26 Jun 2017 Using hemostats to ease installation of adel clamps
If you are not using hemostats to help you install adel clamps (a.k.a. Cushion clamps) you are missing a nice trick. Works great! ...
Welcome to rv8.ch
This little site will document the progress on the building and flying of a Van’s RV-8 experimental aircraft. You will find images, tips, tricks and techniques that I have learned and from others on the net.
HB-YMM Experimental Homebuilt Van’s Aircraft RV-8
26 Jun 2017 Skybolt fasteners
Some photos of my skybolt fasteners. ...
26 Jun 2017 Pressure sensor manifold spacer
I needed to add a spacer to the pressure sensor manifold to make space for the barksdale NO/NC pressure switch. I also took a picture of my pressure test rig. I used this to set the...
07 Jun 2017 Raw Cowl pictures
Just some pictures of the cowl work. I put the cowl in place and then drilled and clecoed some scrap to hold it in place. Then I removed the cowl and drilled the hinges from the...
26 May 2017 Oil breather tube installed
Ignore the exhaust pipe hangars - it was a test and I ended up doing it exactly the way Larry Vetterman recommends in the instructions. Very simple task but made a bit more complex with the...
22 May 2017 Oil cooler installed
Much easier than I expected. Only issue is that the AN3-42A bolts are too long and I need to order some -40 bolts. Notice that I set the cooler back a bit and greatly strengthened the...
22 May 2017 Garmin Apollo SL-40 radio for sale
Beautiful radio, updated, totally new, never installed, with pre-wired tray. $1125 shipped in the US. ...
15 May 2017 Installed camloc fasteners
I bought some camloc fasteners from skybolt for the connection between the cowl and the firewall. Turned out fine and was really easy to install. ...
15 May 2017 Ready to rivet F-821PP top skin
Ready to go - hope I have not missed something important. ...
07 May 2017 Air filter pics
Some pics of the air filter install. ...
07 May 2017 Cowl hinge pin covers
This is an idea that I have seen on many other RVs. The hinge pin openings are kind of narly so generally people find a way to cover them. Here is what I did. ...
07 May 2017 Solution to stubborn cowl hinge pin
Paul gave me a very useful tip to fix a stubborn cowl hinge pin. Just flatten one end of a spare pin, grind it a little bit, and use a drill to ream it. Worked perfectly- now...
23 Apr 2017 Baffle to cowl clearance above oil cooler
The instructions are pretty clear - keep a 3/8" to 1/2" clearance between the upper edge of the baffles and the inside surface of the top cowl. I have that everywhere but it just seems too...
14 Apr 2017 Alternator B lead install with Littelfuse midi inline 80amp fuse
Installed the b-lead to the alternator. I decided to use the Littelfuse midi fuse inline older, with an 80amp fuse. The are much smaller, lighter, and don't require me to drill another hole in the firewall....
14 Apr 2017 More work on the cowl
Now that the snorkel is almost done, let's see if we can finish up the lower cowl cutouts. (These photos are in reverse order.) Cowl bump is glued on and I've added a couple of layers around...
09 Apr 2017 Ground point on firewall
Added this ground point on the firewall. A bit of overkill but I think it is pretty clean, and allowed me to use the braided straps and attach them to the engine case. Note...
02 Apr 2017 Starter wiring
Installed the giant starter wire. It's a fat wire from Eric M. Jones's Perihelion Design http://www.periheliondesign.com/fatwires.htm (Super-2-CCA, AWG#2) so it should flow plenty of electrons. It's about 42" long, and supported in 5 places including the ends,...
27 Mar 2017 Grey Do Not Enter Sign from Google User Content failure
Anyone know why I see this instead of an image in some user posts on the VAF forum?...
19 Mar 2017 Installed the EGT probes on the exhaust pipes
Vetterman recommended installing the probes between 1.5" and 2.0" below the cylinder port. Others say it doesn't matter much as long as they are about the same distance from the exhaust port flange so the...
12 Mar 2017 Alternator pulley change
The standard alternator pulley is 3" and I wanted to change it for a 4" to slow it down a bit and to move it up a bit in the cowl. Bought one from Summit Racing. All...
05 Feb 2017 CHT probe gasket/washer missing?
I have some CHT probes from MGL and I'm curious if there are supposed to be little washers or gaskets at the point where the probe is welded to the hose clamp. Will check on VAF...
09 Jan 2017 More baffle work – rivets and silicone baffle seals
I'm finally actually riveting the baffles. It's a real pleasure. I'm using the silicone baffle seal material I bought from spruce. I read that it is better than the standard material shipped with the kit. After...
27 Dec 2016 Baffle rear mount bracket
The rear of the baffle requires some support and the plans suggest a bracket from the front side to support the baffles. This looks fine until you are ready to install the baffle seals. The...
11 Dec 2016 Oil cooler mount on baffle
I was hoping to stick with the plans to the letter from here on out, but have run into an issue. The oil cooler is too high and interferes with the cowl. I have seen...
04 Dec 2016 Spark plug wire baffle seal
These ignition wire seals are expensive but nice. Deburring the hole after cutting it with a unibit. Finished product. Plans recommend AN525-10R10 screws. I'll use AN3-4A until final assembly. And the other side: ...