At long last, I have completed and flown my RV-9A.

The project was started in 2000 and between working full time and other projects took 8 years to build.

N948JA flew on 8/10/2009 and the test flight exciting but uneventful.

Details
RV-9A N948JA
Weight: 1123
Engine: Superior XP-O320
Prop: Hartzell CS
Dynon D180
Garmin GNS430W
Garmin GTX327
Garmin GMA340
Trutrak ADI
MGL backup Alt and Airspeed

I need to thank Vans support and many friends that helped along the way.

Wonderful airplane to fly.

       Jimmie Akins
       Edgewood, New Mexico
       [ jlakins at sandia.gov ]

Dear Vans,

This is to let you know that I have made the first fight my RV-8 643RV which flew on 10-8-09 after 10 years of building. The flight took place at KPVG, Hampton Roads Va. The aircraft flew very well and exactly as advertised. I couldn't be happier. Thanks to all who helped over the years especially John Layden and Ronnie Culpepper.

Its great to finally get the RV grin!!!!!

           

      Jeff Riblet
      643RV
      81017
      [ JRiblet@csa.hrcoxmail.com ]

At long last, I have completed and flown my RV-8. The project was started in 2000, but put on hold for quite some time due to coastal moves..

The plane came in at 1043lbs, and flew straight and fast. Simple IFR panel includes Dynon D100 with HSI and AP. Garmin GNS 430 and GTX 327 cover primary avionics functions. I installed many upgrades such as Grove gear and brakes, RVWOODY panel, carbon baggage door, Todds thick &tinted canopy….

The plane is a blast to fly, and I am looking forward to the flight from Seattle to new home base in NJ.

     Frank Dombroski, N40 NJ
     [ f.dombroski at yahoo.com ]
     RV-10 N46WD
     RV-8 N84FD

RVA #90002 took to the air today and flew perfectly straight and level.

Thanks to Mark Schrimmer for purchasing and building the slow build to better than quick build quality! Not that QB are bad (I've done one), Mark just did an outstanding job.

It went from canoe to finished plane in 10 months, weighing in at 1110lbs.

Details:
Engine: ECI IO-360 180hp
Injection: Precision Airmotive, Silver Hawk
Prop: Catto, three blade
Cowl: Vans retrofitted with Sam James inlets and custom carbon fiber plenum Dynon D180, AP74
Interior: Classic Aero Designs
Paint: Single stage acrylic urethane over SEM self etching primer

And if you are curios about the performance... it climbs well with the cruise prop and the throttle is way, way back in level cruise, 160hp would have worked just fine. But I've been told that it sounds good.

         

     [ stan_markwell at yahoo.com ]

Hi there everyone at Vans.

Apologies for the late notice:
VH-XRC RV-7 s/n 72555 made its maiden flight on the 31st of August 2009.
Everything performed as advertised, with no issues to report.
It has an Aerosport IO-360-M1 with a Hartzell BA prop.

Thanks for all you help and support over the past few construction years.

      Cheers
      Richard
      Sydney Australia
      [ richard.connell at citi.com ]

AFTER 15 PLUS YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, ALONG WITH SOME INTERRUPTIONS, I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY FLOWN AND COMPLETED MY AIRCRAFTS' FIRST TEST FLIGHT. FIRST FLIGHT WAS SHORT AND UNEVENTFUL, JUST AS PLANNED. "WHEELS UP" TOOK PLACE AT ABOUT 08:30 AM SATURDAY MORNING 09/26/09, AT CHESTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA AIRPORT (MQS). THE AIRCRAFT HANDLED AS ADVERTISED. THANKS TO VAN FOR A SUPERIOR AIRCRAFT DESIGN, AND HIS STAFF FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY.

Of course this day would not have been possible without the help and support of many others. First and foremost, thanks to my wife Cindy. I don't know how she put up with all those aircraft parts in our family room for all those years. My son, who was too small to help when I started, but as he got older lent a hand when he could. Him and his friends still comment that as they were growing up, there was always airplane parts in our house. Thanks to Jan Bussell for his quality transition training. I felt as prepared as you can be for a first flight, not being a test pilot. Thanks to Doug Meloche, RV-6 builder extraordinaire. His help and advice along the way was very valuable. Thanks to my Friend Shawn Malone who taught me not to be afraid of electrons. The FADEC system was a bit confusing at first. Shawn is an electrical engineer and helped me break down all the electrical systems including the FADEC system. Of course there were many more family and friends that helped throughout the course of this project. Thanks to all of them. I am now looking forward to flying off the test hours and preparing the plane for paint. It's been a fun ride, with more to come.

            

       STEVE MICELI
       RV-6A N551SM
       [ Stephen.L.Miceli at boeing.com ]

N778RL, serial number 81758, flew for the first time yesterday. It took about 7 years to build and over 3000 hours. I'm kind of slow. Mr. Tom Irlbeck did the first flight. He said it flies really good; just like a RV. It has a Lycoming 0320E2D, 150 hp. Thanks to Vans for building a great kit. Also thanks for the technical help, especially Mr. Reynolds, who answered some really dumb questions. I need some more transition time, and then am really looking forward to flying the 25 hours of required time.

Bob Rand,
Spooner, Wisconsin
[ rerand08 at centurytel.net ]

Hi guys just thought you might like a snap of G-RVCH (Chris Harrison, of course) is now got about 28 hrs on the tach and does everything it says on the can. I can only attach one item at a time, what a nuisance so I'll send another photo as an attachment aftr this one, see which one you like best.

          

       Best regards
       Chris Harrison UK
       [ Chrisat30west at aol.com ]

A long overdue report of the first flight of RV-7 - serial no. 71037 which took place at my home field west of Paris on the 14th August.

After almost 7 years of building my pre/post retirement project, the first flight of " MG " was really fabulous, everything in the green with a slightly heavy left wing as the only "snag". I now have almost ten hours up and it gets better every day!

Lycoming IO360-A3A ,Sensenich FP prop,Garmin SL40,Garmin 327, TruTrak ADI-II autopilot, Vans "steam gauges" Wheel , gear leg fairings + paint will be done sometime next winter.

         

     Mike Greene
     LFPX ( Paris France )
     [ mike.greene at free.fr ]

After almost 4 years of building, kit 91287, now known as N119AY was flown by a short flight by test pilot Bill Warren that was cut short by smoke (from a forest fire). Builder Glen Finley and co-builder John Campbell completed the RV-9A in about 2400 hours. It is powered by a Superior IO-360 and Whirlwind RV200 prop. The panel has a Dynon D180 with 2 axis AP, Garmin GTX327 and 396, ICOM A210 , TruTrak ADI and is equipped with Aerox oxygen. It weighed 1102 pounds and the balance was perfect.

Glen Finley
[ glenf at ccountry.com ]

Dear Vans

It has been a very eventful week here in Auburn Maine. After having the folks from the FAA hand us the pink slip (airworthiness certificate) to the airplane, the state of Maine subsequently sending the Aircraft tax and use bill (there is always a down-side...ouch!), our 17 year old daughter participating in her first triathlon (she is sore today), and this morning we took our 2-year science project into the air....by all measures a very exciting week.

So what happened on 20 Sept 2009 and 0815 EDT?

After wrestling with the fiberglass cowling one last time, we finally towed the plane out, about an hour later than we expected. We started the engine and taxied out with the excitement building at every line in the checklist. There a was bit more traffic this morning than we had hoped. One of the planes in the pattern offered to extend his downwind leg so I could takeoff before his landing. I declined and mentioned it was an experimental aircraft and we were going to perform its maiden voyage this morning and needed a few extra minutes finishing up system checks. That remark generated several "nice plane" and "good luck" comments as we finished up the before takeoff checklist and test card checks. We had revised the first flight test card several times and now that we were finally checking items off the list this morning its amazing to see all of the things that you just don't think of until you actually line up on the runway and feel the engine and propeller start to claw at the air. Take off was brisk and Teresa (565MB's chief flight test support officer) remarked that the off yellow primer cowling could be seen clearly all the way up to the orbit point high above the airport. After about 1.2 hours in the air and many line checks on the test card, 565MB returned with all the parts it left with. Serial number 40749 is flying.

We have not had time to update the website but we'll try to get to it this week so everyone can stay tuned on the phase one testing.

   http://www.flyfastrv-10.com/

Van's makes a great product and the support across the country with the ancillary equipment from vendors such as Stein Air and Grand Rapids Technology is astounding. Customer support is not lost here...the big auto makers could take a page from one of their play books. I don't see them needing a US Government bailout anytime soon...they know how to make things happen.

     

      John and Teresa McG
      [ n2925y at roadrunner.com]