Hi, I'm Dave.
This website is to document my adventures in building and flying a Van's RV-7. I've taken a few different tracks in my desire to fly and own my own airplane, hopefully I'm on my way now.
I got my Pilot's License in the summer of 2000. My 1st attempt at aircraft building started that fall. I chose to build a “Vision”. The Vision is a composite 2 place remarkably similar to the RV-7.
I should have realized there was something wrong when there were only 2 planes flying. Big Red Flag!!! The 2 planes flying were the designer, Steve Rham, and his friend Sean Ponsby. The Vision is a pretty airplane, but the construction plans were in a book form. I'm used to making things from blueprints, and was a little disappointed at the lack of drawings. I made the seat ok, which is the first step. The Fuse is next, and I built this big form that took up most of my basement. I tried all sorts of things to accomplish the next step, attaching foam the the wood form. In frustration I gave up, deciding that I would rather fly than struggle with this. The final straw was seeing the third completed Vision, the first from someone who bought the plans. It just looked wrong. The sides were all wavy and it looked nothing like the sleek plane that was advertised. I sold all my composite supplies and bought a Cherokee 140. Great little plane, until I got married and we needed more useful load. Sold the Cherokee and bought a '65 Mooney.
http://216.119.109.21/users/index.cfm?content=hp.cfm&userid=476
A series of unfortunate events led to a rather poor pre-buy, and I had to start laying out some money. Fuel tanks, cracked rear spar, (a Mooney SB), and various bits and pieces. After the intial outlay, the plane proved to be a reliable, fun plane. Great short-field performer too. During this time the homebuilt bug bit again, lightly. I ordered plans for a Falco, thinking I could just build parts in my spare time for something to do during the winter. The plans were the exact opposite from the Vision. Well drawn, lots of pictures with numbers. All in metric, but that's ok. What about glue though? The recommended glue is Aerolite. Try to order some in the US! I guess the FAA kinda frowns on it nowadays. I ended up getting some from England. You're not supposed to ship by air, but they did anyway. It arrived quickly, but it was still expired . Played around with it a little bit, not impressed.
Oh well, summers here , lets go flying. Looked at the Falco plans a few more times. Pretty plane, but not really a practical project, and parts are way too expensive to purchase. Just the spar alone is over $6,000! The community is nothing like the RV's, it's a tight knit crew and seems to be built like a spoked wheel, with Alfred Scott the center of the wheel. Not good or bad, just my perception. The Van's group is so large that the planes and builders are everywhere. When you're building a plane to take you and your loved ones flying, it's important to have so many folks who you can turn to for advice, and to look at your work to point out anything that may have been missed.
In the winter of 2005 I got my 1st RV ride. I was doing an owner assist annual on the Mooney. My mech has a RV-8 and asked if I wanted to go for a ride. Well.............YEAH! What a ball, he let me fly it a bit, and the hook was set. I had to force myself to go back to work on the Mooney, lol. Shortly after that I bought the plans for the -8. Warm weather came again, and I was content to fly the Mooney and dream about a RV. Made some good trips, adventures in my plane and maintenance was low. When I took my plane in for annual this year, I had no intention of selling it. Then came the experience which changed everything. The annual from hell had arrived! Seriously, my experience with Air-Mods was less than pleasant. They did work I clearly did not authorize, and charged excessive amounts for parts. $60 for a $20 landing light?!!? They had my plane for over 2 months and handed me a bill for over to 13K. Talked me into a whole new exhaust that would give me more power- it didn't. Less heat too. At the time I agreed to a whole new exhaust, my estimate with it included was about 6K.
I have to believe everything happens for the best though. If not for this, I would not have started the RV. I don't really need the 4 seats either. We've taken a few trips as a family, but no where near the amount to justify what a certified airplane costs. We could fly commercial and save a ton of money and get there on time. I fly for the sheer joy of it. To the rest of my clan, it is simply a quicker way to get somewhere. When asked to come along, they always have something else to do. That's ok, I want to do my thing too. :)
I ended up going with the -7 after reading a thread on www.vansairforce.net about tandem vs side by side arrangements. The aerobatic lurking inside me clearly wanted to sit in the center, but the traveler wanted to be able to access the baggage area in flight, have another pilot ( or wife) hold the stick for a moment, and what about the Dog!! Woof.
Contact: chappyd@charter.net