RV Builder's Hotline
About the Hotline July 6, 2008 Subscribe free
Hot threads online
  • Unbleedable brakes
    An RV builder finds no matter how many times the brakes are bled, bubbles keep appearing (VAF).
  • The extra dimpled hole
    Really, is there a more common RV building rite of passage than this? (Rivetbangers)
  • RV-9 gathering at Oshkosh?
    Of course, you can bump into just about anybody at Oshkosh these days and you've got an "RV gathering" (VAF)
  • Grip flap motor control
    How to use your Ray Allen grip to control flaps. (AeroElectric List)
  • Improving brakes
    A new RV pilot wonders if there's any way to make the brakes better? (VAF)
  • Oshkosh deals
    There's not much real information here but I'm posting it on the possibility that when Oshkosh opens, this is where people will post the deals. (VAF)
  • Flight without fairings
    It scares me, actually, that people are even thinking about this. (VAF)
  • Nosewheel breakout force
    An RV-10 builder asks "what you folks are using for a nosewheel breakout force setting and how you are measuring it. (RV-10 List)
  • Slick Mag service bulletin
    Carbon brushes are failing. Three service bulletins are in play. (Rv List)
  • Highway in the sky approach
    I'm not sure I've ever seen a thread entry with so many page views in just one day. (VAF)
  • Deburring RV-12 wing ribs
    Hey, it turns out it's just as boring on the 12 as on other models! (VAF)



    DONATIONS

    Some of you have asked if you can donate to the Hotline. Since its return, I've incurred some ongoing expenses -- not a lot -- but a few (mailing service, some software etc.) If you'd like to donate, be my guest.

    See the Hotline Benefactors list. 

    ARCHIVES
    See a list of previous RV Builder Hotlines organized by date and subject. (Go)
    PLANET RV

    Another Carolina in one day
    Another day. Another state! Ron Schreck, 62, of Gold Hill, North Carolina pulls his tiny homebuilt airplane into the hangar behind his home on this pristine little airpark just 45 miles northeast of Charlotte. He has just landed at all of the 68 public use airports in the neighboring state of South Carolina.

    Schreck made his record-breaking flight to call attention to the plight of general aviation airports in the Carolinas that are in danger of being closed down, mostly due to the development that accompanies the spread of population centers. (More)
    Related link:
    Hotline archive: The North Carolina tour

    Building the RV-8
    Noel DrewChapter 25's newsletter provides a profile of Jerry Farrell, who recently had his first flight. On the most difficult part of building, Jerry says, "the canopy was probably the worst." (More)

    A review of RV accidents, 2007-08
    In EAA Chapter 105's July newsletter, Brian Moentenich takes a quick, but informative look at the last 12 months. "Of the 13 fatal accidents, four were due to stall/spin on either take off or landing, three were due to forced landings after the engine quit and three were due to low altitude maneuvering/aerobatics. The remaining three were due to loss of control during IMC, controlled flight into terrain and one was unknown (it occurred in Spain)," he wrote. Not surprisingly, perhaps, many of the accidents occurred during the landing phase.
    Related link:
    Hotline archive: A look at RV accident information

    RV-6 pilot killed in California crash
    Clay BeckClayton Beck left Truckee Tahoe Airport on Wednesday for a short flight in his single-engine, two-seat RV-6 aircraft. He was reported missing that night by his wife, Lisa. (Truckee Times)

    RDD Introduces Speed Bra-X For Vans RV-10s
    Speed brakes What's in a name? I don't get "brakes" out of that name but maybe you do. According to Aero News Network, RDD headed up the development program on the RV-10 working in concert with Precise Flight, Inc. The speed brakes are prices at , gulp, $3,995. (ANN)

    Engine cooling air exit tufting
    Air tufting modRV-9 flyer Bryan Flood of Minneapolis has posted a couple of short tufting videos on YouTube of "one of my later modification versions. I still have some work to do I think, but it meets many of my initial optimization goals in terms of speed and cooling. My disclaimer is that I am going to fly around with this design for a while before I suggest any numbers but I thought this might give good ideas to some others or perhaps others could suggest improvements to further optimize the design. (Go to YouTube | Second video)
    Related link:
    Thread on VAF on the subject with Bryan's explanation.

    RV SPECIFIC SEARCH
    Learn more about this.

    CALENDAR July 13-19, 2008

    TX: Denton. Tex-Mex fly-in. Sat. 11 a.m. (More)

    WI: Stevens Point. Gateway to OSH. Sat-Mon. 10 a- 6 p.m (More)

    Please let me know if you have an RV-related event.

    FunPlacesToFly.Com


    NTSB ACCIDENT REPORTS

    OR - Pacific City. Probable cause found in 5/17/08 incident in which RV-9A's nose gear collapsed. "The pilot's inadequate flare and failure to maintain control following a hard landing." (More)

    IL - Newark. Probable cause found in 4/20/08 incident in which RV-6 hit a fence on landing. "The partial loss of engine power due to the fracture of the number 4 exhaust valve, and the pilot's decision to shut-down the engine without sufficient altitude to ensure a safe glide path to the runway." (More)

    TX - Ledbetter. Probable cause found in 3/9/08 incident in which an RV-10 crashed, killing the pilot. "The pilot's loss of control for undetermined reasons." (More)


    FLY-INS, TRIPS, AND NEWS

    No RV formation at Oshkosh
    In the EAA Chapter 1 newsletter, Trish Russell describes last year's diamond formation. (Update: Gary Sobel reports there will be a formation this year. It was only announced to the formation folks. The formation will arrive at Osh Sunday at 12:30 p.m.)

    NW RV-10 Builder and Flyer Dinner
    Another EAA 105 special. A look at the 5th RV-10 builder and flyer dinner. (Newsletter)

    My trip to Greenfield, Ma.
    Don and Tom Roberts have written a detailed and fascinating account of their trip to western Massachusetts in their RV, from flight planning to touchdown. The fact it's "my neck of the woods" makes it even more interesting to me. (EAA 242 newsletter)

    The flight to Stormy's
    Bill Repucci's pictures and write-up of his trip to West Virginia.

    High desert flying
    There’s something intriguing about being able to see for miles in any direction and not find a speck of civilization. Such are the open spaces of the intermountain west. It’s a comforting feeling to know that such places still exist. (Barnstormers)

    The 41st Day
    They let Dave Gamble out to go flying. (The PapaGolf Chronicles)

    Kevin Horton's fuel flow problem solved
    We're following along as he closes in on his first flight.


     

     

    BUILDER TIPS

    Strobe shielded wire splice
    Splicing shielded cableOn the AeroElectric list this week, a builder asked a question about splicing into the shielded cable. It seems his wire from his tail strobe to his power supply in the fuselage was coming up a big short. He referenced this page on the AeroElectric connection Web site. First, let me say that the AeroElectric Connection book is a good one (I think, I've read it 7 times and some of it is starting to sink in), but the material that is available on the Web site -- somewhat hidden on the Web site, actually -- is much more useful for the how-to stuff. Here, then, is Bob Nuckoll's step-by-step guide to splicing shielded cable.

    Edge forming before dimpling
    This may sound like a "duh" questions but actually it's a very good one. Do you form the edge before or after dimpling. I've used the roller tool which is worthless after dimpling, although some people say that the tool in general is worthless. Here's a thread on VAF kicking around various approaches to this question. (VAF)

    Canopy cover mod
    Canopy cover modI came up with a mod for my Cleaveland Aircraft Tool canopy cover that I thought I would share after some positive feedback from a couple of RV'rs when they saw it on a recent excursion. I've never liked the way that the wind could get under the large exposed side of these covers and others like it because of their four point securing method and the way that the wind could slowly rotate the cover around the fuselage and off of the canopy. It left me wondering what I was going to come back to the next day after putting the cover on when the wind was blowing real good. On one occasion the cover was almost completely blown off after a hard blow while the plane was parked for a couple of days at Eagle County airport in CO. I decided to try to find a better way to secure the sides down and at the same time prevent the cover from rotating around the fuselage in the wind. (Doug MacNab on VAF)

    Stopping baffle cracking
    Submitted by Jim Nelson: Well, now that I am really flying my 9A, you might like to see how I hope to stop the baffle cracking due to the oil cooler mounting. I used a piece of light weight aluminum tubing and two small pieces of aluminum angle welded to each end. This was bolted to the baffle as you can see and I used one of the brackets that AFP provides for their mounting of their system This allows me to make the side facing the center of the
    engine as rigid as the side that bolts to the side of the baffle. This had been an area where flexing of the oil cooler causes the baffle to crack. My oil cooler is now rigidly attached to the engine. (See entry on Expercraft)

    The RV Builder's Newsletter is published every other Saturday morning -- more often as time allows -- and is distributed to those interested in building and flying the RV aircraft featured by Van's Aircraft Inc. There is no cost to subscribe and the newsletter is delivered by e-mail in html format. ©2008 Bob Collins. This newsletter is not endorsed by, approved by, or affiliated with Van's Aircraft Inc. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, click here and hit "send." You do not need to enter a message (unless you want to, of course.)