John's RV-10 Building Site
RV-10 Home
The Vertical Stabilizer and Rudder
The Horizontal Stabilizer
Elevators
Tail Cone
Empennage Assembly
Wings #1
Wings #2
Wings #3
Polishing
Fuselage #1
Fuselage #2
Fuselage #3 - Latest
Canopy - NEW!
Baggage Area
Electrical - Ongoing
Autopilot Servos
Builder's Log
Favorite Links
Contact Me

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What's New?

Went to Sun 'n Fun April 20-25 to buy my Engine and Avionics. Also bought some nice Rosen sun visors for the airplane while I was there. The Engine was the big decision, and I went with something different - rather than the tradional Lycoming. I placed a deposit on a Corvette LS1 V8 engine from GearedDrives out of Conroe, Tx.
These engines are raising a few eyebrows with the traditional builders, but I (and many others) believe that GearedDrives has solved the torsional harmonics issue when connecting a car engine to a prop. There are two RV-10s currently flying with Corvette engines - one is from GearedDrives. I've met the owner of that airplane and his experience with it is impressive. For comparison, The Corvette engines produces 345 hp versus the 260 hp a Lycoming produces. They both weigh virtually the same installed. In future postings I'll bore you to death with the LS1's virtues, but for now I'll post a photo below of the prototype/demonstrator.

For Avionics, I picked my brands, but I'm working with a professional Panel Builder to actually put it together. The company's name is Aerotronics and they will actually purchase and design my panel. It gets shipped to me ready to "snap in"... don't kid yourself; I'll be doing many hours of work on it once it arrives.
The electronic flight instrument will be from Grand Rapids. The radio stack will have a PM9000x audio panel, GNS430W nav/comm/gps, SL-40 comm (for #2 radio), and a GTX330 transponder. I've also chosen a VP200 from Vertical Power - it's a solid state electrical management device that you will also see more about in later postings. Among other things, it eliminates the need for circuit breakers.

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The engine I bought. This is the prototype on a test stand.

Welcome to my revised web site! I'll be keeping a builder's photo log here while I'm building my Van's RV-10 kitplane. The photo to the left is the factory's demonstrator.
I purchased the empennage kit from Van's Aircraft at the 2006 Sun 'n fun Fly In at Lakeland, Florida. I have estimated three years to build it. My target is flying by  Oshkosh of '09.

Updated 16 May, 2009. .... Started working on the gull wing doors. The came in two halves - outer & inner. They are now epoxied together and trimmed to fit the opening. They were mounted on the hinges and fit (a little more final edge work is needed). I have now removed them and starting on the door windows. The Upholstery has also arrived, but I'll wait until it's on the seats before adding photos to the site.

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Doors are glued and clamped in place

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The doors are hinged, fit, and are ready for windows

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