. It's been sitting on a shelf for six years and has no logs except for a bill stating that it is a modified Aztec hub with shortened blades. My preferred prop shop said it could be safe if the blades and hub have the right part numbers, but if I send it out for overhaul I wouldn't be surprised at all if it becomes a paperweight.

The plan is to pick it up next week. With the crop dusting dying down for a bit and no annuals due for the next two months I should be able to get a better assessment of what I've got myself into.

Russell B
 
I am sure Mike will be along shortly for the proper introduction but welcome to VAF and the madness.

You mention the possibility of missing parts. Everything is available from Van's but I might make a suggestion. Purchase a set of plans on a flash drive. That gives you a searchable PDF version of the plans and construction manual. When you are trying to figure out where in the manual or plans part XYZ is described it makes things much simpler.
 
Welcome aboard! I agree with Sam, definitely buy the $10 plans that come on a USB. Don't waste the $55 dollars on the "preview plans" I'm pretty sure it is the same thing as what you get on the USB and the paper version is too small to do anything with. Having the USB plans is a must because Van's will occasionally put something on a different drawing that is not included in a particular kit. Good luck and I look forward to following your build.
 
Getting started and some pictures

Thanks xblueh2o and jcarne for advice on the plans, I'll get some ordered!

DaAV8R, I'd like to know if you have an opinion on the access hole I've got in the tail of this -8. The picture is down below.

I've had a chance to do a more thorough evaluation of what I've got myself into, and I definitely have some work ahead of me.

First up in my list of headaches: IO-540 Engine.
This engine was overhauled by Chuck Ney in December 2011. No previous logs, no work order referenced in the logbook entry, and no sheet listing the
measurements/tolerances of the build. I did give a call to Barrett Precision Engines since they knew him and could give an estimate of his work. They
said he did good work, though they did disagree with his practice of removing cylinder choke. They estimated the engine value at $25,000.
However, they also agreed with me that a 540 is too heavy of an engine for an RV-8, so it has to go.

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The second headache is the prop.
I don't know who it was built by, or even if the parts used are serviceable, but even if they are the HC-C2YK-1BF hub and F-8465-7R blades
combination has no engines that it has been shown to be compatible with. Maybe someone that isn't concerned by torsional vibration (single bank radial
engine, but who uses those?) could use this prop, but I don't feel like being the guinea pig for a new prop/engine combination. And I don't want to be
responsible for selling a prop that brings down an airplane.

The third headache is the battery location.
It has been moved way back into the tail in preparation for the IO-540 that I won't be using. A large access panel has been cut and the battery and wiring
is already installed. There is no doubler or reinforcement for the battery access hole except a joggled edge. I hope I only need to add a doubler and
move the battery and external power receptacle back to the front. I'll have to see what Van's builder support has to say. I might need additional stringers
and frames to get it back to the original strength.

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The fourth headache is more a collection of little annoyances.
The avionics, while nice if you want a glass cockpit, are already installed with many of the wires run (several of which are unlabeled) and I'll have to work
around them for the rest of the project.

There are components of an oxygen system installed, but if I remove them there are obvious holes, and I want a pretty airplane. I'm thinking of
finishing the installation, but using a lightweight cylinder typically used in portable systems, but if it adds more than ten pounds I want it gone.

The most recent builder didn't make many notes, and since steps were done out of order I don't know what I might have to undo to complete missing
steps. I have found several things put together that aren't checked off in the build instructions yet.

To top it off I've done follow up repairs on wiring installations of the previous mechanic in the past, and I dread all the wiring bugs I'm afraid I'll find when it is ready to flip that master switch.


Once it's done this will be a sweet little plane, but there's still a long way to go to get there.

Russell B
 
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