My RV-9A Build

October 4 2019 Build time 100 hrs. Total time 1100 hrs.

So it’s been 20 days since my last post, here’s what’s going on – Static ports installed and plumbed, baggage area painted and installed, seats and floors painted and installed, soundproofing under the floors. ADAHARS mount fabricated, conduit under the floor is run. Turtle deck riveted on, Almost 14 seat mod installed. Tried out seat foams for fit, it’s getting there! Here’s the pictures –

September 13, 2019 Build time-5.0 Total time 1000.0 hrs

Restarted building in earnest today. Installed Avery rudder cable exit hoods, deburred, dimpled aft skin. Static ports next. Screwed up “J” channel lengths cut too short. New ones on the way, oh well.

Moving day approaches and the Finish kit arrives tomorrow.

I haven’t put any time into building this summer because of other life situations that take priority. I did take a few hours this morning to prep the fuselage for moving to the new shop.

Been spending quit a bit of time cleaning, reorganizing my dads shop in preparation to move operations to Granbury. The shop now has two A/C units (with heat for winter), new lighting, I need to get the air lines plumbed in for the compressed air then I will start moving the few pieces that I have left for the fuselage kit and the fuselage over.

So I clecoed on most of the remaining pieces which is the aft skin and the forward supports and skin. Starting to look like something I think.

So moving from this to this …

Lots still left to do, better get to it!

June 25, 2019 (estimated) Build time – 150hrs. Total time – 952.0 hrs

Life has definitely gotten in the way of my progress the last few months.

So I officially “rolled the canoe” April 30th. Shortly after that my fathers health started declining and Mom had a stroke. So I’ve been playing primary care giver and their gUber driver. Manage mine and their properties. So not much time in the last two months for building. But taking care of them has been an honor and the reason I moved here from Delaware. Dad passed away a couple of weeks ago. He will be sorely missed but is now out of pain. I miss you Dad and dedicate the rest of this build to you!

So I’ve mentioned earlier that I was out of space in my two car garage. I just inherited a 30×40 shop. BUT, it is in NO shape for building. So I’ve been working since his passing to clean out, clean up and refit it to build in. I’ve filled a dumpster with stuff that filled his shop that either didn’t work or served no purpose. Included in his stuff is a Mini-Max that has never flown since he owned it and a project he started 20 years ago. A Ultralight called Banty.

So I’m not sure what to with these airframes. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to try to them. Maybe I can piece them out.

So my progress since February is as follows:

Riveted the center section to tail cone, painted the interior with JetFlex water based polyurethane, mounted the firewall, rolled the canoe, had the rudder pedals and a few other pieces anodized red, riveted aft deck on to the tail. Ordered finish kit which is due to arrive mid July. Here are the pictures…..

February 24, 2019 Build time – 20.0 Total time – 802.0

So not a lot of work done, been a weird couple of weeks because my wife has been in the hospital so spreading my time between my two loves. Lots of drilling, longerons are drilled, side skins curled, firewall hung. I’m running out of room ….

February 13, 2019 Build time – 69.0 Total time – 782.0

Progress since last entry, tail section riveted together, longerons bent and twisted, center section deburred, primed, and riveting together now. Next entry will be joining the sections together. Now the pictures …

January 30, 2019 Build time – 25.0 Total time – 713.0

Happy Birthday Martha! I miss you everyday. Meanwhile back at the build, bulkheads are complete.

Honest officer, I stepped out to the restroom for a couple minutes. When I got back …

There was a fuselage just that fast! Once the bulkheads are done, the skin goes on quickly. A few more pictures…

Moving on, later. 😀

January 23, 2019 Build time – 16.0 Total time – 688.0

Should have said on to 904 bulkhead instead of 704, (that’s an RV7, I’m building a 9).

Anyway, 904 bulkhead/spar carry thru complete. So the construction flow for the fuselage is work front to tail, then tail to front. So I started with the firewall which is the forward most bulkhead and I’m working bulkheads until I get to the tail. Then I’ll start skinning the fuselage from the tail forward. Tomorrow starts the 905 bulkhead which supports the seat backs. Hope I’m not going too fast!

January 20, 2019 Build time 19.0 Total time 672.0

So the fuselage arrived Tuesday afternoon. Somewhat disappointed with the shipping company, crate was transported on its end and had come open in-transit.

So the inventory started almost immediately to see if anything was lost or damaged.

5 hours of inventory time and everything seems in order.

Started work on the firewall. 14 hours later …

Firewall complete! 704 bulkhead starts Tuesday morning. Stay tuned!

January 15, 2019

It’s been a long two months since I finished up the wings and put them in storage. But with the holidays and needing to do a few honey-do’s, a break from building was in order. During the break however I wasn’t totally idle. One of my daughters played Santa and gave me a throttle quadrant for Christmas, thank you Sanya!

Plus I came across a interesting thread on the VAF forum for a tool cart that I had to replicate for my own use. So here’s my version….

So as the construction drought comes to a close and I wait for the trucking company to roll up, I’d like to say that I will NOT have anymore gaps in construction from here to the end. I will definitely be placing my finish kit order a good two months before I run out of fuselage parts. So the postings have resumed! STAY TUNED!