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Key Decisions
           
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions....
 
  
 

 

 

 

This is just a place to document all the key decisions that have been made for Spirit.  It is not meant to be a detailed guide on why the decision were made; that information is contained within in the logs. 


 

Priming

After the Reims Cessna I owned, had been primed with Zinc Chromate and seeing the benefits of it, decided to prime. Strontium Chromate is Zinc Chromate's replacement.  Next step was for Bob to speak to AKZO Nobel in the UK and they confirmed that what we needed was Aerodur HS Primer 37092   (HS - High Solid; Colour Yellow/Green)

Tail Wheel
Well I want it to be a racer / fighter, so it cant be anything else right !

Tip Up Canopy
Prefer the view from a complete bubble canopy with brace behind head as opposed to in front of it

No Lights
After some thought, talking to my inspector, and as we can only fly VFR by day in UK, I went for no lights, saving weight and money.

Manual Trim
Research showed more control with manual and was slightly lighter not having to have servo in tail.

Combined AOA, pitot with heater from Dynon
A chance to consolidate technologies into one unit. Heated ?  well if I get caught in icing conditions by accident I want to know my air speed !

Rocket steering link, & new tail wheel
I don't like chains !!!!!!, the new tail wheel is better and lighter than Van's stock.

 

Doug Bell's Tail Wheel fork
More clearance and better soft field ability as I will be working from grass

Crow Harnesses
5pt Junior Dragster harnesses, really good value, higher specification, made to measure for RV-7, great people to deal with.

Fuel Vapour Return
Some fuel injections require them and I have not decided which one to have yet, e.g. ECI, so putting some in just in case they can always be blanked off.

Fuel Capacitance Gauges
Floats you have to be kidding right ?

Fuel level optical sensors
Not strictly necessary, but as its fuel going to the engine that keeps you up, a little belt and braces here wont go a miss

Flop Tubes
Spirit will aerobatic, so the right hand tank will get a flop tube.  The left one might get one as well but at the time of writing I want to discuss with Martin the inspector. UPDATE-Only one flop tube is desirable just in case of hang-up or the tubes don't flop as well as they used to when they age !

200hp Engine
I know, I know not cheap, not value for money, yada yada yada.  Read all the notes and forum posts on how a 180 can get close if not all the way to the same level, by 'tweaking'.  Its still a counterweighted angle valve 200hp engine for me.

Constant speed prop
No brainer given all the things above

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

All decisions not made yet !!!!!!!!
 
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Team Spirit
Getting Started
Practise Kits
Empennage Build
Wing Build
Fuselage Build
The Finish Kit
Choosing an Engine
Firewall Forward
The Panel
RV-7 Cam
Key Decisions
 
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