By David Zwart, EAA 1520940, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Every month in Bits and Pieces, we would like to feature a homebuilt/restoration project somewhere in Canada that is either under construction or recently completed. If you would like to send us your story, please reach out to ctmorawetz@hotmail.com for more information. —Ed.
I am building a Van’s Aircraft RV-8. It is a two-seat tandem sport plane. It is aerobatic, pretty quick, and has a respectable range for travelling. This project started 15 years ago when I was a commercial seasonal float pilot. I would fly for work all summer and build the airplane all winter.
Every step, I am learning something new. I often joke that the airplane has three sides. The left side, right side, and the “wrong side” — the task or skill being learned for the first time. Occasionally, replacement parts are needed because a lesson was learnt the expensive way. Sheet metal and riveting is the obvious skill that is learned building an aluminum airplane. Every system also brings new learning opportunities. Fuel and brake systems are bending and flaring tubes, NPT fittings. Finding and fixing the inevitable leaks. Electrical is more than just crimping and terminals. One has to learn the basics of electricity and into load management, wire sizing, and circuit breakers. Even how and where wires can be run through the aluminum structure. The next things to learn are engine compartment, fiberglass cooling, etc., and eventually painting. Every step seems to teach a new skill. The learning opportunities are part of the enjoyment.
One thing that surprised me is the amount of research needed. It’s not as simple as just bolting pieces together. There are many decisions needed along the way. There are the obvious decisions, like which engine and propeller to install. There are the less obvious decisions, like manual or electric pitch trim? There are pros and cons to each. What colour do I want to paint the interior? Or the instrument panel? What kind of switches does one want? Toggle switches or rocker switches? Okay, now locking toggle switches? Which brand, and which supplier? Everything takes a lot more research than I initially anticipated.
I picked this airplane to build because it is a sport plane. It is a sporty, fun, and capable little airplane. It will be good at mild aerobatics, weekend “boring holes in the sky,” and quite reasonable at covering distance and exploring new places. The big bubble canopy and tandem seating give both the pilot and passenger a fantastic view wherever we fly.
