RV Builder's Class

This past weekend I attended a two day class introducing the basics of aluminum airplane construction. The class was held in Indianapolis at Grov-Air Inc. Grov-Air is a builders assistance company on the West side of Indianapolis founded by Troy Grover and specializing in the RV series of aircraft. I imagine the class was very similar to the Sportair Workshops that I've heard so much about. Troy scheduled this class perfectly to fit in with one of my trips back to Indy.

Over the two day class we built two small projects, using many of the different techniques that will be required to build my RV. Deburring, match drilling, back riveting, rivet squeezing and dimpling just to name a few. The first project was just a couple pieces of sheet aluminum riveted together and then to a piece of aluminum angle. The second project was similar to a part of the RV-9 aileron. I was also introduced to many of the different tools that are used. That's a real plus since I haven't ordered any of my specialty aircraft tools yet, and now I have a better understanding of what they all do and which ones I really need and want.

I think both my projects turned out pretty well. One thing I learned is that everything takes longer than you expect. I looked at this little aileron looking deal and thought, "That shouldn't take long to finish". I was surprised to be leaving Grov-Air about two hours late on Sunday night. Troy didn't seem to mind me sticking around a little while longer. Troy is a great guy, and having him so close to where I will be building my RV is a real plus. I'm sure I'll be soliciting his help throughout the build.

So with my first rivets behind me, I'm feeling confident in my skills and looking forward to getting this project under way. Work's been picking up lately so maybe with a little OT I can get my empennage kit ordered sometime this month.