Bob Cartwright’s RV-7
RV-7 N646RC (builder # 71194) flew for the first time on the morning of October 4, 2011 after eight years of construction with Jerry Ronk at the controls. All went well except for a yaw trim issue.
The plane is equipped with a Mattituck/ECI TMX O-360, Whirl Wind RV-200 prop, Dynon D-100/D120, iFly 720 GPS, Garmin SL-40 com, Garmin GX-327 transponder, TruTrak DigiFlight IIVS autopilot. It flew for 18 months to work out all issues prior to paint. The empty weight after paint is 1073 pounds.
I would like to thank Jerry Ronk, Mike Howard, TW (Tom Wieduwilt), Ron Wood, Kevin Faris, Jerry Mason, Jim Gallamore, and anyone else I forgot in EAA Chapter 80, and of course, my wife Carolyn (she actually bucked a few rivets before she decided it was too hard), for support and advice for the last eight years.
Omaha, Nebraska
[email protected]
Dale Williams’ “Myunn” Corvair-powered Sonex
“Myunn” (N319WF), a Corvair powered Sonex airframe, was purchased from a previous owner who had begun the fuselage and intended to use an AeroVee VW conversion engine. The kit came with factory-assembled wingspars. Following the purchase in January, 2010, my building mentor, Dick Fisher, and I began the reconstruction process after much disassembly because of changes we wanted to make and poor workmanship that was found. We installed the 3.0 120-hp Corvair conversion that was built for us by Dan Weseman of SPA (http://flywithspa.com) using his custom motor mount and nose bowl for the cowling assembly. The engine is built to William Wynn specifications (flycorvair.net) and utilizes his gold oil filter system and prop hub. It is equipped with an oil-fed BTA 5th bearing for prop loads and a Sensenich 54×58 propeller.
The interior is from the factory, and the instruments are MGL. We included an LRI (lift reserve indicator), along with a Flightline FL-760 radio and iFly 720 GPS.
First flight was in August 2012. Flight characteristics were excellent, and the Corvair power was smooth and abundant.
Signature Finish (signaturefinish.com) paint was applied using Tom Fabula’s roll-on method, which added 20 pounds.
[email protected]
websites.expercraft.com/daleandee
Herbert Telge’s Van’s RV-12
After almost a year of work, we completed our Vans RV-12 kit in January 2014. This was a team effort (dad and son project) done in Lima, Peru. Our plane is flying very well with approximately 25 hours in April 2014.
In the picture you can see our RV-12 and Herbert senior and Herbert junior at our local ultralight club located 40 miles south of Lima (San Bartolo).
Lima, Peru
[email protected]
Dick Harriman’s Waiex
My Waiex was started on October 1, 2012 and completed 10 months later with 1350 man-hours of work. My building and flying partner, Mike Tabler, and I are both retired pilots of the 55th wing, 343 squadron, and the aircraft is painted in the colors of the 343rd, 55th Fighter Group of WW-II (P-51). The aircraft flies great and is powered by the AeroVee engine. Sonex has been great in working out any hiccups we have had along the way.
Papillon, Nebraska
[email protected]
Ray Sievers’ Van’s Aircraft RV-9
After nine years and 3500+ hours of effort, S/N 91219 took its first flight on November 27, 2013. What a wonderful kit and outstanding factory support from those people in Aurora, Oregon.It flew wonderfully on the first flight, in trim, andit really climbs. This is a slow-build standardkit, and I rebuilt theO-320-E2A out of a Cherokeemyself after attending the disassembly/assembly classat Lycoming (thank you, Jim Doebler). It swings a Catto 70-inch diameter x 68-inch pitch propeller.
Myeternal gratitude for all the wonderful instructors at the many builder’s classes that I attended, and my EAA tech counselor Bill Tromblay. Thanks also to local avionics guru, Bernard Thalman, and finally, to my tireless helpers, David Harrison and Carlos Rivera.
Kenosha, Wisconsin
[email protected]
Norton and Booher Twin Zeniths
N750MN took to the sky on September 10, 2013 for her maiden voyage. N750HB followed on September 11, 2013. Mike Norton and Dick Booher, friends for 40 years, decided to build a pair of identical airplanes. We spent just over 14 months building the two planes.
Both are powered by the ULPower 350iS 130-hp fuel-injected FADEC engine. Engine monitoring and flight instruments are provided by the Dynon FlightDEK-D180. Other equipment includes a BendixKing GPS, Icom A210 com and Garmin GTX 327 transponder. We also mounted an ADS-B receiver in the glove box for weather and traffic being sent via Bluetooth to the RAM-mounted iPad on the panel. The props are a new design, a composite three-blade by Craig Catto, along with a spun aluminum spinner made by Allan Cummins in Australia.
We built the planes at home and transported them to the airport for final reassembly. This was the first build for each of us, and we frequently assisted each other during various stages. I could not have completed my plane without Dick’s assistance, and I am confident he feels I helped him occasionally.
We both have to thank our loving wives for their support and understanding during construction. Kudos goes to Zenith Aircraft for creating the simple kit, as well as the endless factory support provided by Sebastien Heintz, Caleb Gebhardt, Roger Dubbert, Shirley Swearingen, Joyce Fort, and Linda Wolf.
Vine Grove, Kentucky
[email protected]
Thomas VanderHeyden’s RV-7
After contemplating building an airplane for 20 years, I began my RV-7 project in June 2009, and the first flight was in October 2012, after a total build time of about 2,500 hours. The engine and prop are the standard Van’s combination of the IO-360-M1B and Hartzell propeller. The panel was by Aerotronics, with a Dynon SkyView and a Garmin 530W.
BUILDERS SHARE THEIR SUCCESSES
Submissions to “Completions” should include a description (a few paragraphs only—250 words maximum) of the project and the finished aircraft. Also include a good color photograph of the aircraft. Please include a daytime phone number where we can contact you if necessary. Also indicate whether we may publish your address in case other builders would like to contact you. Send submissions to [email protected] with a subject line of “Completions.” Photos must be high-resolution—300 dpi at a 3 x 5 print size is the minimum requirement.
