RV-3 Scratchbuilders?

Are there any -3 scratchbuilders out there? I'm doing it for the sheer fun of it, and plan only to buy the LG and canopy. It's a lot of fun to build it the way Van designed it; no mods for me, and I plan on a 180 Lyc, FP, just a starter.

Does scratch mean from plans ?

Hi Andrew,
I have visions of an RV1 project using 3B wings but the rest tube and fabric like my Parrakeet. I have some machine tools if you get in a corner.

Regarding the engine, as I understand it, the RV-3B cruises at very close to the never-exceed speed with the 160 hp engine. A larger one will make that more difficult.

Dave

Larry, I'll keep the offer of machine tool use in mind...thanks! The Rv-1 project you describe sounds cool.

David, I'd be using a high-end climb prop. I live at 5000 feet, and would like to preserve the ROC above all else. DOn't have anywhere I really want to go, anyhow!

I'm also at 5k feet, and plan to use a constant speed prop with my O-320 (160 hp). From what I've read, the rate of climb ought to be adequate on a hot day, and with the prop, the cruise ought to be decent as well.

Andy Hill has managed to keep his RV-3B very, very light, as he reported recently here - see post 154. That ought to help the ROC considerably.

What I'm most concerned with isn't ROC, it's being able to come down without shock-cooling the engine or exceeding redline speed. The airport is fairly close to the mountains and it won't be unusual to be well above 13k and need to descend steeply.

Dave

Hmmm, point taken David. Thanks.

Just a datapoint for you Andrew - our admittedly heavy -3 (full IFR) with a 160 HP IO-360 and constant speed prop will do 191 knots True at sea level, wide open. That is 8 knots over airframe redline......

I personally wouldn't do a 180 without modifying the tail to add balance of some kind.

Scratch Build

Andrew,

I purchased an orphaned RV-3 wing and tail kit and am scratch building the fuselage. Cut plywood patterns on band saw, used a nibbler to cut sheet metal parts and formed sheet metal around plywood patterns. Just started bucking rivets on fuselage. Going to keep avionics simple, a fuselage fuel tank, and engine hp below 150. Due to time limits my build is very slow.

Used Mig Welder to fabricate most of the weldments.

Drilling center section and spar double plate was a little tricky.

To order gear legs I had to register the kit with Vans. They would not sell gear legs without a kit serial number. Cynthia, a very nice lady who handles kit registration helped me with paper work to acquire serial number.