7 February at 1230 EST Capt. Mike Kelly (Retired United Airlines, EAA Flight & Technical counselor, RV-8 builder/owner, and A&P) test flew RV-12 Sr. No. 120186 N397JC for its first flight at Spruce Creek (7FL6) Florida, the aircraft flew very well and Mike commented that the control balance was better than a RV-8. This RV-12 was built by Vern Hendershott (retired aviation executive, EAA Technical Counselor, commercial pilot and A&P) and his partner Chester in about a year with some time lost while waiting for the next kit to be released. The aircraft has been sold to Jim Corley of Spruce Creek who built the fin, rudder, stabilator and anti-servo tabs from another RV-12 kit and these units were used on his new aircraft. Vern Hendershott will complete his second RV-12 when the rest of the kit previously started by Jim Corley arrives this month.

          

      Best regards,
      Vern Hendershott
      EAA 144244
      [ Luscombe_71745 at earthlink.net ]

Hi

I am pleased to inform you that my aircraft was flown yesterday {Sunday} for the first time by my LAA inspector for 40 min when he landed he had a massive RV grin on and said he could not find a single fault, The aircraft behaved perfectly throughout the test, thank you for everything.

Gwynne
[ g.griffith387 at btinternet.com ]

N99XV first flew on 1/10/2010 piloted by Eric Vogelman (my dad). It's taken my father and I about 3 years from a quick build. I've had the opportunity to work on it almost full time, with my dad's help were a second set of hands were needed. I was 19 when the project started and now I'm 22. It’s not your average RV-7a, it has an Eggenfellner H6Ti, and so far it is working very well. The airframe makes a great platform for alternative engines. Just for the record, I painted the plane well before I saw Mr. VanGrunsven's red/polished RV-12. :)

       Max Vogelman
       Eagle, CO (KEGE)
       [ mvogelman at hotmail.com ]

Van's Aircraft,

It is my great pleasure to report the first flight of my RV-9A, N510WM, serial number 91396. Build time was almost 1700 hours, over 3 and a half years. First flight was January 27th, 2010. Aircraft weighed in at 1138 and is fully equipped with Advanced Flight 3400 and 4500, Dynon D10A, Garmin 430W, SL30, GTX330, PMX9000 audio panel, Vertical Power VP100 and a Trio Pro Pilot autopilot. The aircraft is powered by a Barrett IO320X, spinning a three bladed MT prop up front. Classic Aero interior completes the picture. Technical counselor Jim Summers and RV builder and local EAA chapter president Mike Hathoway were instrumental in my build. My thanks to them, the entire Van's crew, SteinAir for the panel, and all my vendors for excellent customer support. I'd also like to thank my wonderful wife and children, who have been very patient during my build. Last, I'd like to thank my late father, who instilled in me the work ethic to get this plane finished. I know he is proud, and the N number bears his initials and birthday. He helped me rivet both the tail and the wings, but succumbed to cancer before I could finish.

The plane flies great, hands off, and is the most fun thing I've done with my clothes on. I've got 16 hours in the first 3 days, and the more time I get on her, the more fun it is. It is simply awesome.

Thanks so much for a wonderful kit, I'll be back.

      Sincerely,
      Greg Marlow
      Kingsport, TN
      [ gregmarlow at charter.net ]

Flew for the first time at 1430 local time in Lake Chapala, Mexico.

Test Pilot in command: cap. Alberto Barba.

Performance: just as announced.

          

      Ing. David Barba
      [ david at aldadigital.com.mx ]

After 5 years and one month (2196 hours), my first attempt at airplane building, RV-7A kit #72164, N720JP, slipped the surly bonds of earth on Jan. 5, 2010 at KEUG, Eugene, OR.

An Aero Sport O-320 with Sensenich FP, day/night VFR, panel by Aerotronics of Billings, MT., Dynon D-6 EFIS, electric flaps, electric elevator trim, custom seats by Aero classic Interiors, painted by John Stahr with Diamont base coat/clear coat. Perfect first flight, trimmed hands off. My thanks to Al Gough, Mike Lamb, Lad Lash of EAA 617, Wally and Phil at Synergy Air who provided lots of help during the finishing work and finally Gary Ledeke, the test pilot.

        

     Jim Platz
     [ jplatz AT cbbmail.com ]

Serial # 120123 had it’s first flight today. Mike Mc Mains the test pilot and reported everything normal and a very nice flying machine. More later. One more RV-12.

    

     John Foy
     [ foyboy6 at hot.rr.com ]

Well, it finally happened. On January 8th, after a little over 2 years and 2100 hours of 'mostly' pleasure, N327DG took to the air and flew exceeding all expectations! I have about 15 hours on her now and I still can't stop smiling.

She just wants to Fly, Fly, Fly. She has a 180 hp IO-360 with LASAR ignition, Ram Air, and a 3 bladed C/S MT Prop. Inside are Classic Aero seats, Hooker Harnesses, and a Aerotronics Panel. Empty weight came in at 1137 lbs. The RV-8 Quick Build is a great kit and all the folks at Vans were a delight to work with. But the project would not have happened without the help of a lot of friends like Ken, Bill, Craig, Jessica, John, Jean and all the rest that put up with my never ending questions and calls for help.

Thanks everyone, I owe you all.

        

    Dick Gates
    [ dgatesii at yahoo.com ]

8182B Made its first flight on June 14, 2009 after 16 months of construction time. It easily surpasses Van's published cruise performance speeds. A 160 H.P. Lycoming is installed with a Van's supplied Sensenich prop. I've logged over 100 hours and still can't wipe the RV grin off. 75% power makes very close to 190 M.P.H. at 8000 ft MSL on 8 GAL/HR and 55% power makes 170 MPH at 8000ft. on 6 Gal/hr. Empty weight -1053 pounds.

Factory and technical support are outstanding.


        

     Dennis Satterfield
     Payson,Az.
     [ dennissat at hotmail.com ]

Dear Van's,

My RV-7A flew on June 7, 2009 at Lafayette Louisiana (LFT) on a calm Sunday morning. I was confident and slightly nervous as I took off but my RV-7A flew like a dream. I humbly join a very special fraternity, completing and flying a beautiful, fast, responsive, versatile "time machine". Ray Fleming flew chase in his RV-7A. I now have almost 100 hours on the hobbs and I can't go a week without flying it. The plane has a IO-360 180 hp fuel-injected Lycoming and a blended Hartzell prop bought from Van's. Weight was 1130 lbs and the panel has a Garmin SL 30, GTX 327, Blue Mountain Sport, Dynon D100 and Grand Rapids EIS. I got a local upholsterer to cover Van's foam pads and I painted the plane myself. The plane took four years to complete and to quote a previous builder, I built three planes and threw the first two away.

I want to thank my wife Mimi who stood by me through up's and down's, my three children who always bought their friends by to ask questions and marvel at the possibilities. I want to recognize guru Ray Fleming for engine help, perfectionist Ken Broussard for painting tips, "deep thinker" Robert Beach who nailed the large vinyl numbers and other tedious stuff, BFKADC and all the other people who pitched in on the "crusade". Thanks for Pierre Smith for excellent transition training and interesting life stories. I love flying this plane and sometimes as I walk from the hangar, I have to go back and look at its graceful lines and pinch myself. Sometimes the most unusual thing happens with hard work and a willingness to take a risk.

     Steve Anderson
     Lafayette, La.
     Builder No 71951
     [ s_s_and at hotmail.com ]

Very busy as a flight instructor, my building time - from a base kit - lasted almost five years. Now I-GLCK is flying and I feel the happiness of old times when I was in the Air Force, flying fighter bombers. After about twenty five hours of flight I' m still fixing some minor problems but it' s a pleasure every day when I fly.

Lycoming O320 - carburetor, three blades prop from MT, steam gauges instrument ( for the moment ) , VOR/ILS equipped and a Garmin 695 GPS. Comfortable in long trips and agile in aerobatics I couldn't ask more. Very good kit, easy building, sometimes little problems with building manual, but a real pleasure to work on it.

My appreciation for the Van's staff.

      Glauco Nuzzi
      kit # 71396
      [ glastarat tin.it ]

After almost 3 years of part-time building, I first flew my unpainted RV-9A (QB) #91390 in February 2009. It has a new Lycoming O-320 with C/S prop. Avionics consist of Dynon EFIS and EMS, Trutrak Autopilot and Garmin GPS496, SL30/SL40 radios and GTX327 transponder.

I flew it for five months before finally getting it painted; too much fun. For local flights I use 50% power for 128 knots burning only 6gph. For cross-country 70% power yields 160 knots and 8gph including XM weather and music.

I couldn’t have completed this project without the support of my wife and the help of many friends especially Dick Chalcraft, Joe Board, Phil Bentley, John Bottensek and Jeff Stanford plus the helpful folks at Vans and on the VAF forum.

        Bob Camacho
        Jacksonville, Florida
        [ b.cam at comcast.net ]

On December 22, 2009 after 17 years and 2 months of intermittent construction N642DW finally took to the air piloted by fellow RV flyer and CFI Jerry Wilken. The Superior XP - IO360 engine, MT two blade constant speed prop, and E-MAG electronic ignition made for impressive performance.

Initial testing revealed a heavy left wing which is being corrected as set forth in the RVator. We're now 5.8 hrs into the test period and really pleased with the plane. Initial data indicates a fuel burn similar to our 172 and a lot more performance.

One of the photos shows the 6 and the 2 DW's it was built 4 (N642DW). The second photo shows me piloting N642DW with Mt. Jefferson in the background, can you see the RV Grin? Photos courtesy of Jerry Wilken, Wilken photographs.

Thanks for a great airplane!

       Dean & Dana Wheeler
       Albany, Oregon
       [ n642dw at gmail.com ]

My RV-9A (91156), N342DA, made its first flight from the St Louis Regional Airport on Wednesday, January 13th after about 4.5 years of building time. The flight was pretty much routine with no problems to report -- not even a heavy wing as far as I can tell.

With mostly Cessna 172 experience, I had little problem with the transition other than a little over-control of the elevator on takeoff --

My engine is an ECi kit engine -- O-320 160HP with a carb and 2 Slicks -- which I assembled with guidance from my EAA Tech Counselor. My successful completion is largely due to a lot of support from my Tech Counselor, Gene Helmkamp (RV-6A), all the other EAA Chapter 864 members at KALN and the great technical support from Vans Aircraft.

The plane is an absolute joy to fly --- thanks to you all.

            

       Dave Allen
      [ dballen2007 at att.net]

Morning,

Kit 91266 flew 1-13-10 for the first time, and was signed off by Mr. Bill Duncan on the ninth. Flew great, as I had flown in Gary Harden's plane with him a couple of hours, so the flight and landings were as expected. Can't say enough about the kit, plans, and honesty associated with the whole company. After restoring two Luscombes and a '57 172, the building process couldn't have been any more straight forward.

Thanks,
Stephen K Thompson
Evans GA
Kit 91266
[ n8175b at bellsouth.net ]

Hi Van's

I wanted to let you know that RV-7 N93BA took its first flight on Saturday January 8, 2010 less than two hours after the DAR inspection. The airplane is powered by a Lycoming Exp O360 and a Hartzell BA prop. The panel is simple and the plane weighs in at 1031 lbs. I want to thank your company for such a wonderful product and support throughout the build process. I have to thank my wife and kids for putting up with building an airplane for the last 5 years and a special thank you to my friend Brian Reid who always helped me through those tough moments and always reminded me I was building an airplane to fly and not to put on a shelf and look at.

Thank you again,

     

      Brent Hoskins
      Caldwell, ID
      [ hoskinsb at peoplepc.com ]

Well, after 4 years of building, 40 hours of testing and 2 years of flying, I think it is safe to say that my RV-9A is the best plane I have ever built. She started life as kit number 90913 and is now sporting N7KR on her tail. Driven by an Aero Sport Power O-320 engine with a 3 blade Catto composite propeller, she has given me countless hours of enjoyment.

Thank you Vans for making a great kit!


     

     Jeremy
     [ gruenke at cox.net ]

Just wanted to let you know that my first flight occurred on 12/12 for N621TR, which I have been building for the past 13 (yes 13) years. That’s along with raising 2 daughters and full-time employment. Flight was perfect! I did everything on the project myself, including building the engine and painting the plane, except for covering the Van’s seat cushions which my mother-in-law graciously performed.

Thanks again for a wonderful aircraft! I now have 10 hours on the test program.

       v/r,
       Tim Ribble
       [ ribbles4 at cox.net ]

Hi, thought you might like to see a picture of my plane which was flown for the first time 27th December 09. Everything is going well and I have now flown 6.6 hrs.

        Regards
        Glen Mulcahy
        Whitianga, New Zealand
        Bldr # 71416.
        [ glenmulcahy at xtra.co.nz ]

             

        Vern (repeat offendor)
        [ vern@mindspring.com ]

Hello everyone in Vans..

I'm not sure if you had a note about RV-6A serial no 25472, but I guess not... Almost 12 years to the day after he started a slow-build kit, John Bailey from Dublin in Ireland saw his beautiful RV-6A fly for the first time on 11th Oct 09. John, a retired metalwork teacher, was meticulous in every detail & built a great example with an O-320 D2A driving a performance 3-blade prop. I did the first flight it flew like a dream. The plane was a great source of joy to John and to Colette, his wife who flew with him. Tragically John died in a motorcycle accident 2 months after the first flight.

                    
                                                                  after 1st solo

Folks,

Add another one to the ranks! After a 16 year build time with 8 moves. RV-4 3541 flew the 27th of November. 961 lbs, O-360 with a Sensenich prop. All went well except for a slightly heavy right wing and a blown flap fuse – both have been fixed.

Speed so far is 194 MPH True Airspeed without any fairings. Climb rate 2,200 FPM at 60 deg F and 1325 lbs.

       Thanks!
       Rick Stoffel
       Schertz, TX
       [ richard.stoffel at RANDOLPH.AF.MIL ]

RV-12 N312MK flew for the first time this morning. Aside from a slightly heavy left wing, flew beautifully. Empty weight is 727 lbs with AP and paint.

Thanks to all of the folks at Van's for a great product and support, and also to everyone who contributes on Van's Airforce - your wealth of knowledge made the building process most enjoyable. I may need to do this again !

        

         Marty Keller
         Benton, KY
         serial # 120183
         [ mkeller1 at us.ibm.com ]