Van’s Aircraft Factory Tour and RV-14 Demo Flight

Recently, work took me to the Pacific Northwest United States.....specifically, the state of Oregon.  So, you know what that means right????  I HAD TO GO VISIT THE MOTHERSHIP!  

There it is....in the flesh (I guess in the metal)!!!!!

KUAO, Aurora State Airport, Aurora, Oregon

Van’s Aircraft gives factory tours twice a day at 0930 and 1330.  We went on a great tour at 1330 with Sterling.  The tour started with a walk through of their huge warehouse showing all the parts and pieces that Van’s keeps in stock.....Ribs, Spars, this part and that part.....

More parts.....fairings on the top shelf.

Even more parts.....

A whole mess of engine mounts.....

.....and gear legs.

All of the crates that we all have received from Van’s get packed right here in this area.  You can see the empty crate on the floor about to get stuffed like a Christmas stocking for some lucky builder.

This is a finishing kit being packed for someone.  If I remember correctly, Sterling said this was an RV-7 finishing kit.  I have only one kit left to order for my RV-14.....looks like it will come in a very big box!

If anyone is interested in ordering a quick build kit, this is part of what you will get.  RV-10 fuselages on the far right, RV-14’s in the middle, and RV-8’s on the left.

This is another part of what you will get with the quickbuild kits.....these are RV-10 and RV-14 wings.  

This is where that sweet blue protective plastic we all love is applied to the aluminum.

Sterling said Van’s continues to try and manufacture more and more parts in house.  From what I understand, this is their most recent effort to do that.  This is where the Spars for RV-14’s are made (not sure if the Spars for the other models are made here yet).  Look at the size of that C-frame used to smash those big rivets in the Spars.

The tour finished in a hangar full of RV’s.  I took a panorama photo of the hangar.....you can see an RV-8A (on the lift), RV-7A, RV-9A, RV-12, RV-10, and RV-14.

Here is the ultimate finish line....roughly a year to a year and a half away.  Guess what?  Even though I’ve already purchased kits from Van’s for my RV-14, they STILL gave me a ride in the company demonstrator....N144VA!

Start up for my demo ride

Taxing out for takeoff

Engine runup prior to takeoff

Takeoff

Landing

Taxing to park

“The RV Grin”...I’m sold!!!!!  I guess I’ll buy one!!!!!

Fuselage, FWD Lower Structure (Part 13)

Fuselage, FWD Lower Structure (Part 12)

Fuselage, FWD Lower Structure (Part 11)

Tonight’s session was kinda short, but I was able to complete the Proseal application in the muffler area.  To start, I cleaned the area with isopropyl alcohol and then marked off where the proseal would be applied with orange tape (this helps in the clean up of excess proseal).  I applied beads of proseal in the seam created by the Muffler Shroud Ramp and Muffler Shroud Sides and used a popsicle stick to smooth out the bead of proseal.

After allowing about an hour for the proseal to dry, I pulled the orange tape off.....here is the result.

An overall picture looking forward.....

.....one side.....

.....and the other.

Turned out pretty good and I’m happy with the results.  The orange tape helped with the clean up of the excess proseal and the popsicle stick made a smooth fillet on the parts.

Fuselage, FWD Lower Structure (Part 10)

After letting the Proseal dry from yesterday’s session, it was time to install the F-01454 Muffler Shroud Ramp to the Shroud Sides.  This step will actually “connect” the Left and Right Forward Bottom Skins to each other.  The picture below shows the Shroud Ramp installed and riveted to Shroud Sides (minus six rivets).  

It initially appeared I could squeeze the 38 rivets required to install the Ramp.  However, due to the angle (and probably the head of the yoke on my squeezer) I wasn’t able to squeeze the AN470AD3-3 rivets.  As a result, I wasn’t able to get the rivet set directly over the manufactured head of the rivets.  So, I had to shoot them with my rivet gun and bucking bar.  There was a lot of room and access to the manufactured and shop heads, so it was pretty easy to do it myself.  However, there are six rivets that I would like to have help with.....so, I’ll wait for assistance.

Here is a view down the right Shroud Side to Shroud Ramp rivets.....

.....and down the left side.

Tomorrow, I will get help with the remaining six rivets and continue on to the next step.

Fuselage, FWD Lower Structure (Part 9)

Tonight’s session concentrated on attaching the F-01453-L & -R Muffler Shroud Sides to the F-01483-L & -R Forward Bottom Skins.  To start, the bottom side of the lower flanges of each Muffler Shroud Side was cleaned with solvent (I used isopropyl alcohol).  Then, a small 1/16th bead of fuel tank sealant (I used Flamemaster CS 3204) was applied to the bottom of the Shroud Sides where the flanges rivet to the Forward Bottom Skin.  Finally, it was clecoed and riveted.  The two Shroud Sides used 44 AN426AD3-3.5 rivets (22 on each Side).

Pictured below is the left Forward Bottom Skin with the left Shroud Side prosealed and riveted.

Here is a closer shot of the inside (or upper) portion of the Skin.....

.....and the opposite side (or lower) portion of the Skin.  You can see the rivet line at the top of the Skin.

Pictured below is the right Forward Bottom Skin with the right Shroud Side prosealed and riveted.

Here is a closer shot of the inside (or upper) portion of the Skin.....

.....and the opposite side (or lower) portion of the Skin.  You can see the rivet line at the bottom of the Skin.

Once each Bottom Skin and Shroud Side were riveted together, I used MEK to clean up the excess proseal and make it “pretty”.