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RV-12 #0002 flies

RGaines

Well Known Member
#0002 got it's airworthiness cert on Wednesday and flew twice today. A friend will post some pictures here soon. There are 4 partners in this airplane and we had a lot of other help on avionics also. Everybody was in attendance. The first flight was great even with a heavy left wing and need for some rudder trim. Our -6 had a heavy right wing so I guess it evens out. Airplane flies great and engine was flawless.

A friend in bonanza flew chase and could not keep up with initial rate of climb. Then he had to put his gear down to fly slow enough. It was great fun.

Richard Gaines
Tom Ryan
Howard Hall
Amanda Gaines-Cooke
 
Congrats Richard and your 3 assistants. Starting to loose count now. Would that be 8 or 9 now flying. Van's site says 7, but I think they are a bit behind!
 
#17

My serial number is 17 so I'm trying to time it out so that my inspection is the seventeenth one to fly. So far, so good.
 
Timing of flight...

Pete, we're number 16 but at the rate we're going we might 116th to fly...
Meade and George
#16:rolleyes:
 
Love the paint job! Fire the videographer for the take-off sequence and re-hire the videographer for the landing sequence. WELL DONE!
 
Paint job

I am a retired Navy guy. That maybe explains the paint job. Lot of people stop by the hangar and ask if it is really a Navy airplane or "is that legal to do"? It is really fun anyhow.

Rich
 
A buddy and I went over today to look at the 12 and got a chance to see it land and look at the way its put together. Great airplane and fun to see one flying! Nicely constructed and finished.

greg
 
I am a retired Navy guy. That maybe explains the paint job. Lot of people stop by the hangar and ask if it is really a Navy airplane or "is that legal to do"? It is really fun anyhow.

Rich

It's only illegal if you try and land on a carrier. Although a T&G off the decommissioned USS Midway in San Diego Harbor might be worth a try. ;)

Thank you for your service!
 
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Naval Trainer scheme?

That looks like the naval trainer scheme on the current planes at Pensacola. I thought of a similar one myself but switched to a current production paint scheme instead.

Ex Navy myself spent time in San Diego and Mayport.
 
I am a retired Navy guy. That maybe explains the paint job.
Lot of people stop by the hangar and ask if it is really a Navy airplane or "is that legal to do"? It is really fun anyhow.

Rich


I am curious to know as well...

what is the protocol involving "US Navy" or "US Air Force" type of markings?
 
Paint job

I don't know the legalities. There are a lot of "war bird" paint jobs around so I guess it is "a sincerely form of flattery". Since I am retired Navy they send me money each month so I guess you could say that they paid for part of it.

The paint scheme is from the 60's in that the grey is glossy rather than todays dull grey paint. The red tips were common on trainers and experimental test aircraft. I copied the colors from an F-4 at Pax River when I was there.

Rich
 
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