Well I have decided to do something different for a change so believe it or not I am selling most of my R/C planes to move up to something bigger, faster, and far more exciting. I've dreamed for a long time to have another plane to call my own. The second part of that dream was to keep it at my house and the time has come in my life to do just that. I'm getting older by the day so it's time to move forward now. I have received the first of the 5 sub-kits and the building tools needed have also arrived. I just need to get things lined out and start the project that will more than likely span the better part of two or three years of my life.

The first decision I had to make was what kit I liked best and what would give me the performance to get into a landing strip here at my house. I spent several months looking at different homebuilt kits and finally decided on the Vans RV aircraft. I ordered the info packet from Vans Aircraft and read every page several times over, looked at the video and made a few calls. I had decided on either the RV-7 or the RV-8 series but was having a real hard time deciding between the two. I found a RV-8 that was flying at a nearby airport and contacted the owner to inquire about a possible meeting to see one up close. He was more than pleased to spend time with me and I planned a trip over to check it out. The Saturday morning came for the trip and I made my way to the airport here to take the trusty Cessna 172 for the trip over. I'm not real sure what got there first, my mind or the plane with me in it but it was a trip well worth the time. I even ran into the guy that gave me my private check ride so many years ago and we had a chance to catch up a little. The plane, well let's just say melted on me at first sight and I knew then that the RV-8 would be the one I would build. The owner offered me up a ride and once airborne he handed me the controls, WOW.................it's was a done deal for sure then.

I still have to decide between the tail dragger which is the RV-8 or the tri-gear which is the RV-8A. This will have to be done prior to the purchase of the third kit which is the fuselage.

I'm very excited yet scared to death about what I am undertaking so in the coming months I hope to maybe vent some of the goals reached and frustrations endured here for you to read about. I plan to make this part of my website sort of a diary of the building process with text entries and pictures. Drop back in and follow me through the

RV-8 Side of my Life.

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