If you are an RV builder or owner, please add your name to the RV Directory. It will help others find other RV builders in their area, as well as help you if you are ever traveling and break down. Ever need help from other RV builders in your area and can't find them? This is a way to get the latest and most updated list. Please remember, good stuff in, good stuff out. No data entered will ever be used for marketing, mass mailing, or unwanted sales. Thanks for being the best aviation community in the world!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
RV Nation Fly-in
The day at Deerfield was absolutely gorgeous. The skies were crystal clear and a brilliant blue. Everything was set up and ready to accept the many RVs that were to come. Throughout the day, one after another Van's RV graced us with their presence as they flew in to the first RV Nation Fly-in. When all was said and done, 17 RV's made the trek into Deerfield to enjoy the festivities, food, and the fellowship of other RV pilots. The RVs came from all over states, including west Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio, Central North Carolina, and the Atlanta, Georgia area. Here are some of the pics that were taken at the fly-in.
Article in the South Charlotte Weekly Newspaper
Flying High!
Travis Brown and his dad, Scott Brown, a teacher at South Charlotte Middle School, are building their own airplane, inspiring Scott to help create interest in experimental aviation through his upcoming aviation magazine, “Plane Crazy.”
Scott Brown loves teaching math to his seventh-grade students at South Charlotte Middle School. It’s definitely a passion of his.
But being bound to a classroom wasn’t always his dream job. In fact, this is just his second year teaching middle school students – a much different perspective from the aerial view Brown had as a pilot for 16 years.
But being bound to a classroom wasn’t always his dream job. In fact, this is just his second year teaching middle school students – a much different perspective from the aerial view Brown had as a pilot for 16 years.
Now, Brown is combining his two professions to help encourage science, technology, engineering and math in the classroom while creating a larger interest in aviation worldwide.
Brown’s vision started with his son Travis, a 14 year old who lives in Catawba County, Brown’s home. With more than 30 years in the aviation industry and a love for experimental aviation – specifically designing and building planes – Brown was excited to find that his passion was rubbing off when Travis showed interest in experimental aviation himself, asking his dad for the opportunity to build a plane together.
“All of sudden, recently he said ‘Dad, I want to build an airplane.’ I was kind of floored,” Brown said. “I would never expect that from a 14-year-old boy.”
His son’s interest helped spark an idea to help bring back enthusiasm to experimental aviation, Brown said. That’s why he hopes to spread his passion through an aviation magazine called “Plane Crazy.” His idea comes after starting his blog, www.buzzbarnstormer.com, an avenue for Brown to share memorable stories through his aviation career. But after nearly 600,000 hits and interests from fellow experimental aviators, Brown saw a need for a different avenue.
“Most of the magazines out there right now when it comes to aviation all went corporate because that’s where all the money is at,” Brown said. “I understand that, but I’m not trying to make a lot of money from my magazine. I’m just doing it because I love doing it. I’m doing this just because I love flying and I really want to see kids get involved like what my son is doing.”
“Plane Crazy,” set to release in early 2013, is a grassroots magazine that will focus on the people who build experimental planes and will exist to promote interest in aviation to younger generations. Brown hopes the magazine will provide a platform for experimental enthusiasts to share ideas, strategies and tips about building. Brown says he has enough followers to produce 25,000 copies of the first quarterly magazine, to be distributed throughout the United States and Europe, plus select airports.
So far, Brown found his story ideas and topics by visiting fly-ins and airshows all over the East Coast, taking notes and pictures as he goes along.
“It’s really phenomenal stuff,” he said. “It seems aviation is kind of dying off. I just want it to be fun again – get it back to grassroots aviation, like building and designing airplanes.
“I’ve got a bunch of friends all over the world that are wanting to contribute. I want the magazine to be about the people that are buying them. It doesn’t really mean too much until it’s about the people that are reading the thing.”
Brown and Travis are currently building a Van’s Aircraft RV-4, where Brown is teaching his son how to use the tools, read the plans and how to construct properly. So far, they’ve constructed the tail and are working to start the wings.
And since Travis was part of the inspiration, Brown says he’d like for his son to have a part in the magazine.
“I’ve sent articles about him building a plane,” Brown said, adding that most of the content has already been sent to local graphic designers. “When I told him he would be inside the magazine, he was really excited. I’d like for him to eventually have his own section. I think if I can get him to a place where he can write about building a plane in the magazine, he’ll be really excited because his words will be in print and he gets to work on his writing skills.”
In the meantime, Brown says he’s using the same principles that are involved in airplane building and design to help students at South Charlotte Middle. As the Science Olympiad coach, he says many of the building events for competition involve similar physics and mathematical concepts that are used in aviation, where he hopes to share his magazine with his
students.
students.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Building A New RV4 Extended Baggage Compartment
After about a year of flying my RV4 and being frustrated that I couldn't carry anything in the baggage compartment for being too small, I decided to finally do something about it. I had heard that many builders had taken the rear baggage compartment bulkhead out and continued the baggage compartment back to the rear of the plane. So, this is what I set out to do.
There were many things to think about when making a change like this, the biggest of course it a weight and balance issue is created. I started thinking about when I travelled, what were the items that I could not fit into my RV? The heavier luggage I never had any difficulty with, because it always was stored in the larger bin area behind the rear seat. But once that area was full, things like pillows, sleeping bags, my 2 person tent, and extra pair of shoes, and things of that nature were the items that would not fit.
These items were not really heavy. If I were to place my pillow and the far aft of the plane, followed by my sleeping bag, then the tent, and all the other stuff being lose, more towards the front, that would put all light stuff in the rear of the plane and all heavier stuff towards the front. Hmmm, sounds like it could work. But the wise thing to do at this point, would be to calculate the weight and balance for the aircraft, and then calculate what the extended baggage compartment would do to the weight and balance. Then, if everything was ok, determine the limitations.
So, that is what was done. Here are the calculations with the added extended baggage compartment.
Notice for the ARM I used 165 for the extended baggage compartment. I used this number because there was no way all the weight of an item placed back there would be at the 170 mark. Therefore, moving the center of the possible furthest aft weight up to the 165 mark seemed more plausible. I used all weights at their maximum to see what it would do to my CG, and as you can tell, the CG still was at 73, well within limits. I very rarely, if ever, carried bags that weighed 50 pounds, and never in my life carried a pillow that weighed 15 pounds.
So, now that the numbers were acceptable, what about the construction of the extended baggage compartment? I removed the aft baggage compartment bulkhead. This provided access to the rear of the plane.
Some things to consider at this point were....1) I did not want to build anything that would hinder the operation of the control rods for the elevators, 2) I still wanted to have access to all moving parts in the rear of the plane for inspection purposes, 3) I did not want to hinder the static ports that were located above the longerons in the next bay back.
Taking all of these things into consideration, I proceeded to make a shelf out of aluminum sheet that was braced with stiffeners, the same way we stiffened the control surfaces like the rudder and the elevators. This worked out nicely. Then I riveted a brace to the further aft bulkhead so that it would hold the new shelf in place. Fitting my body back into the baggage compartment was a real challenge, and on the more-times-than-not occasion that I squeezed myself back into that God forsaken hole, just to realize that I had forgotten a tool, I became very good at waiting for the next passer-by to hand me my tools.
I drilled holes into the longerons and bolted the sides of the extended baggage compartment to them, so that I could remove them later for inspections. Once everything was bolted in place, the last piece of the puzzle had to be installed. There was still a gaping hole at the rear bulkhead where baggage, shoes, or anything else I could have back there, could find its way to hinder the movement of the elevator control rod. I considered how I was going to close this area up for sometime, as climbing back into that abyss was not desirable, as well as resting my 200 pounds on that shelf would not be favorable as well. I decided upon a better route. I purchased a 3 inch piece of foam, and made a pillow out of it that who fit very snugly into place at the rear bulkhead. The pillow could not be pushed through the hole, as it was a firm foam. I put the same material on it as my seats, and decided to embroider my seat logo on it as well just to give it that personal touch. It worked like a charm and was super easy to install, requiring just a broom handle to push it into place.
Carpeting on the new shelf helped to dampen the noise coming from the back of the plane, and helped to make it more esthetic.
Here is a picture of the finished product for my extended baggage compartment.
My new extended baggage compartment turned out really nicely. With all the added space, I could easily carry a set of golf clubs (accept I don't golf), but more apres peau, I could carry my gas powered Go-ped scooter strapped in place, so that I had cool transportation when I arrived at my destination.
I hope that this helps you with building an extended baggage compartment in your plane, but I will also strongly advise that you calculate the weight and balance numbers on your plane first, as all experimental planes are different.
Happy building!
-- Buzz -- RV Nation
There were many things to think about when making a change like this, the biggest of course it a weight and balance issue is created. I started thinking about when I travelled, what were the items that I could not fit into my RV? The heavier luggage I never had any difficulty with, because it always was stored in the larger bin area behind the rear seat. But once that area was full, things like pillows, sleeping bags, my 2 person tent, and extra pair of shoes, and things of that nature were the items that would not fit.
These items were not really heavy. If I were to place my pillow and the far aft of the plane, followed by my sleeping bag, then the tent, and all the other stuff being lose, more towards the front, that would put all light stuff in the rear of the plane and all heavier stuff towards the front. Hmmm, sounds like it could work. But the wise thing to do at this point, would be to calculate the weight and balance for the aircraft, and then calculate what the extended baggage compartment would do to the weight and balance. Then, if everything was ok, determine the limitations.
So, that is what was done. Here are the calculations with the added extended baggage compartment.
Notice for the ARM I used 165 for the extended baggage compartment. I used this number because there was no way all the weight of an item placed back there would be at the 170 mark. Therefore, moving the center of the possible furthest aft weight up to the 165 mark seemed more plausible. I used all weights at their maximum to see what it would do to my CG, and as you can tell, the CG still was at 73, well within limits. I very rarely, if ever, carried bags that weighed 50 pounds, and never in my life carried a pillow that weighed 15 pounds.
So, now that the numbers were acceptable, what about the construction of the extended baggage compartment? I removed the aft baggage compartment bulkhead. This provided access to the rear of the plane.
Some things to consider at this point were....1) I did not want to build anything that would hinder the operation of the control rods for the elevators, 2) I still wanted to have access to all moving parts in the rear of the plane for inspection purposes, 3) I did not want to hinder the static ports that were located above the longerons in the next bay back.
Taking all of these things into consideration, I proceeded to make a shelf out of aluminum sheet that was braced with stiffeners, the same way we stiffened the control surfaces like the rudder and the elevators. This worked out nicely. Then I riveted a brace to the further aft bulkhead so that it would hold the new shelf in place. Fitting my body back into the baggage compartment was a real challenge, and on the more-times-than-not occasion that I squeezed myself back into that God forsaken hole, just to realize that I had forgotten a tool, I became very good at waiting for the next passer-by to hand me my tools.
I drilled holes into the longerons and bolted the sides of the extended baggage compartment to them, so that I could remove them later for inspections. Once everything was bolted in place, the last piece of the puzzle had to be installed. There was still a gaping hole at the rear bulkhead where baggage, shoes, or anything else I could have back there, could find its way to hinder the movement of the elevator control rod. I considered how I was going to close this area up for sometime, as climbing back into that abyss was not desirable, as well as resting my 200 pounds on that shelf would not be favorable as well. I decided upon a better route. I purchased a 3 inch piece of foam, and made a pillow out of it that who fit very snugly into place at the rear bulkhead. The pillow could not be pushed through the hole, as it was a firm foam. I put the same material on it as my seats, and decided to embroider my seat logo on it as well just to give it that personal touch. It worked like a charm and was super easy to install, requiring just a broom handle to push it into place.
Carpeting on the new shelf helped to dampen the noise coming from the back of the plane, and helped to make it more esthetic.
Here is a picture of the finished product for my extended baggage compartment.
I hope that this helps you with building an extended baggage compartment in your plane, but I will also strongly advise that you calculate the weight and balance numbers on your plane first, as all experimental planes are different.
Happy building!
-- Buzz -- RV Nation
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Never Give Up!
Part of RV Nation's mission is about going back to the grass roots of flying. Our mission statement says:
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RV-Nation is an organization formed for the purpose of serving those who enjoy the sport of building experimental RV Aircraft, to revive the grass roots of flying, and to generate aviation interest in our youth so as to preserve the sport of experimental flight for generations to come.
A very important part of the mission statement is "to revive the grass roots of flying," something I have spent the last 25 years doing and believe in whole heartedly. Part of that, I think, is to tell the stories of those that have battled the wars of life, and through shear commitment to self, have carried the tattered flag on relentlessly towards fulfilling their dreams of building their own plane, learning to fly in it, and becoming that weekend warrior flying into the sunset with his best girl.....ok, so that last part was for my female readers who desire romance instead of nuts, bolts, and riveting. :^)
Bruce Swayze is one of those guys. The dream that someday his own plane would be sitting in his hangar sometimes felt like a pinball game, the ball bouncing erratically from one direction to another, never going the desired way. But after raising four kids, and all the footballs, soccer balls, baseballs, and tu-tu skirts that goes along with that, time slipped by really quickly. Soon all the kids were leaving the nest and starting lives of their own, and Bruce was looking at a still empty hangar.
But like a man on a mission, Bruce decided that it was now his time ... and building commenced. He decided to build an RV-7A from Van's Aircraft. A sleek, fast, and very popular plane, the RV-7A brought Bruce back to the grass roots of flying, back to his early days when building a plane was a powerful dream that was put on hold for half a lifetime.
The empennage was purchased and the dream began. Successes would be small along the way. So, Bruce logged his accomplishments on a website he created, where he kept meticulous records and pictures so that when he felt that he just wasn't getting anywhere, he could look back at his site, and realize how far he had actually come.
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| Bruce with his RV-7A tail completed! |
Jumping forward a few years and Bruce is sitting is the fuselage of his RV-7A, almost completed. The empennage and wings are done and the craftsmanship is that of a professional. Custom ideas that Bruce would think of over the years have been implemented into his craft and documented for all to see. The engine has been purchased, and Bruce is now deciding what part to work on next.
Along the way, Bruce joined ranks with other experimental aircraft builders and formed friendships that will last a life time. Yes, folks, Bruce Swayze is living the dream! And the cool part about it is that the dream is just beginning. Within a few short months, maybe just a year, Bruce's RV-7A will be finsihed, a life long dream.....completed! And those flights into the sunset with his best girl can begin.....uuuummm, ahem, I mean, the Weekend Warrior can conquer the next $100 hamburger with the Flight of Seven RVs from the 391st RV Fighter Wing.... yeah, that's better!
For one of the best builder's logs I have seen, visit Bruce's website at
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I have never met Bruce in person as he lives on the other side of the country from me. However, he is a member of RV Nation, and for that I am grateful, as it has afforded me a very good friend. His building story has inspired me to never give up in all the endeavors that I am undertaking! I hope that when we get our planes built, we can meet in the middle for that REALLY EXPENSIVE hamburger someday. Until then, keep riveting.....and never give up!
-- Buzz -- RV Nation
RV8, Luca Style!
Here is a new video from my friend Luca Perazzolli in Italy. Really awesome flying! By the way, Luca won the First Place in the Experimental Aircraft catagory in Italy for his work on his RV8! Congrats to Luca! This video is really good, and set to some great scenery and music. Just click on his picture. Hope you enjoy!
-- Buzz
RV Nation
-- Buzz
RV Nation
RV Nation T-Shirt Sightings!!
The RV Nation t-shirts are selling all over the world, and fellow RVers are proudly displaying them in front of their beautiful RVs. Send me a pic of you with your RV Nation t-shirt on in front of your RV, or anywhere else for that matter, and I will post it here on Buzz Barnstormers, as well as on Van's RV Nation on facebook! Here are some of the pictures that have been sent it, arriving from places as far as Italy, to as close as North Carolina! Hope to see your pic up here soon!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Don't Miss the RV-Nation Fly-in, Nov 3rd at Deerfield Resort, TN (TN44)
Don't forget to mark your calendars for the RV-Nation Fly-in on November 3rd at Deerfield Resort (TN44). We are really excited to announce the entertainment for the fly-in: Shake Ragg, a country, southern rock band that is quickly growing in popularity all over the southeast. We are very fortunate to have them play for us at our fly-in. This is going to be really fun and something you don't want to miss! Plan to arrive as early as 8:30 and enjoy the day of fun, friends, food, entertainment and, of course, great RV's! Airport frequency is 122.8. Make your initial landing your best on arrival, as it will be your automatic entry for the spot landing contest. The band will start around 1:00 and play until 4:00 or so. We will have a golf cart rally that that will begin around 12:00, and of course, some great food. BBQ, baked beans, coleslaw, and peach cobbler will be served throughout the afternoon. There will be a Best of Show contest for best RV with great prizes, so make sure your RV is looking its very best. We have awesome prizes for all contest winners. For those that want to camp with their planes, we will have an area set up for camping along with a little get together in the evening after things slow down a bit. Entrance to the fly-in will be $10/person and the golf cart rally entry fee is $20 per person. All funds raised by the fly-in support the RV-Nation Aviation Scholarship Program for outstanding high school students wanting to further their education in aviation or aerospace. We look forward to seeing you all there. Come join the fastest growing Van's RV Organization in the country at the RV-Nation Fly-in.
Visit us at:
RV-Nation!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Engine Failures and Emergency Landings
I am really saddened by all the fatal plane crashes I have read about this week. I think this is a good time to stop for a moment and reflect upon our flying practices. These emergency situations can happen to all of us. Are we prepared? Do we know what we are going to do if they happen to us? If the answer to these questions is "no" or "I am not sure", then you need to stop, and take a moment to figure out as many situations as you can in your head, and know how you are going to handle all of them.
In your mind, put yourself in as many situations as you can, and think of the safe way to land your plane so that you walk away safely. I have done this thousands of times. So many times, that it has become engraved in my brain and has become instinctive to me. Do not be caught off guard not knowing how to handle an emergency. Know how to handle engine failures on takeoff, know how to handle having to land in trees, know how to land in water, know what is the safe altitude for turning back to the airport on engine failure on takeoff and what altitude is not safe. Know what conditions make it more dangerous when turning back to the airport.....ie, high winds, turbulent conditions, tall buildings surrounding the airport, electrical wires around the airport, tall trees around the airport. These are the things that we need to "see" when we are ready to take off at an airport. Know your surroundings.
On every takeoff be thinking..." Where am I going to land if my engine fails now". That question runs through my head on every takeoff I make up to 1000 feet, because I know that at 1000 feet, I can return to the airport, if necessary, assuming I make my takeoff with at least close to max climb, which I do on all takeoffs. One thing that a friend told me years ago that stuck in my head, he said that our planes fly fast, and if we have an engine failure, we should be thinking trading speed for altitude. Altitude is your friend.
So, let's think about how to handle some pretty nasty situations. For example, what are you going to do if you are forced to have to land in the trees? Here are a few suggestions: 1) Crack a door open in your aircraft and put a shoe in it to hold it open. This is done because planes become severely damaged when hitting hard objects and it may be very difficult to get out if the door is stuck shut. 2) Never let your plane hit head-on with a tree. Always aim in between trees. Easier said than done. But something to keep in mind. 3) If you are forced to land in trees, stall your aircraft into the trees. In other words, if you have to crash into trees, make your plane hit them as slow as it can. Stall it into the top of the trees. 4) Make sure than the fuel mixture is closed.... turn off the fuel. Turn off the master switch. You know that if your fuel tanks are ruptured, there will be a chance of a fire. Don't add to that situation by having electrical systems on and fuel running to a hot engine. Turn it all off. Practice this on the ground so that you can do it quickly without having to look for everything.
What about landing in the water? Well, the same procedures hold true. Crack a door with a shoe in it for easy exit. Turn off all the fuel and master switch. If you have inflatable life jackets on board, put them on now while you have altitude to do so. DO NOT INFLATE THEM INSIDE THE PLANE. Stall your plane just before impact with the water so that it enters the water at the slowest speed. Think of a leaf floating down to the ground. The leaf is basically stalled all the way to the ground. We can stall our planes just above the water surface and hit the water at our slowest speed. Be prepared that your plane may flip over on its back. Know what you are going to do to exit the plane if it is over on its back. If you have passengers, everyone should know their exit plan upon contacting the water surface. Your plane is going to sink relatively fast if it is a metal plane. Time is of the essence.
How about turning back to the airport when an engine fails on takeoff? Folks, this is one of the most fatal moves that most pilots make when confronted with this type of emergency. What altitude can you turn back to the airport? What are the factors that are involved with this? HAVE YOU PRACTICED THIS MANEUVER AT ALTITUDE? I can say that I have practiced this maneuver at altitude many times, and I have practiced it in the simulator for landing larger planes on engine failure. It is not as easy as it seems. Your best option is to find a place to land with 20 degrees right or left of the nose. But if you have practiced the maneuver, and have the altitude to return, here are some suggestions that may help. 1) Trade speed for altitude. Get your plane at best glide speed immediately. If you have extra speed, pull up to bleed the speed for altitude, making sure that you can stabilize the plane at best glide speed without stalling the plane. 2) Maintain best glide speed and standard rate of turn back towards the runway. Do not make steep turns back to the runway. 3) Make sure that you contact the airport of your emergency and your intentions to return. 4) Turn the fuel mixture off. 5) Maintain best glide all the way to the runway. 6) Do not add flaps until you are assured that you have made the runway. I would even consider leaving the flaps up for landing. 7) If you are flying a retractable plane, do not lower the gear until you are assured of making the runway. 8) Once the runway is assured, lower the gear, check for 3 green lights, then turn off the master switch.
It just makes me really sad to see all these accidents and fatalities. I do not know if they were preventable, but I do know that if we take the time to go through as many emergency procedures in our heads, on the ground, we can be more prepared if they ever happen to us. Fly safe folks!
-- Buzz
RV Nation
-- Buzz
RV Nation
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Join RV-Nation, The Fastest Growing Van's RV Organization
RV-Nation is an organization of Van's Aircraft RV and Harmon Rocket enthusiasts. Our mission is to grow experimental aviation by educating our youth about experimental aircraft, and to provide the means to further aviation and aerospace education for outstanding students. Funds raised by RV-Nation through merchandise sales, fly-ins, memberships, and donations are used to support the RV-Nation Aviation Scholarship Program, which creates student college scholarships and develops programs that provide hands-on aircraft building skills for high school students. Please join us in our endeavors to help pave the way for our aviation future.
Don't forget to mark your calendars for the RV-Nation Fly-in on October 6th at Deerfield Resort (TN44). We are really excited to announce the entertainment for the fly-in: Shake Ragg, a country, southern rock band that is quickly growing in popularity all over the southeast. We are very fortunate to have them play for us at our fly-in. This is going to be really fun and something you don't want to miss! Plan to arrive as early as 8:30 and enjoy the day of fun, friends, food, entertainment and, of course, great RV's! Airport frequency is 122.9. Make your initial landing your best on arrival, as it will be your automatic entry for the spot landing contest. The band will start around 1:00 and play until 4:00 or so. We will have a golf cart rally that that will begin around 12:00, and of course, some great food BBQ, baked beans, coleslaw, and peach cobbler will be served throughout the afternoon. There will be a Best of Show contest for best RV, so make sure your RV is looking its very best. We have great prizes for all contest winners. For those that want to camp with their planes, we will have an area set up for camping along with a little get together in the evening after things slow down a bit. Entrance to the fly-in will be 10/person and the golf cart rally entry fee is 20 per person. All funds raised by the fly-in support the RV-Nation Aviation Scholarship Program for outstanding high school students wanting to further their education in aviation or aerospace. We look forward to seeing you all there. In order to help us with our numbers for food, please send a quick PM to tell us you are coming.
Come join the fastest growing Van's RV Organization in the country. Visit us on Facebook at:
Join RV-Nation Here
See you there!
Monday, September 3, 2012
RV-Nation Aviation Magazine
Hey everyone,
As many of you may already know, I am getting ready to launch a free magazine that is designed just for my fellow experimental airplane enthusiasts. So that I can tailor to exactly what you all want to see and read about, please take a minute to complete my super short survey (7 questions to click an answer). It will help me know who the magazine's audience is and what you all would like to read about. Thanks!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/
As many of you may already know, I am getting ready to launch a free magazine that is designed just for my fellow experimental airplane enthusiasts. So that I can tailor to exactly what you all want to see and read about, please take a minute to complete my super short survey (7 questions to click an answer). It will help me know who the magazine's audience is and what you all would like to read about. Thanks!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/
Friday, July 6, 2012
New RV Nation T-Shirt
GET YOUR RV-NATION T-SHIRT, ON SALE NOW!
You can own an AWESOME RV-NATION t-shirt. Cost is only $17 for sizes medium through XL, or $20 for XXL. Shipping is just $8. Send your payment to paypal account at RVNation.edu@gmail.com, then please email me at buzzbarnstormer@gmail.com with your name, t-shirt size, and how many you would like.
All proceeds from the sale of these shirt support the RV-Nation Aviation Scholarship Program.
Here is the design. Also, check out Van's RV Nation on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/VansRVNation/. Hope to see you there!
Thanks!
Buzz
You can own an AWESOME RV-NATION t-shirt. Cost is only $17 for sizes medium through XL, or $20 for XXL. Shipping is just $8. Send your payment to paypal account at RVNation.edu@gmail.com, then please email me at buzzbarnstormer@gmail.com with your name, t-shirt size, and how many you would like.
All proceeds from the sale of these shirt support the RV-Nation Aviation Scholarship Program.
Here is the design. Also, check out Van's RV Nation on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/VansRVNation/. Hope to see you there!
Thanks!
Buzz
Monday, July 2, 2012
Ode To The Tail dragger
I remember my first flight during my training to becoming a pilot. It was in a red Luscombe 8A, an absolutely gorgeous plane, completely refurbished. We taxied it for a while on the ground to get the feel of the tailwheel. "No problem!" My instructor took me up and we practiced just keeping it in a straight line by flying the orange field tree lines in south Florida. When it came time to land at Indiantown Airport, a very long and wide grass field, I thought that this was going to be a non-issue. Just bring her in, hold her off the runway as long as you can, and gently let her wheels touch. At least that's what all the books say to do. Didn't quite work out that way!
The day was a gorgeous day, blue skies, no wind, completely smooth. My approach to landing was perfect, guided by my instructor, I did everything he told me to do. At about 200 feet AGL he said to me, "get your feet ready on the rudders, keep the nose going straight, and if you can't hold it straight, use the heel breaks. I don't have any on this side, so at that point, you are on your own! Don't f*ck it up!"
OK, then! A fine thing to tell me at 200 feet on my first landing.....EVER! If ever sheer terror was to set in, this was the time. The approach continued nicely all the way to the ground. In the flair, I held it off the runway as long as I could and when the plane finally stopped flying, it gently touched it's wheels on the turf for the most beautiful landing I could have imagined. I grinned, but only on the inside. No sooner than the tailwheel touched the ground, the plane started darting to the right. I slammed the rudder to the floor, but nothing happened. I heard the instructor scream out loud, "Hit the brake, hit the brake.....THE OTHER BRAKE, THE OTHER BRAKE!!!". Ooops!
The plane tilted to the left and started bouncing on the left main as we were careening off the runway to the right. My heel was frantically trying to find the brake, and push it forward. I finally got the brake pressed and the plane straightened out, heading straight for the cow fence that surrounded the airport. I slammed on both brakes now, and the plane came to a skidding stop, about one foot from the fence.
My heart was pounding so hard, it was difficult to breath. I could only think to myself, "I almost destroyed my instructor's beautiful red plane." I finally looked at him, embarrassed. The sheer look of terror on his face was finally subsiding. He looked at me, took a deep breath, and said confidently, "Well.......that sucked! Ready to go do it again?"
"NOOO, and not only NO, but HELL NO!!! ", I said just for clarification.
"Good", he said...."Help me push this thing back on the runway, and we will try it again".
Maybe he misunderstood what I said. I didn't think there was any ambiguity possible in my statement, but some how, some way, the words must have just come out of my mouth sounding differently than they did in my head. Maybe he must have completely misunderstood me. Maybe in all my trembling inside, the words "HELL NO" came out sounding like "sure, that was fun, let's do it again!" I kinda doubt it, but erring on the positive side, I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
I am so glad that he stuck with me that day. We continued to shoot landings for about another hour. None of them were nearly as eventful as the first one. What a tricky thing, landing a taildragger can be. Afterwards he told me that you are never finished flying a taildragger until it is tied down and the engine is off. I believe him! I now have well over 1000 hours of tailwheel flying, with nary a ground loop. Thanks to my instructor for not giving up.
I was surfing the internet the other day and saw this little poem. It didn't have an author, so I am not sure who penned it, but in the event that I find out, I will surely give proper credit. I thought after reading it, how very true these words are. You never really become a true stick and rudder pilot until you have mastered the art of the tailwheel. Enjoy!
-- Buzz
RV Nation
Ode To The Tail dragger
Taildragger, I hate your guts.
I have the license, ratings and such,
But to make you go straight is driving me nuts.
With hours of teaching and controls in my clutch
It takes a little rudder....easy, that's too much !
You see, I learned to fly in a tricycle gear
With one up front and two in the rear.
She was sleek and clean and easy to steer,
But this miserable thing with tires and struts
Takes a little rudder.....easy, that's too much !
It demands your attention on the takeoff roll,
Or it heads towards for the boonies as you pour on the coal.
Gotta hang loose, don't over control.
This wicked little plane is just too much
With a lot of zigzagging and words obscene
I think I've mastered this slippery machine.
It's not too bad if you have the touch
Just a little rudder....easy, that's too much !
I relax for a second and from the corner of my eye
I suddenly realize, with a gasp and a cry
That's my own tail that 's going by!
You ground looping wreck, I hate your guts,
Give a little rudder....Good Lord, THAT'S TOO MUCH !
The day was a gorgeous day, blue skies, no wind, completely smooth. My approach to landing was perfect, guided by my instructor, I did everything he told me to do. At about 200 feet AGL he said to me, "get your feet ready on the rudders, keep the nose going straight, and if you can't hold it straight, use the heel breaks. I don't have any on this side, so at that point, you are on your own! Don't f*ck it up!"
OK, then! A fine thing to tell me at 200 feet on my first landing.....EVER! If ever sheer terror was to set in, this was the time. The approach continued nicely all the way to the ground. In the flair, I held it off the runway as long as I could and when the plane finally stopped flying, it gently touched it's wheels on the turf for the most beautiful landing I could have imagined. I grinned, but only on the inside. No sooner than the tailwheel touched the ground, the plane started darting to the right. I slammed the rudder to the floor, but nothing happened. I heard the instructor scream out loud, "Hit the brake, hit the brake.....THE OTHER BRAKE, THE OTHER BRAKE!!!". Ooops!
The plane tilted to the left and started bouncing on the left main as we were careening off the runway to the right. My heel was frantically trying to find the brake, and push it forward. I finally got the brake pressed and the plane straightened out, heading straight for the cow fence that surrounded the airport. I slammed on both brakes now, and the plane came to a skidding stop, about one foot from the fence.
My heart was pounding so hard, it was difficult to breath. I could only think to myself, "I almost destroyed my instructor's beautiful red plane." I finally looked at him, embarrassed. The sheer look of terror on his face was finally subsiding. He looked at me, took a deep breath, and said confidently, "Well.......that sucked! Ready to go do it again?"
"NOOO, and not only NO, but HELL NO!!! ", I said just for clarification.
"Good", he said...."Help me push this thing back on the runway, and we will try it again".
Maybe he misunderstood what I said. I didn't think there was any ambiguity possible in my statement, but some how, some way, the words must have just come out of my mouth sounding differently than they did in my head. Maybe he must have completely misunderstood me. Maybe in all my trembling inside, the words "HELL NO" came out sounding like "sure, that was fun, let's do it again!" I kinda doubt it, but erring on the positive side, I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
I am so glad that he stuck with me that day. We continued to shoot landings for about another hour. None of them were nearly as eventful as the first one. What a tricky thing, landing a taildragger can be. Afterwards he told me that you are never finished flying a taildragger until it is tied down and the engine is off. I believe him! I now have well over 1000 hours of tailwheel flying, with nary a ground loop. Thanks to my instructor for not giving up.
I was surfing the internet the other day and saw this little poem. It didn't have an author, so I am not sure who penned it, but in the event that I find out, I will surely give proper credit. I thought after reading it, how very true these words are. You never really become a true stick and rudder pilot until you have mastered the art of the tailwheel. Enjoy!
-- Buzz
RV Nation
Ode To The Tail dragger
Taildragger, I hate your guts.
I have the license, ratings and such,
But to make you go straight is driving me nuts.
With hours of teaching and controls in my clutch
It takes a little rudder....easy, that's too much !
You see, I learned to fly in a tricycle gear
With one up front and two in the rear.
She was sleek and clean and easy to steer,
But this miserable thing with tires and struts
Takes a little rudder.....easy, that's too much !
It demands your attention on the takeoff roll,
Or it heads towards for the boonies as you pour on the coal.
Gotta hang loose, don't over control.
This wicked little plane is just too much
With a lot of zigzagging and words obscene
I think I've mastered this slippery machine.
It's not too bad if you have the touch
Just a little rudder....easy, that's too much !
I relax for a second and from the corner of my eye
I suddenly realize, with a gasp and a cry
That's my own tail that 's going by!
You ground looping wreck, I hate your guts,
Give a little rudder....Good Lord, THAT'S TOO MUCH !
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Best, Funnest Cockpit I Have Seen
I have a Facebook page called RV Nation that allows all of us experimental nuts to talk about RV's and Harmon Rockets, and share pictures and ideas on how to build them better, safer, and most importantly, cooler. One day when I was surfing the net and chatting with one of my RV friends, Ian Hoyt, online, the thread of conversation settled on one RV8 that we had both seen recently, either in person or on the net. The RV8 had so many features and cool ideas, it has driven me to show all that follow this blog those ideas as well. So get ready to drop your jaw, and if you so choose to duplicate the efforts of the builder, get ready to drop a few bills as well. But the fame and fortune that will soon follow will be more than enough for your efforts.....well maybe not the fortune part.
The simulated HUD is directly above that. The black rectangular things on either side of the HUD are indexers, again from an F-16. The left one gives angle of attack (AOA) info and the right one is for in-flight refueling and nosewheel steering indication, neither of which I need. The mirrors are standard military stock, and the stick grip and throttle control are F-16. From the stick I can start the engine, trim the plane, communicate on the radio and disconnect the autopilot.
The ejection seat handles I just made out of wood and painted for static display at Oshkosh. I had started making an ACES II ejection seat out of aluminum, but gave up. I may someday resurrect the project."
The RV8 at hand had been built and developed over a long period of time, and in that development, had taken on an identity of its own. The name that was given to it, or that it had earned, was "Smokey". The proud owner and creator of this amazing craft is Don McNamara. I emailed Don and asked him all about his RV8 and all its cool features, and he was more than happy to talk about it a bit and share how he came about developing such a unique plane.
"Smokey" sports a military paint scheme, that of the Jolly Rogers F14 to be exact. But the rest of the features of this plane is all Air Force. (The Navy always seem to have better paint schemes for some reason, but that's about where it all ends usually....haha.) Gooo Air Force. But, I digress.
So, let's get back to the RV8, shall we? The interior of this plane is where all the fun is. For that I am going to give the honors to Don, in his own words, as he described his plane to me via email.
"While the paint scheme of "Smokey" is that of an F-14 Tomcat squadron, it's impossible to find cockpit parts from Tomcats because we sold them to the Iranians, and we don't want them to have spares. However, we sold F-16s to our allies, so parts are more plentiful. I picked up parts over the years at Oshkosh and on eBay, and more recently from an online F-16 simulator site. The ICP, for example -- which stands for Integrated Control Panel -- is front and center in the F-16 panel and directs what the pilot sees on the HUD, as well as other things. Mine slides over my Garmin 496 for static display.
The simulated HUD is directly above that. The black rectangular things on either side of the HUD are indexers, again from an F-16. The left one gives angle of attack (AOA) info and the right one is for in-flight refueling and nosewheel steering indication, neither of which I need. The mirrors are standard military stock, and the stick grip and throttle control are F-16. From the stick I can start the engine, trim the plane, communicate on the radio and disconnect the autopilot. The ejection seat handles I just made out of wood and painted for static display at Oshkosh. I had started making an ACES II ejection seat out of aluminum, but gave up. I may someday resurrect the project."
WOW! That is quite a plane, and quite an imagination to create, or should I say re-create, the cockpit of an F-16 into that of an RV8. Don is now sporting the "ultimate weekend warrior" plane per se, and I'd say that it looks down right awesome. I wonder if he has some other secret armaments in there that he hasn't told us about? Hmmm, maybe. I liked the ideas so much, in fact, that I want to implement some of these ideas in my own plane, a Harmon Rocket, when it is completed. I hope that I have the creativity and craftsmanship as does Don when I do.
Well, this particular blog entry was meant to be a lasting tribute to Don and his beautiful RV8 "Smokey". I hope that I have done the creator and plane justice, as his craftsmanship simply has been a work of art and his RV8 is just gorgeous. Great Job Don!
-- Buzz
RV Nation
-- Buzz
RV Nation
Monday, June 11, 2012
Harmon Rocket Fuel Tanks Being Completed; RV4 Wing Commencing
I am working on 2 projects at the same time, my Harmon Rocket 2 and my son's RV4. The two 27 gallon fuel tanks on my Harmon Rocket are ready to be sealed. Nothing special here, as I plan on staying in the positive G range in my old age. The next thing to do with my son's RV4 is to start the wing spars. I am looking forward to this because attaching the wing ribs are not too difficult, and we should have something that resembles wings relatively shortly. I am trying to figure out if I need to do anything different with the -4 wings or just keep them stock. My thoughts at this point is to just keep them stock. The only thing that I keep thinking about is that the tanks are just too small, so I may make them a bit larger. Not sure at this point, though.
One thing is for sure, I want to use a jet pitot tube on both aircraft. I just like the way they look. No other reason. The difference in weight is so minimal, there really isn't a reason not to do it. Its just a matter of finding one at this point.
I will be posting some more pics of the builds soon, so please visit me often for the latest and greatest.
Also, I plan on making some pretty cool aviation t-shirts in the very near future. I will be offering sizes large and X-large. I will post a pic of them as soon as the drawing is completed. Stay tuned!!
-- Buzz - RV Nation
One thing is for sure, I want to use a jet pitot tube on both aircraft. I just like the way they look. No other reason. The difference in weight is so minimal, there really isn't a reason not to do it. Its just a matter of finding one at this point.
I will be posting some more pics of the builds soon, so please visit me often for the latest and greatest.
Also, I plan on making some pretty cool aviation t-shirts in the very near future. I will be offering sizes large and X-large. I will post a pic of them as soon as the drawing is completed. Stay tuned!!
-- Buzz - RV Nation
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Harmon Rocket Update
Hey there, welcome to Hangar Bravo!
It has been awhile since I have posted an update on my Harmon Rocket build. Things are coming along nicely. Here are a few pics of the progress.
Here is a pic of the wings coming together nicely in the jig. The ribs are just clecoed in place. The pic to the right shows the horizontal stab with the end rib turned around so that it will be a smooth fit with the elevators.
Here is the center spar receiver section of the fuselage being fitted with the spars. All is a nice fit and we are ready to continue on with the rest of the wing assembly.Next is a pic of the wing nose ribs with pvc spacers in place to assure that the ribs are straight during the the drilling if the wing skins. Neat little trick.
Leading edge skins are on and drilled. I can feel the fuel tanks looming just around the corner. Ugh!
Since I want to have more fuel in my Rocket, I have to have larger tanks. The largest ones that Van's has is only 24 gallons for the RV8. The RV4 is only 15 gallons per side. That isn't nearly enough. So, the next pic shows the new skins being made with a home made bender. These tanks will be 27 gallons per side for a total of 54 gallons. This allows me to stay in the air over 4 hours....much mo betta!!
The next picture shows the fuel tanks built and clecoed together. Now they are ready for the goo.That's all the pics I have for right now. I will post more as I get them. I hope that you all like the pics. If you have any questions or thoughts please do not hesitate to interject or pipe in. Love other people's ideas and thoughts. In fact, it is really encouraged because I get alot of really cool ideas that I can implement into my project.
That's all for now...more soon tho! God Bless....Buzz RV Nation
Sunday, January 29, 2012
RV Building Again.....FINALLY!
Well, it has been a really long time since I was in the shop building RV's. The ole adage, if you don't use it, you lose it.... still applies!
I have a very old kit that I am putting together. I just love going into the shop and drilling holes, but I definitely have a learning curve again to overcome. I started with the rudder, just in case I screw it up (parts are less expensive), and have built the rudder spar buildup and ribs. I am getting ready to cut the skin stiffeners tomorrow and then on to drawing out the rudder skins for cutting. I will post some pics of my progress tomorrow. I certainly am enjoying all this.
If anyone following this blog has some tips or advice, I certainly would like to hear all the advice I can get. Thanks in advance!
Buzz
I have a very old kit that I am putting together. I just love going into the shop and drilling holes, but I definitely have a learning curve again to overcome. I started with the rudder, just in case I screw it up (parts are less expensive), and have built the rudder spar buildup and ribs. I am getting ready to cut the skin stiffeners tomorrow and then on to drawing out the rudder skins for cutting. I will post some pics of my progress tomorrow. I certainly am enjoying all this.
If anyone following this blog has some tips or advice, I certainly would like to hear all the advice I can get. Thanks in advance!
Buzz
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Father / Son RV4 Building Commences
My son and I live apart right now due to a divorce in the family. It has been difficult to say the least not seeing both my children as I have been very much involved in their lives since they were born. So when my son mentioned that he wanted to build a plane and learn to fly, needless to say that was very exciting to me because just as my father and I shared father/son time building airplanes, I am hoping that he and I would be able to share the same type of father/son experience I so very much cherished with my dad.
My son told me that he wanted to build an RV-4, just like the plane that I once had years ago. Thus, we started looking for RV-4 kits. I went to the Vans Aircraft website to look to see what the kit cost these days and was stricken with sticker shock. Much different than when I used to build years ago.
So, our we resorted to trying to find a used kit that someone else had started but had given up for some reason or another. We stumbled upon a kit that was owned by Rick Haehnel located in Denver, Colorado. I spoke with Rick and explained what I wanted to do. Rick was excited for us and was overwhelmingly supportive towards helping us in every way. The kit cost was extremely cheap, and Rick helped with arranging shipping and dragging the kit from his home to the shipping terminal in downtown Denver.
Rick was also very patient, as the cost, even though not much, was still more than what we had. And I wanted my son to be responsible for the majority of the cost, since it was his airplane after all. So, we started looking around the house for things that we do not use and things that we could sell. We were able to sell enough items that were just sitting around, taking up space, to come up with the necessary funds to purchase the kit. A Rick waited for us. I learned throughout his waiting for us, that Rick was a Christian man, and this made me very happy, as my son and I are also Christian as well. Rick told me he thought it would be a wonderful experience that God would work through the building of an airplane to grow the relationship between my son and me, and that it would teach my son very valuable skills and life experiences over the time that we would spend building the project. I think he is correct. I am really happy and grateful that Rick was so patient with us and helpful as he was.
The kit is finally here. I have gone through some of it in the garage, and I just get more excited everyday. I have been cleaning out the basement of my home so that we can start to build there. Soon, we will set up the jigs, and start building wings. How exciting is that. I am still trying to find some of the necessary tools that are required, but I have not been able to find them at a good price. I think this is all part of the life lessons that God is teaching us. Patience, patience, patience....all is His time.
I will be posting our progress on my blog as our project takes shape. I am so excited to share with all the people that visit this site and have an interest in aviation and homebuilt planes. I am posting the some pics that I took when we unloaded all the boxes into the garage. So here they are:
Notice that the horizontal and vertical stabs are mostly complete. We still need to complete the elevators and rudder and apply the fiberglass parts to them.
My son likes the paint scheme of my old RV4, as it was a standout, and we still have all the designs that were used on it.
So, there you have it. As I get more into the project I will post things that we are doing and as many pics as I can take to show off what we are doing, and to also help anyone else that may be building an RV4 as well. So...more film at 11 !!! - Cpt. Buzz
My son told me that he wanted to build an RV-4, just like the plane that I once had years ago. Thus, we started looking for RV-4 kits. I went to the Vans Aircraft website to look to see what the kit cost these days and was stricken with sticker shock. Much different than when I used to build years ago.
So, our we resorted to trying to find a used kit that someone else had started but had given up for some reason or another. We stumbled upon a kit that was owned by Rick Haehnel located in Denver, Colorado. I spoke with Rick and explained what I wanted to do. Rick was excited for us and was overwhelmingly supportive towards helping us in every way. The kit cost was extremely cheap, and Rick helped with arranging shipping and dragging the kit from his home to the shipping terminal in downtown Denver.
Rick was also very patient, as the cost, even though not much, was still more than what we had. And I wanted my son to be responsible for the majority of the cost, since it was his airplane after all. So, we started looking around the house for things that we do not use and things that we could sell. We were able to sell enough items that were just sitting around, taking up space, to come up with the necessary funds to purchase the kit. A Rick waited for us. I learned throughout his waiting for us, that Rick was a Christian man, and this made me very happy, as my son and I are also Christian as well. Rick told me he thought it would be a wonderful experience that God would work through the building of an airplane to grow the relationship between my son and me, and that it would teach my son very valuable skills and life experiences over the time that we would spend building the project. I think he is correct. I am really happy and grateful that Rick was so patient with us and helpful as he was.
The kit is finally here. I have gone through some of it in the garage, and I just get more excited everyday. I have been cleaning out the basement of my home so that we can start to build there. Soon, we will set up the jigs, and start building wings. How exciting is that. I am still trying to find some of the necessary tools that are required, but I have not been able to find them at a good price. I think this is all part of the life lessons that God is teaching us. Patience, patience, patience....all is His time.
I will be posting our progress on my blog as our project takes shape. I am so excited to share with all the people that visit this site and have an interest in aviation and homebuilt planes. I am posting the some pics that I took when we unloaded all the boxes into the garage. So here they are:
My son likes the paint scheme of my old RV4, as it was a standout, and we still have all the designs that were used on it.
So, there you have it. As I get more into the project I will post things that we are doing and as many pics as I can take to show off what we are doing, and to also help anyone else that may be building an RV4 as well. So...more film at 11 !!! - Cpt. Buzz
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