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Show us the status of your 7/7A project!

i've been meaning to post a couple of update pics for a while now, but it always seems to slip my mind... :rolleyes:

here's the completed emp sitting in my airplane storage room in december...

Completed emp

...and the wings arrived in january...

Wings arrival

...wing work has commenced...

Main spars on stands

...rear spar work is currenlty underway...

Rear spars begun

so, that's where i'm at in construction. i'm holding today because of snowfall, and i'm ready to prime the rear spar parts. can't work outside to prime with the white stuff falling. :(
 
Just done and flown..

001paint.JPG


Holy jeezy...that was bigger than expected. I'll try a smaller one next time..

Thanks
Jmyers
 
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Rear Fuse Together

Hi Guys,

Just finished riveting the rear fuselage together and started on the center fuselage.

I updated my Time Lapse Building Slide Shows with the Rear Fuselage going together well worth a watch. Just go to my website follow the RV links into the Time Lapse Slide Shows.

Kind Regards
Rudi
fuse_10.jpg
 
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I am so pleased with myself I had to post again, only 10 days after my previous post, sorry guys :D, but seeing these big structures going together is so rewarding. Can't wait to get home and put those longerons in place and flip this canoe over..Regards Rudi

fuse_17.jpg


PS: Added some more photos to my Time lapse building slide show, following the links through my website...
 
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1 Year SB Anniversary

Here is a pic of the parts we completed in exactly a year (roughly 1000 hrs) of Slow Build servitude.. My son Nate is holding the VS for posterity. (He is also the subject of the silly pic a few pages earlier in this thread from December). I am going to miss this secret weapon when he goes into the Navy as a Aircraft Machinist Mate in July. The pic was taken in early March so we are further along on the fuselage now, but the new pics are not all that good in the crowded shop. I hope to get the fuse fairly well done before he departs.

2094400423441381f804634.jpg


By the way, I am still thinking about the paint job and have not decided between a blue base and silver stripe rectangular pattern (like the vinyl :D ) or white with arrows, leader lines, dimensions and rivet callouts. :eek:
 
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rzbill said:
By the way, I am still thinking about the paint job and have not decided between a blue base and silver stripe rectangular pattern (like the vinyl :D ) :eek:

I've been waiting for someone to do this kind of paint job. That would be a classic that I think every builder would understand and get a kick out of. :)
 
Aye Aye Sir!

jsherblon said:
Tell Nate that salute is a nice start for the Navy. I'm sure they will help him improve it. ;)

Ha Ha! That's a hoot! :) I was oblivious to the coincidence! He was actually shading his eyes from the blazing sun that was directly behind me as the photographer!
 
Starting to look like wings!

Well it has been a while since I have posted. To much work and not enough time to spend on the RV.

I got to this point today and am ready to match drill things. Nice to see something that looks like wings! :)

wings1.jpg


wings2.jpg


Nice custom jacks under the wings don't you think? I thought I had some threaded rod and was going to use it as I had seen a couple of others do but couldn't find it. Guess I'll have to pick some up.
 
Almost Finished!!

Painting the wing tips today and it will be done! Hope to do the W&B this week-end.



John R.
 
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Congratulations. I wish I was that far along.

I really like the cowl.....who makes it?

Donald
RV-8 Underway
N-284DP Reserved
 
James Cowl?

Donald, hopefully Ben will confirm this (and maybe give us some details on his rotary installation :) ), but I'm pretty sure that's a James Aircraft cowl.
 
Your right...

It is in fact a James Aircraft Rotary cowl. I am using a Mazda Renesis (RX8) rotary engine. I am getting close to starting the engine for the first time. Probably a month to a month and a half. I have had so much fun with the FWF, that the airframe has lagged a bit. I still have to mount the wings, do the canopy, and wire the entire airplane. (and about a zillion other things I can't think of right now) The engine has been a world of fun for me. I like building when there is no set plan, or order. I really enjoy building one off things, and figuring out problems that arise. I have done most of the fabrication myself, with the exception of the welding, I am NOT a welder. So I have paid to have that done. I am working on a website but have yet to see it through to completion. I will post some current pics tonight when I get home from the hanger.

Ben Schneider

N713R RV7 Tip up, Mazda Rotary, GRT EFIS
 
I've been privied enough to see Ben's installation first hand from engine stand and firewall mockup to it's current stage. First class installation all the way! Trust me--You all can't wait to see this one completed! :cool:
 
Just put the skin on the bottom of the right wing on our QB...............


Boy am I glad I chose to shoot the rivets instead of holding the bucking bar - my Bro's arm is like salami !

Thanks Dan - worked well !

:D
 
Ditto,

Tipped my canoe on Friday, have also updated my Time Lapse Building Slide Show, on my webpage with the latest pictures. Just follow the links to the RV7 build and time lapse shows.

See I'm practising my RV grin....
fuse_39.jpg


Kind Regards
Rudi
 
Rudi, you are KILLIN' ME!!! Nice job!

Hey ? for ya...

How do you like those knee high bench/sawhorse things. Any comments? Would you make it longer? Any way to make it more user friendly?

:rolleyes: CJ
 
Looks Fantastic

Your work and workplace looks fantastic. I like your leveled bench.

How in the world do you keep such a clean work area?? :confused:

Keep up the great (and clean) progress.

Gorbak
___________________________________
N241PT (reserved) RV9-A Tip up FWF
(Deciding on N #) RV9-A Slider Finish Stages
 
Captain_John said:
Rudi, you are KILLIN' ME!!! Nice job! Hey ? for ya...
How do you like those knee high bench/sawhorse things. Any comments? Would you make it longer? Any way to make it more user friendly?
:rolleyes: CJ
Hi John, thanks for the kind comments, on your question:

So far the extended uses of my initial wing stands are working great. Below are some highlights and issues with my set-up.

From top left in the pictures to bottom right: My wing stands was cut down to knee high, and the cut material was used to create 2 addition uprights in the middle. I used angle iron to create a perfect level frame to support the 1 ?? thick platform top.
combo1.jpg


I then had to create 3 little saw horses that can easily slide on the perfect level table top which means the fuse could go together at an easy height while a person is standing. The platform also served as a perfect place to put the tools and cleckos down on while working, instead of putting it down on the floor or on a bench behind you. When riveting, my riveting partner, my dear wife, could stand easily while I could sit flat on my bum on the inside of the fuselage doing the bucking. Getting in and out of the upside down fuse with 15? of height clearance being the only issue

combo2.jpg

When I tipped the canoe I saw a problem reaching into the middle of the fuselage cabin while standing on the outside on the floor. The rear fuse has no problem, because you can stand on the platform, but the cabin area is as wide as my platform, giving you no place to stand. The best would have been to make the platform 2-3 foot wider than the fuselage. Too late for me, so I re-used my 3 little sawhorses and the sides of the wing crate, and created a step bolted to small uprights of the original wing stands. This then ?lowers? the fuse almost to my feet, without it actually being on the floor. This mean I could easily lean into the inside, when on the step, but it is also at a convenient height when I want to work around the fuselage.

I can see how having a rotating fuse stand can help during this stage of the project, it would be kind of cool to rotate the fuse 90 degrees and just do the work you need on the inside, then turn it back level. That said I think the same can be achieved by just turning the fuse on it?s side on the platform and support the rear and clearing the bottom skin at the centre section 2? of the platform. I will see how it goes, but first I have to make the fuse more rigid by riveting in the rear horizontal stab platform, and add a couple of firewall and bulkhead to longeron brackets, so that I get no twist.

Kind Regards
Rudi
 
gorbak said:
Your work and workplace looks fantastic. I like your leveled bench.
How in the world do you keep such a clean work area?? :confused:
Keep up the great (and clean) progress.
Gorbak
___________________________________
N241PT (reserved) RV9-A Tip up FWF
(Deciding on N #) RV9-A Slider Finish Stages
Hi Gorbak, thanks for the kind comments.

I keep all my tools and spare parts in a separate area the Hobby Room right next to the Garage. Every night I pack the tools away, and the garage get cleaned every second/third day.

Captain_John said:
...and whose RV is that in the picture flying around Lady Liberty in the background?
:D CJ
John,
You've got a sharp eye...It is picture from the RV calendar of last year, I am not sure whose RV that is, but someone can look it up. I put pictures up of RV's in the shop to keep me motivated.

Kind Regards
Rudi
 
Wings are on!

Got the wings mounted this weekend. I can't believe that it really fits in the garage! There's only about 4-5 inches of clearance on each side, so it seems to me that it's a good thing that I didn't try to build a 9A . . . :)

6.jpg
 
Just passed 1000 hours

Hi Guys,

This weekend, I passed the 1000 building mark. Yesterday I had a long slow day at work, waiting on people?so I use the time and made a movie showing the first 1000 hours of building in only 3 minutes of footage.

I used a lot of my 'slow stop animation photos', so it looks like the plane is building itself. It is well worth the download even if you are not really into kit building.

I hope you enjoy it...

The First 1000 HOURs of RV7 Building Movie Download
Big High Quality (26MB)
http://www.rudigreyling.com/movie/rudi_rv7_progress_on_1000hours_high_quality.wmv

Small Low Quality (8MB)
http://www.rudigreyling.com/movie/rudi_rv7progress_on_1000hours_small.wmv

Kind Regards
Rudi
1000.jpg
 
Movies

EDITED and DELETED previous:

Here is my progress in retrospective, posted here also since it is rv7 related.

YouTube LOW Quality movies that you can stream to your PC.
Part 1 ? The Wings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpmUgNNqLwI
Part 2 ? The Tanks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuQNhMiUefI
Part 3 ? The Fuse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5e_fXOhSyM
Part 4 ? The Cabin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aWY6zfUets

High Quality Movies available as downloads from my website.

Keep this thread clean, the discussion about them is over here...

Regards
Rudi
 
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Both wings are in the cradle.

I still need to rivet the bottom skins. The technical counsler will pay me a visit at the end of the month, maybe after that. I have yet to order the fuselage. Maybe this week.
wings.jpg
 
Would love to but....

its way too painful to upload images to this site...

Just my HO of course

Frank
 
Alton, I am just ONE step ahead of you! I just began my firewall and am hammering on my lower skins as we type this!

Here is a pic of my firewall!

P8070432.JPG


It is comin' along!

:D CJ
 
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Is something wrong with this picture?

Are those elevators installed backwards or is the photo turned around? I thought elevator horns go downward.
 
Allan, good eye! The entire Horizontal assy (HS and both elevators) are upside down. It was just easy to set it up for the picture this way because I could let the HS lay flat on the table with the horns sticking up. I also fogot to put the trim tab back on :(
 
Another BIG Milestone: Mated and drilled the wings
1113 Hours: Wow what an excellent quality kit the match hole kit is. Just slaped the wings on, leveled out the fuse and the FIRST measurement for the sweep was 0" , spot on ZERO difference. The leading edges lined up perfectly. This shows kit quality! SPOT on Vans!

mount_wings_08.jpg


Kind Regards
Rudi
PS: I'm posting way to often here to my liking, hmm maybe I should stop ??? :D
Maybe we should all post our hour count when showing our progress, gives other guys some guidelines, what to expect??? :confused:
 
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LE's and tanks are on, top wing skins are done, wiring conduit is run...

8-24-06-005w.jpg


I plan to flip 'em in to the cradle this weekend!!

8-20-06-008w.jpg


:cool:
 
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