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Productive weekend!

I finally got a chance to spend some quality time with the project
last weekend. Here are the results!

From this!
fuse1.jpg



To this!
fuse2.jpg
 
Nice! I'm hoping to get there myself this weekend - I've got 3 days all to myself, and finished my wings last night. I've got all the bulkheads built and I'm at the point of assembling into larger pieces.
 
It goes pretty fast!

airguy said:
Nice! I'm hoping to get there myself this weekend - I've got 3 days all to myself, and finished my wings last night. I've got all the bulkheads built and I'm at the point of assembling into larger pieces.
Click to expand...

It goes pretty fast Greg, I solo bucked every rivet no problem. The last 2 bulkheads were a real pain to get in and aligned. I just thought the tanks and leading edges were a pain:(
Good luck with the quiet time this weekend!!!
 
Don Jones said:
It goes pretty fast Greg, I solo bucked every rivet no problem...
Click to expand...

Don,

When you get the floor pan there are some rivets in the middle that you can't buck yourself, unless you have VERY long arms. The same goes for dimpling. I had to use my pop-rivet dimple dies on the holes in the very middle of the skin as it was just too big for my C-frame.

On the positive side, you can stand the center section up on end to simplify the riveting.


Keep pounding, you are making good progress!
 
Thanks for the tip

N941WR said:
Don,

When you get the floor pan there are some rivets in the middle that you can't buck yourself, unless you have VERY long arms. The same goes for dimpling. I had to use my pop-rivet dimple dies on the holes in the very middle of the skin as it was just too big for my C-frame.

On the positive side, you can stand the center section up on end to simplify the riveting.


Keep pounding, you are making good progress!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip Bill, not sure I would have thought of that. Guess I will have to call the resident assistant out to the shop for the hard to reach ones.:)
 
Hey Don - it's hard to see from your photos - the bottom 4 J-stringers on the rear fuse section, are they notched on BOTH ends to go under tabs in the 712 and 706 bulkheads? The instructions show only the rear ends of the stringers getting notched, and that's all I've done so far - but the 706 bulkhead sure looks like those tabs are meant to have the J-stringer notched and run under them, and the stringers are too long (by just about the required amount) to allow me to assemble the 711/712 bulkeads into place. I'm thinking I need to notch the front end of those stringers as well, can you confirm?

*Update* - after looking at the situation some more, I went ahead and notched the fore end of those J-stringers and now it all goes together just happy-happy. If I find out later I screwed up, all it will cost me is a new set of J-stringers, no major loss.
 
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Yes!

Greg, yes they do get notched and inserted between the bulkhead and the skin. The instructions suck here. The plans show the angle to cut on the stringers, tried one and it fit like ****. Ended up custom cutting every one of them.
 
1000 hours, 10000 rivets!

Recently passed both milestones. Here is my photo entry for the RV-9(A) fuselage club!

P8164501.JPG
 
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N858JK is Airworthy

My DAR, Bobby Thomas from Laurel MD came out to hanger 17, KXSA, at 0800 hours this past Friday. By 1130 hours, RV-9A, N858JK was airworthy! 971 lbs empty weight with an ECI O-320 and a fixed pitch, wooden Sensenich prop. The panel is day VFR with a Dynon FlightDek D180, Garmin 496, SL-30 and GTX 327 stack with a PS Engineering intercom. 3.5 years, 2100 hours of build time. 50 mile radius around KXSA for my Phase 1 testing.

This coming week I am in OR, flying with Mike Seager to put 10 hours of transition training in the log book. Then, after Labor Day, first flight. The light at the end of the tunnel is mighty bright about now!

N858JK

N858JK


Ray
 
Wow! I think that's one of the lightest 9A's I have ever heard of. You sure you didn't forget something big, heavy amd important when you built it? ;) Good luck and I'm sure you will enjoy flying it.
 
Congrats

Ray,

Boy does that look familiar! Good luck with the transition training!

You're going to love this airplane. The flyoff time goes quickly - you'll have 40 hrs logged before you know it. Be sure to post a picture of the grin following your first flight.

Congratulations.
 
I'm iinsanely jealous!

Nothing says "I'm a flyable airplane" more than a flight bag sitting on the wing. Congrats, can't wait to read your 1st flight post!

How about some panel pics?
 
Oh my, it's my kit number day!

Today is my builder number day - 90709 - and I am not finished with my project. I always joked since I started in 2003 that I hope I would be finished before my builder number became the date. Oh well, I am trying to finish up my slider canopy:

75be2213dfda5718a1930f9f06197a256395_IMG_0188.JPG


I think I see some light at the end of the tunnel...
 
Looks great Mike! I'm builder 91398. Since I made the initial Empennage purchase in May of 2006, I have until September 13 of 2098 to finish. I got time!:D
 
Status of late

With the help of the guys at the grass field I got the engine back together. I have been working on the engine on Saturdays and messing with the canopy during the week. Yesterday I brought the engine is back to the garage to await progress on the canopy so I can prefit the flying surfaces and then get her up on her legs.

Engine:



Fuselage:
 
Excellent!

bruceh said:
647512493_9Zro2-M.jpg

Thirteen days from start to finish, working a few hours every day.
Click to expand...

13 days? That was fast. If you keep that speed and order subkits in advance, you finish 90% airframe riveting in 16 months, correction 18 months. Good work Bruce! Tail is the most memorable part of the construction.
 
Making progress again as the divorce proceedings are getting straightened out - should be final in about 6 weeks. Man it feels good to be back in the shop...

Last night I got the aft fuse and center section mated up - it ain't "rolling the canoe" yet, but I'm getting closer!

1002304b.jpg
 
Great stuff Greg... sorry to hear about the other news. we are just going to be starting our wings next week.
 
Smitty,

Well, today I went 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. Seems like everything I did was wrong. Tower cover "Z" angles 8 31/32inches. Let's see 6 inch scale, mark at the six and and 1 and 31/32........... Oh ****!......(out to garage) If you knew what I just did you would be rolling on the floor. This morning I thought I the Z angles were supposed to be 8 31/32, I made mine 7 31/32. I was so pissed thought I made them an inch short. Stormed inside, kicked my dog, ordered new Z angles from Van's. I sat here to give you a relpy and confess that though I am launching ahead of you I made a mistake and you might have the chance to catch up and mid post, I ran out to the shop and realized I made them right. They are supposed to be 7 31/32. I have been pissed all day.

I have to stop working on my project so early in the morning.

Anyway, now I am WAY in the lead. Do you have an engine yet? I expect my finish kit 11/23 and I am going to order my engine on 12/15 from Van's.
 
mikehoover said:
Today is my builder number day - 90709 - and I am not finished with my project. I always joked since I started in 2003 that I hope I would be finished before my builder number became the date. Oh well, I am trying to finish up my slider canopy:

75be2213dfda5718a1930f9f06197a256395_IMG_0188.JPG


I think I see some light at the end of the tunnel...
Click to expand...

I've been following your website for some time, good to see you working full steam ahead.
 
Thanks Smitty,

I am setting up the horizontal right now, getting ready to mount the elevators to it.

I have all the control rods installed also. Once I get the emp connected I can start making airplane noises while I sit in it.

I am considering the Fuse kit complete and now officially working on the "finish".
 
Finish kit is here!

On Friday, I called the trucking company in my home town about the status of my kit and they said
"Oh yeah, it's been here in our warehouse for couple of days now. We should be delivering it by Tuesday next week."
Being the impatient person I am, I said "How about if I come get it myself on Saturday?" Then they said "no prob!".
So I rented a U-Haul and picked up the kit. They were gracious enough to knock 60 bucks off the delivery price.
That payed for the U-Haul truck. Here it is sitting in my garage.
It measures 97 inches by 49 inches, and is 27 inches tall. It weighs 337 lbs.

20091024_01.jpg


Christmas in October!

20091024_03.jpg


Airplane schtuff!

20091024_05.jpg


Pink Pepto!

20091024_06.jpg
 
SWEET! My finish kit is due the week of the 23rd.

Get busy. The first flight is just off in the distance. Seems like my motivation grows stronger the more mine looks like a plane. I hope to have the emp installed be the end of the weekend.
 
Thank-you, Smitty.
I will now have 2 full months available for airplane building. After completing some installation on firewall (i.e.: shunt), I will hang my engine!
My canopy and windscreen are done.
So, maybe 300 hours to go...and then the last 90% :D
I will post some new images shortly...
 
The Fuselage Club is rolling along!

Gonna need one of those two bladed paddles!

PA274778.JPG


The last month has been torture, so close, but so many rivets I can't reach.
 
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Way to go Chip! Looks great. I get your RSS feed to my email so, I was delighted when you updated your blog. I just finished the structural work on my fuse. Now installing wiring and plumbing.
 
RV9A

I don't have any pictures loaded to the computer yet, but I am just about ready to prime the horizontal stab. I've been working at it for about a month and will post some pictures in the coming days.
 
We're almost done fitting the cowling. I've been pretty happy with the fit. It will require some glass work later to make the inlets line up properly, and I'll need to glass in the bumps on the upper cowling for the H2AD's governor and fuel pump mounts.

012.JPG
 
Status as of Friday 11/20/09

Here are a few photos of my progress. Have the flying surfaces on temporarily for alignment. Click on the pictures to see larger view.

My friend Mike (another RV-9A builder) came over two weeks ago and help me fit the wings and set the incidence.


I've been working on fitting the empennage fairing this week.


I put the elevators and rudder on tonight after I finished fitting the empennage fairing on.


Here is a picture of my O-320 that I rebuilt as few months back. I have stored in the shipping crate I got the core in to keep it warm now that the weather is getting colder. I'll probably wait til spring to hang in on the plane.
 
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Show me your, I'll show you mine...

I've been remiss in not posting any pictures of my progress. Finally got the wings on for the first time. I've got about 2' of room to spare in the garage.

091111-2.jpg
 
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Here's where I am at. Pretty much done with the wiring "ruff-in". Sticks are in, lighting and dimmers in, antennas in, waiting for finish kit.



Waiting for my ADAHRS module to arrive next week so I can install it then put the rear top skins on.

w1v3f7.jpg

Parallel angles are for the ADAHRS module.


My panel will be my "cold" days project this winter.
 
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