Welcome to our RV-10 Builder Site

Can we build an experimental aircraft with little or no prior experience? YES WE CAN!

This website will track our project and talk about the builder support in our area as well as document the RV-10 build process in enough detail to satisfy FAA documentation requirements for the experimental build.

Key Milestones

• OSH 2007 - Bought the RV-10 Kit
• Aug 2007 - Empennage Kit Arrives
• Jan 2008 - Empennage Kit Completed
• Feb 2008 - Quick Build Fuselage/Wings Arrive
• Apr 2008 - Move to T-Hangar
• OSH 2008 - The great Avionics Adventure
• Aug 2008 - Wings attached
• Sep 2008 - Prop arrived
• Oct 2008 - Engine arrived
• Dec 2008 - Engine Hung
• May 2009 - Avionics Install Begun
• Aug 2009 - Avionics Install Complete...First Engine Run!
• Sep 2009 - Certification and First Flight!

What's  New...

It has been a very eventful week here in Auburn Maine.  After having the folks from the FAA hand us the pink slip (airworthiness certificate) to the airplane, the state of Maine subsequently sending the Aircraft tax and use bill (there is always a down-side...ouch!), our 17 year old daughter participating in her first triathlon (she is sore today), and this morning we took our 2-year science project into the air....by all measures a very exciting week.

So what happened on 20 Sept 2009 and 0815 EDT?

After wrestling with the fiberglass cowling one last time, we finally towed the plane out, about an hour later than we expected.  We started the engine and taxied out with the excitement building at every line in the checklist.

There was a bit more traffic this morning than we had hoped.  One of the planes in the pattern offered to extend his downwind leg so I could takeoff before his landing.  I declined and mentioned it was an experimental aircraft and we were going to perform its maiden voyage this morning and needed a few extra minutes finishing up system checks.  That remark generated several "nice plane" and "good luck" comments as we finished up the before takeoff checklist and test card checks.  We had revised the first flight test card several times and now that we were finally checking items off the list this morning its amazing to see all of the things that you just don't think of until you actually line up on the runway and feel the engine and propeller start to claw at the air.  Take off was brisk and Teresa (565MB's chief flight test support officer) remarked that the off yellow primer cowling could be seen clearly all the way up to the orbit point high above the airport.  After about 1.2 hours in the air and many line checks on the test card, 565MB returned with all the parts it left with.  Serial number 40749 is flying.

Van's makes a great product and the support across the country with the ancillary equipment from vendors such as Stein Air and Grand Rapids Technology is astounding.  Customer support is not lost here...the big auto makers could take a page from one of their play books.  I don't see them needing a US Government bailout anytime soon...they know how to make things happen.