Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/307497
26 Vol.3 No.5 / May 2014 WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING LIFE KEPT GETTING in the way of Bob Juneau, EAA 812345, in completing his RV-8, N623RJ, or so he says. After more than seven years of construction, the airplane took fl ight on September 17, 2013. Bob said, "I used to say it was a fun airplane to build; now I say it's a fun airplane to fl y." Bob's RV-8, named True Love, is powered by an Aero Sport IO-360 engine and is equipped with a Hartzell constant- speed, two-bladed blended tip prop, a Dynon SkyView with dual 7-inch screens (no room for the 10-inch screens), dual ADAHRS, dual backup batteries, EMS, an ARINC 429 convert- er, and a transponder. He added a Garmin radio stack including a GTN 650 to be legal for fi ling IFR. Bob explained the name of his airplane. "True Love was given that name for several reasons: 1. Love is what's important in life; God's love for us, and the love for each other that we should strive to show. 2. The N-number is my wife Angie's and my wedding anniversary. 3. RJ (my initials, phonetically) are Romeo Juliet, the ultimate love story. 4. And, of course, the love of airplanes one must have to take on such a project." The project took seven years and nine months to complete, with Bob working on it mostly at home. "All but the last three months were done at home in the third stall of my garage," he said. "I wanted to have as little as possible to do after I went to the hangar. "When I was actively working on the project, I averaged around 15 to 20 hours a week with some weeks as high as 40 to 50 hours. But unfortunately I also had gaps of months and even one of almost two years when absolutely nothing was being ac- complished. It was a feast or famine approach; when I had the time to work on it, I had a lot of time. When I didn't, I had none. "I went through two separate layof s from my day job as an airline pilot (read: no money). During one layof , I got another type rating (read: no time) and worked and commuted to Mon- treal (from Prior Lake, Minnesota) for a year (read: no life). I accomplished nothing during that time. "I was in Montreal when the prop arrived. My intuitive wife Angie called me before the FedEx guy drove of to tell me that there was a big forklift gash in the box. I told her to stick her hand in there and see what it felt like. It was clear that there was a big gash in one of the blades, so she refused the shipment. We had to wait for the whole thing to be sorted out between Hartzell and FedEx, and several weeks later, we had another prop delivered to us. "I had two separate surgeries during the project, too, one on each foot. Having a landing gear inoperative for three months Life Kept Getting in the Way Bringing an RV-8 to completion BY MARY JONES Bob's airplane, True Love, wears the colors and markings of a P-51. He was hoping to replicate a polished aluminum look with the silver paint. Photography courtesy of Bob Juneau E A A E X P _ M a y 1 4 . i n d d 2 6 EAAEXP_May14.indd 26 5 / 5 / 1 4 3 : 1 8 P M 5/5/14 3:18 PM