User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 11/11/2023 11:46:23 PM EDT
This morning I bought amd picked up a Vans RV7 kit from a local guy who had all of the kits in his possession and had not started building but decided to sell them.
Transferred all the hundreds of parts to my house and boy is it a lot of parts! I have 0 experience bucking rivets, laying fiberglass or cutting canopies. But I’ve built a few Lego sets in my time so let’s see if I can do it! First step is going to be sorting all of the parts into their respective kits and making a plan of action from there. I’ll update as often as I work on it.  Attached File |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/11/2023 11:48:57 PM EDT
[#1]
In!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/11/2023 11:50:17 PM EDT
[#2]
Tag for this build.
Eta op post a couple pictures of your Willys! |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/11/2023 11:56:12 PM EDT
[#3]
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/11/2023 11:56:35 PM EDT
[#4]
Ost
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/11/2023 11:57:28 PM EDT
[#5]
Should be fun. In!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/11/2023 11:58:39 PM EDT
[#6]
Hell ya. Whats the story on the boat on the ceiling?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/11/2023 11:58:42 PM EDT
[#7]
5 year project.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 12:02:01 AM EDT
[#8]
Everyone starts with the tail kit. Can’t count how many times customers have said to me “Uh, my wife was helping me buck rivets here. Can you do something to help it look better?” (The wife, suuuure) lol. By the time you get the tail done you’ll be pretty proficient at riveting. Just take your time and follow the instructions and you’ll do great.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 12:03:11 AM EDT
[#9]
Awesome dude I fucking love it can't wait to see your progress!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 1:07:21 AM EDT
[#10]
Looks like that yellow jeep thing is already at the "90% done, 90% left to go" stage. Good luck, fellow project collector!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 1:13:14 AM EDT
[#11]
Interesting timing. This dropped yesterday.
 The Most Popular Homebuilt Airplane In The World |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 1:15:05 AM EDT
[#12]
Awesome, I have a buddy trying to build one. I did a crap load of machining for his engine. It's a better half build.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 1:27:16 AM EDT
[#13]
Good luck OP. Sounds fun.
Dibs on your gun stuff if no ones in line already. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 1:29:54 AM EDT
[#14]
Neat.
I’m an EAA tech counselor and IA if you ever need anything. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 2:47:19 AM EDT
[#15]
My CFI has an RV3. Pretty neat little airplane.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 3:05:16 AM EDT
[#16]
My buddy Gary got his angel wings in one of those.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 3:09:23 AM EDT
[#17]
Me too!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 3:09:43 AM EDT
[#18]
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 3:12:10 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 5 year project. 5 years and two divorces. So said a guy in Houston who was building his second homebuilt plane. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 3:13:46 AM EDT
[#20]
HIGHLY recommend you join EAA and take their sheet metal class before you start in on it. Do the tail first. Find a local EAA chapter that's into building. They will help you a lot.
SportAir Workshops Don't even for one second consider any engine other than Lycoming! It's a trap you WILL regret. And don't even bother thinking about canopy or fiberglass now - they are a LONG way off. Concentrate on your sheet metal skills. Keep plugging away at it regularly, even for just a few minutes before or after supper, and you'll get to fly it. End of July, attending AirVenture is a must, too! Much to see and learn there, including daily workshops. And join Van's Air Force; HUGE help there, too. https://vansairforce.net/ RV-7A builder & pilot |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 4:09:52 AM EDT
[#21]
So long as you don't add an "A" to the RV-7 part, go forth!
I got a bunch of my early tailwheel experience in an RV-8, and they are magnificently fun machines. Hopefully you'll have an epic thread here on your build! Second the above poster's advice to hang out on the VAF forums; there is years' worth of stored knowledge there on every topic you can conceive of that you will run into with your build. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 4:27:27 AM EDT
[#22]
You're gonna need a bigger workshop.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 4:59:40 AM EDT
[#23]
OST
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 5:10:38 AM EDT
[#24]
When was the kit assembled?
If the detail parts were fabricated in 2022 or early 2023, you need to determine whether you have laser cut parts in there, and if so, get educated on the next steps to get replacements. Don't scrimp on tools or try to get by with a half assed substitutes. Build two solid assembly tables. Set up a comfortable work area with heat and AC. Put a crying chair in the shop where you can think about how you will solve problems. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 6:18:04 AM EDT
[#25]
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 8:14:17 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 5 years and two divorces. So said a guy in Houston who was building his second homebuilt plane. Many refer to the airplane as the other woman. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 8:32:38 AM EDT
[#27]
In.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 8:37:26 AM EDT
[#28]
My dad and I built 2 airplanes together. First from plans then an RV6. Big projects that required a lot of time and focus.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 8:44:19 AM EDT
[#29]
I'm about 2 years into building an Avid flyer, it's fun and frustrating at the same time!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 9:11:48 AM EDT
[#30]
Quoted: This morning I bought amd picked up a Vans RV7 kit from a local guy who had all of the kits in his possession and had not started building but decided to sell them. Transferred all the hundreds of parts to my house and boy is it a lot of parts! I have 0 experience bucking rivets, laying fiberglass or cutting canopies. But I’ve built a few Lego sets in my time so let’s see if I can do it! First step is going to be sorting all of the parts into their respective kits and making a plan of action from there. I’ll update as often as I work on it. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/207473/IMG_5428_jpeg-3024732.JPG Nice! If you were closer I'd offer to help. 25 year aircraft sheet metal guy. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 9:13:54 AM EDT
[#31]
Oh boy this should be fun. In.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 9:15:04 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 5 year project. Easily. Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 9:21:07 AM EDT
[#33]
Why is the front tire off the Willys?
Good luck with the RV7, keep plugging away on it and it will get done! |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 9:32:16 AM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 5 year project. Another tip - don't buy your avionics until last. Things change so much that, by the time it's finished, newer, better, more high-tech panels will probably be available. Makes and models you select early may be obsolete or orphaned by the time you're ready to fly it. You can guess why I know these things. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 10:00:02 AM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Probably a reasonable estimate. It really depends a lot on OP's determination to get it done, as well as the details of his life & commitments. Some people bang their first one out in less than a year. Some people take 10, 15, even 20 years to finish them. Some never finish them. This is not a Quick Build, so there is quite a bit more work in the wings & fuselage than a QB. A good bucking partner will go a long way. Another tip - don't buy your avionics until last. Things change so much that, by the time it's finished, newer, better, more high-tech panels will probably be available. Makes and models you select early may be obsolete or orphaned by the time you're ready to fly it. You can guess why I know these things. I worked on a guys RV8 that was built in 9 months and it looked like it. Every time I stuck my hand in somewhere it came back out bleeding. He didn't file or deburr anything. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 10:31:10 AM EDT
[#36]
OST
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 10:37:22 AM EDT
[#37]
Building is fun. Too bad you aren't closer. Have a 6 in storage Need to either complete it or find some partners to help.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 10:59:20 AM EDT
[#38]
Good luck.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:07:45 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You're gonna need a bigger workshop. Thats what it looks like to me, too. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:12:34 AM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: When was the kit assembled? If the detail parts were fabricated in 2022 or early 2023, you need to determine whether you have laser cut parts in there, and if so, get educated on the next steps to get replacements. Don't scrimp on tools or try to get by with a half assed substitutes. Build two solid assembly tables. Set up a comfortable work area with heat and AC. Put a crying chair in the shop where you can think about how you will solve problems. What's the problem with the newer kits and laser cut sheets/parts? |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:28:35 AM EDT
[#41]
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:31:26 AM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What's the problem with the newer kits and laser cut sheets/parts? Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: When was the kit assembled? If the detail parts were fabricated in 2022 or early 2023, you need to determine whether you have laser cut parts in there, and if so, get educated on the next steps to get replacements. Don't scrimp on tools or try to get by with a half assed substitutes. Build two solid assembly tables. Set up a comfortable work area with heat and AC. Put a crying chair in the shop where you can think about how you will solve problems. What's the problem with the newer kits and laser cut sheets/parts? The edges cut by a laser are hardened and ragged under a magnifying glass. The edges of flanges and lightening holes can be debured and polished. The real problem are the cracks that develop at the edges of holes when they are dimpled. That eliminates the first stage of fatigue life, which is crack initiation. The next two steps are crack growth and then failure when the critical crack length is a reached. There are dozens of those parts buried in the major assemblies that can't be accessed in the case of a long crack without disassembling the part. I learned about the problem last month when I started looking into building a RV-12. (Whoops, I meant RV-14.) The last time I was involved in parts cut out by laser was for a tube and rag airplane kit in the 90's. It's not a new issue. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:31:42 AM EDT
[#43]
hells yeah!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:33:20 AM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The edges cut by a laser are hardened and ragged under a magnifying glass. The edges of flanges and lightening holes can be polished. The real problem are the cracks that develop at the edges of holes when they are dimpled. That eliminates the first stage of fatigue life, which is crack initiation. The next two steps are crack growth and then failure when the critical crack length is a reached. There are dozens of those parts buried in the major assemblies that can't be accessed in the case of a long crack without disassembling the part. I learned about the problem last month when I started looking into building a RV-12. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: When was the kit assembled? If the detail parts were fabricated in 2022 or early 2023, you need to determine whether you have laser cut parts in there, and if so, get educated on the next steps to get replacements. Don't scrimp on tools or try to get by with a half assed substitutes. Build two solid assembly tables. Set up a comfortable work area with heat and AC. Put a crying chair in the shop where you can think about how you will solve problems. What's the problem with the newer kits and laser cut sheets/parts? The edges cut by a laser are hardened and ragged under a magnifying glass. The edges of flanges and lightening holes can be polished. The real problem are the cracks that develop at the edges of holes when they are dimpled. That eliminates the first stage of fatigue life, which is crack initiation. The next two steps are crack growth and then failure when the critical crack length is a reached. There are dozens of those parts buried in the major assemblies that can't be accessed in the case of a long crack without disassembling the part. I learned about the problem last month when I started looking into building a RV-12. so the heat makes them annealed and prone to cracking? seems like they should have just used a water jet to cut |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:44:03 AM EDT
[#45]
Link to the long thread at vansairforce -
https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=218272 WRT Quick Build kits - https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=220817 |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:45:38 AM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The edges cut by a laser are hardened and ragged under a magnifying glass. The edges of flanges and lightening holes can be polished. The real problem are the cracks that develop at the edges of holes when they are dimpled. That eliminates the first stage of fatigue life, which is crack initiation. The next two steps are crack growth and then failure when the critical crack length is a reached. There are dozens of those parts buried in the major assemblies that can't be accessed in the case of a long crack without disassembling the part. I learned about the problem last month when I started looking into building a RV-12. The last time I was involved in parts cut out by laser was for a tube and rag airplane kit in the 90's. It's not a new issue. It’s been my experience with 7, 8, and 9 kits is that the holes are only pilot drilled and still need to be drilled to size. No idea about the 12 kits. |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:46:12 AM EDT
[#47]
In on one!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:47:05 AM EDT
[#48]
Good on you!
I built a RV-3A (my avatar) and a RV-4. Van's airplanes are good stuff!!! |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 11:57:00 AM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It's been my experience with 7, 8, and 9 kits is that the holes are only pilot drilled and still need to be drilled to size. No idea about the 12 kits. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: The edges cut by a laser are hardened and ragged under a magnifying glass. The edges of flanges and lightening holes can be polished. The real problem are the cracks that develop at the edges of holes when they are dimpled. That eliminates the first stage of fatigue life, which is crack initiation. The next two steps are crack growth and then failure when the critical crack length is a reached. There are dozens of those parts buried in the major assemblies that can't be accessed in the case of a long crack without disassembling the part. I learned about the problem last month when I started looking into building a RV-12. The last time I was involved in parts cut out by laser was for a tube and rag airplane kit in the 90's. It's not a new issue. It's been my experience with 7, 8, and 9 kits is that the holes are only pilot drilled and still need to be drilled to size. No idea about the 12 kits. Looks like all current models are affected. The company started punching holes to full size when matched hole tooling was incorporated. Im sure there are a few that aren't drilled. The last one I worked on was an early quick build RV-6, which was nothing like the current kits. The RV-6 is no longer offered, the RV-7 fills that hole now. The parts in the first post appear to come from a slow build kit. Supposedly everything in blue plastic has punched holes, so the problem is reduced to inventory of the parts to identify potential issues. There should be a serial number in the paperwork that can be used to identify the age. Vangrunsven's talk (he is no longer the owner) - https://www.vansaircraft.com/2023/10/business-announcement-from-vans-founder-dick-vangrunsven/ The list and stop light chart - https://www.vansaircraft.com/2023/11/information-about-dimpled-hole-cracking-on-some-laser-cut-parts/ |
|
|
|
Posted: 11/12/2023 12:00:18 PM EDT
[#50]
Better than the Wright Bros.
|
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
Attached File
Attached File