The Decision

I had fun over the past year working on my "old" project, a scratch-built Thatcher CX4, but every completed step led to the thought "OK, how will I pay for -- ." The airframe is supposed to cost about $8000 to build, and then there's engine, avionics, and all that. I hate pop rivets, so my CX4 rudder was built using dimpled flush solid rivets. It turned out quite nice, if I may brag a little, so the plan was to build the entire plane with them. I also wanted to add a small baggage compartment and a roll bar, along with a Jabiru engine instead of the recommended VW. I probably pissed a bunch of people off on the CX4 Yahoo group because I was always trying to change their "perfect" airplane, but I don't care who you are, no plane is perfect. I was almost out of tail material and wondering how to pay for the next step, the wing spars.

One night a few weeks ago my boyfriend Ben, who gave me CX4 plans for my birthday almost exactly one year ago, found an RV-3 kit on Barnstormers.com. It was largely untouched and available for less than half the cost of the materials I would need to purchase for the rest of the CX4 airframe. He suggested hopping over the fence and into the RV fold, of which he is a member... and every other homebuilder I know. I laughed. Sure, it's a great deal, and the -3 has all the features I love about airplanes and planned to build into the CX4, it's a proven design of nearly 40 years, AND it's aerobatic-- I absolutely loved the idea-- but how in the hell could I afford that?? Well... his dusty motorcycle went on CraigsList the next day, and guess what? I am now custodian of a 30 year old RV-3 in the box. I now have almost every airframe part I'll need to build my own airplane. Happy Birthday to Me! (and Christmas, and Valentines...) I love this man.

Anyway. Last Saturday, we drove 2 hours to go look at it along with our RV-6A/7A builder-guru-technical counselor, Possum. (Yes, I said "Possum." It's a long story.) We all agreed that it was pretty much complete and in good shape, and so we agreed on a deal with the owner. Yesterday, we filled the back of the truck and trailer with all the parts and hauled my new-old project home.

The owner had originally purchased a new tail kit with the intent of building the entire plane from new kits, but found this project and bought it instead. Now, he has found a flying 3 so he doesn't need the kit. Anyway, I ended up with a finished original tail in airworthy but sort of ugly shape, a new tail kit in the box, finished but beat-up flaps and ailerons, and a bunch of untouched aluminum, fiberglass and hardware begging to be unpacked.

This blog will hopefully serve as a builder log as well as a little portal for friends, family and other RV-3 builders to see photos & methods as I figure this little plane out. Each entry will have a number in the title signifying hours spent for this entry/total hours spent on the project.

I'm surrounded by friends with boundless homebuilding knowledge and wonderful tools they're willing to let me learn and use. The morning we picked up my kit, a friend of ours who owns an RV-3 let me sit in his plane. It was the first time I've ever sat in a 3 and it fit like a little fighter-plane should! The best part-- this particular RV-3, N74TX, is the last airplane that Tony Bingelis built. What a way to start this adventure!