Joshua's RV-9A Project

Back from the trip to Alaska.  It’s always nice to go “home,” even if it’s only for a few days.  Our flight out of ANC (nonstop to MSP) was cancelled (5 minutes after the scheduled departure time) when the fourth flight attendant called in sick, so we ended up standing in line for a couple hours to get rebooked.  We ended up bouncing through Portland, and got into Minneapolis about 6 hours after we had originally planned.  Making some progress on things around the house, and the siding for the shop is on order at Menard’s (estimated delivery 3 weeks…hard to believe!), so I can take a peek at the project again.  Allison is afraid that once I start, I won’t stop until it’s done.  Even to eat.  Apparently she’s observed some of my past projects…or else she’s been talking to Mom. 

Match drilled the spars that I’d clecoed before we left, and started on the attach angles.  Unfortunately, the drill press I’m using has some wobble to it, and isn’t highly precise for drilling holes, so I’m unhappy with the way the 9-hole pattern turned out.  I clecoed the angles to the spar in the alignment hole, and I think they’d work fine, but I would be unhappy with them forever; they’re ugly, and I’m a perfectionist.  I think I’ll order the practice kit and some ProSeal for trailing edges from Van’s, and have them throw in another piece of aluminum angle…it’s only about $6.

Leaving for Alaska in the morning to visit my mother for a week.  Since I haven’t been doing much else, I thought it would be nice to take her some pictures of progress around the place.  The shop is nearing completion, all the inside work is done, drywall up and painted.  Only waiting on siding and soffit now.  The workbenches have been built over the last few days, and tools are starting to make their way into the toolboxes.  So we cracked open the builder’s manual and clecoed together the HS front spar.  Took some pictures and locked up the shop for the week.  More to come soon.

Today was the last day of the one-month inventory period, so I took a break from manhandling 88-pound 4′ x 12′ drywall sheets to do a complete inventory of the emp kit.  Everything is there, the only discrepancy was the R-913 rudder counterbalance skin was wearing a sticker labeled HS-601PP.  Easy enough–looked it up in “The List” and found that HS-601PP was an horiz. stab skin, and most definitely not the part in my hand.  A quick check of the drawings verified that the part I had was, in fact, an R-913, so chalk that one up to a bad sticker.  Inventory sheet complete, I even bought a parts bin from Menards and arranged the various fasteners and parts bags in the drawers.  Now to finish the shop and get some tools, and let the fun begin!

Yes, the journey has begun…just a couple days before Christmas the FedEx van pulled up (on a Saturday afternoon, even) and the lady says “I have some boxes marked ‘airplane parts’…I dunno.”  I laughed and helped her unload them and put them into the (partially completed) shop for now.  Later on, I opened the box and pulled out the plans and info; discovered we have one month to do the inventory.  I’ll have to watch the time to be sure I get it done; I’d rather leave the parts packed in Van’s boxes as long as possible while the shop is still under construction.  Hoping to be complete with that project soon, but weather and time are sometimes against me.  No heat yet, and definitely no shelving or storage.

So now I guess I can start hoarding…er…gathering tools.  Someday.  In the meantime, I’ll at least get the builder’s log tweaked the way I want it.  Hey–there’s airplane parts in my garage!