On February 9th the Board Of Directors met at the Prop Stop to discuss the future of the Puget Sound RVators. It was agreed that the group would be a non entity with out a newsletter or that all important newsletter editor. With no one stepping forward to take on this important task, we discussed possibly disbanding the group. "Yikes".
Good news, Terry O'Brian has graciously taken on the role of editor. He will publish a newsletter, member roster and calendar of events bi-monthly or so, depending on member participation. Just think, if each member would send in just one simple article, story, hot tip or a bright idea it would give our editor something to work with, make the newsletter a group function and would provide a warm fuzzy feeling.
Terry's beautiful 160Hp C/S RV-4 is in his hanger at Thun Field in Puyallup along with Joseph Andrews freshly painted RV-4 and my RV-4. Terrys'services to our group will much appreciated.
The dues for 1997 are only $4.00 What bargain! The Board agreed to cut them in half, and then some, after reviewing our annual costs and expenses.
Our annual meeting, on March 15th at 11:30 a.m., will be at Harvey Field for lunch. We will elect officers for fourth coming year. Project Visit
A successful project visit took place at Mike Talley's home in Arlington on January 25th. For those who were unable to see his RV-6 handy-work, have no fear. Another visit is planned. This one is more centrally located will be handy for those to the south as well as the northern end of Puget Sound.
Ralph Jones and Bob Newell are working together to build an RV-6A. While Bob works on the wings at his home, Ralph has the empenage 99% completed and the fuselage is on the gear. The engine (O-360) and constant speed prop are mounted and the engine accessories are in progress. Also, they are using the Rocky Mountain Engine and Air Data units and construction of these is in progress for those interested. This is a tip-up canopy version. Ralph has invited us to his Bellevue home to check it out. He lives in the Woodridge area, just north of Factoria at 12141 SE 21st. Woodridge is bounded by I-405, I-90 and Richard's Road.
From both North and South bound, head toward Bellevue on I-405 and take the NE 8th exit. Turn East and go under the Railroad trestle to the light (about 200 feet). Turn right (southbound) and wind up the hill approximately 1 mile to a three way stop. Continue straight ahead (southbound) for one block and turn right (west). The house is the second on the left. (GPS use optional)!
Here is a great opportunity for you builders to look under the cowling and see how all this stuff comes together in the end. Note that the wings are not at this location, as they are at Bob's home. The visit will be March 22 from 9:00am until 2:00pm . If you have any questions, call Ralph Jones at 206-747-7356.
The first fly-out event for the year will be to Snohomish Airport for Brunch and our annual meeting. Due to Ralph and Bob's project visit, the date (and location) for the fly-out has been changed from the last newsletter. It is now scheduled one week earlier, March 15th, at 11:30. The site was changed as the restaurant at Tacoma Narrows has closed. Remember, everyone is welcome, see you all there!
There is some good news in the dues department. As our president stated in his article, some important decisions have been made in the dues department. (See letter from the president in this issue). Dues are now $4:00 per year, due with this issue. To renew your membership, send your $4 check to the Puget Sound RVators in care of Terry O'Brian, 1217 S.W. 170th, Seattle, WA 98166.
All my whining and crying must have paid off, as we now have a new newsletter editor. Terry O'Brian has graciously agreed to take over the duties, starting with the next issue. Please give him all the support you can. Find or make a great tool, locate a good buy on accessories, or did you get a great paint job from a paint shop? Drop Curt a note and share it with all of us. You may think that what you have to say is common knowledge, but you would be surprised. Believe me, your input will be greatly appreciated!
The current balance in the Puget Sound RVators' account is $1,240.41. The balance has remained pretty consistent as most of our projects end up paying for themselves or actually making a little profit, even though that was not the intention. The only real expenditure has been for the newsletter, which has been running about $300 per year depending on printing and mailing costs. We also were able to purchase calendars at a slight savings, which we were able to pass on to those who purchased them. Also, there were a limited number of reduced cost tickets to the Arlington Air Fair last year that were purchased by some of the members.
The Arlington Air Fair picnic turned out to be a slight money maker as well. We only spent $364, but the donation box took in $468! (Part of this was due to John Ammeter's shopping skills...we can not always count on getting that wonderful salmon for only 99 cents a pound). Also, some of you local members families brought more than their share of food and even ran to the store to grab a few things we were low on.
We also have several new tools purchased for any member to use. For less than $400 we were able to obtain a set of weight and balance scales and an instrument hole cutter. As noted in previous newsletters, other tools have also been donated to our group. Be sure to take advantage of these when you need them!
Our group is always receptive to member input and any suggestions as to how to run our finances will be appreciated. especially if someone wants to take over the Treasurer's responsibilities. Now that the end is in sight on my project, I would like to spend this next year concentrating on building. Who ever volunteers can probably be guaranteed a beautiful ride in my RV-6 when it is finished!
I just wanted to write a short note to thank one of our members for donating loanable tool since our last newsletter. Tony Howard, of Monroe, donated a large pneumatic squeezer to the RVators. It is quite large and it is used, but it seems to be in good working order. I have not played around with it much as I don't know anything about such a tool. It should work great for wing spar rivets as it has a large diameter piston and should squeeze quite hard. If anyone has experience with one of these and could check it out for us, let me know. I can be reached at (206)353-2659.
Are you asking yourself this question? Well, if you haven't already painted something as big as an airplane or automobile, then I can help you with the "Paint it Yourself" side of the story.
I will save you from reading this whole article to find out my experience. If you have never painted something like this before, my recommendation, for what it is worth, is "Don't". Don't risk the final quality of your beautiful craftsmanship by applying a substandard paint job. Well, now that I have rudely given you my opinion, maybe you should finish reading the article to find out how I finished my RV without writing a check.
"Finished!" That's correct. For some who have followed my slow and sometime really slow progress, I can now use the word "Finished!". One fun aspect of doing your own painting is now I can say I've done it all !! Everything, every hole, every rivet, nut, bolt, etc. etc. Oh, with the exception of one thing, the fiberglass work which was required to make Van's parts really fit. This is actually another article. My kit was old enough to require extra work in aligning Van's glass parts, in other words "Not one fit together like the plans showed!". A really big thank you goes out to a very patient friend whom I will not name in this article because he is very busy trying to build his own RV. Anyway, back to the paint. I have listed my considerations for each option below:
Write a Check
(1) Money ! Do you have enough ? This is actually a dumb question. Who building an RV ever asks where they are going to get the money for the next step?. You "Just Do It" somehow. My experience, after a few quotes, was anywhere from $3,000.00 to $5,200.00. How much the painter must do before squeezing the trigger represented most of the difference. Also, complying with the EPA has caused an increase in the painter's costs. Guess who pays for our wonderful over protective government agencies?
(2) Who is a Good Painter? And where are they Located? These are the next biggest questions you will ask yourself. A painter's reputation can be validated by trusted friends or seeing their work. Location? If the painter does not reside at the same airport you hangar, how will you transport it there? Flying in is fine, although they may need to use the hangar for the next paint job and you could be required to fly it out soon after paint complete. This sounds OK until you spill some fuel or bugs get on the paint before a good week of hardening / curing. And how will the painter re-assemble your airplane? If you are anything like me, I have a few areas where there are more washers, spacers, etc. on the ailerons and other moving parts, than the other side of the airplane. Would you feel comfortable having someone else take it apart to paint and then re- assemble. The painter cannot reference a document for assembly details like a production type airplane. (This is my opinion, again, for what it is worth.)
Taxing up to the paint hangar at your own airport is best. Remove the parts yourself and after paint, re-assemble at your leisure after a good curing time. Do you remember how much handling it took to align your rudder and elevators to final bolt? Don't try that with parts that are not cured, finger prints will appear!
(3) Scheduling the Paint Job Before or After 1st Flight? If you are really confident regarding your airplane and how you may need to fine tune it after first flight, then you may want to consider the simplest way to have it painted. Transport all of the parts to the painter of your choice, even an automotive shop. Parts which are separate like wings, fuselage, tail, etc. can be easily painted and then transported to your hangar for final assembly. But, beware of matching stripes and other transition lines with the parts not joined together.
(4) Will the Paint Job Look Like You Imagined It? Have you ever tried to communicate detailed instructions on paper or verbally? You know how it gets when people have to assume in the gray areas. Hopefully, the painter will work with you if you are a picky one for details.
Paint it Yourself
(1) Scheduling the Paint Job Before or After 1st Flight? Same considerations as above except the location options are better.
(2) Where? Painting the RV assembled is most difficult regarding location. The options are greatly reduced because of the size and transportability. Finding an aircraft paint hangar to rent may not be easy. (I found one, but this was not an advertised rental. One of those "right place at the right time" things.) If you do it at home, disassembled or together, beware of dust !! You must construct a ventilation system. Make sure it draws in air through filters and evacuates quickly to avoid over-spray on adjacent airplane surfaces.
(3) Which Paint System to Use? There are more and more options available now, but the highest quality finishes, in my opinion, are still the two part Polyurethane by PPG (the automotive finishes were formally Ditzler) or Dupont's Imron. I used PPG's Juneau White same as (Cessna White) and my two stripe colors were PPG's automotive Base Coat Clear Coat Acrylic Urethanes, Real Teal and Medium Royal Blue. Both of these colors have a metallic look with a clear coat finish and are new colors for 1996 Ford trucks and cars.
(4) Did you Read the Second Paragraph of This Article? Remember my recommendation regarding painting it yourself? The only reason I attempted this, was because of another good friend who offered his services in helping me. He actually had painted airplanes at Harvey Field years ago and recently painted many automobiles. He was really in charge of the process steps. If it wasn't for him I would have had runs in the paint and many areas where paint could have bleed under the tape at lap joins and other areas which required knowledgeable care and preplanning.
Just the sequence of what to prepare and what to tape and cover was a large task. Many people think you tape the canopy and start spraying. Boy, are there hours which go into the covering and taping of the airplane before the first shot of primer even goes on! Actually, I would not have attempted this myself if it wasn't for the professional help of my friend.
One last thought. Even if you feel capable of painting it yourself, be ready for the time commitment. Like many who are very capable regarding painting their own home, doing it right requires stripping around wood windows, maybe pressure washing off the loose old paint etc. etc. Usually the person takes two weeks off from work, valuable vacation time, and sometimes doesn't finish because of some other unexpected factors for their time. I guess I am saying that once you start applying paint the timing is critical regarding 2nd and 3rd coats and cure times. Once started, it is very difficult to stop. Near the end of the paint project I worked some 20 hour days and slept the other 4 hours. Oh, by the way, I took two weeks of vacation from work and it took all of that time to complete the airplane. A large portion of that time was spent preparing the glass parts for primer. (Elbow grease, no other substitute.)
Summary:
I am incredibly pleased with the way my airplane turned out. It actually looks better than I first envisioned it. I saved some money and was active in every part of the build of my airplane, for what that is worth maybe just some personal satisfaction. If my article doesn't sounds like I am encouraging the Do it Yourself option, that is only because I don't want anyone to take it too lightly and be unhappy with the results. All of the above is Rob Huntsinger's opinion. Do with it what you like. The trash can will not offend me. Have fun with your decision!