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Van's Air Force

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Show us a picture of your FINISHED RV-6/6A!

Congrats!

Beautiful plane and I hope you get that beautiful woman to ride with you.......

Hats off to craftmanship for both!
 
Proud to be an RV'r

Hi guys,

Thanks for the warm welcoming to the VAF. We bought the plane in July from Murray Lawton in Ontario (meticulous build) and have since logged over 75 hrs flying across Canada and most of the Midwestern US. It is absolutely mission perfect for the two of us. Next summer we are taking it down to the Bahamas and then over to the Baja. We can't wait to get traveling in it again. There are not a lot of places to fly up here in Calgary during the winter but it sure is pretty in the mountains on a clear day.

Besides making the RV the best looking plane anywhere we stop, my lovely wife also does her share of the maintenance and upkeep. Last month she installed the new ignition switch as my back had an issue laying upside down in the cockpit.

I wish I could have built my own RV but with my schedule that would have been a decade long project at best. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with just flying one instead !! :D

cheers, Andrew & Veronika Squires

RV6A CFFST
Viperjet N899VJ

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Andy

Don't worry about not building the plane. After about 5 years you will have made enough changes and mods that you will think you did build her.

John Morgan
 
Welcome

Antoine.....Welcome to VAF :) you will find lots of help & camaraderie here! Congratulations on your beautiful -6.

YOL BOLSON!!!
 
the fiber parts are covered with real aluminum, A real mess to apply on rounded surfaces! but can be polished exactly as the rest of the plane and permit a uniform looking as the shine is leaving between the polish acts.

hopping you'll like the result!

Antoine

That is very impressive Antoine!! Oh I like what you've done. Super nice! Welcome to VAF & years of fun.
 
thank's all for your welcome!;)

if some one want's info on the covering with aluminium it will be a pleasure to help too!:)
 
N6CT is Flying

Another RV-6 is flying and we are having a great time. About two years ago we bought this uncompleted project from Mrs. Virginia Short, a few years after her husband Bill passed away. Unfortunately, he was not able to see this airplane fly but I did promise Virginia a ride when it was completed.

The building process was a great learning experience but flying it is so much better. We received the pink slip on Nov. 12, 2013, and today we got it back from the paint shop.

A big thank you to all the guys at the Southeast Ramp at Sanford, FL KSFB, technical support from Vans Aircraft, the Vansairforce.com search button that gave me invaluable direction on how to build it better and more importantly was a guide showing what works and what doesn?t work. This depth of knowledge is a huge advantage we have building now learning from those that have passed this way before us.

The paint scheme design was a collaboration effort between my wife Terri and Matthew Sample matthewsample2 at gmail.com. Matthew provided the much needed computer design skills necessary to create this unique paint scheme. The aircraft was painted by Joe Dinolfo of Hawk Aircraft Painting in Tampa, FL. Joe was a great guy to work with throughout the entire paint process. His team really brought this airplane to life.

Like most of us, I feel there is little chance of completing something this big without the support and encouragement of my family and especially my wife Terri. We are now looking forward to flying to a lot of great places and meeting new people in the process.

RV-6 Curt & Terri Sullivant
N6CT

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Great looking airplane. Congrats. I'm jealous of the beautiful weather shown in the picture.

Dave
RV-6
Waitng for flying weather.
 
Y'all c'mon by...

Another RV-6 is flying and we are having a great time. About two years ago we bought this uncompleted project from Mrs. Virginia Short, a few years after her husband Bill passed away. Unfortunately, he was not able to see this airplane fly but I did promise Virginia a ride when it was completed.

The building process was a great learning experience but flying it is so much better. We received the pink slip on Nov. 12, 2013, and today we got it back from the paint shop.

A big thank you to all the guys at the Southeast Ramp at Sanford, FL KSFB, technical support from Vans Aircraft, the Vansairforce.com search button that gave me invaluable direction on how to build it better and more importantly was a guide showing what works and what doesn?t work. This depth of knowledge is a huge advantage we have building now learning from those that have passed this way before us.

The paint scheme design was a collaboration effort between my wife Terri and Matthew Sample matthewsample2 at gmail.com. Matthew provided the much needed computer design skills necessary to create this unique paint scheme. The aircraft was painted by Joe Dinolfo of Hawk Aircraft Painting in Tampa, FL. Joe was a great guy to work with throughout the entire paint process. His team really brought this airplane to life.

Like most of us, I feel there is little chance of completing something this big without the support and encouragement of my family and especially my wife Terri. We are now looking forward to flying to a lot of great places and meeting new people in the process.

Nice Six C&T,
Curious....0-320/Hartzell? Empty weight? Performance so far?
Stop by the Swamp (FD33) anytime or knock some of the dust off my hangar roof...

Congrats!
Smokey
 
Another 6 flys!

Here are a couple photos of my 6. Built by Kevin Horn at W & C Aircraft. Started in approx 1990 (serial 20621) flew first flight in January 2014. O-320 with Sensenich weighs 1041. Now halfway thru phase 1 and loving it.

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Good looking airplane

Good looking airplane, Kevin. Hopefully it gives you many years of joy.

I'm the guy that purchased your 496.


Here are a couple photos of my 6. Built by Kevin Horn at W & C Aircraft. Started in approx 1990 (serial 20621) flew first flight in January 2014. O-320 with Sensenich weighs 1041. Now halfway thru phase 1 and loving it.
Jake Thiessen
 
Mike,

Thanks for the welcome, and to the others for the compliments. Credit is due Kevin Horn who built the plane. He is a true craftsman and I feel like I'm dating his daughter when I fly it.

It has been a tough winter around here and the guys at W & C who have put up with me have got to be glad to see it flying and me out of their hair...at least while I'm out flying. I recommend them highly to anyone seeking build assistance. They have shown patience, skill, humor....lots of humor...Just good RV guys.
 
New to Me RV-6

Purchased back in October as a flying 6 but found out in Dec that the engine needed a full overhaul. In process of overhauling the O-360-A1A. Hope to be flying again by May 2014. Panel is plain jane steam gauges
IMG-20131103-007722.jpg
 
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Welcome

Welcome to the RV family Don, but wondering how you fight such a natural tendency to bling up your panel, why would you deny yourself such a natural tendency as that. Maybe all that Piper time you have that has not quite worn off yet. HA.. best of luck with you RV6 I know you will enjoy it.

Tod
N359HW
 
Oh No!

Don - too bad to hear about your need for an overhaul. May I ask what prompted it and if the seller had anything to say about it? I have been looking at a flying RV-6 and hearing your story gives me pause.
 
After 18 years, an Airworthiness Certificate!

Last Thursday evening, May 29, Matt Tomsheck, of the CLE FAA MIDO office, came to my hangar and conducted a public inspection of my RV-6. He was open to hosting a quasi-EAA Chapter meeting and let other builders see how he conducts an aircraft inspection. We had about twenty people attend the inspection and everyone got something out of the evening.

I began the construction of this project in March, 1996, and while my two sons were growing up, I coached approximately twenty-five of their sports teams. So after the initial building spurt, I quickly slowed and did not make fast progress each year until the boys were out of school. Many thanks to Dave Ross, RV-4 builder and this year's recipient of EAA's Tony Bingelis Award, for being very patient with me, allowing me to rent space at his farm for twelve years and work on the project. Dave was also a great instructor, showing how to use tools and look at problems from different perspectives to arrive at a solution.

I moved the project a little closer to home to Jeff Paden's shop six years ago and my construction time really took off! Jeff has built a Lancair IVP and a Titan T-51 Mustang. Jeff was my fiberglass guru and gave me a great deal of confidence in working with the 'dark side' material.

It has been great to surround myself with guys like Dave and Jeff, as well as many other Chapter members willing to give their time to my project. I conducted the first flight two days later, May 31! Photos to come.

Now I can say: "Keep bucking those rivets!"

 
Congratulations Gary! As many have said here, it's not money or talent that gets these airplanes built...it's perseverance!

(But having lots of money sure does help... :D )
 
Congratulations Gary! Welcome to the VSB club. (Very Slow Build....to borrow from Gil Alexander's signature :) )
 
Last Thursday evening, May 29, Matt Tomsheck, of the CLE FAA MIDO office, came to my hangar and conducted a public inspection of my RV-6. He was open to hosting a quasi-EAA Chapter meeting and let other builders see how he conducts an aircraft inspection. We had about twenty people attend the inspection and everyone got something out of the evening.

I began the construction of this project in March, 1996, and while my two sons were growing up, I coached approximately twenty-five of their sports teams. So after the initial building spurt, I quickly slowed and did not make fast progress each year until the boys were out of school. Many thanks to Dave Ross, RV-4 builder and this year's recipient of EAA's Tony Bingelis Award, for being very patient with me, allowing me to rent space at his farm for twelve years and work on the project. Dave was also a great instructor, showing how to use tools and look at problems from different perspectives to arrive at a solution.

I moved the project a little closer to home to Jeff Paden's shop six years ago and my construction time really took off! Jeff has built a Lancair IVP and a Titan T-51 Mustang. Jeff was my fiberglass guru and gave me a great deal of confidence in working with the 'dark side' material.

It has been great to surround myself with guys like Dave and Jeff, as well as many other Chapter members willing to give their time to my project. I conducted the first flight two days later, May 31! Photos to come.

Now I can say: "Keep bucking those rivets!"

Congratulations....Be sure to stop by the Home Builder HQ if you are going to OSH - there is a perseverance award waiting for you -- you deserve it. Hope to see ya there.
 
Gary's RV6

Hey I know those guys! Gary thanks for the kind words and it was a pleasure having you build in our shop. Great looking airplane and can't wait for it to come home for a landing at Ross International. Nice of you and Matt to share the inspection experience.
 
Baker's RV-6 Prom Shot!

Here is my RV-6, just before its first flight Saturday, May 31, 2014. Thanks to my daughter-in-law, Amy, for taking a great shot!

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words!

 
-6A Tiger got airborne

After 14 months of construction and a few weeks for the design, the tiger got airborne:)

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more pictures: Tiger

Tiger is equipped with:
IO-360, dual Pmag, AFM fuel injection
WhirlWind GA200 prop
EXP2 bus load center (modified to my needs)
MGL Odyssey EFIS with remote Garrecht XPNDR, 2 axis AP and remote FLARM (collision avoidance)
TRIG Radio
Classic Aero Interior
Schemedesigners outfit
Empty weight: 1056 lbs


Thanks to VAF:D
 
Congratulations !! also for that very unique and outstanding design (or shall I say brave?). Anyhow, I just can't wait to jump into and go for a safari ride :D
 
Congratulations here as well. Job well done. I am still very impressed by the 14 month building time.
And of course I'am happy that a tiger looks after my -10 now in the hangar ;-)

Cheers
Michael
 
I like it

Tiger paint jobs are cool and the design you have is so clean and crisp. I hope to see this in person some day. Maybe we can park next to each other.
Great looking plane. Congratulations.
Pat Garboden
Katy, TX
RV9A. N942PT
 
C-FSPB Flies!

It's still in bare aluminum, but we were very excited to see our new RV-6 take to the air on 09 Aug 2014.

It has a Mattituck IO-320 engine with Hartzell constant speed prop and LightSpeed electronic ignition. The panel is dual 7" Skyview with an IFR Garmin stack.

The airplane was everything we had hoped for, and we anticipate many adventures to come.

IMG_0891_zps7a795cf9.jpg
 
Got any more photos? I like what you did with the back windows.

Jim Bower
RV-6A tipup...flying since 2011

Thanks for the kinds words guys. I acquired the project from another builder a few years ago, and the square back windows were his idea. It's different, but I'm not sure it adds anything to either field of view or aesthetics, frankly. Another view, as requested.

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We're planning a paint scheme of overall red with gold and black vinyl detailing.
 
First flight RV6A N763RV at Boone, IA. QB tipup started 11-2008 working out of WC Aircraft in Boone where the tips from the pros help a lot. Flies hands off. 174kts tas at 9500.' Whirlwind 74RV prop and field overhauled 0-360 converted to fuel injection with airflow performance kit. Still some avionics and adsb issues to wrangle with.





 
Another new RV-6 flying

Friday 13th March, 11.45 am and G-DCOE leaves the ground for the first time.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/115470196@N06/16815566555/

Day 2 of testing, 2400 rpm / 1000' level with about 10mph tailwind

http://www.flickr.com/photos/115470196@N06/16629517979/

Fitted the spats for day 2 of flight testing

http://www.flickr.com/photos/115470196@N06/16608352917/

Another view

http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/115470196@N06/16629540699/

Interior & canopy detail

http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/115470196@N06/16195729003/

RV GRIN :D

http://www.flickr.com/photos/115470196@N06/16629449459/in/photostream/

(I'd done the whole project without ever having a pilot OR passenger flight in ANY type of RV ... Ever !. this was on the basis that if they were rubbish I'd never find the motivation to finish mine ..... I think the last photo answers this one :D)
 
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