Tool Kit Choice

Rather than attempt to search for each individual tool I will need for the construction of my -7, I've decided to order most of my tools as a part of a kit. There are three or four companies that sell tool kits meant specifically for RV builders. The companies take the list of tools Van's recommends, plus personal experience in a few cases, and put together what they think would be the best kit. I've looked quite extensively at a few of these tool kits and I've decided to go with the Isham kit (sold at www.planetools.com) with a few additions and subtractions. This kit isn't the cheapest I found, but it does look like it is good quality and has most of the tools I would like to have when building. Some of the other kits didn't look to be as comprehensive as the Isham kit. In addition to that, the Isham kit comes with the DRDT-2 dimpler and a pneumatic squeezer, which will make life nice once I start building. I'll show how these tools are used at a later date, but they are basically two of the most utilized tools while building the RV-7. Some of the other companies sold different versions of the dimpler or didn't include the pneumatic squeezer.

When I ordered my tools, I subtracted the DRDT-2 dimpler from my order as I found a used one the other day. I had emailed Scott, another builder in Lincoln, California, I found online a while back, just to introduce myself. I'm glad I emailed him when I did, because he let me know he was finished with his dimpler and looking to sell it. We made a deal and I'm planning to pick it up when I get home. That saved me a good little chunk of money! I'm looking forward to meeting Scott, seeing his RV-8 project and learning some about building from him. A couple of the other subtractions I made from the Isham kit were the dimple dies and squeezer sets. (Dimple dies are used to create small divots in parts of the airplane so a rivet will sit flush with the surrounding metal. I will divot a lot during this project... like, a lot. Squeezer sets are used in the pneumatic squeezer to squeeze rivets.) I didn't make this decision because I'd heard anything bad about Isham's dies or sets; rather it was made because I had read such great reviews on Cleaveland Aircraft Tool Company's dies. Multiple builders have said these dies provide the best dimples of any set you can find, and I want my airplane to look as good as the best ones out there. So I spent a little extra money and ordered the die and squeezer sets from Cleaveland. I also bought one of Cleaveland's edge rolling tools.

I may have been able to save a few bucks by searching online for individual tools, but the convenience of placing just two orders and having the majority of the tools I will need was too enticing. I'm willing to pay a few extra bucks for that. I'm also new to metal working so having someone else help me choose which tools I'll need is a big bonus. I placed my order yesterday, so I expect it to arrive about the same time I return from my deployment. I'm giddier than a pre-teen girl at a Justin Bieber concert to get my hands on these tools!

Tip-up Canopy vs. Slider Canopy

The RV-7 comes with an option for either a tip-up canopy or a sliding canopy. There are a few differences that must be taken into account. First, the tip-up canopy provides better visibility than the sliding canopy, which has a support bar just in front of the occupants. While taxiing on the ground, the sliding canopy can be opened and the pilot's arm hung over the side of the fuselage... this makes for a cool pilot in more ways than one. ;) The tip-up canopy can also be ventilated on the ground by tipping it up just a bit, though the ventilation is not as great. There has been some talk of one type of canopy being safer than the other. This talk revolves around a situation where the airplane ends up upside-down on the ground after a crash. Some think that the sliding canopy provides more support with the support bar being where it is. The sliding canopy would also likely open more easily than the tip-up canopy. Overall, I would have to imagine that the sliding canopy is safer, but this is more of my gut feeling than anything. While these safety aspects have been discussed on a few online forums, I haven't really seen any documentation from Van's regarding the safety of one canopy compared to the other.

One issue that is of some concern that has been reliably documented is the ability of each canopy to provide a water-tight environment inside the cockpit. There have been some reports of water leaking into the back side of the instrument panel on RVs with the tip-up canopy. As you can imagine, this is a very bad thing. When it's all said and done, I will have spent thousands of dollars on instruments. Water is about the last thing I want those instruments exposed to. So I will definitely consider this in my decision. But, just because of the design of each, one thing that the tip-up canopy does provide that the slider doesn't is easy access to the back of the instrument panel. This will be a big deal when I need to make repairs or changes to my instrument panel. If I choose to go with the sliding canopy, though, I can do a couple things with the panel to provide a little better access, like install a sectional panel so I can remove certain parts of it to do work on the back of the instruments and radios.



RV-7 with slider canopy



RV-7 with tip-up canopy

I can't say I have my mind completely made up on this option right now. I am definitely leaning toward the sliding canopy. It just looks way too cool and has no reports of water leaking on the instruments. I know with the sliding canopy I'd be giving up some visibility, which is making me second-guess this choice. At some point, I'm hoping to catch a ride in RVs with each type of canopy and decide which one I like best after that.

Tailwheel vs. Tricycle Gear

The RV-7 comes with a couple of different options that the builder must decide upon at certain points during the construction. I hope to have my mind made up long before I get to those points, but I can't say I have my mind set on all of those options at this point.

One of the biggest decisions I'll have to make, and one that my mind is already set on, is the choice of either a tailwheel landing gear system (simply called the RV-7) or a tricycle landing gear configuration (called the RV-7A). The tailwheel system (sometimes called "traditional" landing gear because this is the type of gear most early airplanes sported) requires some extra training and skill, as compared to the tricycle gear system which is slightly easier to handle on the ground. Having the tailwheel means the nose of the airplane is pitched up while taxiing on the ground, possibly making for poor ground visibility, but also means there is less drag, allowing the plane to cruise a bit faster. There is also a little more benefit in the tailwheel version in that it costs a little bit less and also weighs about 15 pounds less than the tricycle gear version. The traditional-type landing gear is a bit more rugged than the tricycle gear, which would mean I could fly to airports with a little rougher landing surface, like grass strips, with some additional confidence. On top of all of this, I think the way the taildragger looks is far cooler than the tricycle gear's looks.

The RV-7 (tailwheel version)



The RV-7A (tricycle gear version)

So, after considering all of the factors, I need to work at getting my tailwheel endorsement (about 10 or so hours of instruction) because I've decided to go with the traditional landing gear configuration for my airplane. Ground safety is of some concern, but with the proper training and practice, I think I'll be just fine taxiing in the tailwheel RV-7... and I'll look damn good, too! :)

The Airplane

Van’s Aircraft Company is a small company based in Aurora, Oregon. The company was founded by Richard VanGrunsven in 1973 and has grown steadily into one of the most popular and successful kit airplane companies in the world. They currently have a lineup of eight models of aircraft, each meeting different needs and desires of homebuilders and pilots. The model I have chosen to build is the RV-7. A picture and some performance stats for the airplane are below:

RV-7 Performance Statistics (180 hp engine)

Solo Weight - 1,400 lbs

Gross Weight - 1,700 lbs

Speed - Solo

Top Speed - 210 mph

Cruise (75% @ 8,000 ft) - 200 mph

Cruise (55% @ 8,000 ft) - 180 mph

Stall Speed - 51 mph

Climb/Ceiling - Solo

Rate of Climb - 2,200 fpm

Ceiling - 20,500 ft

Ground Performance - Solo

Takeoff Distance - 275 ft

Landing Distance - 350 ft

Range - Solo

75% Power @ 8,000 ft - 775 sm

55% Power @ 8,000 ft - 950 sm

The airframe itself is constructed of metal, held together mainly by thousands of small rivets and a few bolts. It can hold two occupants and offers a great amount of utility and fun. It cruises fast and efficiently and is also aerobatic. I like that I’ll be able to share the airplane with other people and offer rides when the time comes. This model of aircraft will also allow me to land at nearly any airport, no matter how small or big, which is also a bonus. Overall, I think this airplane will be very satisfying for the type of flying I want to do.

The Decision to Start

I have been around airplanes my whole life. My Granddad, three uncles on my mom’s side of the family and my dad all have their pilot’s license. I have loved airplanes for as long as I can remember. I began flying on my own when I was 16-years old. Because of a lack of time and money, it took me eight years to finish my training and earn my own pilot’s license, but I did so on March 13, 2011. I’ve flown as much as I have been able to since that day and loved every second of it.
 

I have rented airplanes since I began my own flying adventures, but have consistently kept my eyes open for an opportunity to own my own airplane. Obviously owning an airplane is a serious matter - mainly financially. The other option I have considered is building my own airplane - a serious matter as well, but also very intriguing and exciting.
 

Growing up, my dad often talked of purchasing or building an airplane. He talked of how much he would love to build the Van’s Aircraft RV-7 homebuilt airplane, but life never seemed to provide the opportunity. When I was old enough to do my own research, I looked into the RV-7 and I was hooked. After I went off to college, I kept thinking of how awesome it would be to build and own an RV-7, but, being so young and in college, it wasn’t a feasible option. Just to satisfy a bit of my appetite for the time being, I purchased the preview plans set from Van’s and have briefly looked through the plans over the past few years. Each time I look at the plans set or browse through another builder’s website, I fall just a little bit more for the aircraft. My feeling that almost nothing in life would make me as happy as building and owning my own airplane is solidified each time I look at those preview plans.
 

In the last couple months, I’ve found myself thinking more and more about the RV-7. As I think back on my dad’s wishes to build the airplane and think of how often I hear other grown men say, “I wish I would have [fill in the blank],” I find myself wanting nothing more than to be unable to say those words when I’m 40-, 50-, 60-years old. Many builders often say the hardest part about building an airplane is getting started. So after putting some thought into it, looking into the prices of the kits, looking at my own finances and my best estimate of how the next few years of my life will go, I’ve decided to take the leap. On March 29, 2013, I sent my order form to Van’s Aircraft, placing my order for the empennage (tail) and wing subkits!
 

I currently don’t have the money it would take to purchase a used aircraft outright. I don’t want to take any loans to buy a used aircraft either. So my thought is that I will be able to purchase and build the subkits for my RV-7 as my finances and time allow. If I can just get started, I will have the hardest part out of the way and be able to work through the rest as my time and finances allow.
 

Pressing the send button on the email to Van’s was nerve-wracking (and expensive... ha!)... but also very exciting. I may be young, there may be smarter ways I could use my money, but I know this project, which will likely take at least the next four to five years to complete, and the resulting airplane will make me happier than almost anything could... and that alone is worth it. I can’t wait to return from my deployment to get started!



The plethora of parts and pieces I will receive... and the final product in the background