Robert Anderson’s RV-8
After many years of both building and not building (about 50/50), N184GC first flew on April 22, 2015 from Santa Fe (New Mexico)Municipal Airport. Making the first flight in the airplane I built was probably the most rewarding experience I’ve had in my life.
N184GC is powered by a Lycoming O-360-A1A with dual P-Mags and a Catto three-blade prop. The paint scheme is my own design, but I left the paint application to the professionals. My airplane was awarded Best Homebuilt at the 2016 Land of Enchantment Fly-in; First Place, Custom-Built Metal, and Grand Champion at the 2017 Copperstate Fly-in; Second place, Custom-Built Metal at Copperstate 2016; and Kit-Built Outstanding Workmanship at EAA AirVenture 2017.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
[email protected]
John Albritton’s Eze Jet
This day was a long time coming for me (about 12 years), but at last I’m flying my own jet! The engine is a GE T58-8 turbine, and the airframe has been highly customized. For example, the winglets were removed from the wings to a location on the aft fuselage. In the new location, the airplane feels easier to roll—and it looks cool, too! I also wanted all three wheels to retract, not just the nose gear like a typical Long-EZ.
Another challenge were the air intakes for the engine. Once they were in the location where I wanted them, the bends were too great to get maximum performance from the engine. The only viable solution was to run them into the area where the back seat would normally be. That’s OK because I enjoy flying solo and it allowed room for an extra fuel tank—but it also required major modifications to the flight control system. Many thanks to Robert, Mike, Steve, and Terry at Jet Guys for making the impossible…possible!
Oakland, Tennessee
[email protected]
Rich Macrafic’s RV-7A
After a 12-year build, RV-7A N4956T flew for the first time on October 9, 2017 from KRST (Rochester, Minnesota).
Everybody talks about the “RV grin” after that first flight. For me, that came on the second flight. The first one was approached with trepidation, caused by the combination of a new plane that had never flown and a pilot (me) that had only six hours of transition training (albeit excellent training) under my belt. The flight ended with, I’ll admit, a few tears—tears of relief, pride, joy, and accomplishment. OK, it also ended with a bottle of champagne with my co-builder and wife, Cindy.
We extend a sincere, heartfelt thanks for all the eager and knowledgeable assistance we received from so many fronts as we made our way forward on this epic journey. To all of you, thanks for the memories. You are all a part of the heart and soul of N4956T and have a place in our memories and hearts for a lifetime.
Rochester, Minnesota
[email protected]
