Well crap!  I new you would finish that whole airplane before I could
get a rotary engine installed, and I had a 2 1/2 year head start.  ;)
I'm afraid I don't have your work ethic (or mania as the case may be).
In all fairness, I had my plane signed off on 10/1 and would have
beaten you to first flight if I knew how to fly a taildragger (not
counting the 2 1/2 year head start).

Congratulations on a job well done.

Bob W.  
(Taildragger endorsement received this morning.  Expect first flight
report when winds die down and I gather the courage to do it.)


On Mon, 13 Nov 2006 11:58:56 -0600
"Russell Duffy" <rusty@radrotary.com> wrote:

> Greetings,
>  
> Just a non-rotary note to announce that my latest RV-8 is now flying.   I
> flew it twice yesterday, and the only issue was the rubber channel coming
> loose at the left wing root seal.  Makes a lot of flapping noise when that
> happens, but it doesn't hurt anything :-)  
>  
> Total construction time was 1100 hours, over 9 calendar months (7.5 really,
> since I was out of town for about 6 weeks).   As much as I like rotary
> engines, you can't help but appreciate being able to just bolt on a Lyclone,
> crank it up, and go flying.  It's sure a time saver, but not quite as
> interesting.  
>  
> The most notable feature of the plane are the Bill Dube' LED position
> lights.  Everyone who sees the plane stops and stares at them.  I'm not sure
> how many times I've been asked to turn them on for someone, so it's a good
> thing they don't draw too much current.  Everyone stares right at them while
> I turn them on, which can be interesting, since they're pretty darn bright.
> On occasion, when someone makes negative comments about all the little
> LED's, I "accidentally" turn on the strobes while they're watching for the
> LED's to come on :-)  
>  
> There are a few pics of first flight day, and a very short video of the
> first takeoff on my web site.  I might actually have some time to finish the
> web site now that the plane is flying.  Gotta get back to the ducted fan
> single rotor gyrocopter planning.
>  
> Cheers,
> Rusty (survived 4 "first" flights now)
> http://www.radrotary.com
>  
>


--
N93BD - Rotary Powered BD-4 - http://www.bob-white.com
First engine start 1/7/06 - Special Airworthiness Certificate 10/1/06
Cables for your rotary installation - http://www.roblinphoto.com/shop/