Our RV-10 was built by a team of Ken Smith, Tom Smith, Tim Dawson-Townsend and Anton Nielsen. Total build time was about 6 and a half years. First flight was July 7, 2010 and the test period was without major hiccups. Paint went on in May 2011 and we made the first pilgrimage to Oshkosh [...]
After 5 years of building my RV-10, N518RV took to the air in February 2010. It was painted in August, after phase 1 was completed. It is equipped with an Aerosport Power IO-540, Grand Rapids EFIS/EIS, Garmin avionics stack and the Tru-Trak autopilot. It has plenty of power and is a real dream to fly. [...]
“My son designed this,” says David Shelton, father of David Shelton, who was convinced that the best way to use his general aviation aircraft would be to take his ground transportation with him. “He saw the roadable aircraft,” says Shelton, ” and he thought, there has to be a simpler way.” Shelton purchased a Van’s [...]
RDD Enterprises, LLC announced the availability of the electrically actuated Speed Bra-X for the Van’s RV-10. RDD’s David McRae headed up the development program for the design, working with Precise Flight, Inc., which holds a number of Supplemental Type Certificates for speed brakes on a range of aircraft, many of which are installed as original [...]
The dreaded letter. Every airplane owner (practically) has gotten one at some point. A problem has been detected with a particular part or piece of your aircraft, and the manufacturer is notifying you via a service bulletin, or the FAA is notifying you via an airworthiness directive, of both the problem and the solution. The [...]
If there is anything I’ve learned this year, it is this: The aviation stuff we do can be a little pricey. We’ve been breaking in an engine on a new airplane this past spring, and the fuel bill just arrived the other day. I sat down to read it. Good thing, because the number inside [...]
Eventually the day comes when your project morphs from a project to a full-fledged airplane. If you built it and got it certified, you have to get it in the air. It might not be you at the controls on the very first flight (you want someone qualified, and you may have spent more time [...]
Before you can legally fly your kit aircraft you must have it inspected by the FAA or the FAA’s legal representative, and that inspector must issue the aircraft an airworthiness certificate. Nothing flies legally in the U.S. without one of these pretty little pink pieces of paper, suitable for display in the cockpit with your [...]
