RV Aircraft: A Builder's Journey

Dedicated RV builders prove that constructing an aircraft is a labor of love.

Mark Cattell flies in the the RV-9A he built a few years ago. Like many builders, Mark found the process so rewarding that it prompted him to start building another airplane. He is now working on an RV-14, a new two-seat model announced by Van's Aircraft at Oshkosh last year.

(Photo courtesy of Mark Cattell)

Luca Perazzolli built this RV-8 in northern Italy. For his efforts, he was awarded the 2012 Best Homebuild Prize at EAA's annual Italian meeting.

_(Photo courtesy of Luca Perazzolli)**
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(Photo courtesy of Luca Perazzolli)****

Builder Lee Moore is constructing an RV-7 and is currently working on the wings.

Don Schwanke is building this RV-12 in his garage in La Feria, Texas. He registered the airplane with the FAA as "Air Force 1," and plans on painting the aircraft to match the famed presidential transport.

David Valcik purchased the kit for this RV-12 at Oshkosh in 2011. He built 40 percent of it in his living room and spent a total of 805 hours over the span of 11 months to finish the project.

(Photo courtesy of David Valcik)

Builder Bob Leffler is working on finishing up the wiring of this RV-10. According to Bob, much of the assembly work for the aircraft has taken place on the dining room table.

Justin Twilbeck built this workship to fit the exact space requirements of his RV-10. According to Justin, the doors are just big enough to clear the wheels and the height of the arch is just tall enough to clear the vertical stabilizer.

Bob Collins financed this RV-7A by picking up a paper route in addition to his day job.

Here, he and his wife watch on as a test pilot takes the aircraft for its first flight.

Builder Mark Bischoff just completed the first flight of his RV-12 this week.

Mark attached the 28-foot wing inside the lower part of his house, which later required some disassembly to get the airplane outside. The airplane is seen here on its first flight.

For many builders, the time spent working toward finishing the airplane is just as important as the end goal itself. Here, builders Carol and Joe Rainbolt toast to the completion of one year of work on their RV-7A.

For many, a homebuilt project turns into a family affair. Here, builder Pascal Reid enlists the help of his daughter.

Here, Pascal's airplane makes its first flight. According to Pascal, all of the parts add up to this life changing experience.

Richard Fazio worked on his RV-6 for 12 years, overcoming damage caused by a hangar fire and the urge to give up on a few occasions. On his first flight, the airplane flew "perfectly," and he topped it off with what he says is his best landing to date.

Photos

Flying StaffEditor

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