Paint Layout taking shape

Mark from the paint shop is staying in close touch - sends me photos daily.  These guys are great to work with so far.

In the paint shop

Last week I finally got N14VB to the paint shop.  I chose Ormond Aircraft in Ormond Beach, FL.  Close to where I live and recommended by several folks I know including one RV on my field and a local flight school (Holladay Aviation at KCRG) which has several aircraft painted by them.

Surface prep - acid wash/alodine/scuff and high-build primer on fiberglass part:

Epoxy primer:  

First coat of paint:

FWF inspection

I pulled the cowling today and inspected the FWF area.  Not the first time I've done this but I was being very thorough.   Found a couple of minor issues:

1.  Slightly loose bolts (castle nut style) on throttle and mixture cable rod ends.  Tightened these until snug and put in new cotter pins.  I reversed the mixture cable bolt and used a shorter one because there was slight wear on the lower cowling from rubbing at full rich mixture setting.

2. Broken L-bracket for the sniffle line.  This bracket clamps to the exhaust using a stainless hose clamp, with an Adel clamp holding the sniffle line.  Looks like heat and flexing broke it at the bend.
I fabricated a new one using .018 stainless steel.  Hopefully this will be more durable.

Broken bracket and new one fabricated from steel:

Out of Phase 1.

I completed phase 1 a few days ago (see screenshot below - happened to grab a screenshot at the exact magic time).

Still tweaking stuff - need some engine data to tweak fuel injection nozzles.  I'd like the engine to run more smoothly lean of peak and so far two cylinders (1 and 4) seem to be leaner than the other two.  Don at Airflow Performance is looking for some detailed data to help tweak this.

Also planning to get paint done very soon.

Ignore the oil temp - it goes up a bit in a climb but settles right down, I haven't seen it over about 210 or so.

She's FAST!

Totally consistent with Van's promised performance, with wheel pants/fairings now on, I'm seeing outstanding performance numbers, at slightly lower power settings than expected.

Pants/fairings added 18-19 knots to speed.  I had added a rudder wedge but had to remove it as the faster speeds magnified its effect:  I still need to hold a small amount of right rudder in cruise.  I need to decide whether to use a cut-down wedge, a small tab, or an internal rudder trim.  I'm tempted to add an electric trim tab like many RV-10 owners have done, but wonder if the effort is worth it.

I have a consistently heavy right wing - I think the left flap quick build) has a slight twist.  I'm going to build a new left flap and install it before I chase down the heavy wing issue any further.

Wig wag and another landing videos:

Transitioning into Phase 1 - flying for real

Since last post I've spend quite a bit of time fixing and tweaking issues found on first flight and re-checking a whole lot of stuff.  This includes fixing the trim issue by replacing the micro-molex connector in the empennage for trim with a much better Deutsch DTM connector.  This will make it a bit harder to remove elevator  but I'll figure that out when the time comes (most likely will add another connector where trim wires are currently secured with dsub pins/shrink wrap).

I also fixed issue with ADAHRS alignment (my bad - configured it wrong), re-calibrated the ADAHRS and magnetometer, and spent a lot of time checking MAP connections and possible leak sites.  Also pulled and cleaned spark plugs and checked fuel/oil fittings, wiring, etc.  Looking for any leaks, loose fittings, etc.  All look good.

I've flown twice (total 3.1 hours) since first flight, focusing mostly on getting the feel for the airplane, running the engine hard, and testing various systems in flight.  One issue that will require a future fix is the standby alternator - it correctly detects when primary is offline but voltage doesn't come up so for some reason it's not producing voltage.   I'll call B&C when I have some time to help with troubleshooting.

I noticed the right wing is heavy, also I need pretty much constant right rudder to keep the ball centered.  I noticed in level light that the right aileron is a bit higher than my original setting - I had set it using wingtip and the alignment jig, and noticed that it sat about 1/4" higher than the inboard flap.  I thought this indicated a twist in the flap but now I think the aileron was adjusted a bit too high, so I adjusted the control rod to bring it closer to the flap.  We'll see how that feels next flight.  Once I get the heavy wing issue resolved, I'll reassess the rudder and add some trim as needed (trim tab or similar).  These are normal, expected issues.

I've been using/testing autopilot - I set it up with recommended values for the -14A and it's working perfectly.   Makes it easier to evaluate issues in flight.  Will activate auto trim for the next flight.

The airplane flies very nicely and I'm surprised how fast it is with no fairings in place.  I'm seeing about 150 knots at lower altitudes so with fairings and higher up won't be surprised to see 170 knots plus - I hope.

Improved connector for trim in empennage:

Screenshot from today's flight. Autopilot doing the hard work!

The "End" of a long journey: The big day finally arrives!

Today Vic Syracuse came down and conducted the airworthiness inspection, we completed the paperwork, and he flew the first flight with me.  It was a bit briefer than planned, due to a trim issue (#*#_** micro molex connectors!!) but otherwise uneventful.  Weather was perfect, and the airplane flew as expected.   Very gratifying day, but not without a few frustrations.   In addition to the trim issue (which I already fixed by replacing the micro molex with a much better Deutsch DTM connector and new wires between the harness and trim motor), a few other issues cropped up (ADAHRS resets, induction leak, issues with standby alternator etc) that will need to be addressed.  The good news is that, with the trim fixed, none of these are show stoppers that will affect flyability.

Many thanks to all my friends who helped along the way, including my hangar mate Chris Kaniut (who was today's videographer/photographer), Andy Grimm, Galin Hernandez, Doug Geib, and many others who have been invaluable sources of help, knowledge, and support.

Vic and me:

Chris and me (I'm not that short, Chris is 6'7")

First flight video: