G-STRV (LAA 393-15500) Van’s RV-14

from Light Aviation September 2022

FROM THE ARCHIVES The stories behind items in the LAA’s collection DH89A DRAGON RAPIDE

By Steve Hicks

I’ve just had the privilege, joy and excitement of flying Van’s RV-14 G-STRV on her maiden flight, touching down on Sleap Airfield’s Runway 36, elated after a successful 20 minute maiden flight.

This was the culmination of dreaming, planning and then building over several years with my friend and rivet partner Tim Nicholas. We have shared flying experiences over many years, having built a CFM Streak Shadow in 1994, and being owners of a Jodel D120 from 1999 to the present day. We both liked the idea of a Van’s RV to enjoy in our retirement.

But which one? With an RAF background I’d always fancied owning a tandem seat RV-8, but having researched the recently released RV-14, we decided it was the aeroplane for us. The impressive side-by-side tourer retained Van’s legendary handling and aerobatic capability, and the build manual is fantastic, showing clear CAD diagrams of each build stage with instructional

Top What a lovely looking RV!

Above left First box of parts to arrive in October 2017 – the aft fuselage, fin, rudder, tailplane and elevators.

Above Part-built wings resting on their purpose-built wing stand – October 2018.

text. As we wanted the challenge of building the whole aeroplane, we opted for the ‘Slow Build’ version rather than Quickbuild.

A house move to Shropshire allowed me to choose a location near Sleap Airfield, and more importantly to pick ‘a workshop with a house’ to buy. A large shed was soon converted into a workshop with a shiny floor, electricity, compressed air outlets and a spray booth. As you spend a lot of time there, I made it as user-friendly as possible. It even sported a sofa, although we rarely had time to use it!

Having never set a solid rivet before, we both attended the excellent LAA Metalwork course at Turweston and developed our fledgling skills on two Van’s practice kits. We were clearly now ‘experts’ and ready to start the build!

One of the challenges embarking on a project such as this is that you don’t know what you don’t know, and it takes time to find your feet and be confident in making build decisions. But that’s all part of the adventure of learning new skills. The internet has proved invaluable in obtaining information, but care is needed to filter the top tips from the dubious advice.

The first box of components, containing the tail feathers and rear fuselage, arrived on the doorstep in September 2017, and an inventory was followed by robust organisation of all the components and hardware – it makes finding things fast in future!

The metal components are pre-cut, pre-formed and pre-drilled by Van’s to a very high standard of accuracy, so there’s no need for the use of jigs. The quality of manufacture from Van’s is impressive, so if something doesn’t fit you’ve done something wrong!

Tim rapidly established himself as an expert rivet partner, bracing various bucking bars in inaccessible places. Having such a chum is an important aspect of building a Van’s RV… as is an understanding partner!

Right from the start, a capable avionics fit and robust electrical system was in order with a plan to obtain clearance for IFR flight at a later date. Designing the electrical system was one of the most challenging aspects of the build, requiring many hours of research, planning and learning of new skills to build the system.

Van’s supply five inch wheels, but we decided to fit larger six inch wheels, hoping they will be more suitable for the farm strip flying we both enjoy. These larger wheels meant bigger spats, and both of these aspects needed a LAA mod application.

I had decided very early in the build that while I was capable of priming/painting the interior, I wanted a professional to paint the exterior. Happily our hangar is next door to Shropshire Aircraft Painting, which has done an impressive job to give G-STRV a great finish.

As with any long term project, there were times when I thought, “Will I ever finish this thing?”. By way of an antidote to these blues, RV-8 owner Ian Mackay had

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Cleared To Fly

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Above Twin screen Garmin G3X panel fit, plus autopilot, GTN650 and Garmin G5 backup advised, “Do something every day, even if that means putting one rivet in on Christmas morning.”

Below Test flying complete – smiles all-round July 2022.

However, there were plenty of high points. Finishing the fuel tanks with no leaks, and turning on the avionics with no sparks evident were major morale boosters. And, of course, the special moment of launching off on her maiden flight!

Building the RV-14 has been a delight, teaching us both new skills and introducing us to new friends over the last four years and nine months. And the flight testing has revealed that Van’s has created something special – a rock steady, stable aeroplane combined with vibrant, precise controls – a winning combination.

Inspired by a fellow UK builder’s web blog, I attempted the same, both for our own record and also as a resource for other builders. You can find it at vansrv14project.uk ■

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■ G-STRV Van’s RV-14 (LAA 393-15500) 12/7/2022

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