It looks like our Group has been silent since 1 Sept., so thought I’d post this to make sure it’s not something on my end! I have finally decided to retire from USAF work and get moved back to OK City where my RV-9A w/13B project has been awaiting some “love” since I retired from the USAF Reserves in 2015. At that point I took a job working air defense in Germany, and remained there until 2020; and being a glutton for punishment I followed on to ACC HQ (Langley AFB, VA) for the past two years; but now have realized it’s time to turn this challenging work over to younger pups, and get a few things done that I’ve put on hold for over a decade!
My initial plan is to move the fuselage out of the hanger into my insulated garage where I have a small space heater that keeps the temps at 62 degrees during the winter months. I bought Bill Eslick’s final intake manifold that he flew with for a number of years, so once the hoses exhaust and wiring are tidied up, I’ll hopefully be doing some engine runs by Feb/March. I purchased the 13B from Tommy James (in NC) back in 2006 (I believe) after he putt about 90 hrs. or so on it powering his Glastar. It hasn’t run since then, so not sure what will happen when I finally crank it over… water leaks? :)
After watching Dennis Haverlah’s great installation back in 2006-08, I decided to copy his final iteration that has worked so well for him, in hopes of having a good functioning system from day one…we’ll see.
By finally joining the “retiree” club, I’m now also looking forward to being able to attend Charlie’s pumpkin drop once in a while, and any other "alternative engine” get togethers that present themselves in the near future.
Fly safe out there!
Doug