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WingsOnWheels

Well Known Member
I am starting this thread since we don't have one already for the -6. I would really like to see what stage other builders are at. There are all of 3-4 active RV-6 builders using Kitlog, so not a lot of reference material.

This thread may also act as a list of builders that can provide guidance to those coming after them. If you just completed a particular stage of the build, you are in a good position to provide advice to someone starting that stage.

Hopefully one of the Mods will see fit to make this a sticky.


To Kick things off:

I am currently working on the fuselage kit. I recently finished (well, mostly finished) riveting the left tailcone skin on and just yesterday started on the right side. All the fuselage skins have been fitted and drilled and most of the countersinking / dimpling of the structure is complete. Once I get these tailcone skins riveted, I just need to fit / drill the rudder pedal assembly and then I can rivet the side skins.

Left tailcone skin riveted (except the radius and overlap joints)

FP22082010A0004F.jpg


Right and bottom skins clecoed in place so I could mark the bottom skin for final triming of the aft edge. I had a slight misallignment of the skin (didn't have it strapped tight enough when drilled) causing a gap at the aft corner radius. I corrected the gap by straping and drilling out to #30. This worked just fine and still left me with ample egde distance. These are all dimpled for -4 rivets, not "oops" rivets.
FP22082010A0004J.jpg
 
RV6A Build Progress

G'day Colin,

I inherited a 6A which had the majority of riveting complete. Build quality was very good too. I've just sent my engine out to the AP for build so I should be hanging it in about six weeks time. Meanwhile, the panel is mostly complete and I'm just starting on the electrics (using a VP-X to make it simple). Upholstering will happen next week with a visit to the auto trimmer. finish will be basic cow. My website http://tecnet.com.au shows progress. If you look at the panel (under Images) you will not see a radio. It is mounted in front out of sight and is remote controlled from the EFIS. Special prize for figuring what movie is showing...
 
John,

The project is looking great! I like the finish on the panel. Is that an overlay or real CF? I can hardly fathom a guess at the movie, it reminds me of Harts War or Air America.

I was down in your neck of the woods this time last year (well, to the north at least). That is a beautiful country you have there.
 
Thanks

The panel was originally cut for steam gauges and the Vans map box. Being a cheapskate, I got a sheet of 0.025" carbon fibre from DragonPlate in the US to cover the panel instead of getting another panel. The CF can be moulded to simple curves with a heat gun if you are careful. It is held down with good quality contact adhesive.

Re: The movie; think Steve McQueen...

Thanks for the good rap on our country. I can't think of a nicer place to live myself (and only one hill to run into @ 7,310 odd feet!).
 
G'day Colin,

I inherited a 6A which had the majority of riveting complete. Build quality was very good too. I've just sent my engine out to the AP for build so I should be hanging it in about six weeks time. Meanwhile, the panel is mostly complete and I'm just starting on the electrics (using a VP-X to make it simple). Upholstering will happen next week with a visit to the auto trimmer. finish will be basic cow. My website http://tecnet.com.au shows progress. If you look at the panel (under Images) you will not see a radio. It is mounted in front out of sight and is remote controlled from the EFIS. Special prize for figuring what movie is showing...

The Movie is ..... THE GREAT ESCAPE! ...................:D
 
Free Beer

The Movie is ..... THE GREAT ESCAPE! ...................:D

Congratulations! Several free beers (not Fosters which tastes like Bud) will be available on the bar at the Royal Mail Hotel, Spencer Street, Melbourne for you to imbibe.:eek:

Cheers.
 
Colin, I have one of the (if not THE) longest-running -6A project in the St. Louis area. Life does tend to get in the way. Anyhow, I'm pretty much done with the build. The RV is at my local airport sitting in our chapter hangar, waiting on the hot weather and some family issues to moderate. I'll be glad to help wherever I can.

Jim Bower
 
This thread is a great idea, Colin! I will post pictures of my progress as soon as I can figure out how.
 
fuselageconstruction5.jpg
This is my first time trying to post pictures so I apologize up front if it's a disaster. My -6 wings and tail are both basically finished. I'm currently skinning the fuselage. Colin and I started our fuselages at about the same time and he's much further along than I am. I have a list of excuses that I won't share at this time.
 
Dave...a quick lesson.

Go to www.photobucket.com, or any other host.

Post the picture there from "My pictures", or wherever you have them.

Click on the posted picture and you'll see 4 options. Click on "Direct link" and copy that.

Then click on this page and click on the little yellow picture with the mountains and paste there, just be sure there is not two http:/on the left side of the little box. I usually have to delete the one that shows when you click on the yellow box.

Best,
 
You almost had it! Minor formatting problem. You had http:// in twice. Hit the quote button on your original post, then back up and do the same for this post, and take a look at the difference.

fuselageconstruction5.jpg
This is my first time trying to post pictures so I apologize up front if it's a disaster. My -6 wings and tail are both basically finished. I'm currently skinning the fuselage. Colin and I started our fuselages at about the same time and he's much further along than I am. I have a list of excuses that I won't share at this time.
 
It looks like everyone is making great progress on their projects!

I was out of town the last couple of weeks, but before I left I was able to rivet both the tailcone side skins in place.

FP27082010A0001Y.jpg


I spent today finishing up fitting the rudder pedal weldment and drilling my various holes for future adjustment. I then prepped the right cabin side skin and plan to start riveting tomorrow. However, I was thinking about fitting the baggage floor and seat-pans before riviting the side skins on. I'm not sure if that would make it any easier though.

cimg4517g.jpg


By the way, if you are using the Kitlog website for your project you can direct-link pictures from your log onto the forum. Just open your builder site, right-click on the picture and select "properties". Copy the URL listed under "Address" and paste it into the dialog box here on the forum that pops-up when you hit the "insert image" button.
 
My RV-6...The Beginnings

Hi. I've been looking forward to building an RV since I first saw Van show up at Oshkosh with the prototype RV-4 while I was still in high school. That was a few decades ago. Well, it's now or never. This summer I found an RV-6 project from an AME (that's Canadian for "A&P) in British Columbia. The price was right and the workmanship was spectacular. It consists of an essentially completed airframe that I can customize. Status report:

First "minor" step was to truck it home from BC. That's about 3000 km via UHaul:

IMG00635-20100818-0802.jpg


5 days on the road and it survived the trip without a scratch. I was numb in places, but I'll survive.

Next step: Claim the garage henceforth from such frivolous uses as parking cars:

IMG00701-20101031-1508.jpg


Step 3: Unpack airplane...

IMG00702-20101031-1509.jpg


That's as far as I have progressed to date. The purchase was on short notice, so I'm sort of building the workshop around the project. Let's hear it for doing things backwards. My mechanical skills are starting at absolute zero, so I have some homework to do. How "zero"? My friend Eric showed up to help unload the airplane, and he asked me how much clearance there was for an RV-6 in the garage when I measured it. Measure it? By dumb luck, the fuselage fit - diagonally - with 6 inches to spare. (I'm thinking, not too seriously, of punching a hole in the garage wall and backing the tailwheel into the downstairs bathroom...)

Yes, it's a single car garage, and space will be very tight. Others have done it, so I figure I can too. The garage will be limited to hanging an engine and wiring/plumbing, because of course there is no space to assemble wings or empennage. I would be very interested to hear the stories of others who have worked in a small shop.

Thanks for reading,

Rob

P.S. First post with pics. Apologies if it blows up.
 
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The first time that N56KT has rolled out of the hanger on her own three tires. Installing hartzell hub with blades cut off to use while fitting the cowling to get the spacing right.

IMG_3361r.jpg
 
Hey, that's MY airplane! Just kidding.Your "rollout" brings back some memories. Leaving the fuel tanks and upper skin off made it much easier to wire stuff behind the instrument panel and do everything else I could possibly do before permanently attaching that upper skin. When I got to the point I wanted to fire the engine up, I just 100% cleco'ed that upper skin into place. Not one cleco popped out during the series of engine runs. Also having that upper skin on and off at will made cowl work much easier, which to me was the most challenging task on the whole airplane. You do something on one side of the cowl and something else happens on the other side of it. I don't know about you but I find working entirely alone does tend to complicate things sometimes.

Looks like you Akzo'ed it too....the best. :) Very tough stuff. I use MEK to clean it when I have to, it ain't goin nowhere. My 2000 vintage -6A has the battery installed per plans on the cockpit floor between the rudder pedals. The Odyssey was not yet available. It would be nice to have the extra foot room your firewall mounted battery makes possible.

Looking good. 75% done 25% to go. :p:D
 
Thanks Rick and Colin.
I sure hope I dont have 25% to go as its been 11 years and not finished yet! Buying a flying RV-4 and then marrying a woman with another RV sure put a stop to my building plans! It has a Vertical Power box and a Pro-hub installed so wiring is really simplified. Canopy is done except for rear skin cover. Once the cowling is done, its mostly assembly of the parts to get everything ready to go or I may be fooling myself!
 
I recently rolled my RV out of the shop also. However, my event was certainly not the same milestone - just fitting the gear.

FP04122010A000ZU.jpg


FP04122010A000ZV.jpg


Since then I have skipped ahead a bit. Rather than close up the bottom and roll the fuselage I started working on the interior. I have all the floor panels fitted and drilled, nutplates installed and the flap actuator, housing, and weldment fitted. When I roll the fuselage my interior panels will be quite close to completion. I did this because I would rather work over my head sittin on my roller-chair than leaning over the side of the plane tearing up my lower back.

FP21112010A0003V.jpg
 
A major milestone today!

My fuselage finally went from this:

cimg4807l.jpg


To This:

cimg4810.jpg


cimg4809k.jpg


I built a new stand for the fuselage to replace the assembly fixture. The beams on the stand are much more narrow so it doesn't get in the way at all. There are supports at the firewall, the spar carrythrough and F-608. I still need to fit the padding for the sides of the fuselage at F-608, but I'm just glad to have this thing right side up.

cimg4806.jpg
 
Beautiful, John..

....and as I said earlier....Experimental Aviation is raising the bar for the certified crowd!

Best,
 
Beautiful. I have to ask...do you have a better picture of the center of your panel? Specifically (CB/push buttons?) above the throttle/mixture. Info on those would be great.

Carlos,

The switches are DPDT with a separate circuit for the LED ring. LED can be lit for either switch on or off. These switches are only rated at 3A@250V but that isn't a problem here because they are connected to a VP-X so only grounding a circuit to earth for the VP-X. The issue with that is I needed a separate power supply for the LED rings. Not a big deal with the VP-X though. The switches are IP67 rated.

If interested, the three knobs on the sub-panel control, via-RC servos, the heater and baggage area vents (which the boss wanted installed for the dog's pleasure). The third knob is the panel dimmer. The vents are the small rectangular RV10 rear vents.

7cb1ae05.jpg
 
Carlos,

The switches are DPDT with a separate circuit for the LED ring. LED can be lit for either switch on or off. These switches are only rated at 3A@250V but that isn't a problem here because they are connected to a VP-X so only grounding a circuit to earth for the VP-X. The issue with that is I needed a separate power supply for the LED rings. Not a big deal with the VP-X though. The switches are IP67 rated.

If interested, the three knobs on the sub-panel control, via-RC servos, the heater and baggage area vents (which the boss wanted installed for the dog's pleasure). The third knob is the panel dimmer. The vents are the small rectangular RV10 rear vents.


What's the vendor and part number for your switch?

thanks,

bob
 
Very Cool Switches!

:cool: Very Cool switches! :cool:

If I use the VPX or some form of it, then I'll be a big old copy cat and use the very same switches.

Thanks for your post!

Steve Wolfe
 
Another fuselage flipped!!

Finally!! Got my fuselage flipped today. It took almost a year to build (built the fixture 6/5/10) Spent most of the last month recruiting bucking bar holders. Thanks to Wilson Whitt and Glenn Chapman. Still would be scratching my head staring at it if it weren't for them.
032.jpg
 
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Congrats and welcome to the RV-6 club

-- Another fuselage flipped!!
Finally!! Got my fuselage flipped today. It took almost a year to build (built the fixture 6/5/10) Spent most of the last month recruiting bucking bar holders. Thanks to Wilson Whitt and Glenn Chapman. Still would be scratching my head staring at it if it weren't for them.

Good looking canoe there. Congratulations on the milestone. There are not a lot of RV-6/6A builders these days. As a QB builder, I'm cheating, but it's still a bit more difficult IMHO than the later, better documented models with factory punched holes. The pre-punch is a HUGE step and time saver. And many of my frustrations are about the location of holes.

There are now NINE on the www.mykitlog.com sight for KitLogPro and I hope you are either there or will join us in the 'club'.
 
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First Engine Start RV-6

Ok, so I have been a bit remiss in posting my project status.....

Moved to airport for final assembly several months ago....

Wednesday, 7 Sept. 2011. After 10 years in the shipping box, 2 years in my garage on the airframe and about 6 months at the airport, my engine started before the second blade came around..... YEAH!!!

First engine start video: (lousy camera but you will get the idea)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6NHr8Y8LUk

Can't be long now......

9aptnm.jpg
 
As of November 16 2011

Been trying to get 40 hrs a month in, and some months I do!

Here is where I am.

Tail Done up to Full Paint, including Fairings.
Wings Done to Full Paint, including Flaps and Ailerons, Tips primed.
Fuselage fitting last skin F670R, then will prime and rivet canoe.
MT 3 blade Aerobatic Prop and Governor purchased.
Flipped the canoe 1-2-2011
Rudder pedal frames in with cables and exit fairings.

All the structure and skin forward of the Inst panel, fit and ready when that comes time. I am fitting the roll bar and associated items currently.
 
Progress? or Progress!

It has been since 2000 that the quick build kit arrived. Quickbuild may be a misnomer. Labor was not included in the kit and with a move, a retirement, a reemployment, another retirement etc, etc, I find myself at the end of 2011 with the kit still moving along, but certainly not done. I will post some pictures soon.
The fuselage is mostly (what does that mean) done with the panel installed and the interior having been in once. The engine is on and I am installing an SJ cowl at the moment. Wings still need to be tackled.
It has been a blast with many friends giving advice. I think I am at the point where I would like to see it done so the avionics still have parts support when I do the first flight.
By the way, Aerotronics did an amazing job on the panel and the vendor support throughout has keep me encouraged and moving forward.:)
 
Status of my -6

I purchased a RV-6 kit (#25632) last summer in South Carolina and shipped it over the Ocean to Europe. Than moved in my cellar workshop.
Now it will be finished in South Germany, near the Swiss border.
150 hours since September, tanks are in process (I have black fingers since 2 weeks...)
I sold my half Mooney 201 last year and I´m happy to own such a crazy aircraft.
RV-Karsten

RV-Karsten
 
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Germany

Hi,

I only read the first line in your post about buying from South Carolina before looking at your photos.

When I looked at them my first thought when seeing the houses was that it looked like Germany. So of course I returned to your post and it is Germany.

I wonder how many countries its possible to identify from the style of housing?

Good luck with your build.
 
I haven't posted an update in a while. Between paying work and the birth of my daughter, progress has been a little slow (or slower than normal..haha)

I did finally buy an engine, so I am very happy about that. I picked it up last week (in the rain). I wrapped that thing with a lot of plastic, made the two-hour trip home dry as a bone.

FP12032012A0002F.jpg


FP12032012A0002G.jpg
 
Both Wings Done!!

DSCN1455.jpg

DSCN1453.jpg

My grandson, Ethan, helped buck and was actually better with the rivet gun than me--so I bucked for him. Working in the shop, on an RV, with my grandson, has to be among of the best times ever.
 
Fatso at the Airport

VH-VNS arrived at Mangalore, Central victoria, Australia a couple of weeks ago. Wings fitted, paint and decals done, apologies to QANTAS. I fitted the new invisible wingtips but I'm two minds about them. Had the EFIS and transponder tested and the EFIS static was exact up to 10,000' then showed a error increasing up to 5' at 18,000'. Pitot was exact to VNE 183kts. I can live with that. It's an MGL Odyssey by the way.

DSCF0005.JPG


John Bridges
RV6A
Victoria, Australia
 
I received the the rest of my panel from the machine shop. The parts came out great! I fitted the panel section to the subframe and only had to do a very small amount of filing to get a good fit. The panel is water-jet cut, so that leaves and edge about the same as Vans stamped parts, so deburring and smoothing is required. The panel and sub-frame are made of 0.062 6061-T6.

The panel is made up of three main sections. The pilot sub-panel, passenger sub-panel and the stack. The engine controls are attached to the subframe so I can remove the pilot or passenger sub-panel without pulling the radio stack of the engine controls. The mapbox is a tight fit and clears the canopy deck and forward ribs by a hair. I have the panel CAD files if anyone wants them. I used e-machine shop to design the panel so let me know if you want the .dwg or the e-machine shop file. I also have the custout drawings for a number of instruments (use at your own risk..haha).

I stuck a few instruments in just for fun. Everything dropped in place. I still have more work to do making the supports for the panel, but it is pretty close.



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Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I also had the machine shop cut this fuel selector plate for me. I just put some blue tape behind it for now, but will probably paint red in the plate below so the red shows through the lettering.



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Of course the biggest change to the build came about 4 months ago. Things on the RV have slowed down, but life sure has sped up!


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Thanks Colin. Folks on this website have been a great help. Best wishes to you and all the builders and flyers in this community.

John
 
Hello All. I am somewhat embarrassed to say it but I have been trying to get this project done since sometime in the late '90's. Too long ago now to remember exactly when I started.
But anyway-tail is complete and wings are about 90% complete-just trying to finish up sealing the tanks and put that part of the project to bed for a while. Fuselage is sitting on the shelf on hold until wings are completed. Anxious to get going again as I am not getting any younger and life is allowing me the luxury of a little more free time now that we are Empty Nesters and all that stuff. Although I can see how the new Grandkids could be a bit of a distraction going forward! :) Good to see some folks still doing the same thing. Have used the RV-List extensively in the past but don't see much recent activity related to building like there used to be in the "old days"! Newer kits must be much simpler than they used to be!
 
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