Started Work on Rudder

These are the components:

The good news: a small number of components means a good design following the KISS principle so dear to SONEX's folks. For those unfamiliar with the KISS principle, it means Keep It Simple... for the last "S" I'm not sure. If you were addressing a fool who is making things too complicated you could punctuate with "Stupid" but there are no fools in the Kit Plane business: they all crashed long ago.
The bad news: these parts will have to wait until I come back from the mountains.
See you parts...

A list of RV-12 Builders Sites

I don't think this list exists anywhere. I built it by going through every RV-12 Builder Site I was able to locate. A long and cumbersome task that I am happy to share with you.

↑ Means this baby is flying!

Marty's RV-12  ↑

Jim Olson - Experimental Aircraft Builder's Log  ↑

John Peck - Experimental Aircraft Builder's Log

Vans RV-12 Build Site - Build12.co.uk

Jerry Greenberg's Build Log of Van's RV-12 LSA

Tony Tessitore RV-12  ↑

TonyTessitore's RV-12 Project N577RV Galleries  ↑

http://www.schmetterlingaviation.com/
Hangarworkshop

YouTube - JerryG150's Channel

Alan Gilmore

Jeff’s RV-12 Builder’s Log

RV-12 construction photos - Jim Cone - Picasa Web Albums  ↑
Picasa Web Albums - Jim Cone  ↑

KLewis Jackson, OH, 

N439CF; Ron's RV-12 » DISCLAIMER

Jeffrey Emmick - Experimental Aircraft Builder's Log

SLANE RV-12

Keith Lee - Experimental Aircraft Builder's Log

Arthur Pennanen - Experimental Aircraft Builder's Log

YouTube - 950 Hours Build Time So Far on Van's RV-12 ELSA

Joes RV 12 A Builders Log of Vans LSA Light Sport Aircraft Experimental

Vans RV-12 Build Site - Build12.co.uk

Joeri van Veen - Experimental Aircraft Builder's Log
Keith Boardman's Kitlog

Torsten's RV-12
Darryn D. Davis RV-12 Building Photos
RV-12 Build by Chis Lucier
Rudi Greyling's RV-12 Pages (South African group) 
Marcus Web Site 
Ronald chisholm Web Site 

Rob and Haruko RV-12 N73HR 

Mark Misage's Blog

...And Vieille Burette, my own!

As of November 15, 2010 there are 64 RV-12 Flying. Not all builders have a web site but there is a list with pictures of the RV-12s now Flying here

Wing Kit ordered today

With a 12 weeks lead time I expect the delivery end of October. I know now what I will spend the short winter days and long nights on!
Not too much done since Anne left back to Alexandria. I will spend a few weeks in the mountain with Michèle, dodging the heat, reading the instructions for the next steps of the empennage and preparing for my LSA practical test.
I finally bought a belt sander at Harbor Freight thanks to a super saver coupon of $40 out of $99...
I love buying tools!

Vertical Stabilizer completed... and flight tested

I kid you not, see by yourself:

Only French pilots will fully understand that this is a real flight test as they call the stick "Manche a Balai" or Broom Stick.

It took about two weeks to get there, thanks to help from Anne and advice from two fellows from EAA chapter 1114: Dwight Frye and Noel Fallwell.

Here are a few pictures of the steps it took to get there:

First sub assembly and first solid rivets:

The skeleton of the VS:

The Clecoed VS:

And the final product with a couple hundred pulled rivets:

Now page #2!

I got over my disappointment of the Avery rivet Squeezer thanks to a member of the VANs airforce, BigJohn, who told me he managed to do his RV-12 using only this squeezer for solid rivets. Finished my first 10 rivets and went on to page 2 of the instructions. Anne just came in to help and jumped right away into clecoing and deburring. Too bad we go the mountain tomorrow for a few days (just kidding!).

Help is on the way!

Yesterday I visited Dwight Frye, a member of EAA chapter 1114, builder of an RV-7.
Dwight kindly advised me on how to use my rivet squeezer that had come with minimal instructions as part of the Avery RV-12 tool kit. I have now a dilemma: go to the gym to build muscle of buy a riveting gun. : D

First Cross Country Solo!

Got up early to be at KTTA at 8 AM. Great weather, I enjoyed the bike trip and even more the flight from KTTA to Siler City. Touch and go and I'm on my way back for a total of .8 hour logged. Nobody in the sky (that I could see), the Rotax humming, the temperature confortable, I could not ask for more. Life is good!
This evening I will take my rivet squeezer to the EAA builders meeting, hoping for some guidance on how to use it. The instructions provided by Avery are clearly not intended at first time builders.