Nxxxxx is conceived! (Now N174PM)


I’ve dreamed for a long time about building an airplane, and the RV family of airplanes has been at the top of my list. I got an opportunity to buy a tail kit from a friend at work. The deal was too good to pass up. Along with the kit I got some tooling: a c-frame dimpler, hand dimplers, clecos, that kind of thing.

Some of the work was done on the tail kit. I've found that pretty much all of the drilling and dimpling was done, so for the tail, it's been a case of dry-assembling the sections, making sure everything was right, and then painting and riveting.

 

What’s an RV?

An RV-7 is a two-seat, all metal homebuilt aircraft. The kit is manufactured by Van’s Aircraft in Aurora, OR.

The airplane is available with either conventional (tailwheel) or tricycle (nosewheel) landing gear. That is a decision I will have to make later.

Depending on the engine that is installed, the RV-7 will economically cruise at 165+ mph, or will approach a top speed of roughly 200 mph, with a range of between 750-1000 miles.

You’re building this thing?

Sure. With a little training and familiarity with the required building techniques, anybody can build this airplane.

I’ll be building in the garage at home. Most of the airplane can be completed there, until the wings are ready to be attached. At that point, the airplane will need to be transported to an airport, since the wingspan is about 25 feet.

The airplane is a kit that is available in portions. You can buy the kit a portion at a time, or you can buy the whole thing all at once. I got a good deal on the tail kit, so that’s where I’m starting. In fact, that’s where most people start the RV, since the tail is generally easier, and the building process gets a little more complex as you move on through the wings and the fuselage.

The RV Story

 

N Number


Dec. 30, 2009 - Well, I found an N number that could work for me. I reserved it today, so we’ll see what happens. I’ll keep you posted.

Jan. 8, 2010 - N174PM! I looked again on the FAA site for reserving N numbers, and it’s there and reserved! I have the N Number N174PM!

What’s an N Number?

An N number is basically the registration number for the airplane that’s on file with the FAA. It’s pretty much like the license plate on your car. You can take what the FAA assigns you, or you can try to get a specific number. The N number is painted on the airplane in a prominent location and large enough so that it can be easily read.

N174PM

My N number is one I searched for. If you looked at it closely, you might figure it out.

1 (one)  7 (RV-7)  4 (for) PM (Pete Miller)

Get it?

 

My first RV ride!

Well, I finally got a ride in an RV. RV-7A N156DE is owned by Stewart Cole out of Eagle's Nest (2TS6) in Midlothian. We flew to Stephenville (KSEP) for lunch. I believe my first words after takeoff were "Holy Crap", or something like that. This RV is the same model that I'm building, and it's a beautiful airplane.

We had a little headwind going west, so we were indicating 147Kts on the GPS. At 5500' coming home, we were showing 180Kts! That's 207 mph!

Here's a couple of pictures of the airplane without the fat guy in front with the stupid RV grin on his face...