Bill Rounds

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=120 BGCOLOR="#0000FF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="310a3640.gif" border=0 width="163" height="100" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></B></I><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Britannic Bold" ><I><B>Van's Air Force - Minnesota Wing</B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B>The Twin Cities RV Builder's Group</B></I></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=20% BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>*  *  *  *  *</B></div> <div> <A HREF="default.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><B>Home Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="About.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="RVator.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="RVator Log"><U><B>The "RVator's Log"</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="MList.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Member List"><U><B>Member List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Member Project"><U><B>Member Projects</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Completed aircraft"><U><B>Completed Aircraft</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="First flights"><U><B>1st</B></U></A><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="First flights"><U><B> Flights</B></U></A><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Techs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tech counselors"><U><B>Tech Counselors and DARs</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Trans.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Transition training"><U><B>Transition Training</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Tips.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Builder Tips"><U><B>Building Tips</B></U></A><B> </B></div> <div> <A HREF="ForSale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For Sale"><U><B>For Sale</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rec Links"><U><B>Recommended Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Vendors.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rec Vendors"><U><B>Recommended Vendors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Join.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Join Wing"><U><B>Join the MN Wing</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><B>Join MN Wing Email Group </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Contact.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*  *  *  *  *</B></div> <div> <A HREF="Homecoming.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vans Homecoming"><U><B>2003 Van's Homecoming</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="VansTrip.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Trip to Vans"><U><I><B>A Trip to Van's </B></I></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=360 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Bill Rounds</B></div> <div> Appleton, WI</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="287f3760.gif" border=0 width="499" height="374" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> I received the empennage kit on 8-7-01 and made the first flight on 6-17-03.  It has quick build wings and fuselage but still took me 1650 logged hours of building time. The quality of the Philippine was very good although, it is interesting that an occasional drilled out rivet slug was found in the nooks and crannies where a vacuum couldn't go.  I guess I don't feel so bad about messing up a rivet or two during construction.  I did have to return one flap as it was twisted excessively. Van's shipped a new one and paid for returning the defective flap without any question. They did want to see photos of the flaps before authorizing the return however. Also, the kit had various hardware shortages which were readily replaced by Van's but suggests that a supply of nuts, bolts, nut plates, and snap bushings would frequently come in handy. As a first time builder I had no spares of any kind so I was constantly ordering hardware.</div> <bR> <div> As far as the building experience goes me, for the most part found it addictive once I got going.  I can't say that all of it was fun however.  I found fitting the cooling baffle and seal to be excessively monotonous as the cowling must have been taken off and on hundreds of times.  I went tip up canopy and had a hell of a time fitting the canopy frame and upper forward skin. Once that was done doing the plexi work was relatively easy and I think over rated as far as difficulty.  Using an electric drill with Van's supplied cutting disk worked well as it didn't melt the plexi like air grinders do.</div> <bR> <div> The airplane has a fresh Aerosport Power O-320D2 with the Sensenich fixed pitch prop and a Lightspeed electronic ignition in place of the right mag.</div> <bR> <div> I went with manual elevator trim which works superbly at all speeds.  The plane has an electronic aileron trim as well as the Navaid wing leveler which works very well and I find preferable to the electronic trim.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As far as flight characteristics go they are pretty much as published by Van.  Climb out at 110 MPH yields 1500 to 2000 FPM climb once RPM's build to 2300.  80% power yields 176MPH true at 3500'.  I checked full throttle (75%) at 8000' and was close to190MPH true but RPM's was precariously close to the 2600 max for the prop so I didn't stay at that power setting very long.</div> <bR> <div> The plane flies hands off at 140MPH but needs some left rudder at higher speeds.  The rudder is so stiff at higher speeds that holding in rudder for very long gets to be tiring so it looks like a trim tab is in order.</div> <bR> <div> As far as the first flight goes I got 5 hours dual in a RV-9 that a CFI here in Oshkosh has been flying for a few months.  It was the first time I had flown anything other than a Cessna 172 and I was surprised at how easy the transition was.  Since his plane was a tail dragger I had the added pleasure of learning to land a Tail wheel at the same time.  Needless to say I bounced my way around Wisconsin for the duration of the training but it was great fun.  I had decided that I was going to do the first flight myself after getting signed off by my instructor.  Maybe I was stupid but I felt confident in the airplane.  Besides Oshkosh is a big airport with huge runways to escape to if an emergency landing is needed.  So on June 17<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> I jumped in the plane and with a large dose of rectal puckeration, taxied it for the first time to runway 27,and told the tower it was my first flight so they'd better keep the runways clear until this thing takes off.  After waiting what seemed like a half hour I was cleared for take off so I pushed in the throttle RPM went to 2250 and the next thing I know I was flying.  I tried to see the lift off speed which went by so fast that I could only guess it was 60MPH.  For the next hour I circled OSH at full throttle to break in the engine.  Oil temperature peaked at 100C and then slowly dropped to 82C after about 30 min. where it has stayed ever since.  Landing was as easy as landing a C152 coming in at 70 MPH and 65 over the numbers gives a very satisfying flare and touch down.  This usually takes about 1050 RPM solo on final to yield a 500fpm decent rate. </div> <bR> <div> There are some distinctive differences between the standard spam can and an RV that one doesn't appreciate until he actually flies one.  The fixed pitch takes forever to slow down i.e. you can't blaze into the pattern dump flaps and expect to do anything close to a respectable landing.  In fact since the plane will actually climb at 1200 RPM you've got to really plan ahead so that you are at pattern altitude at near flap speed by the time you enter the pattern.  It would be nice to have a higher flap extension speed for slowing down.</div> <bR> <div> Of course a 1056lb. airplane going 180MPH is going to react to turbulence in a more “crisp” way than a 1750 lb. Cessna lumbering along at 140.  I found this to be somewhat disconcerting at first but have since gotten used to the way it feels.  </div> <bR> <div> I could babble on about what a great experience building and flying your own airplane is but I won't except to say stick with it.  It'll be worth all the effort the first day you climb in the cockpit and let the airplane make the noises instead of you.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="28907850.gif" border=0 width="519" height="389" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>And after the new paint job...</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2c080e00.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="480" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>