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The Story of N339A
by Scott Mills
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Flight Stats |
Total Takeoffs/Landings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .717 Total Flights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .597 Total Hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680 Total Miles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97,183 Longest Non-stop Leg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.0 hrs TAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 mph @ 8,500' Fastest Sustained Ground Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 mph Avg. Fuel Burn. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.5 gph @ 8,500' |
My building philosophy from the beginning of the project was to keep costs low, borrow no money, and keep the aircraft simple. I’ve always been a firm believer in the KISS method, which I guess in my case means Keep it simple, Scott.
I had done a fair bit of research before making the decision to build, and from all that I had read and heard, the Sonex seemed like a good choice. If nothing else, I figured it would be a good “starter” plane. I purchased plan set #333 and attended a builders’ seminar at Oshkosh 2000 with my wife and daughter. While the Sonex is a good plane, in line with my building philosophy, it was ultimately the aircraft’s performance that would cause me to deep six the idea and go with the RV.
Around the time I was getting serious about starting my Sonex project, a couple guys in Colorado had already finished one and flown it. The general scoop was that the plane didn’t seem to be performing all that well at the higher altitudes in Colorado. Also of growing concern to me was the fact that the Sonex was not really meant to be a cross-country flyer, which I had every intention of doing in my aircraft. While it’s true that this type of flying can be (and is being) done in the Sonex, I had my would-be copilot’s comfort to consider if I ever expected her to accompany me on trips. Which brings me to two other components of my building philosophy: making the plane as comfortable and as quiet as possible.
With the help of my buddy, Dave, I soon realized that although the RV would be more labor intensive and more expensive to build, it would also better suit our needs. I sold my Sonex plans and purchased a set for the RV-9A. Four years and 2,200 hours later (including 200 hours of painting), N339A was born!
Why the 9? Although you really can’t go wrong no matter which RV you pick, I had several reasons for going with the 9: It has a wing better suited for high-altitude flying. It’s more stable than the other RVs requiring less attention on long cross-country flights. It is not rated for acro, which I have no desire to do anyway. It is comparably priced with other RV models. I liked the look. Van, himself, and others at the factory prefer flying the 9 over the other models.
I managed to get my plane in the air for about 45K by allowing my building philosophy to drive my decision making. I built my own panel without the extra bells and whistles and glass prevalent in so many experimentals these days, though I did invest in the Tru Trak DigiTrak auto pilot and an AOA indicator. I went with a fixed-pitch rather than constant-speed prop. Some of my avionics and instrumentation are second hand. My engine was purchased used out of a Cessna 172 Skyhawk with 780 hours SMOH. I did my own painting. In fact, I did everything myself with the exception of the interior upholstery, which I ordered from Abby at Flightline Interiors. Deb had an idea of how she wanted it to look, and after a few sketches from Abby, we had a great-looking interior. If I ever build another RV, it will have an interior by Abby for sure.
Cost breakdown:
Would I have preferred new avionics and instrumentation, a new engine, a constant-speed prop, and a professional paint job? Of course; but when it came down to it, these things were less important to me than my commitment to getting my airplane flying as cost effectively as possible. Key to saving lots of money were the used engine, wood prop, and painting by Scott. I am convinced that these choices saved a minimum of $25,000.
Going with second hand avionics and instrumentation, while not for everyone, was of no consequence to me in terms of performance and safety. The fact that the engine had been factory overhauled (780 SMOH and compressions in the 76/80 range) gave me confidence that it was a safe choice. Since our original plan had been not to paint the plane at all, the fact that she isn’t naked is what’s important. While there’s no doubt that I sacrificed performance-wise by not going with a constant speed, this hasn’t inhibited our ability to fly with other RVs and have that “RV grin” Van is so proud of. In the end, 339A was always meant to be “a go plane, not a show plane.” And, as my wife is fond of saying, “It’s all just man talk, anyway.” ;-)
Speaking of my hot wife, I should mention that were it not for her supporting me in this project, it may not have become a reality. While I admit there was a bit of psychology involved, I always wanted her to feel as though she had some contribution to make and some say in how things were being done. Plus, I knew that if she didn’t buy into this hobby of mine, my going off flying without her would not sit well. Her involvement with the project would help in getting her to eventually climb in and “come fly with me.”
In addition to helping me with most of the riveting, Deb designed the interior/exterior color schemes, and helped me with countless other tasks and decisions. Besides being an excellent spotter, she is turning out to be a pretty good navigator/nagivator, whichever the situation calls for.
N339A’s first flight was on 09/11/05. There was no particular reason for this date—it just happened to be a perfect Colorado day when both plane and test pilot were ready. And with that, Scott and Deb’s EXcellent RV Adventures began.
Upgrades since maiden flight:
Equipment/Stats: