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RV-9A Andy C. Kalamazoo, Mi

I think that's great advice. I've been thinking that putting some fuel in the tank for testing should be a plan. I intend to paint the wings before final installation, and I could imagine that even primer/paint could initially seal what might later become a leak. And what a pain it would be to have to fix it after that, and after installation.

So I am devising a plan of some sort, to fuel the cell and check further.

But for now, by the normal inspection methods, all's good!

It's interesting in the Van's written instructions, it says to install the fuel tank with about half the bolts and screws, before riveting on the top skins. I can't seem to find where the instructions tell you to final install and torque all fasteners,,,, Must be too obvious for me to find, I'm usually the problem!
 
Finished riveting the top skins and J-stringers in place on the Right wing, it's a good days work to do all that riveting. Be sure to have a plan for communication between rivet'r and bucking bar'r, you can get riveters brain fade with all the repetition. Luckily nothing happened that was bad. But I did use my first Oops rivet, that was overdue..

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I'm betting that I'm not the only one that does this. Sometimes you need a little "Visual Progress", so I took an hour and sort of staged the appearance of the future final product. When no one will catch me, I've even sat in the seat and made airplane noises!

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Dimples

Did you dimple those number 8 tank mount dimples with a pneumatic squeezer?
They appear to have a lot of difflection, indications of being under dimpled. Use the C frame with a strong wack with a weighted plastic hammer. Buy one of the orange ones at Harbour freight.
 
Last edited:
Engine is done!!

Picked up the 160HP O-320 from Poplar Grove Airmotive (PGA) at Poplar Grove airport C77 in Illinois.

The core motor I had, came with the project as I received it from the previous builder. We disassembled the motor and sent the parts out to various places, such as Divco, Central Cyls, and Aircraft Specialties. Then contracted with PGA for new Lycoming Cyl Kits, rebuilt carb, new fuel pump and other recon and finishing parts. Then final assy, and Dyno Run.

What a great job they did, beautiful work. I received status reports and pictures during the assy process, got a tour of their facility, and they scheduled so I could see the engine running on the dyno.

Can't say enough about their Customer service and quality. http://poplargroveairmotive.com/engine-shop/

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That's all you need Andy! Bolt the airframe to it and go fly. Life is short so many places to visit so little time. :)


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I suggest re-orienting the mags so that the vents are as close to bottom as possible. When the mags are oriented sideways as yours are, oil can accumulate since it can't drain from the lowest point. Eventually the rotor bearing seals start to not keep engine oil out. Points will get fouled and it will scare the **** out of you. Usually will happen over water or mountains.
 
Hard to believe it's been 10 months since my last post. Here's a current photo of the Fuse. I've been working on the Canopy since early December, it's as difficult as many of the threads describe. Mostly trail and error to fit the bubble on the frame and meet the desired fit to the fuselage. I was ready to just go open cockpit, but a friend came over one day and we somehow got things fitted. (The windscreen is just sitting on the front).

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Since last April:
-Aileron's and Flaps completed
-Riveted top skins on the fuse
-Pedal assemblies are complete with dual brakes and all plumbing
-Front fuselage frame nearly installed
-Gascolator stiffener, and gascolator in place
-Fuel tanks completed and installed on wings
-Wings completed including all wiring runs, leading edge light, and roll servo installed. Bottom skin riveting completed last week!
-Roll bar installed
-Canopy bubble fitted to frame (working on side and rear skins)
-Numerous other items....

We can roar from here I think. Aerotronics gauge panel can be installed soon. Then wings can be fitted and adjusted. We're marching toward getting up on the main gear, maybe springtime!

Empennage has been completed for some time.

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Aileron's and flaps have been completed.

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Front frame assembly.

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Wings in the holder, ready to fit.

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Good progress this winter, it's great being semi-retired!

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Wind screen

Have you considered using SikaFlex to install your windscreen.?
It works great and has no penetrations in the plexiglass
 
Canopy skirts are in place! No small feat.... Friend Ken was over last week and we put in 36 man hours total to get them in place. I like how the instructions say, that after all the work it took to fit the bubble to the frame and actually achieve a rolling closure with proper fit, that the rear skirts are the hardest part of the canopy build. I disagree, they were tricky,,, but not the hardest part.

AND.... Here's the long awaited first look at the Aerotronics gauge panel sitting in place. I've waited two years to see this little gem in the cockpit. I'm betting the original builder (Marty Johnson - Gone west) can see it now, and is thrilled, he surely spec'd out a nice panel.

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Whiskey Compass

Looking nice!

One tip: I'll be stunned if the whiskey compass is within 45 degrees of being correct in that spot. In fact, I've not been able to get any whisky compass to work mounted in the panel. I recently put a vertical card compass in my panel. There is nothing within 6 inches and it's nowhere near accurate.

I hope you have better luck than I. But then, you have an EFIS, so it probably doesn't really matter.

Michael-
 
(Edited 3/26/19 to use Smugmug picture source)

First power-up of the panel! Preliminary wiring is done, and this is the first time it had been turned on.
Nice support from Jason S. at Aerotronics. Note that this panel as built in 2010, and came with the project I took over from another builder, that was dormant for quite some time. Jason had very complete records of the panel, and took the time to answer questions and suggest go-forward plans for its installation. Great product support!
Also working to install a TruTrak Altitude Hold, and electric aileron trim.

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Hard to believe I haven't posted an update for a year!
Lots of build progress has occurred.
In the big picture we:
-Completed the sliding canopy (90%), what a job that was... Just need the latch installed and a couple of small things.
-Completed the wings/Ailerons/flaps including installation of Autopilot servo and a late decision to add stall warning.
-Installed the wings on the fuse temporarily to set all things that required adjustment or rigging or connections.
-Completed the front structure including installation of the Aerotronics panel. Enough wiring was completed to power the panel to see the pretty lights and display.
-Installed aileron trim servo and Altitude hold servo.
-Purchased the Van's re-designed front engine and gear leg mount. Managed to find a guy who needed my original design parts and sold them to him. The new parts installed nicely.
-Installed the tail feathers to set rigging, cables, etc. It will come back off for paintwork.
-And the exciting installation of the Poplar Grove assembled O-320. That really added some visual progress!

We accomplished this among other activities like flying our vintage 1946 Cessna 120, restoring a 1972 Triumph 500, Airventure Oshkosh, Motorcycle trips, and numerous other things in life. N951AC is coming along well. We're currently wiring firewall foreward, want to get that done of course before installing the forward skin. Then will get up on the mains, the next big visual progress item.

I'll plan to post more now that I've got a Photobucket paid account for hosting pictures. I just hadn't accomplished getting a host site for quite sometime.

Andy C.

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Work has continued on the 9A. We completed the fitment of the upper and lower rear fairings and removed the empennage until paintwork will start (we'll be painting the plane in my shop, but the tail, wings and fuse will have to be painted separately).
Then began the installation of some cables. Throttle, Mixture, Carb Heat, and Cabin Heat put into place initially. We've updated to the revised 9A nose gear and engine mount, no problems so far with routings etc, although if you were extra smart, you might do the firewall penetrations and some other things before mounting the engine. But it's not fatal. If you built these every day, you'd be a lot smarter. The second plane would be perfect.
Then on to wiring,,,, I don't hate wiring but I've found it to be the least documented aspect of the assembly, very slow progress, lots of head scratching.
We did at one point, fit the lower cowl to see what clearance we had for the EGT's. There looked to be good space for the orientations we had chosen.
But it's understandable due to the varied nature of each aircraft installation. I'm working from electrical schematics provided by Aerotronics with the panel that they built, and their support is amazing.
I did pick up a Dymo label maker ($60 off Amazon) and it prints on shrink sleeving. It works great.
I have found that it works best to tell yourself, "I'm going to focus on one thing today", as you do the wiring. Like, "Today I'll wire the EGT's". Small bites seem to work well, because if you try to contemplate the entire wiring job, your head will start smoking. And we know what happens when you let the smoke out!

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Very nice, Andy. I just signed up for Vans Air Force and subscribed to your build. Living vicariously through you! Ken.
 
Getting closer to putting the RV-9A up on the main gear. Am looking forward to that visual progress! All FF wiring is complete, and have been testing the EIS/EFIS inputs before riveting the top front skin in place. Wiring and panel installation has been a long process.

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Looks good Andy. Just doing my first condition inspection now. Finish everything possible up front before installing the top skin. After that it’s lying on your backin a dark hole. It’s really worth every minute you’ve spent on your project when you have that first flight.
 
Located?

Andy, You may have told me but what airport are you closest to? I fly into KRMY and 35D quite often. If you need a hand getting on the gear, let me know. As long as the weather is good! Good luck and have fun!
 
Boost pump

Rec change boost pump switch with pitot heat switch. If under 1,000 agl and you suck air into fuel line on carbureted o-320 by momentary unporting of low fuel tank, then boost pump may save your life. Engine pump often can’t clear air ingestion. Right hand by throttle will be your problem solving hand. Left hand will be busy flying your now terrible glider with negative VSI of 800 feet/minute. Please don’t ask how I know firsthand. Cheers. Just food for thought (no criticism- my crash plane was set up like yours with boost pump stuck between a bunch of switches on lower left- hard to identify when gliding to the ground.
Cal Geyman
 
Got the point where I couldn't go any further with the build until the front top skin was riveted on. I had completed all gauge panel and under front wiring, and tested everything that I could for function, so it became time to rivet the top skin on and begin the work on the fiberglass cowls.
I had a friend helping with the under panel bucking bar work, so tried to make it as comfortable as possible being under there. I had riveted all that I could by reaching under the panel from the front, but you get to a point where you have be underneath. I had also installed the Van's avionics access panels, having only realized recently that the kit existed. Will be great if we ever have to get back in for any wiring work. It was one of the tougher skins to rivet in place, both because of crawling underneath and having to remove some things to get at all the rivets. We roll formed the skin abit, but it still required some of the higher force "Wing Nut" Cleco's to pull it to the main stringer. I did use a couple of pull rivets where it was impossible to get a bucking bar behind.
I've also started the work on the fiberglass cowls. I have a set of the older "Green" cowlings, as the FF kit is from around 2005 by the records. I bought the project from a previous builder's estate. I studied numerous on-line builder logs, the Van's instructions, and anything else I could find, and dove in. I decided on the Skybolt fasteners and am progressing with them. The cowls have had the first trimming done to the firewall, will continue from here!

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Cowling fasteners

You wony regret those Skybolt fasteners. I used the piano hinges and man they SUCK!

The wire rods will not go in sometimes.

Could be a retro fit soon

Dave
 
Just finished mine 7A with the hinge wire, was the hardest part of my build, nearly changed to sky bolt twice, stayed at it now the fit is great pins in and out easy, what a chore.
 
Working on the windscreen installation. Lots of trimming of the plexi from the Big Cut, but eventually it was ready to install. After lots of review, I decided to use Sikaflex. My opinion is that it's not very difficult to use the materials. Just takes some care to place and hold the windscreen while setting up, and to be neat with the application. Thanks to the builders that have made video's and written posts on how to do this, it sure helps to have them for review! Next step is to create the windscreen frame.

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