The RV-8 is one in a series of aircraft designed by Richard VanGrunsven, a legendary figure in the homebuilt aircraft world. The bubble canopy and crisp controls made me feel like I was in a downsized F-16. I flew one for the first time back in the 1990s, and it was pure aviation joy: It handled like a sports car, and climbed like a rocket. Many small aircraft are the aerial equivalent of a high-mileage Chevy Chevette – tinny, underpowered machines with uninspired handling, worn-out interiors and zero charisma. If you've ever flown a light aircraft, you understand that the experience is far different from the folklore. I racked up a lot of hours in sailplanes, and bought a new hang glider (it cost less than the tools I needed to build the RV-8.) But it still hurt to give up on my dream. The end of my homebuilt project had an upside – I had more time and money available for flying. I knew it was the right decision, but as the buyer loaded my tools and meticulously built components into his truck, a piece of me went with him. I had spent countless hours in my workshop, a would-be Leonardo who spent his evenings crafting aluminum instead of hanging out with his wife and kids.Ī few years ago, I sold my partially built RV-8 to a young guy who doesn't have kids. My career was presenting new demands, and my relationship with my family was suffering. After two years of work, I realized that my project would probably never be completed. I immersed myself in the RV-8 project, absorbed in a series of challenges: milling aluminum, countersinking rivets and bending gleaming wing skins that would carry my wife and I through the sky someday.
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