Several weeks ago, we finally found a decent used compressor on Craigslist, a shiny Craftsman 30-gallon oil-less 120V portable, complete with a regulator and 50 feet of hose. Everything you’ve read about oil-less compressors is true: this thing is excruciatingly loud, deafening, almost maddening. There is simply no way I could tolerate standing next to this thing in the shop. That’s why we keep it in the garage, and feed the air hose through the wall and down into the basement shop, where you hardly notice the sound at all. A very impressive solution on Dad’s part. On the plus side, however, 30 gallons is just about the right tank size to keep the pump motor from running constantly, and only a long bout of drilling or riveting will cause it to start again. The tank fills to about 120psi from empty in under ten minutes.

Dad and I picked up an air line filter and a few 1/4″ fittings from Home Depot, and we were ready to fire up the Sioux air tools. The drill and rivet gun roared to life. For a while we tried using them with an inline oiler, but this tended to get messy and over-oil the tools, especially the drill, which started spitting atomized oil from its air outlet port. I still haven’t decided whether or not to keep this in the system or just put a drop or two in the tools each day.

Once the air system was plumbed and operating, we began work on Van’s RV Training Project practice kit. I’d already built one of these things at the SportAir Workshop I attended in early May, but I thought it would worthwhile to work on another one with my own tools, both to refresh my memory and to get Dad up to speed on the basics.

The big hit during construction of the practice kit was the Cleaveland C-frame dimpler. We used this for both dimpling and backriveting whenever possible. The C-frame backriveting technique is simply foolproof, and we really felt like we knew what we were doing from the very beginning.

We did run into a few snags while working out the kinks of the practice kit, but overall I felt our skills had improved and the finished product, while maybe not completely airworthy, was definitely a step in the right direction. On to the empennage!

Dad and I arrived at Van’s airport headquarters about twenty minutes early for the 9 a.m. tour, and spent that time browsing the little gift shop, skimming some avionics product manuals, and chatting with the two other tour group members, a father-son duo much like ourselves. Right on schedule, Van’s builder support rep Joe Blank emerged from the back room to guide us through the facility.

We began by exploring the parts inventory, with row after row of sturdy steel shelves neatly stacked with Van’s familiar blue-clad aluminum components, all carefully labeled with their part number. Then we moved on to the crating area, where these same components were being meticulously picked and packed into bug-free pine crates for shipping to customers all over the world. Nearby was an array of other neat odds and ends: steel gear legs, wheels, tires, plexiglass canopies, stacks of pink composite cowlings and spinners, and rows of powder-coated control assemblies.

From there we passed through an archway into another warehouse, this one lined with shelves of quickbuild assemblies: a forest of flawless, shiny fuselages propped upright with tails reaching for the rafters, shelves of completed aluminum wings, held on-edge by steel cradles and stacked four rows high to the ceiling, and a wall of crated Lycoming and Rotax engines, each one begging to be ripped open, installed, and zapped to life.

Joe then led us through a closed door and onto the factory floor, the highlight of which was the Trumatic 200 CNC machines. I was mesmerized watching these deafening robot dinosaurs slide, whirr, chop, and punch the raw aluminum sheets into rows of identical parts.

Finally Joe pulled us through another door and into the prototype hangar, the area we had almost forgotten we had come so far to see. Inside were Van’s own RV-7A, RV-8A, RV-9A, and RV-10, all waiting patiently to be unleashed and flown. We took turns trying on the cockpits of the -7 and -8, giddy as teenage girls in a shopping mall. We slammed the control sticks left and right. We wiggled the rudders. We closed the canopies, hunkered down and made buzzing noises when we thought no one was listening.

Then Joe cracked the hangar door, sniffed the cool morning air, squinted at the hazy sky, and made the call: we were going flying.

Since the side-by-side seating offers an equal experience for both pilot and passenger, we chose the -7A for the demo ride. Three of us gazed from the nearby Aurora Jet Center while Joe flew the forth. We took bets on the nimble RV’s rotation point — we all guessed too long.

When my turn came, Joe let me taxi a bit, and I was surprised how easily the plane would turn with rudder and power alone; very little differential braking was required. Joe took over and did a quick runup and another impossibly short takeoff, then handed me the stick on the climbout from runway 35. At pattern altitude, we began a gentle turn to the southeast for some maneuvers. Joe had me leave the power set to 24 squared and we leveled off at 2500 feet. The airspeed needle quickly climbed to the 180-mph mark as I struggled to keep up with the trim switch.

As I got comfortable with the light control forces, I made some easy turns, gradually steepening the bank and loading up the G-meter. Visibility from the bubble canopy was unreal; it was easy to forget you were in an airplane at all — the sensation was closer to a magic carpet than a machine made by man. Joe demanded that I keep my feet on the floor rather than on the pedals during all this maneuvering, the better to demonstrate the RV’s magnificent control harmony. I don’t think the slip-skid ball moved more than a hair’s breadth throughout the whole regime.

Next we reduced the power for some slow flight and stalls. Slow flight was a non-event, with the large control surfaces offering plenty of authority at any speed. Both of the power-off stalls were benign, with a slight warning buffet and a gentle wing-drop to the right. Recovery was affected by simply relaxing the back pressure on the stick; the airplane was flying again and totally controllable before I even touched the power lever.

After the airwork I gave the stick back to Joe, took a few photos, and then begged him to show me something from his bag of RV tricks. He happily obliged with a few graceful wingovers which filled the canopy with more earth than sky, and as we turned back toward the field I was already grinning ear-to-ear.

All in all it was an excellent introduction to the RV universe, and I certainly appreciated Joe taking the time to show us around. We all agreed that the Van’s Aircraft product and facilities are head-and-shoulders above what we expected from a kitplane manufacturer, especially in an industry where more companies fail than succeed. It really is a testament to this great company that they’ve survived and thrived in this fickle business for nearly 40 years.

Dad and I returned to the parking lot with a bag full of brochures, catalogs, stickers and other souvenirs from our little morning adventure. Stuffed somewhere in that bag was an RV-8 order form. I have a feeling Van’s will be hearing from us again soon.

Learn more about taking a factory tour and demo flight at the Van’s Aircraft website.

I’d first like to mention the outstanding customer service I received from Michael Brown at Brown Tool, following the shipping mix-up with my Sioux rivet gun. Michael happened to see my thread on the VAF forums, and without any action from me, he had rectified the situation by sending me the correct 3X gun and a paid UPS shipping label to return the 2X gun. I got a great deal on these Sioux tools, and great service on top of it all. Thanks, Michael; you’ll be hearing from me again soon.

The Cleaveland order was another great surprise. Many of you have heard that Cleaveland Aircraft Tool in Boone, Iowa, manufactures and distributes high-quality tools for the RV-builder community. This is not strictly true. Cleaveland makes ART. The attention to detail on their Main Squeeze hand rivet squeezer and C-Frame dimpler make these tools just as nice to admire as they are to use. I’m definitely pleased with my purchase.

Finally, I’d just like to highlight a couple of cool features from the recent airplane factory acquisition:

1. The Cleavland C-Frame has a unique collar that will accept any .401 diameter rivet set, as opposed to the smaller 3/16″ hole and dimple die that you’d find on a standard C-Frame. This allows more flexibility in how you can use the C-Frame, including the use of the backriveting technique demonstrated by EAA Tech Counselor Wally Anderson.
2. The Cleaveland Lightweight Air Hose Kit comes with three miniature connector fittings, which are much lighter and quicker to use than the standard 1/4″ fittings. Unfortunately they’re not interchangeable, but the action is so smooth, I think it’s worth it.

Overall, I’m happy about the new gear and excited to get going. Most of the high-dollar tool purchases are out of the way now (…yeah, riiiight…), so it’s just drill bits and clecos to go. It won’t be long now!

Late last week, while stranded in the maintenance hangar at work, I was talking shop with the mechanics about my upcoming RV project, and several of them recommended Brown Tool as an excellent supplier with good prices on quality tools. They even gave me an old coffee-stained catalog to take home. I perused the VAF forums for the builder community’s take on Brown, and as luck would have it, they were offering a half-off sale on refurbished Sioux Mini Palm Drills and Rivet Guns.

Since I was already considering starting with used tools anyway, I jumped on the opportunity, figuring that these suckers would go fast, and ordered a refurbished Sioux 1412 drill and a Sioux 3X 270A rivet gun. They arrived via FedEx in five days (including a weekend), and were protected nicely, as you can see from the photos.

Other than a few nicks and scratches, the tools look great, and they are SOLID. If the red material in the photos looks like a plastic housing, let me assure you that it isn’t. The rivet gun weighs a ton, and is obviously ready to take some abuse. Overall, I’d say Sioux builds a quality product.

So here’s the problem: As you might have noticed, I mentioned that I ordered a 3X Rivet Gun (Model 270A), but as you can see from the photos, I actually received a 2X Rivet Gun (Model 270A-2). The enclosed invoice even lists the 3X gun, so it was clearly just a simple packing error on Brown’s part. I can, of course, send the 2X gun back, but the refurbished 3X guns are now sold out.

Can I build this thing with a 2X gun alone, or do I need a 3X as well? Van’s recommends getting both a 2X and a 3X gun, but says a 3X gun alone will suffice. I was only planning on getting the 3X gun, but now I’m waffling. Should I keep the Sioux 2X and pick up a cheap 3X for the big rivets later on down the road? Hmmm … I’ll ask the VAF guys and see what they think.

• WhiteKnightTwo. I’d been waiting to see this thing in person since it was first unveiled last summer. It’s such a unique aircraft with such a fantastic mission — commercial human spaceflight — that it was easily the highlight of the show for me. As far as I’m concerned, Pete Siebold (chief test pilot at Scaled) has the best job in the world.
• Burt Rutan and Virgin Galactic. If you’re in the aviation business, I guess you either love Burt Rutan or hate him, but there were very few of the latter at his presentation on Tuesday. Mr. Rutan’s name will almost certainly be remembered with the other great pioneers of flight.
• A Sea of Van’s Aircraft. This was my first Oshkosh experience where I really felt that building an airplane was within my reach. I’m sure I’d meandered through the RV’s in past years, but I don’t think I really knew what I was looking at. This year, I was awestruck by the waves of Van’s aircraft that have been built and flown to Oshkosh. The ball is rolling. I will build an airplane.
• Sheet Metal Workshop. I’d taken a SportAir workshop earlier this year, but I really wanted Dad to have the same experience, because I thought it would be great if we could work on an airplane together. We both learned a lot, although our finished product left a little to be desired. They didn’t kick me out of EAA after seeing my (lack of) riveting skills, though, so maybe there is hope for us after all.
• Airbus A380. The largest airliner in the world is impressive to see, even if (like me) you’re not easily impressed by airliners anymore. And the way those test pilots maneuvered that beast through its flight regime — especially the slow end — was enough to wow any crowd.
• AeroShell Aerobatic Team. I don’t know what it is about these guys — whether it’s the deafening roar of the T-6 Texans, the flashy red-and-white paint jobs, or the smooth harmonious formation aerobatics — but the AeroShell team is one of my favorite acts to watch. I don’t think you’ll ever find me slamming an Extra 300 around in a competition, but the easy grace of the AeroShell boys is something I’d like to aspire to.

Well, it was a refreshing few days in Mecca, and my aviation batteries are definitely recharged. Now it’s time to buckle down and make some of these dreams a reality.

Check out the rest of my Oshkosh photos on Flickr.

EAA SportAir Workshop, Oshkosh

I’ve just completed Day One of the EAA’s Van’s RV Aircraft Assembly SportAir Workshop, held at EAA’s immaculate headquarters in Oshkosh, WI. So far, it’s been a fantastic experience, with plenty of one-on-one help available, since class size is limited to sixteen.

The morning began at 8:00am with a classroom discussion covering the building process, tools, workspace, materials and processes, peppered with lots of specific questions from the peanut gallery.

Since there just isn’t enough time in one weekend to address everything involved in building a kitplane, the focus quickly shifted to the specifics of the project du jour–a miniature wing section (provided by Van’s)–and the required skills to slam it all together before time runs out on Sunday.

After a quick break for lunch, we moved into the well-appointed shop across the hall, and began learning our new skills. Before starting the wing section, we practiced by joining two small sections of aluminum skin together, and then riveting them to a piece of angle. No prep work had been done, so we had to measure, lay out and properly space the rivets, drill, deburr, dimple, countersink, cleco, and then squeeze, buck and backrivet the stuff together.

It was great to finally get the feel for the specialty tools like the air drill (awesome), the cleco pliers, the C-frame dimpler, the deburring tools, the 2X rivet gun and sets (backriveting ROCKS), and the rivet squeezer (buy a pneumatic one!). All in all, it was a nice, no-pressure way of getting a feel for all the basics.

We then took these new skills and began to apply them to the wing section, which required a more careful reading of schematics, as well as the new skill of trimming with the aluminum shears. We got about 1/3 of the way through this mini-project when time ran out for the day, at which point my body was definitely ready to be horizontal.

3M Paint Preparation System

Thanks in part to this glowing review from Scott Card’s build log, 3M’s Paint Preparation System is high on my “To-Buy” list of priming accessories. This short video gives a quick rundown of the ins, outs and what-have-yous.

THIS is an Advisory Circular?

The UPS guy left me a little present while I was working over Christmas! I ordered FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 43.13 Aircraft Inspection, Repair & Alterations from the ASA online store. Amazon sells it for quite a bit less, but of course I didn’t notice this until after I had placed the order with ASA. Oh well.

Anyway, this thing is a freakin’ PHONE BOOK! When I think FAA AC, I tend to think of a six-page PDF file, but I swear this sucker is thicker than the Aircraft Spruce catalog. It’s basically the bible for aircraft mechanics, and outlines acceptable techniques for repairs and such. It’s recommended by Van’s and quite a few builders’ sites as a good reference for learning “aircraft-quality” workmanship.

You can follow the above links and view the contents for yourself, but basically this book covers everything from materials (wood, fabric, metal, composites), to bolts, nuts and turnbuckles, engines, electrical, weight and balance, corrosion identification and control — you get the picture. It’ll take me a year to read, and it doesn’t look like a cover-to-cover type of book, if you know what I mean. Looks like it’ll make a handy addition to the pile of literature I’m accumulating in preparation for the Big Project.

From the Ground Up DVDs

In my quest to learn as much as possible before really committing myself to an airplane project, I recently ordered the From the Ground Up DVD set from the EAA Store. I thought this 13-episode Discovery Channel program would provide a good overview of the building process. The fact that the show documents the construction of an RV-8 was an added bonus.

The show is hosted by Mark Annick and experienced builder Joe Schumacher, who has built or restored more than twenty aircraft. The series touches on every phase of the building process, from uncrating and inventorying the kit to final airworthiness inspection and first flight. But while Mr. Schumacher outlines several clever tricks and techniques he has learned from his years of building experience, it is difficult to call the series anything more than an overview.

Of course it would be impossible to cover an entire build in fine-grained detail, but I felt at times as if the hosts were glossing over a process that I suspected to be much more complicated and/or labor intensive — fitting the canopy and cowling are two areas that come to mind.

Given that small criticism however, the show does offer excellent footage and a solid précis of the building process. Newbies such as myself will have a better grasp of the big picture after watching this series. I recommend it to anyone still in the dreaming/planning stages.

Kit Airplane Construction

I recently picked up Ronald J. Wanttaja’s excellent book, Kit Airplane Construction. I wanted something that would give me a general overview of what I was getting myself into, and this book fit the bill.

The book covers several important pre-build considerations that the newbie might overlook, such as production alternatives to kitplanes, finances, available workshop space, required investment in tools, individual skillset, and realistic time required.

The bulk of the book gives an overview of the four main types of construction projects: (1) Composite; (2) Metal Monocoque; (3) Steel/Aluminum Tube, and; (4) Wood and Fabric. There’s also a discussion of fastener types and uses, cables and accessories, and priming and painting. The final chapters discuss rigging, final inspection, paperwork, ground testing, and first flight.

Overall, Wanttaja provides a solid introduction to kitbuilding, and while it won’t walk you through building an RV empennage, it will give you an idea of what to expect over the course of your project.