I started building a Vans RV-7 with my dad back in 2012, cant believe its been that long. Me and him got the stabilizers, elevators and rudder completed before I moved out to Virginia. After a little over a year of not making any progress on it I have resumed the build on the back porch of my apartment. I've got pictures of the stabilizers, elevators, and rudder but they are too large of files to upload right now.

A pile of aileron stiffeners


Stiffeners riveted on to aileron skin


Aileron leading edge assembly, consisting of the spar and counterbalance which is a galvanized water pipe


One complete aileron

Cool project!

I've been eyeballing the RV-14 pretty close for my next project, hopefully can start one soon.

Halestorm, do you want the trike or the TW 14

Tailwheel 14.

I think you're really going to like flying the RV-7. I recently flew one from Falcon Field down in Phoenix up to Denver. I took the longer southerly route and clocked around 5 hours bringing it home. Nice, fast, and incredibly responsive. Flying over the desert getting thrown around wasn't much fun, but the plane is a crazy performer. I'll use my Bo when I'm flying more than one person and will likely just fly the RV when it is just me.

Jim

EDIT: One other thing... If I could get comfortable with the strength of the gear and taking the wheel pants off, the RV would be a great short-field performer... Takes off short, lands relatively short... If someone would build some back-country landing gear, the thing would fit right in...

Have Fun! I built a RV8 and first flew it in 2010. It would be fun to try some big tires on it!

lancef53 wrote:Have Fun! I built a RV8 and first flew it in 2010. It would be fun to try some big tires on it!

+1 on the wheel's

Apologies to the OP for the hijack but the 14 looks like it might be the best of the RV line to "lightly bush-erize". Plus size cabin for gear, good viz, looking forward to what the stance is going to be once they produce a tailwheel version. Latest rumors say they'll be shipping a fuse kit this fall.

sorry for drift BackcountryRV7. Halestorm, the 14 it mite look just like a big 9

No worries about a little thread drift. The 14 does look pretty impressive although they announced it just a couple months after I purchased my 7.

I would love to get some larger tires for it and take it places where RVs aren't normally seen.

well then 7, 26" or 29"s