What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

KR's RV-9A

KRviator

Well Known Member
G'day all.

Since I've no idea what sort of intro is expected, here's a bunch of photos.

How to get your KRviatrix into the spirit of building, whether she likes it or not...Take over the loungeroom for 4 days while you inventory things you have never heard of...Note the empty baby bouncer. :eek:


By inserting rivet A into hole B enough times, you eventually end up with something that looks like this. Halfway through these iterations you get to drill out several dozen rivets because you forgot to take the blue plastic off the inside of the VS...:eek:


But you learn from your mistakes - sooner or later -and eventually you arrive with the HS looking something like:


TLAR....That looks about right


How to stop going back to the bench for each rivet.


Another way to keep the KRviatrix happy: Offer to babysit. Ensure your air compressor is turned off during the babysitting period. Don't ask me how I know. :eek: As above -you learn from your mistakes.


The first person ever to sit in my RV. Evil baby.

Annnd that's the end of my 10-image allowance, so, uhh, move on to the next post, eh?
 
Slightly less evil baby.


My first attempt at an instrument panel.


What I actually want.


What I got CNC cut from Bill M. at Up North Aviation. No there's not a missing row of switches. I removed them while revisiting what I want. :D


How to make sure your KRviatrix stays interested inthe build process: Take over the dining room table to lay our your electrical schematic and build your DIY LED Nav lights.


Ta daa!


And your caution panel.


Yes that's a welding helmet. Yes, the LED's can break the tint on it.
 
The VP-X Sport installed in the forward fuselage.


On the topic of the forward fuse, this ishow far inboard you have to move the F745 ribs to clear a pair of 10" Dynon's.


Still on the forward fuselage. See the rudder bearing block? See how it is up against the longeron gusset? Weeellllll, apparently it isn't supposed to be like that. There should be a minimum of 1" clearance there. How did I find that little tidbit out?? I tried to temp-fit the F601-K recess and it wouldn't. Oops.

According to Van's, there's no structural requirement for the F-601K recess, so lanky buggers can indeed get an extra inch of legroom if you need it. But that precludes the use of a rear-mounted prop governor, and probably requires longer rudder cable-to-pedal straps. Oh well. Given I've just "invested" in a "pre-loved" O-320-H2AD last week kind of negates the need for the recess in any event. So, that's how you turn an "oh ****" moment into a "meh" moment. :D

And finally, the supervisor skylarking instead of supervising... :D
 
Yeah, that looks about right...:cool:


Testing magnetic interference from the seatbely cables and aligning the ADAHRS using a stringline. 3* from no seatbelt to seatbelt draped over the ADAHRS. Considering I'll be flying without the LHS shoulder harness for the first couple of hundred hours means it's close enough for RV work...;)


A mockup of my switch panel. The actual panel was CNC cut, so rest assured that bit of metal butchery isn't going to end up in the plane...:D


Setting up for The Big Cut




Almost there... Bearing in mind we're still in the middle of winter. And I did manage to get the thermometer to read about 110*F sitting on the canopy ducktail in the sun.


Annnnd after "The Big Cut" has been cut.
 
There's no audio panel as yet. I'm going to have my -9 registered as an ultralight (RAAus in Australia) initially so with a 1320lb MTOW I'm trying to keep things light. I've got a single Xcom VHF with the Dynon audio alerts being sent to the aux input on the radio. The beauty of this radio is it has an aux input, but also a decent intercom built in, in a package thats not that much bigger than a mobile phone of days gone by. When we can afford it (probably another 18 years when the kids leave home), we'll install the GMA340 I've got sitting around and go with whatever fancy IFR GPS is around.

The switches were from a company called Flightdeck solutions in Canada. They're designed for simulators only and they will not sell you any if you tell them they're going in a real plane. So don't tell... :D that being said, I had a custom PCB made up to better suit the operation of the switches with my VP-X. The green LEDs illuminate anytime battery power is available and the coloured ones designate circuit status. The R FUEL switch is upside down in relation to the push button element in the photo, it should read the same as L FUEL...

If you want to have a go at making your own, you can visit this blokes website where he details how to make them from scratch. I've used a similar method to him for my caution panel, 10x30mm acrylic blocks with 3x5mm LEDs in each. The text was achieved by printing on an overhead transparency twice and gluing them on, so if you do it that way, you can have any text, font or image you want. Paint the outside of each block black (at least 3 coats), sand off the paint on the front, glue them together into one big panel then glue the panel to a bit of angle to install in your panel.
 
It's been near-on 18 months since I updated this 'ere thread and I reckon it's about time to show that there is indeed progress occurring in The Mancave. I actually thought I'd updated this late last year, but must've got my forums crossed somehow...

So...What has occurred in the last 18 or so months? That is the million dollar question...

My younger young bloke had his first birthday, work is taking on more people and I'm assuming more responsibilities there and renovations to the house are taking their toll on plane-building time.

However, that doesn't mean there's been no progress on my aluminium mistress. She now has an engine, a brand-new OX-340S instead of the old O-320-H2AD I had planned. The -340 is fitted with 2 P-Mag electronic ignitions firing 8 automotive plugs instead of normal aircraft sparkplugs, and a Rotec TBI throttle-body injector in place of a traditional carb. It's also been de-rated from 185HP to 165HP by the replacement of the standard 8.1:1 pistons with 7.2:1 pistons. This will allow the regular use of standard unleaded, well, premium unleaded anyway, Mogas fuel instead of Avgas, allowing around a 70cpl+ saving, a not-insignificant amount. Anything that makes flying cheaper means I can do more of it. This is especially important since the local airport has whacked on a $15/landing fee. With no daily rate!!!. So an hour of circuits at Warnervale will now cost around double the hourly cost of my RV. $150/hour in landing fees for circuits?!? FML.

The panel is more or less installed, though it comes and goes depending on I'm working on at the time, though it is now "permanently-temporarily" installed as I think I've finished the wiring.

The GPS antenna is installed on custom-made bracket above the baggage compartment and is connected to the EFIS, so I can see just where my mancave is on a map. The VHF radio is installed in the panel and the co-ax and antenna are installed. The SkyView system is wired to the Aux input on the Xcom so Bytching Betty does indeed have a whinge when I power-on the aircraft. Which, incidentally, doesn't let the smoke out - always a good thing.

A few months ago, I received the lithium battery, and that is installed, but not electrically connected yet. The fuel-flow sensor is mounted on the firewall, on a custom bracket, riveted where the brake line bracket would normally go on the LHS and all the engine sensors are connected to the EFIS, as are the P-Mag's. There are a couple of things to tidy up wiring-wise, but that's about it. The Fuel-flow sensor is downstream of the engine-driven fuel pump, so I shouldn't get the fluctuations other's report on running the electric pump. I hope.

Tom S. came up with a couple of custom-length firesleeved hoses, and Vans has delivered my new Sensenich ground-adjustable prop - and isn't it a work of art. IF the KRviatrix didn't scrutinise the credit-card statements, I'd order a second one just to hang on the wall. :eek:

The cowling is fitted, the baffles are installed, the plug leads are run, the alternator is installed on the vacuum drive. I'm using a PP FS-14B instead of a normal belt-driven model, in part to save weight and reduce complexity, but also simply because I don't need 60A capacity. And I don't think I ever will. The only thing you can truly never have too much of is beer.

These last few weeks have seen the tail mounted and the empennage fairings installed, the MLG wheelpants and fairings trimmed and installed, the canopy and struts installed and a good clean-out of those annoying aluminium shavings and dropped rivet mandrels allowed me to more or less close out the centre tunnel and seat pans.

So, here's some new and not-so-new photos of the build.

The new man-cave just after we moved house. You know you've got an understanding missus when part of your house-buying criteria is "can we fit an aeroplane in the back shed?" :D
7384672796_91ae68acdb_z.jpg


The engine being assembled by ECI in the US.
8717869673_d0d7365528_z.jpg


8717871059_647aac6183_z.jpg


Buy an ECI hat for $30,000 and get a free engine! An offer too good to refuse. :D
8906467182_ebe0459c92_z.jpg


And hanging on the nose of the plane. A job that went surprisingly smoothly. 90 minutes by myself and it was done. 45 minutes for the first bolt, 15 minutes for each for the other 3. Big thanks to the future-ex-mother-in-law who was on baby-sitting duties while I was doing this.
9203031319_793012b1dc_z.jpg


The "squadron of paperclips method" was used to determine how much I need to trim from the engine baffles. Repeated several times...
9604383550_b2bb2dd648_z.jpg


Until you have a nice-fitting pink cowling. It will be painted, I'm not that in touch with my feminine side that I feel the need to fly around in a pink aeroplane.
9601142985_6e8e1fcdb7_z.jpg
 
Last edited:
The Rotec TBI prior to installation. A very nice looking bit of kit.
9604418308_8df1709874_z.jpg


The only complication with it is the mixture arm is left/right not inline with the aircraft centreline, so you need to come up with a bellcrank of some kind to translate the fore/aft travel of the mixture arm. Nothing a couple of hours of trial and error didn't fix. Well, that, and it is shorter than your typical carb, so your FAB no longer lines up nicely with the snorkel. Again, a few hours fibreglassing (yuck! Yuck! YUCK!!!) gave a new FAB that had a lower inlet.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, it's here!
12185943715_73eb8818d1_z.jpg


OOhhh, pretty! Truly a work of art. I hope it performs as good as it looks!
12185962265_fe193632be_z.jpg


Gotta start them young!
12186553076_a7803dc650_z.jpg


I don't think it's supposed to do that!!! Dad's gonna be pi$$ed!
12185926715_6eb58af13e_z.jpg


The go-fast bits are installed. No intersection fairings yet though. I'm going to order them from The Mothership. No more fibreglass for me! Well, excluding the canopy skirt...
12186243673_eccd3e1924_z.jpg


Just in case I forget if I safetied the brake bolts...I did... Well, on this side anyway!
12186438704_d4b8a13b5e_z.jpg


A not-strictly-to-plans canopy lock rod. IT works, that's all I care!
12186666106_9df67c3ba6_z.jpg
 
Good progress.

I'd suggest some after market fairings instead of vans if you don't like Fiberglass work. Vans still require a lot of work. Either fairingsetc or rvbits.

Just looking at the safety wire the top bolt is quite secure and could come slightly loose. Better to go around to the other hole.

Cheers

Peter
 
Good progress.

I'd suggest some after market fairings instead of vans if you don't like Fiberglass work. Vans still require a lot of work. Either fairingsetc or rvbits.

Just looking at the safety wire the top bolt is quite secure and could come slightly loose. Better to go around to the other hole.

Cheers

Peter
Thanks for the suggestion about avoiding the factory fairings, Pete. I did look at the Fairings-etc ones initially, but figured I'd try to save on postage as I need to order a couple of things from Vans as well, but it might be worth paying that bit extra to avoid the aggro of ill-fitting fairings.

I re-did that safety wire today, and it does look much better. Safetied the other side and made sure it was done the same, alas no photos...

crabandy said:
I love the updates with the kiddos!
It provides a bit of perspective I reckon, they've been a big part of the build - and an equally big part of why things haven't progressed as fast as I'd have liked too. :p
 
After nearly a year I figured it is about time for a (small) update.

On the 2nd January I had my first visit from a SAAA TC. Why so late in the build? Well, I had planned on registering my -9 with RAAus, the same as Retired Racer did and they don't require TC inspections. I had spoken with RAAus when I first started the build and received assurance in writing that it would be acceptable. However, after being assigned a provisional rego number with RAAus, it was decided by the Technical Manager that my RV would not be allowed on their register despite my ability to prove compliance with CAO 95.55 and a 950Lb empty weight... So I had to change tack and go through the SAAA process.

The TC (himself a VAFer with an RV-7) was understanding and gave me around a dozen squawks to rectify before it'd be considered good enough to move to the airport, none of them major. From simple things like putting a dab of sealant in various MK-319-BS rivets to replacing the original data plate (with my RAAus rego on it) to the new VH- one. Application of the VH- and Experimental stickers, and replacing the Vans passenger warning placard with one with CAsA wording. All things that I can sort out at night after the kidlets are in bed. At least he was kind enough to put "Well constructed quickbuild RV-9A" in the comments. :D

For now, I'm finishing off the polishing and waiting to hear back from a signwriting mob I've engaged to quote on putting some vinyl wrap on the tailcone.

The proposed livery. Replace silver with polished aluminium though.
15579961764_1a3942f04d_z.jpg


Seem familiar?
16016292169_418790b175_z.jpg


Who needs to go to China for child labour? :D
16016508737_6ba63d4ab6_z.jpg


First pass with F7.
16016498827_0466dbde7b_z.jpg


After a few days watching the CAsA List of available marks I picked out VH-CEM, as the easiest to pronounce and had my rego letters made by the blokes at DIY Lettering. Incidentally, they were quite helpful when I forgot to order my under-wing letters combining those with the first order to save me a second lot of shipping.

The fuselage lettering. No fancy colours or italics for the under-wing letters.
16015078530_21f115e84b.jpg


16201606202_5df696cfa7.jpg


16016327369_57ea7c4704.jpg
 
Hi Rob,


Not sure if you are aware, but here is no requirement for you to have under wing registration marks.

Cheers
 
well Done!!!

Rob, beautiful work, beautiful kids, we are envious of all the neat kit going into your build.

but.....you went from 15 to 12 switches, and I'm sure you had your reasons.
....a bunch of us went.....: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

you ARE going to add some switched device 'later', and then will have to spoil your beautiful panel! ( that, or put it one some slick sub panel, or stick grip, or console,or......well, I'm sure you'll find a way!)

build on, don't listen to the peanut gallery like me!
 
Hi Rob,


Not sure if you are aware, but here is no requirement for you to have under wing registration marks.

Cheers
G'day Eddie, you're right, I misread the CASR's and incorrectly thought i wouldn't need them if I went to larger letters, but by having 3 sets of smaller ones I could get away with it. The CASA Exemption that doesn't require the underwing lettering expires in a few weeks though, so I'll keep an eye on it to make sure it is renewed,

Rob, beautiful work, beautiful kids, we are envious of all the neat kit going into your build.

but.....you went from 15 to 12 switches, and I'm sure you had your reasons.
....a bunch of us went.....: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

you ARE going to add some switched device 'later', and then will have to spoil your beautiful panel! ( that, or put it one some slick sub panel, or stick grip, or console,or......well, I'm sure you'll find a way!)

build on, don't listen to the peanut gallery like me!
All good Perry. I've got 7 spare holes as it is. I had initially planned on using a switch I found in flit simulators, but it was too much heartache to properly integrate it so I reverted to using simple DPDT toggles.

I've got 3x4 in the centre panel and have 5 spare slots there and the two outboard holes as well, so have got lots of room for expansion. I've also kept my original CAD file that I can update on the iPad and will just order another panel from Bill M @ Up North Aviation if things change too much. He did excellent work on my first one and will get my business again if need be.

My initial operations will be day VFR anyway, so I don't even have landing lights fitted, in an attempt to keep the weight down. As time goes by, I'll install them , add nav lights and strobes, but I can't justify the cost of them at the moment based on the kind of flying ill be doing.
 
So, it's been another few months and it's time for a bit of an update.

Structurally, the aeroplane-in-a-box is complete. There is nothing left to do to make it flyable, other than take it to the airport. I could bolt the wings on and fly it by dinnertime.

That being said, there is still a short list of things I need to do before the first flight, including some of the following:
  • Calibrate the fuel gauges for both tanks.
  • Verify adequate fuel flow in a nose-up attitude.
  • Calibrate the compass
  • Verify full power operation for a certain time.
  • Install and safety-wire the prop.
  • Permanently install the wingtips, elevator and horizontal stabiliser fairings.
  • Stick on the vinyl registration stickers to the tail & wing.
  • Install the flightworthy bolts in the wing spars, control runs and tail attachments and;
  • Verify control surface travel is within limits and the control stops function effectively.
  • Calculate the empty weight Centre of Gravity, Gross Weight CG and Zero Fuel Weight CG, to ensure they remain within limits.

I've had 2 inspections from a "Technical Counsellor", and have corrected the deficiencies he picked up yesterday, the biggie being inadequate spinner-to-cowling clearance. Sorted that out by installing 2 x 2 washers under the upper engine mounts to lower the spinner slightly. When she's flying, I'll order a marginally longer spacer from Saber, a new aluminium spinner from Cummins Spinners to make it look better as I had to trim mine slightly due to the aforementioned clearance issue (Note: there was nothing at all wrong with the spinner from Alan the first time, it would have fit perfectly if I had the recommended clearance), and remove the washers to bring it back to where things should be.

We weighed the plane yesterday and came up with the following Left gear: 169.7, Nose Gear: 82.85, Right Gear: 169.7 for a total empty weight of 422.25Kg, or 931Lbs. I'm very happy with that, as The Mothership suggest an empty weight of 1028-1075Lbs, so I'm nearly 100lbs lighter than could reasonably be expected. I didn't have the prop blades (Sensenich composite G/A, 3 Lbs) or the gear fairings installed, so I'm still working on a 950Lbs basic empty weight. :)

With 165 HP she'll go like a scalded cat. :D

As I'll be using a registration category that limits the maximum takeoff weight to 1320Lbs initially, I have nearly 380Lbs payload, so that's me + full fuel, or Me + Mini-Me + 3.5hrs fuel, which is plenty for the intended usage.

So here's a few of the latest photos, including the chosen livery.

The complete electrical schematic for the plane.
16460096391_8d4cdc9237_z.jpg


Ignore the sleeping bag. That's there to cover the canopy at night, just-in-case....
16773639550_07d60bde77_z.jpg


16935176896_4f2f81ff2a_z.jpg
 
Looks great! It's nice to have a color scheme with a story behind it.

What did the inspector consider inadequate spinner clearance?
 
It was slightly eccentric, with greater clearance on the bottom half, but not so much on the top. On top, I had perhaps 3/16", on the bottom, it was closer to 3/8". The two washers bought these two distances closer together, so I can consider the case closed.
 
The Punch List

So the story starts off Tuesday last week, when I'd arranged for a local L4 Amateur-Built Inspector to do the pre-flight final inspection on Aurora Australis. On Monday morning, I loaded up the 4WD with tools, fuel, a couple of spare parts and a jerrycan of fuel to fill with Avgas on the way. Problem being, on the way home from the airport the after flying that afternoon, I had tyre issues with the 4by so I took the KRviatrix's car the following day.

The hangar key lives on the 4by's keyring.......

So....I drive an hour and a half to the airport, and as I'm walking back from the fuel bowser, I see her fluorescent-yellow car (the only man-made thing besides the Great Wall of China that can be seen from space) in the car park, the penny drops as to what I've done, and an expletive was uttered that was heard for miles around. No one else could get into the hangar and as a result the inspection was put off till today.

We started off with an official weight and balance that gave the following:
Left main: 368.5
Right Main: 369.0
Nose gear: 244.0
TOTAL: 981.5 and a BEW CG of 76.57.

This is around 20Lbs heavier than I was expecting, but I have a full 8qt of oil in the sump and I don't think I factored that in when I last weighed the plane, so there's 13lbs or so right there...This is also without gear or gear leg fairings too, so that will go up another 5lbs or so when they're added.

End result? With a regulatory MTOW limit of 1320Lbs, I have a payload of 339Lbs. So I need to get back into the gym to increase my fuel-carrying ability! :p

Now, onto the inspection and what was found...The local CFI also looked over, into and through the -9 and between the 3 of us we've identified the following require attention prior to signing off the RV for flight:
  • Install standoffs between items zip-tied to the engine mount & some form of insulation under the ties when attached to the engine mount.
  • Install standoffs on the +ve battery cable to better secure one portion.
  • Seal the fuel lines and snap-bushings in the wing root to guard against CO intrusion.
  • Remove the gear leg fairing hose-clamps I'd left on.
  • Clean the fluid off the LH brake pad that leaked a couple of months ago.
  • Rectify aleak at the brake fluid reservoir that I thought I'd sorted last week. It is still there. Still...
  • Leak check the pitot system
  • Shorten the Pitot & AoA lines around the aileron bellcrank to prevent interference
  • Attach the Pitot/AoA lines to the wing to prevent work-hardening
  • Replace standard washers with -L washers under the upper gear tower bolts.
  • Tweak the LH fuel vent tube to prevent abrasion on the rudder torque tube.
  • Replace and better-attach the LH brake line to the firewall & under the Lower L longeron.
  • Better support the RH brake tube under the lower longeron.
  • Add a dab of sika to the fuel line as it enters the selector housing to prevent any abrasion.
  • Re-check and tighten all Jam nuts - 2 were found loose. :mad:
  • Replace the LH control stick-to-aileron pushrod washers with -L's.
  • Add a dab of sika to the ADAHRS cabling to better secure it.
  • Add a dab of sika to the wiring in the R wing to better secure it.
  • Secure the elevator trim DB-9 plug to the rear bulkhead.
  • Install the grease nipple in the NLG and grease the fitting - I completely missed installing this.
  • Back off NLG axle nut one flat and/or regrease NLG bearings to improve tyre rotation.
  • Tighten the RHS Brake line B-nut in the cockpit.
  • Add heatshrink around the LH & RH FQIS wires where they enter the fuselage.
  • Add a radio-call placard to the panel.
  • Double-check the passenger warning placard wording.
  • Tighten the lower-left baffle tie-rod.
  • Clean out the swarf behind #4 cylinder.

Most of this is house-keeping and I'm somewhat annoyed I have such a big list to attend to. I'm particularly annoyed at myself for missing not one but two jam nuts and the grease nipple in the NLG. Once this is done we'll go over the list to make sure everything is set, take a few photos for the aircraft data file and submit the paperwork to RAAus HQ to officially finalise the registration process.

As I'm busy for the next couple of weeks, I'll have to wait until after Christmas to get stuck into this list, but fortunately, it is a longish list of relatively minor corrections. I'll order some new plastic and aluminium tubing from Vans tonight, as well as a new T fitting for the brake fluid reservoir and go from there.



Here's an old photo showing one of the issues raised, you can see the brake line has the potential to abrade against the fuselage and/or longeron. If you do this too, consider a dab of sikaflex every 6" or so.
8599061486_d00f5650f0_z.jpg
 
That is good routing for the brake lines, is that a standard configuration for the RV-9A. I wish I had done that for my RV-7A.

Instead of using Sikaflex on the brake lines why not secure them with 1/4 inch P-clamps (P/N: MS21919-DG4) using 12 inches spacing. I did that and retained them with AN526-832R8 screws from underneath fuselage (i.e. minimum head height) and AN365-832 nuts.

That will ensure separation from both surfaces as well as securing the brake lines better.
 
It's not the standard routing for the brake lines, per planes, they should parallel the fuel line down the centre of the cockpit, but I didn't like that so much as tucking them under the longeron.

After a bit of thinking about it, I am going to recycle the unused snorkel foam to make little foam blocks with the lines in the middle of them and squeeze them under the longerons. For the left line across the front of the footwell, I'll make a few small angles to rivet to the floor stiffeners with small Adel clamps on them to give the needed rigidity.
 
She's DONE!

After nearly 5 years of blood (yes, really), sweat, tears and reaching the threshold of AIDS twice - but no drilled finger strangely enough - Aurora Australis is now, OFFICIALLY, an aeroplane.

Wearing the numbers 19-8519 on her side, she joins only 1 other RV-9A on the RAAus register, with only a forgotten signature on the W&B form holding up the registration process for a day. I was fully expecting another bunfight with RAAus about having "another RV" on the register, but after finalising the punch list items and sorting out the paperwork, it went smoothly, so a big thanks is owed to Leanne in RAAus HQ!

Until I get home to button up the access panels and prepare for the test flights, the registration is deemed "Provisional", with it moving to full registration once the test hours are flown off and the finalisation form submitted.

24647621810_6b58fdde8e_z.jpg
 
A hearty congratulations on getting your Registration. An even heartier congratulations on the greater achievement - avoiding AIDS. In the long run, an airplane is just an airplane. It's our relationships that define us in this ephemeral existence.

We're looking forward to the announcement of your first flight!
 
Congratulations. It's a big achievement, especially getting it on the RAAus register and avoiding Aircraft Initiated Divorce Syndrome.
 
Congratulations on getting it done, and registered.

What did your empty weight come in at ?

Are you limited to 600kg MTOW ?

Why didn't you just register experimental, there are enough TCs around you that this should have not created an issue, plus it's a one off registration fee rather than annual as with RAAus.

I can't help but feel you have done yourself a disservice by limiting your usable weight.

Cheers
 
Congratulations on getting it done, and registered.

What did your empty weight come in at ?

Are you limited to 600kg MTOW ?

Why didn't you just register experimental, there are enough TCs around you that this should have not created an issue, plus it's a one off registration fee rather than annual as with RAAus.

I can't help but feel you have done yourself a disservice by limiting your usable weight.

Cheers
G'day Eddiie, RAAus was chosen as I don't have a PPL yet, and when I started the process the RPL was still a pipe dream. I am indeed limited to 600Kg, with the BEW coming in at 445Kg, but for my requirements that is still acceptable. When I get back into the gym and lose another 10-15 Lbs I can carry myself and full fuel, or half fuel and one of my young blokes - which still gives me the legs to go Sydney-Brisbane with reserves, perfectly adequate for my needs at present.

When I get time, I will port over the RPC to a RPL and have Martin Ongley look over it and issue the VH- paperwork, but it isn't a great priority yet as the range isn't required, and the KRviatrix has decreed she won't travel in it until I have at least 200 hrs in the RV! :p

Swapping from RAAus to VH isn't a big deal, as the aircraft, even RAAus registered, was still built for education & recreation & still meets the 51% rule, so when it comes time I might even be able to avoid another Phase 1.

Besides, I now have one of the fastest ultralights in Australia! :D
 
G'day Eddiie, RAAus was chosen as I don't have a PPL yet, and when I started the process the RPL was still a pipe dream. I am indeed limited to 600Kg, with the BEW coming in at 445Kg, but for my requirements that is still acceptable. When I get back into the gym and lose another 10-15 Lbs I can carry myself and full fuel, or half fuel and one of my young blokes - which still gives me the legs to go Sydney-Brisbane with reserves, perfectly adequate for my needs at present.

When I get time, I will port over the RPC to a RPL and have Martin Ongley look over it and issue the VH- paperwork, but it isn't a great priority yet as the range isn't required, and the KRviatrix has decreed she won't travel in it until I have at least 200 hrs in the RV! :p

Swapping from RAAus to VH isn't a big deal, as the aircraft, even RAAus registered, was still built for education & recreation & still meets the 51% rule, so when it comes time I might even be able to avoid another Phase 1.

Besides, I now have one of the fastest ultralights in Australia! :D

Enjoy the ride, you won't look back.

By the way Martin is no longer an AP, so you'll probably have to approach Dave Tenant.

Cheers
 
She FLIES! And quite nicely too!

After 4 years, 9 months and 19 days building, Aurora Australis was awarded her registration, but I then had to wait several more weeks for a combination of good weather and kids-in-daycare to be able to perform the first flight.

Other than a few EMS alarms (high current, EGT and Fuel Flow) the flight went beautifully. These alarms will be reset to more appropriate values before the next flight. The high-current was due to me setting the redline at the 30-amp rating of the PP alternator, that I now understand will output slightly more than 30 amps at times. EGT was due to the #2 cylinder being much higher than the others, even during idle, so I'm going to swap the probe to #4 to see what happens, and FF was higher than expected for the O-340, and I didn't have enough margin in the setting there.

Handling wise, she flies slightly left-wing-low, it is a little nosier than expected so I now understand why the VAF cap sits higher on my noggin' than The Motherships cap (to clear the headset cups in case you're wondering...watch the video, you'll see), but overall it was a much nicer handling aircraft than the Tecnam, it felt much more stable airborne, and went like a scalded cat.

Without any fairings on, I was seeing 120-130MPH most of the time, but without an accurate FF indication, can't say exactly what % power that was, though it was usually at 23/2400RPM. Max RPM at 4,000 was ~2500RPM, which looks to be on track for a 2700RPM rating at 8000, so hopefully I won't need to change the prop setting.

Here's the YouTube video. I had the GoPro on the tail, a DashCam I've riveted to the rollbar and our camcorder tucked under the canopy. Because I'm an idiot, I forgot to turn the GoPro on before the takeoff roll, so the only footage I have of the liftoff are from the two internal cameras. :mad:
 
Awesome...a huge congrats!! Great job on the video too. I can relate to that last deep breath you took after run-up. It's about having unshakeable confidence in both the quality of your work and Van's design when you take the runway for the first time.

You're gonna love it with the fairings in place...it feels supercharged. :D
 
HUGE congratulations!!!!! Welcome to the Flyin' Nines!!!!! The more you fly it, the more you'll love it. :D
 
Any events in July?

Greetings from San Diego. My wife and I will be in the neighborhood looking at airparks and I am wondering if there are any organized events in July that we could attend and learn a bunch more about flying in Oz. I have an RV-3 and a C170 and only the RV will be coming with us.

Thanks.

Mark
 
Congratulations.
If you are ever in the Armidale area or just looking for a place to fly, contact me and we can have a mini 9A convention!
Fin
9A (860 hrs)
 
Congratulations Rob.!!!!

I have not been on the VAF forum for a while as there has been too much happening in my life lately. It's good to see you have now got it registered and in phase one, awesome.!!!!

We should take Fin up on his offer one weekend. Robyn and I could come down from Brisbane. That would be something, the only two 9a's registered RAA getting together.!!

Bob Dennis
RV9a (893 lb 405hrs)
(Baby 0-235 C2C)
 
Last edited:
40 Hours DONE!

Today I finished flying off the Phase-I testing and I thought I'd celebrate with a bit of coastal flying on the way back to Cessnock. You know, some poor buggers have to pay hard earned cash for this kind of thing!
29461013346_a6943ba22d_z.jpg


29206251240_64496f3dc2_z.jpg



Soooooo...What did I find/learn/stuffup in Phase I? Well, several things, actually...

First and foremost, this thing is a blast! Here she is sitting outside the hangar a couple of months ago before a fuel-flow test, IIRC...
29461040006_da95bbe36d_z.jpg


Secondly, it turns out my fiberglass skills weren't quite as good as I thought...Part of my RHS Lower Intersection Fairing is now adorning some farmers paddock following sideslip testing early in the piece. :confused:
28870527164_900e0a298c_z.jpg


The Dynon autopilot required no - that's right, zero calibration or settings-alteration to work, and work well - in my RV. I have both pitch and roll servos installed with the Dynon brackets and changed nothing. It has done everything I have asked of it so far, straight out of the box. That being said, I have the SV32 servo's IIRC, and occasionally the roll servo slips when trying to initiate a turn at high-ish speed. Give the stick a small nudge and that's all that's needed to keep it happy.

Something else I've learnt - Just because you can climb at nearly 2000FPM and turn downwind inside the aerodrome boundary, doesn't mean you should. I got chatted by the ARO about turning crosswind too soon after he apparently had a couple of annoyed locals complain about me having (too much) fun. :D Entirely my fault though, as there is a fly-neighbourly-type policy for Cessnock Airport and I wasn't aware of it. I am now. :eek: I can still reach circuit altitude by the perimeter fence, but fly upwind another half-mile before turning downwind.

Another learning point: If you do your fuel calibration on a Dynon SkyView system, exit to your main screen (PFD/Map/EMS) before you power down your system, or your fuel cal tables won't be saved. Ask me how I learnt that one! :p

Next: Brisbane Centre get's a little antsy about VFR paints tooling around in their Class-E doing funny-looking things on their scopes. I never got booted out, but was questioned several times about what I was doing and why I was doing what I was doing where I was doing it. Being able to be flexible about your flight testing goes a long way to keeping the guys and girls in ATC on-side though, so I was quite happy to descend a couple of thousand feet or otherwise help them out as needed with accepting a discreet code, etc. They were nothing but polite and professional throughout and I look forward to working with them more in future.

It turns out you can hover a fixed-wing. If you find a 60MPH wind at 3,000'! This was fairly early in the testing regime and I wasn't as confident with the handling as I am now. If I was to do it now, I could probably get it down to 0MPH GS.
29495685495_108984f4a5_z.jpg


What else have I learnt?
  • For planning purposes, I will use 10.5L to climb to & descend from, 8000', and will use 24.2LPH at 2400RPM at 8000', while TASing 145 knots at 55% power. This speed will probably increase slightly when I install the upper intersection fairings though.
  • 2300RPM gives a nice 500FPM descent, at 145KTAS.
  • It pays to do inflight mag-checks. The #3 plug lead fell off the Left P-Mag inflight. Nothing a quick re-crimp and reinstallation didn't fix and it has been fine for 25 hours since.
  • I have a pesky oil leak somewhere I am still trying to track down.
  • Running down a Shorai battery does not do any favours for long-term use. I did it once and it has never been the same.
  • The Rotec TBI must have blast-cooling on the regulator, or have it further away from the exhaust pipes than I currently have it. It suffers vapour-lock on the ground at low RPM after a quick-turn. Not an issue in flight, but it doesn't like to idle below 1000RPM when hot. Cold, it will idle down to 500RPM relatively smoothly.
  • The LHS exhaust pipe makes a loud drumming on the floorboards that causes the AKG ANR to over-compensate. Putting my left foot on the magic spot and flying with the LHS left rudder pedal solves that. What any future passengers will think about me playing footsies with them remains to be seen.
  • The AKG headphones are much better than the Bose QC15's I was using with the UFlyMike adapter (though that is still an excellent ANR combo in its' own right) but their customer-service leaves a bit to be desired. I have a loud crackling in one earcup and am waiting for the bloke to get back off leave to respond. Seems rather poor form to have but one person to deal with that kind of thing....
  • The PlanePower FS14B alternator easily copes with my electrical demands, which top out at 6A in flight.
  • The Silver/Red/Yellow livery stands out like dogs balls in the circuit, I'm told.

I have not been able to complete the full CG testing regime, due to the regulatory MTOW limit of 600Kg/1320Lbs. I'll knock that over when I re-register Aurora Australis with CAsA or RAAus gets their MTOW increase, though with that said, I can't go outside CG limits with any loading configuration possible at present.
 
A huge congrats! Glad to hear there are only minor squawks and that your Skyview turned out to be plug-n-play.

I hear you about the climb capability. I tend to climb into the pattern at about 90 KIAS, which still gives me a climb rate of 800-900 fpm yet provides better visibility over the nose and gets plenty of cooling air over the cylinders. It's fun to occasionally do a Vx takeoff, just for kicks.

I've got the same sweet spot in cruise, 145-148 kts true. It's just happy there.

Enjoy!
 
Last edited:
2 year update

So, it is 2-odd years since I first flew - though I lost nearly 12 months of that after getting cleaned up by a kid on a motorbike that broke my arm and leg - so I figured I might as well post a few tidbits about what I've found/learnt so far.

After swapping to the Mk II Rotec TBI 48/4-5 from the original Mk I, I have not suffered vapour lock since, but in saying that, I also wrapped the fuel lines FWF with exhaust wrap, and now run AvGas exclusively for takeoff and landing, so it is impossible to draw a definitive conclusion, though Avgas with the MkI did cause occasional issues on a quick-turn on a hot day too.

Indicated fuel flow almost doubled on installing the new TBI, and I am not sure why, as it will fluctuate from a normal 24-25LPH right up to 35-36 in the cruise. I am going to make a custom fuel line from the flow sensor to the TBI to try to eliminate the 2 x 90* bends as it exits the red cube. A 2 hour flight test showed I am still using the normal 24.5LPH though, so it isn't actually flowing more fuel, thankfully.

Running a tank dry (intentionally, I might add), results in a brief stumble, around 5KIAS speed loss and takes around 5 seconds to come back up to cruise power after switching tanks. I am comfortable enough with this behaviour to make it a standard practice on cross-country flights now to maximise what I'll call "known" fuel available on landing, and ensuring it is all on the one tank.

I still have a pesky oil leak somewhere, but it certainly isn't safety-critical, just annoying. Oil stabilises a smidgen under 6Qts. Anything other than that and it spits it out the breather tube. Oil use between the few changes so far is negligible.

After a bit of back-and-forth with the lads at OzRunways (Aussie version of Foreflight, etc), we were able to get the old Ipad 2 to wifi the flight plan to the SkyView system and it accepts it with no problems whatsoever. A brilliant setup.

BillM at UpNorthAviation keeps all the old CAD files for his customers panels - so when I wanted to redo my panel to accomodate the Carling V switches and couldn't find my version, he emailed the original in a matter of hours, and still has very reasonable prices for his work. Still a pleasure to work with.

On those Carling V switches - I ordered them, with custom actuators from the folks at RockerSwitchPros, with most being V1D1-GXXB. Decent price, fast shipping, BUT - and it is a very BIIIG 'but' - I assumed that as the 'dependent' LED was at the bottom, that they would be "Up for off, down for on". This is not the case. These switches are "Down for off, UP for on", so my dependent lettering saying "ON" when pressed actually turns them off. Also - it turns out these switches are designed to be inserted between a supply and a load. I am using these switches to control my VP-X, that then controls the load. The problem with this setup is the dependent LED's do not work at all, as there is no current flowing through the switch. If you want to use the bottom LED as an indicator of circuit status, these need to be between the VP-X and your device with that power pin set to 'always on', or you need to buy a switch that has two independent LED's and tap into the positive lead from the VP-X to also illuminate your switch. It isn't a huge problem, just means I have to re-order the switch actuators with "OFF" as the bottom text.

As regards the instrument panel: Have a look on plans, page 24A, where the throttle sub-pane mounting screw insert is. See how they are off-set from the actual throttle/mixture control holes? Guess which muppet missed that little tidbit in the plans, and then had to remove the throttle cable to remove the sub-panel?!? I finally remedied that a couple of days ago when installing the new panel. :p

I have installed a KLN-90B old-school IFR GPS as under Australian rules, this pushes the 'time for a positive position fix' for VFR pilots out from 30 minutes to 2 hours, and an approved RNAV system (such as the KLN) counts as a positive fix. It talks to SkyView using the ARINC-429 module, and it will display the flight-plan on the SkyView map page too. But, because SkyView does not transmit ARINC labels 306 and 307, you cannot send waypoints from SkyView to the KLN, unfortunately.

Here's a demo showing the GPS RNAV approach into Albury. Lots of red as I am still on the ground miles away.
41077599180_32e303afdd_c.jpg


Because I couldn't justify the cost of a Mid-Continent annunciator panel (and couldn't seem to get lucky with a12V unit on eBay), I decided to DIY an annunciator panel for the KLN, using Carling V switches and some custom actuators, again from the folk at RockerSwitchPros. And they turned out rather nicely too, I think...

42839707312_425948e0d3_c.jpg

And with "OBS" mode selected:
41987464945_cc690ca914_c.jpg


The new panel - very similar to the old one, but with the Carling switches, and the GPS annunciators (and yes, they are mirrord on both sides. Why? Because I can, and it'll give Mini-Me something to play with enroute. His switch contacts are not connected.)
41987464975_db94b846e1_c.jpg


I couldn't justify the cost of a set of Classic Aero seats, nice as they may be, so after measuring the KRviatrix's Suzuki Swift, I figured those seats would likely fit. And they do! Quite well, in fact. I needed to trim a small wedge of foam from the outboard shoulder to clear the aft canopy frame, but that is masked by the seat fabric, and I cut out a 6x6x6" cube for stick movement, but they do fit (almost pefrectly over the Vans aluminium seat back, are surprisingly lightweight when you remove the steel frames, and are amazingly comfortable, probably due to the bucket-style. And they have headrests, though I should have straightened up the coey's one before I took this photo...
41077602010_dbfcbd48fc_c.jpg


Following on from the above photo, that yellow thing in the background is a Rescue Swag, an all-purpose first-aid kit in a heavy duty roll-out yellow vinyl wrapper. It's clipped onto two eye-bolts sourced from the aviation aisle at the local Bunnings, with the platenuts tapped to match the threads. IT isn't quick-and-easy to get to, but anything extremely serious is likely to be beyond its' capabilities anyway.
28018867437_0ace7b4a01_c.jpg


And as the Rescue Swag may either go down with the plane if I ditch, or burn if I crash, I now fly wearing a survival vest containing some personal 'must-haves' that cover the basics and will hopefully keep me alive until rescued. I don't kid myself that flying is "safe". Let's face it, I built a plane in my back shed...I don't view flying as particularly unsafe, but things can, and do, go wrong, and I'd like to swing the odds in my favour wherever I can. While wearing this vest, you can still fit in the seat reasonably comfortably, and can also comfortably wear a (manually) inflatable life vest as well if needed. Some of my flying involves low-level over-water legs where you would certainly get wet if you had an engine failure.

Some of the items in the vest, and their reasons for being there are described below:
  • PLB: A GME MT-410G, A 406 PLB with the -G model having GPS functionality built-in. It also has a 7-year battery life, and, in accordance with CAsA requirements, is registered to me such that if I do set it off, AMSA can call a list of pre-supplied contacts, and if they determine it is a genuine activation, I've even uploaded a photo of the -9 to their database so they know what they're looking for. A great idea from the Government, surprisingly...
  • Firefly Strobe. I got it from my ADF days and figured I can finally put it to use. IR probably isn't as useful in civilian life as I don't think any of our EMS helicopters use NVG's 'yet'.
  • Survival kit: Signal mirror to try to attract attention in daylight. Space blanket for shelter & keeping warm at night. Matches, firestarter & cotton balls to try to get a fire going if stranded overnight. Wire saw to cut small branches for shelter if needed. Condoms to store/carry water if needed - 2L if used in one of my socks. Swiss card as a small knife, scissors, pen, toothpick & small file in a credit-card sized footprint.
  • First-aid kit: The essentials to stem a major bleed if I don't have the rescue swag. Tampon & sanitary pad as they are small, already sterile, and quite absorbent. Dressings and tape to cover the wound/s. Triangular & crepe bandages in case I break something & need to splint it.
  • Mini-Maglite: Swapped from the regular globe to LED to conserve the batteries if needed. And on that, the batteries in the Maglite and the laser pointer are both positive-to-positive to prevent inadvertent activation and are long-life lithium batteries.
  • Green Laser pointer: Can be seen for miles at night, even without directly aimed at an aircraft.
The survival & first aid kits themselves are housed in small tins sourced from the local electronic retailer designed to house small PCB's.

41988713105_66d21eeef2_c.jpg


Contents of the first aid kit, from the upper left pocket:
29017031168_bf917416b5_c.jpg


And contents of the survival kit, from the left hip pouch:
42889269581_c9a9db2494_c.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks for posting the update! I learned something new too, I always wondered what would happen if you ran a tank dry. I thought it would go into vapor lock but apparently not. Interesting
 
Thanks for posting the update! I learned something new too, I always wondered what would happen if you ran a tank dry. I thought it would go into vapor lock but apparently not. Interesting

It is not recommended for EFI systems, but if you fly a "modern" FAR 23-certified aircraft, they're actually designed to permit it without any surprises.

FAR 23.955 Multiple fuel tanks. For reciprocating engines that are supplied with fuel from more than one tank, if engine power loss becomes apparent due to fuel depletion from the tank selected, it must be possible after switching to any full tank, in level flight, to obtain 75 percent maximum continuous power on that engine in not more than -

(1) 10 seconds for naturally aspirated single engine airplanes;
(2) 20 seconds for turbocharged single engine airplanes, provided that 75 percent maximum continuous naturally aspirated power is regained within 10 seconds; or

(3) 20 seconds for multiengine airplanes.
 
Check out this thread:

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=156413

And this warning from AFP:

"WARNING

Airflow Performance and Bendix/Precision fuel injection systems are non-returning systems. In the event that a tank is run dry in flight, an air lock will be formed on the out let of the pumps. It is possible that the auxiliary pump will not pick up fuel, as the auxiliary pump cannot create enough air pressure to over come the flow divider opening pressure, thus displacing the air and resume pumping fuel. It is not recommended to run a fuel tank dry in flight without adequate testing and proper documentation of the procedure for this operation."

So try it safely before you need it.

It is not recommended for EFI systems, but if you fly a "modern" FAR 23-certified aircraft, they're actually designed to permit it without any surprises.

Thanks for the info and links. Sorry to hijack the thread a little bit.
 
Back
Top