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New [old] RV-3 Owner

RWoodard

Well Known Member
Benefactor
I’m proud to announce that as of earlier this week I am the proud owner of a beautiful RV-3. Chuck Brietigam graciously agreed to let me purchase his baby. I’m convinced this plane has got to be in the top 10 list of best RV-3’s in existence.

For those of you who don’t know Chuck, he is one of the finest people I’ve ever met and is an exceptionally talented builder. While I’m thrilled to own his RV-3, making his acquaintance and now considering him among my friends is the highlight of my purchase.

I’m an Airbus guy by day, so my plan is to turn the plane into my personal Airbus. It’ll be a winter project and I’ll hope to assemble as much as I can on the bench so as to minimize downtime.

I still have my Midget Mustang as of this writing, but I have a person who is interested in buying it as soon as I can repair the paint after some cowling modifications and paint the new RV-8 wheel fairings and brackets. That darned fiberglass sanding, filling, etc. goes on forever and makes a HUGE mess. My hangar is an absolute wreck.

So for right now, my Midget Mustang has a new step-brother.

Happy to be an RV owner again.

Thanks, Chuck, for building a fantastic airplane and for being such a nice guy.

Rod

justlanded
 
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I just left Chucks hangar. He still has has beautiful extended and widened 6+. It was weird not seeing the red 3, but Chuck said it was going to a nice guy.

Rod - Im sure you will enjoy your new 3. It is as good as any RV has ever built. You are right about Chuck too. One of the best guys I have ever known.

Have fun!
 
Rodney congratulations! Well, we need to get connected and go for a breakfast run we spoke the other day. Two ships. Will be passing your territory around Labor Day :D
 
I've been having a lot of fun with Chuck's airplane over the last few days. Unfortunately, work gets in the way every so often and I've got a few projects that have been pressing as well.

I'm doing my best to spend my "off" time finishing up a few fiberglass pieces on my Midget Mustang. Problem is that I don't dare get too dirty while I'm on call for work. I'm sneaking in a little RV3 time during those times when I might have a few minutes, but need to stay relatively non-smelly and non-fiberglass-encrusted in case I have to go to work.

I started my day at work yesterday at 2:30am. I was finished with work and ready for bed by mid afternoon, but didn't want to get my days and nights turned around, so I was looking for relatively brainless things to do just to keep myself awake! I ended up washing the 3. For the next few weeks, the 3 will be living with his cousin, a really nice Giles 200. They seem to enjoy each other's company.

cousins


I was on call today until 6:30pm. Crew Scheduling must've misplaced my phone number, so I managed to polish the right wing without getting too sweaty while waiting for my phone to ring. The RV3 had a bit of clear overspray over the entire airframe. I use a Cycle polisher and Meguires products so I started with a fine cut polish, but ended up needing the heavier polish to cut through the overspray. It made a HUGE difference. I bet the right wing will be 10knots faster than the left one if I get to fly tomorrow!

rtwing


I bailed on the RV-3 at about 6pm and resumed the seemingly never-ending process of sanding, filling, sanding, filling, etc. on the Midget Mustang. The good news is that I'm very near the point of spraying the high build primer which *should* signal the end of the really miserable, itchy work. I had planned on finish painting the pieces myself, but I think I'm going to just drop them off at the paint shop to free up a little of my time. I can paint OK, but I'm very slow. The pros can accomplish the same amount of work in about 1/10th the time. The age old trade-off between $$$ and time!
 
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