First flight N722DW

Hi gang:

Well after 4 1/5 years and 2500+ hours, I made the first flight on my new RV-7 last Friday out of Lake Elmo, MN.

Weather was a little marginal in the morning with snow showers floating around so we waited until about noon. Still a little gusty with about 15-20 knots down the runway. This made for a VERY short takeoff roll (like less than 4 seconds). Horsepower and a Hartzell prop can't be beat. Chase plane flown by Tom Berge and photos by Peter Fruehling.

This is my second (and last!) project after finishing an RV-4 in 2003 (now N160NS and living near Baltimore). Details of 722DW:

Aerosport IO-375-B1B - Precision fuel injection
Dual Lightspeed electronic ignition
Advanced Flight Systems 4500 and 3500
Garmin 430W, SL30, XP and audio panel
XM weather
Tru Trak Digiflight IIVGS with VNAV and autotrim
Classic Aero interior (new Sportsman 2 side panels)

Can't believe it flew perfectly in trim. All of my mistakes cancelled themselves out!!! Paint will be coming this summer.




Classic Aero Sportsman 2 interior







On Saturday, I met the other two RV-7s in the area at Eau Claire, WI (me, Peter Fruehling and Vince Bastiani)




Here's a video of the first flight:


http://youtu.be/rmOb5uGFTf4

Nice

Love those first flight videos! Looks like she wanted to stay aloft and didn't want to land You have a capable machine on the instruments Doug. Happy Phase One!

Awesome! And what a beautiful bird.

Hopefully, I'll only be a few years behind you.

Russ

Nice

Nice job Doug! Congrats on your first flight!

Congratulations Doug! She's a nice looking bird...but judging by the job you did on your 4, that isn't a big surprise. My how time flies...doesn't seem that long since I was hovering around your 4 with my camera at LOE 2006 and asking you every question I could think of. Best of luck with Phase 1. Can't wait to see the paint job.

congrats Doug...

Aluminum magic

Congratulations, a thing of beauty! awesome airplane. Very inspiring to finish my RV-7 and go flying.

Very nice Doug! Last huh....? We'll see. Repeat offenders are crack addicts. A few years and here comes an 8 or a 10...

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good job

Nice looking interior you have there.

Congratulations Doug! That 20 knot wind down the runway explains the long wait for her to touch down. Great job!!

Fantastic liftoff..... great handling on that crosswind!

Inspiring.. My rv7 is at the wings stage and this is so inspiring to see, and that you built two.... WOW. I bet your heart was in your mouth on that liftoff eh? I mean i was trying to figure the liftoff distance there and thought it couldnt have been more than 300 feet .... oh man I am going to pound rivets and NOW!! congrats

Congrats. Very inspiring. I'm almost there myself.

Congratulation! Looks great! I am way jealous!

Congratulations Doug! Looks like a beauty. Give Vince a belated congrats from me, as well.

Congratulations Doug, Great video and nice job landing... IO375 did not take much to get airborne... ZOOM maybe 300 feet maybe less.

Hope to be there in the future.....

Smilin' Jack

congrats! Looks like a great aircraft. Have fun

1st flight

Congradulations Doug. I like your panel and your plane too...

Have fun with, "Phase One."

Beautiful job

Good going Doug! Enjoy!