By Paul Barreto, EAA 1363120
This piece originally ran in the April 2023 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
My flying career started at an early age. One of our neighbors was a WASP during World War II. We traded my caring for her dog for rides in her twin Cessna. On short trips to Napa and Monterey I became her straight and level autopilot.
When I turned 16, my parents gave me flight lessons as my birthday present. Due to my involvement in three different high school sports, my time was limited, and it became obvious that I would not be able to continue with my flight lessons. All of that changed during my senior year at the United States Naval Academy (USNA), as it also gave me the opportunity to receive private lessons.
My dream of flying and owning my own aircraft began as a 10-year-old boy. It did come true in varying stages of my life. I became a private pilot prior to my graduation from the USNA. My career selection with the U.S. Navy was as a naval aviator. During my tenure in the Navy I flew the A-7 Corsair, F-4 Phantom, and F/A-18 Hornet. I went on to become a captain with a major airline. Upon my retirement, I felt the old calling of finding my own aircraft to build and fly.
Purely by coincidence, a friend saw an RV-8A kit for sale on a government website. It was a complete kit that NASA had purchased from Van’s Aircraft in hopes of making it an unmanned aerial vehicle. The kit was delivered to the Goddard Space Flight Center in Wallops, Virginia. Eventually, project funding was lost, and the kit was put into storage in 2003.
In 2016 NASA placed the kit up for auction, and I was the highest bidder. A friend and I picked up the crated kit in Virginia and returned to Florida, and in my barn there began the adventure to complete the building of my Van’s RV-8A. I knew I had the skills and capabilities to build this airplane, but the task seemed daunting with the finishing date far in the future.
I drew upon my lifetime of building things from scratch. First my dad and I built a boat from plans in Popular Mechanics, then a Meyers Manx dune buggy from a Volkswagen I owned, and then finally even my own home. Soon after, a close friend and fellow squadron mate, Pat “Bonzo” Lee who had built an RV-7 a few years earlier, got me motivated and started in the right direction. He taught me many different techniques in the fine art of aircraft construction. It began with his list of necessary tools. They were purchased, and I was up and running.
The tail, rudder, and horizontal stabilizer were the first items I completed. Discovering the techniques of back riveting gave me the ability to move forward on my own with professional-looking rivets and the confidence to complete the kit. During the first two years I worked approximately 30 hours per week doing mostly manufacturing work. Additionally, I spent 10 hours a week researching different techniques to continue the process. I felt the need to do this so I could assimilate how others were doing their manufacturing and draw upon their knowledge.
When I was approximately half done, we decided to sell our home and move. This meant I needed a place to continue my work. Pat offered his hangar for me to complete my aircraft. When the property next to him became available, I purchased it and built my hangar. This gave me the perfect place to complete my RV-8A Old Goat. The local EAA chapter, 1379, holds its monthly meetings at our airpark. Many of its members are EAA flight advisors and builders of their own aircraft. This gave me a plethora of knowledge to use and build upon. There were varying opinions and discussions, but this allowed me to do further research before I proceeded forward.
For me, the Achilles heel in this project was the electrical wiring. Where was I going to chase the wire bundles to the aft portion of the airplane, how was I going to set up the radios, ADS-B box, transponder box, and ACM fuse box? To help with this process, I purchased a VFR panel (HDX 1100) from Advanced Flights Systems along with its pitot static system and two-axis autopilot. This simplified things, but the wiring system still took many months more than I thought it would. For the powerplant I purchased a fuel-injected Superior XP-360 built by JB Aircraft Engine Services of Sebring, Florida. Jimmie, the owner, was gracious enough to allow me to help with the assembly of the engine. This allowed me to understand the complexities of an aircraft engine.
The paint scheme and colors were derived from my college colors. The camouflage and shark teeth were my attempt to give the RV-8A its own personality. The ’75 is for the year I graduated from the USNA, and the N* is the school’s logo. The paint was a base/clear done by X-Treme Auto in Orlando, Florida.
December 3, 2020, was my first flight. Prior to the flight, Pat, who is an EAA flight advisor, and I shared a comprehensive briefing of the sequential events that would take place during the flight. I used the EAA Flight Test Manual throughout the test phase. Prior to engine start, we made the cockpit a procedural trainer and reviewed all of the switches and levers, making sure I was comfortable with the switchology of the cockpit in the event of an emergency. The flight lasted 2.5 hours with two EAA members flying as the chase pilots. The aircraft’s performance was amazing! It’s an unbelievable feeling to fly something that you personally built. My advice to anyone contemplating building their own airplane would be to honestly evaluate how much time you could commit to the project weekly. Twenty hours a week would be the minimum needed to complete the project in a reasonable amount of time.
Attention — Aircraft Builders and Restorers
We would love to share your story with your fellow EAA members in the pages of EAA Sport Aviation magazine, even if it’s a project that’s been completed for a while. Readers consistently rate the “What Our Members are Building/Restoring” section of the magazine as one of their favorites, so don’t miss the chance to show off your handiwork and inspire your peers to start or complete projects of their own. Learn more ->