New member Fredy Irazarry is building an RV7A, 17 Feb 2023

 Fredy working on the mid section

Fredy building the mid section

Tail feathers 

This picture was after setting the vertical and horizontal stabilizers.

Boxed parts

I started this RV7A in New Jersey and moved to Texas. this is the create I made. It housed the wings, horizontal stabilizer, wingtips, ailerons, flaps and all fuselage skins. Bulkheads where packed in boxes.

Rotisserie

Here the fuselage is in a rotisserie. Makes access to inside area very easy!

Fuselage done, wiring now.

At this point pretty much all skins have been clecoed and removed many times. Figuring out wiring now, before reverting the floors and other skins. 

 

 

I'm hugging my Sensenich fixed pitch prop.

My instrument panel under construction. I cut it with a router using a Freud 6.2 x 1/32 router bit  bought from Rockler in Round Rock. Use a lot of oil!!!

I made guides for the inside cuts and the outside curvature.  Shown are two Grand Rapids EFIS’s,  the GRT engine monitor, an ICON- A210 radio, and two Infinity Aerospace hand grips.

The instrument panel folds down giving access to the back side of the instruments.  This also gives access to the trig T22 mode S transponder, GPS, and GRT ADS-B receiver.

It's really convenient to fold it down and work on the back side.

 

My wings are on a wing cradle with casters.  It's really nice to be able to move it around.

My engine is a rebuilt Lycoming 0320 carburated high tech engine. I am installing the thermocouple wiring to the engine monitor and have used some really neat expandable flame retardant sleeving for the wires. 

I am going to use it extensively where the wires may be exposed or rub. All the photos may show components that are temporary attachments and would be replaced in final assembly.

To see more photos of Ralph's RV-9A, click on this link:

Ralph's RV-9A pix

 

Although it looks like a Long-EZ, the Hyperion or “Hyper” is my own design. It’s a 4130 CM steel frame wrapped in a carbon fiber shell. Hired an engineer to design the frame and all the load-bearing points. I built all the molds for the fuselage and other parts. The aerodynamics are Rutan Varieze, but the rest is mine. It's powered by a Honda 1.5 L fuel-injected engine with a Viking gearbox and ECU on it. The prop is a Sensenich three- blade, avionics and comm are Dynon. Getting it ready for paint and then a move to the hanger from the garage.

 Hyperion frame

 Hyperion frame

 Hyperion frame

 Hyperion frame

 Hyperion frame

Stan Schmidt, 17 Feb 2023

Stan is building a Zenith CH 750 Cruzer

I received my kit on April 22, 2022.

Tail and wings are done

Fuselage

Just picked up my Viking 130hp Honda engine

I hope to borrow tools from the EAA 187 tool chest. [He did!]

Stan's project 2023-04-11 by Bill Elliott

Stan's photos on EAA website

 

 

2013

Among four and six cylinder experimental aerobatic biplanes, the Skybolt is clearly the gold standard. The Skybolt is capable of extreme, on-the-edge aerobatics, yet it is polite, predictable and forgiving in the air and on the ground.

There are some 450 Skybolts licensed in the US and another 200 or so around the world, with over 2000+ plans sold. The Skybolt is by far the most popular 2-place experimental biplane, and is loved for its perfect, classic biplane lines.

There is maximum room for pilot and passenger, and the Skybolt is comfortable and practical for cross-country trips and sport flying. Clean, well constructed examples cruise at nearly 180 mph. Skybolts have always been popular on the airshow circuit. The Skybolt is a straightforward, honest, and absolutely beautiful biplane.

Construction methods are conventional. The truss-rib wing is made of wood, while the fuselage and tail surfaces are welded up from chromoly steel tubing. The Skybolt is extremely strong, and has been thoroughly analyzed for strength - there has never been an in-flight failure attributable to insufficient design strength.

Power options range from 180 hp to 350 hp. Skybolts are built as open-cockpit, two-place canopy, or rear canopy only. It is common to build a convertible configuration which allows change from open to canopy in half an hour.


John Nunn has a web log detailing his Skybolt-build exploits, and he created the Biplane Forum.

John's website can be found here: www.65degrees.net

 




Fidot has caught the building bug when he first saw an RV-8 in Watsonville, and wanted to build one ever since.