BRIAN MEYETTE'S RV-7A BUILDER LOG SITE

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to my aircraft builder's log site.

This plane is being built in Cornish, NH using renewable solar and wind power.  Click HERE for more details.

Use the INDEX in the Table of Contents in the LT panel to search for things you want to find on this site.  Just use Ctrl-F in your browser and search for keywords.  You can also use it to view daily activities, but it's especially useful (I use it myself to find things I know I've done, but not sure when) as a basic site search engine.  The Table of Contents also lists activities under the headings of major component areas. 

If you've hit this page as a standalone web page (without frames and Table of Contents showing), click here to bring up the full page, with frames.

Look around - there's a LOT of info here - over 100MB, with over 300 pages and 3000 pictures.

This site is updated daily.  Check back often for new info.

HISTORY & SELECTION

After getting my Private Pilot license in May, 2002, I soon found that renting was not a viable option, mainly due to the minimum daily charges for renting a plane overnight.  I began looking for a better solution, such as buying into a partial ownership.  I flew a rental into Oshkosh 2002 with Tate Picard, and we new pilots had a blast.  I studied all the kit planes, especially the Van's RVs.   I wanted a plane that was aerobatic rated, and that would be good for local flights, as well as cross country trips.   I ended up choosing the Van's RV-7A.   

After my experience building my Heritage Building Systems steel barn, I was leery of another "kit" manufacturer.  But, from everything I could find out, Van's has the best reputation in the industry, so I decided it was worth the risk.  I have never been sorry about that decision.   Van's is superb; both in the quality of their kits and in the quality of their support.   HERE is a picture made by Jim Piavis on the VAF site, showing the locations of RV builders in the USA at that time. 

I also don't have a whole lot of spare time, so I wanted one with the most advanced quick build kit.  It's still going to be a lot of work, but I decided I could manage it with Van's wings and fuselage Quick Build kits.  Neither the QB nor standard kits come with engine, propeller, instruments, paint, interior, or all the extras required to complete the electrical, fuel, or vacuum systems.   Here's what the kit looks like.

BUILDING OVERVIEW

I took an EAA sheet metal course in October, 2002.  In November, 2002, I went to the Alexander Technical Center in Griffin, GA, where I did a weeklong course on building my tail.  My tail is complete (except for the fiberglass tips), and all the mounting of the tail to the fuselage and tail control surface rigging is complete.

Then I had to wait half the winter for the Quick Build kits to arrive.  They were scheduled to ship in March, 2003, but I got them Feb 10.   Van's is SO good at meeting (usually beating) their time estimates.  That's one of MANY reasons Van's is such a great company to do business with.   Over the fall of 2002, I got my garage fully cleaned out and ready for the plane project as soon as it came in.  I also had it insulated, which made a big difference in working there during the dreadfully long and cold northern NH winters.

The wings are mostly done, although I haven't closed up the final panel or done any of the fiberglass tips yet.  I began working on the fuselage, installing cabin components, plumbing, wiring, instrument panel, canopy, mounting the wings, and rigging flight controls.  I received my Finish Kit, about 10 weeks earlier than quoted, and I've purchased some of the required additional accessories, like flap & aileron trim controls, fuel plumbing, wiring, lighting, antennas, seats, grips, etc. 

I received my Blue Mountain Avionics EFIS/One system in July, 2004, and installed the BMA autpilot.  My backup EFIS, from Grand Rapids Technologies, was  received in Sept, 2004.  I also decided to add the Dynon as a third backup EFIS, instead of a Turn Coordinator.  I received the Dynon EFIS in December, 2004.  From July, 2004 to April, 2005, I worked on the canopy system, and it's nearly done. 

In April, 2005, I received my supercharged Eggenfellner Subaru STi engine, and by the end of June, 2005, I had it bolted on, with the plane standing on its own 3 legs.  I screwed around with the engine all summer and fall of 2005.   In the fall and early winter of 2005, I was back on the fuselage details, as well as more engine installation work, including extensive fitting, upgrading, and reworking of the FWF components.  During the later winter of 2006, I worked in the house, on the instrument panel.  For spring thru fall of 2006, I was back out in the garage, working on engine and electrical, as well as console, trying to get the engine ready to start.  On Jan 7, 2007, I finally was able to start the engine, almost 2 years after I received it.   Throughout 2007, I was working mostly on more engine-related details and on electrical/avionics.  As 2007 went on, and into 2008, I found myself working on the plane less and less, due to discouragement over the never-ending Eggenfellner engine problems, as well as a variety of competing issues.   I currently tell people the plane is STILL at that "80% completed, 80% to go" stage.  In May, 2008, I began moving the plane pieces, as well as tools and supplies, over to my hangar.  I also bought a  Quad City Challenger II LW, took transition training for it, and I've been loving flying that at every opportunity.  I also began "de-Egging" the FWF.  In July, 2008, I moved the RV to the hangar. 

In 2009, I continued working on "de-Egging" the engine and FWF.  By June, I had the engine running again, with all new parts & configuration, and in August and September, I've installed the brakes, mounted the prop, run the engine under prop load, and I'm now getting back to the avionics wiring in October.

ENGINE

I started off with great enthusiasm about the Eggenfellner Subaru engine, as you can read about in my engine pages.

The Eggenfellner STi engine turned out to be a nightmare for all the people who bought into the single batch of them produced by Eggenfellner Aircraft.  The package turned out to be very poorly thought out and executed, with many severe workmanship and design problems, and most of its R&D left to the customers.  Each STi customer's overall building time was extended more than 4 years because of this engine and all its problems.  

Nearly all the original 25 STi customers have quit the Eggenfellner FWF.   There is also a group of early H6 owners that the notoriously prickly, temperamental  Eggenfellner factory has lost interest in supporting.   Many other H6 owners have announced they are abandoning their Eggenfellner engine.  I've lost count of the number of Eggenfellner customers who either sold their plane or engine, or just wrote off the $40K cost of the FWF and abandoned it in favor of a Lycoming.  Stories also abound of props paid for years ago and never delivered.  The Eggenfellner factory always blames all problems on its R&D Department; the customers. 

For details on all the Eggenfellner problems, see the engine pages, beginning HERE.

HANGAR

Throughout 2005 and the first half of 2006, I was trying to build a  hangar  at Claremont Municipal Airport (CNH), to house my new airplane.  It was truly the hassle of a lifetime, dealing with the obstructionist bureaucrats of the City of Claremont, New Hampshire.  I ended up cancelling the project after more than a year of harassment from the Claremont bureaucrats.  The City of Claremont also built a municipal hangar with FAA funds toward the end of 2006, and cheated pilots on the waiting list by ignoring the waiting list and giving the leases to the Airport Manager's preferred insiders. 

In the first half of 2007, I built a hangar at Springfield, Vermont (VSF).  Dealing with the people associated with VSF (and other local airports) was 100% night-and-day difference compared to the horrid people and bad attitudes in Claremont.  Springfield has been great to deal with!  In July, 2008, I  moved the plane from my garage in Cornish, NH to my hangar in Springfield, where I also keep and fly my new Quad City Challenger II LW.

SUMMARY

My plane will be IFR-capable, all-electric, with dual batteries and 3 busses, and an "all-glass panel".  It will be powered by a supercharged Subaru WRX STi engine, with an electric constant-speed MT prop.  My previous goals were to fly this plane to AirVenture 2006/7/8.  At this point, I really don't know when it'll get finished.  I've been struggling with engine issues (see ENGINE summary above) for over 4 years.  

I need to document my work to the FAA, as I will have to prove I did at least 51% of the tasks on the plane in order to get the plane registered as Experimental Amateur-Built and to get the Repairman Certificate for it.  You have to have an A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) license to work on planes, but there is an exception (for that particular plane only) if you build your own plane, and do at least 51% of the tasks on it.  I will also need to document my work in order for the FAA to let me begin test-flying it.  I decided to document my work here on this web site.  The other purpose of this site is to keep interested friends and family informed about my progress, as well as to hopefully help those following in my path.

MORE AIRCRAFT INFO

Get Van's Aircraft Service Bulletins HERE

The bible for aircraft building is FAA AC 43.13, available in print from various vendors like Avery and ACS (Aircraft Spruce), and available free as a series of PDF files from the FAA.  Be sure to also get the March 3, 2008 AC 43.13-2B update HERE.

The bible for electrical work is Bob Nuckolls' "Aeroelectric Connection" book, available directly from Bob's web site, or from various vendors, such as SteinAir.  There is also an "Aeroelectric" Matronics list, where electrical questions and answers are exchanged every day.  And Greg Richter, of Blue Mountain Avionics, wrote "Aircraft Wiring For Smart People", available as a free download from the BMA site.

See HERE for a tutorial on working with fiberglass.

See NASA Workmanship Standards HERE, and especially the the NASA wiring workmanship standards HERE.

Click HERE to read an important document on Mickey Coggins' web site about how to torque bolts and especially how to torque the new TTY Torque To Yield bolts.

Be sure to also check my Builder Support page for lots of builders' resources and info.

Click HERE to read about the Learjet that went missing for 3 years while on approach to Lebanon, NH (KLEB).

Click HERE for an overview of the building process and general info especially useful for someone considering building an RV plane.

Click HERE to see a series of great pics taken by the "Maule Brothers" on a tour of the southwest US.

Click HERE to see fascinating pictures of a 2006 round trip between Corona, CA and Lock Haven, PA, via Oshkosh, in a 1939 Piper J-3 Cub.

Click HERE to see a series of great pics of airports around the world

See my TRAINING page for info on that all-important RV transition training.

See HERE for very interesting detailed info on the theory and dynamics of flight

 

OTHER BUILDER SITES

For similar builders' sites, see my "Other Builders" page in the Table of Contents on the left. 

Also check out the following web rings I belong to:

 

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DISCLAIMER:  This web site is not an instructional web site, and I make no claims that anything I present here is the correct way to do anything.  It is here to document my work to the FAA, to entertain and inform others, and to help people avoid some of the mistakes I have made.  I assume no liability for the work of others.

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March 31, 2009 - dumped Starband & switched over to meyette.us domain via bluehost

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this page last revised April 3, 2009

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