The Decision

Isn't an RV-7 some sort of recreational vehicle? Well, yes and no. In this case, it's a model of airplane produced by Van's Aircraft. And yes, it could be construed as recreational. I plan to do a lot of flying for both enjoyment and traveling instead of driving for many years to come. I've been driving the highways for years and now enjoy the view from the air and look forward to faster travel times and no traffic and sharing the experience with anyone who wants to ride along, mostly my wife with weekend trips and vacations.

Here are both a description of the model I've chosen and associated views. You can find this information at the Van's website: https://www.vansaircraft.com/rv-7/.

3-View

Interior Dimensions & Baggage Area

"The RV-7/7A is Van’s most popular current design. The RV-7/7A has a roomy cockpit that will easily accept two 6’ + adults with sufficient leg, head and elbow room to stay comfortable for three to four hours at a time. The side-by-side seating arrangement puts both occupants on an equal footing – standard dual controls and optional dual brakes give either occupant full control with equal visibility. It is an all-around sport airplane, with excellent cross-country capability, fine aerobatic qualities and superior handling. A typical RV-7 can hold two FAA standard pilots, 100 lbs. of baggage and full tanks: 42 gallons. At the aerobatic gross weight of 1600 lbs., the RV-7/7A complies with the +6/-3G standards of the FAA’s Aerobatic Category and can still carry two people, making it possible for a new pilot to get aerobatic instruction before he or she starts rolling and looping. Both sliding and tip-up canopies are available." You can visit the site for much more information.

I'm a pretty hands-on guy and mechanically minded. This project is filled with a LOT of interesting skills that I look forward to learning and honing. I plan to build with tricycle gear. Yes, I'd be interested with having a tailwheel endorsement but don't necessarily have the desire to have a tailwheel plane. I currently plan to have a 180-200hp engine, not sure which yet. In addition, I'm still weighing the prop decision, fixed vs. constant speed. I will be going with a sliding canopy. Paint scheme, now there is a big quandry. I've been looking at a lot of RV's schemes trying to get some ideas. We'll see how that goes. This is an aircraft that can be built in a 2-car garage. I'll sacrifice parking in the driveway for awhile. I am fortunate to live in the high desert of Southern California so will have the luxury of working year-round with no comfort issues. It may get a little hot at times but I'll try to outfit the garage so it's consistently comfortable. 

Timeframe is not much of an issue but I have a goal of completing in no more than 5 years. That's a long time but it depends on how finances go and luck with the lottery. I look forward to the exciting task of building, owning and flying my own aircraft. I also look forward to having people watch the progress and I welcome comments and questions during the "endeavor".

I've signed up for a Van's RV Assembly, SportAir Workshop (http://www.sportair.com/) for 3rd week in October and cannot wait for that!
Stay tuned and enjoy the ride. Thanks For Reading!