Kent

<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"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="05990550.jpg" border=0 width="144" height="85" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.rvforum.org/id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.rvforum.org/id41.htm"><U><I><B>2003 Twin Cities RV Photos</B></I></U></A><I><B> </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>*  *  *  *  * *  *  *  *  * </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>The latest...</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -</B></I></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>Calendar of Events</B></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 Flight Awards</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="Techs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tech counselors"><U><B>Tech Counselors and DARs</B></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></div> <div> <A HREF="ForSale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For Sale"><U><B>For Sale</B></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><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 ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="VansTrip.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Trip to Vans"><U><I><B>A Trip to Van's Factory</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Contact.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>- - - - - - - -</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="/Herbie/index.htm" TARGET="_top"><U><I><B>Herbie Nemeth Memorial</B></I></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=360 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> <B>Kent Vilendrer</B></div> <div> Eden Prairie, MN</div> <bR> <div> September 17, 2003</div> <bR> <bR> <div> I am pleased to say that after a 10-year building period, N64KV (RV6A) took to the skies on September 17th under the skillful hands of Tom Irlbeck.   It was a windy day but Tom throttled up the 0-360 Aerosport and away he went.</div> <div> I know this sounds a bit cliche but it is hard to describe the feeling of seeing something that has occupied your subconscious so long actually take flight.  Flying the plane for the first time was also an adrenaline rush.  Did I build this correctly?  Will the wings stay on?  Too late now we're in the air!</div> <bR> <div> Takeoff at 55... hold the nose down to maintain 120..... the rate of climb is 1500 fpm.... level off and fly at 2000 feet and 22" manifold, the GPS shows about 180 mph.  Pretty impressive.  The squawk list begins to build.... the temps are a little hot (we later learn I installed the left mag too far advanced), the left wing is heavy, the rate of climb reads a</div> <div> little negative in level flight, the oil pressure is a little low....... No showstoppers as these can all be fixed pretty easily.</div> <bR> <div> This baby is all airplane and now I can finally look forward to building flight time instead of this aluminum obsession.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="2d3f4020.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="258" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> The tail kit arrived in September of 1993.  My wife and I had started a business 3 years earlier and had some room in the back warehouse.  I was thinking this would be a 5 year process.  The empennage was built relatively quickly but when the wing kit arrived we were moving to a new facility.  After the move the spar was started and then put back in the crate.  A move or two later I decided to rent an old hangar at Flying Cloud to store the parts and other stuff.  I couldn't have airplane parts laying around for customers to see when they were looking at the test systems we were</div> <div> building. I</div> <bR> <div> In 1997 I decided to get back into the building process. I opened the spar crates to find a corroded mess. The hangar roof had a leak and as luck would have it I placed the closed crate right under it.  The crate soaked up the moisture and held it in for maximum effect.  Oh well, I liked the looks of those Phlogiston spars anyway.. a several month setback.  Plenty of other things to do anyways.  The new spars arrived so it was time to mount the ribs and skins... why didn't I wait a year or two and gotten a pre-punched kit?  </div> <bR> <div>  In 1998, I start on the fuselage.  Halfway through the fuse and Van's announces the quick built RV6 kit.  Why didn't I wait!  In 2000 I am where I could have been with a QB.  Shake it off..  Were almost done???.. </div> <bR> <div> In 2001, Van announces the RV7. (Great, I am building an obsolete design...) Lots of other things to do...  kids in high school, sports, after school activities, the business.  Friends ask me why I just don't buy an airplane... that would be too easy.  The engine and prop arrive in January 2001... It's starting to look like an airplane.. </div> <bR> <div> Spring 2002,  time for the panel.  I could be flying this Fall (which Fall?).  Lots of other things to do.  Finally the big push this Spring.  My wife and I decide to buy a lake place up North so that slows the Summer progress.  The Mpls Aquatennial Organizers need a homebuilt display for their Flying Cloud Air Expo in mid-July...I volunteer.. maybe I can get it done by then.  Not quite done but good enough for the show.  I start the paperwork with John Roscoe in August. He calls me in early Sept telling me he's ready.  I call Tom Irlbeck, he's headed to Florida the first week of October for the entire Winter. Yikes!! I better get this project done! The inspection is completed on September 16th and the first flight is made on the 17th.  At last I have come to the end of this odyssey.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="2d4f4020.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="258" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> My advice to any RV newby.  Unless you can stay focused for 2 to 3 years, buy a quickbuild even if you have to beg borrow or steal.  Of course a lot of people might say that would be toooo easy!</div> <bR> <div> Many thanks to Matt Duttenheffer and Kenny Heidt who helped throughout the building process.. and to fellow RVAtors Arden Johnson and Alex Peterson who provided helpful advice when needed.  I would especially like to thank Tom Irlbeck for doing the first flight.  He is an outstanding resource and we are especially lucky to have him in our Minnesota area.  A pilot's pilot he is also a prince of a guy.</div> <bR> <div> As of this writing, I am still flying off my 40 hours due to a busy Fall schedule.  However, every time I fly this airplane I am amazed at how nimble and honest it is.  It is truly a joy to fly.</div> <bR> <div> N64KV is equipped with an AeroSport 0360-A2A with LightSpeed Ignition and Sensenich Prop. The panel is lighted with full gyros, a Garmin 250XL and TruTrak single axis autopilot. Empty weight is 1064.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>