Visit to Van's Aircraft to see the RV-7 as an option to build it. After landing from the test flight with the RV-7 I saw the RV-9A in the hangar and at that very moment I decided that this is the ONE.
 

Ordered the Empennage and Wing kits
 

Tal

The Empennage and Wing kits arrived. Box 4 has an outside minor damage. ( the parts inside are O.K) 
Packing List
 

Moved to a house with a large yard and the most important a big warehouse with a excellent potential to become a nice workshop.
 

Tal

Converting the warehouse into a workshop.
1 - Electricity work, More lights, more outlets.
2 - Covering the inside walls and ceiling with plaster plates and thermal/acoustic isolation plates between them and the outside walls. 
3 - Ordering and installing all the inside furniture needed for a workshop. (tables, shelf etcetera)
4 - Ordering and installing all standard machinery (drilling machine, clamp, strip saw, compressor etcetera)
 

Yossi
Tal
Orlev
Ronen

1 - Unpacking and recognizing the special tools kit.
2 - Unpacking and recognizing the Empennage and Wing kit parts.
Cleaveland Tools
 

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

Assembling the skeleton of the horizontal stabilizer
 

Assembling the left horizontal stabilizer skeleton into the skin.
 

Yossi
Orlev

1 - Assembling the right horizontal stabilizer skeleton into the skin.
2 - Match drill the skin to the skeletal structure. (Left and right)
3 - Disassemble the left and right horizontal stabilizers and deburr all holes and edges.
 

Yossi
Tal
 

1 - Dimple the #40 holes in all rib flanges and skins for left and right  horizontal stabilizer. (the holes in the main ribs that go under the front spar are left un dimpled)
2 - Countersink the #40 holes in all spar flanges and doublers.
 

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

Prime all horizontal stabilizer with:
1 -  Primary coat. EPOXZEN MIL-P 53022B1 2 component.
2 - Wash Primer. MIL-C-8514 2 component.
 

Tal

Assembling the horizontal stabilizer.

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

1 - Assembling and Drilling the Vertical stabilizer,
2 - Marking disassembling and de-burring all parts.
 

1 - Dimple and  machine countersink parts as desired.
2 - Prime all parts.
 

Tal

Finishing the Vertical stabilizer.
 

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

13

1 - Fitting the stiffeners to the rudder skin. (riveting the stiffeners  to the skin will be done after priming all the parts of the rudder)
2 -  Building the Rudder skeleton.
 

Yossi
Orlev

1 - Match drilling the Rudder
 

Yossi
Orlev

1 - deburr all holes and edges.
2 -  dimple and countersink all parts.
 

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

Priming the Rudder in 2 steps, First prime wash and after curing priming.
 

Tal

1 - Riveting the stiffeners  to the skin.
2 - Riveting the Rudder skeleton
 

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

1 - Riveting the skins to the skeleton.
2 - Preparing the trailing edge for riveting. we used Epoxy 3M -460 and an 3mm aluminum angle drilled and clecoed to the trailing edge. (see pic.) 
 

Yossi
Tal

1 - Riveting the trailing edge. we followed the instruction except that we insert the rivet flash head from both side symmetrical. The results are perfect, the trailing edge is straight and the look of the  rivets is nice and symmetric.
2 - Completing the leading edge.
 

Yossi
Tal

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

changing the order of work from the instruction.
From the experience we got till now we found that the prim overhead time is very significant. from that reason we decided to accumulate maximum  parts for priming. as a result we are changing the order of work from the instruction.
1 - Fitting the stiffeners to the R/L elevators skin. (riveting the stiffeners  to the skin will be done after priming all the parts)
2 - Building the elevators skeleton.
3 - Match drilling all parts.

On E903 & E904 Tip ribs & E913 counterbalance skin we had to enlarge the #40 holes to #30 to overcome the hole mismatch. this was only on the left Elevator but for esthetical look we made the same on the right Elevator
 

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

1 - Deburr dimple and prepare all elevators parts for prime. (Right & Left)
 

Tal
Yair

1 - Prime all parts. (Right & Left)
 

Tal

1 - Rivet all parts. (Right & Left)
changing the order of work from the instruction.
In the right elevator we followed the instruction and rivet the E-903/904/913 assembly to the E-902 spar that was already riveted to the top skin, as a results we had an hard time riveting the AN470AD4-4. In the left elevator we changed the order and rivet the E-903/904/913 assembly to the E-902 spar before riveting the spar to the top skin.    
 

Tal
Yossi
Orlev

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

Fitting the empennage fiberglass tips
 

Installing the elevator fiberglass tips with Pop rivets + 3M 460 Epoxy glue
 

Installing the rudder fiberglass tip with Pop rivets + 3M 460 Epoxy glue
 

Working on the elevator and rudder stabilizers tips
Fabricate VOR antenna bracket
 

Empennage tips ….. L
 

Fabricate VOR antenna bracket
 

Empennage tips ….. L almost done ….
 

Empennage tips ….. L almost done ….
 

Empennage tips are done …. J
 

Fabricating VOR Ant. bracket
 

Empennage fairing
 

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

preparing the workshop for the wing job.
1 - We decided to build a fixed (floor to ceiling) double wing working stand with the main spar located at the shoulder height. the stand will be made from wood.
2 - The finished wing cradle will be finished later using the wood from the wing stand. 3 -  for the tank and leading edge stands we made 4 individual stands (2 for each wing) so it will be used also to assist while working on the fuel tanks.
 

1 - Prepare the main spars. Machine countersink all nut plates holes, local prime the countersink area.
2 - Rivet all nut plates.
 

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

1 - Prepare the rear spars. drill all reinforcement forks and doublers plate Machine countersink the necessary holes in the W-970C. deburr and prepare all components for priming.
2 - Start to prepare the ribs. straighten up and deburring.
 

Yossi
Tal

1 - Deburring ribs.
2 - Assemble the spars (main & rear) on the jig.
 

Yossi
Orlev

1 - match drill ribs to spar (R & L)
2 - Align the skeleton on jig.
 

Tal
Tomer

1 - improvement on the jig to be abel to assemble the last outbord rib.
2 - Final improvement on the support at the skeleton center.
 

1 - more improvement on the jig.
2 - Cleco skins W902,W903 on (R & L).
 

Tal

1 - final improvement on the jig and adjustments.
2 - Match drilling skins W902,W903 and J-stiffener W926A,B.
3 - Match drilling skins W904,W905.
 

Tal
Orlev

Finish match drilling skins.
 

1 - Preparing jigs for wing leading edge.
2 - Assemble (cleco) ribs into left leading edge skin.
 

Yossi
Orlev

1 - Assemble (cleco) ribs into right leading edge skin.
2 - Assemble and drilling W-908 L & R with w-918 joint plate.
3 - Modifying the outboard spar attachment to the jig to allow the assembly of the leading edge later.
 

Yossi
Orlev

Match drilling leading edge skin (R & L).
 

Tal

Yossi
Tal
Orlev

Assemble (cleco) right fuel tank.
 

Tal

preparing T-911 fuel tank stiffeners.
 

Tal