David Edgemon RV-8 · · PAGE 2. 

December 6, 2009: Here is the source of the fuel leak from the left fuel tank.  The end of the flared tube had taken a ding when the wing was installed and was not noticed until today.  There is enough expansion in the loop under the fuel selector valve to allow this end of the old flare to be polished off on the Scotchbrite wheel and flared again before re-installation and another fuel leak test.

This wider view of the engine shows how well the exhaust pipes remain close to the belly of the fuselage.  David is still working on the installation of the flexible seals for the engine baffles that will touch the upper cowl.

This underside view of the engine shows the fuel line disconnected and capped after pumping the left fuel tank almost dry.  A quick-drain oil plug is clearly visible on the bottom of the engine oil sump.  The exhaust system is from Larry Vetterman as seen on so many RV's, including mine.

Here is another view of the engine from below showing the throttle linkage and fuel overflow port at the bottom of the induction air system.  The other thing of interest here is TWO heat muffs that are connected in series before going to the cabin heat door on the firewall.  At the bottom of the photo, you can see both fuel tank vent lines have protective caps on them to keep out insects.

The side view between the engine and the firewall shows the usual stuff, oil cooler, fuel and oil pressure sensors, oil filter, brake fluid reservoir, cabin heat door, crank case vent tube, and the two RG-400 shielded coaxial cables that fire the electronic ignition high-voltage modules.  You can also see the engine cowl is secured with 1/4-turn fasteners.

My first shot of the windshield and roll bar did not show the second rear-view mirror installation.  This photo does give a better look at the black epoxy mixture he created.

David has invited me to come back for the first flight of this new airplane in the next few weeks.  He is not in a rush to get it done.  When the cowl work is completed and fuel line to the left tank is put back, he will take it outside for an engine test with everything in flight configuration.  He has already had one engine run with the cowl off of the airplane.  After the final engine ground test, he will remove the cowl and check for any oil or fuel leaks before getting it ready for the first test flight.

December 11, 2009: I called David tonight to check the status of the new airplane.  The simple fuel line fix worked out just fine.   He did not have to make a new fuel line to the tank from the fuel selector valve.   He is not rushing to get the airplane into the air.  There are a few small cowling tasks remaining before he can do taxi and brake testing the next time the engine is running.  He can also look for leaking oil, fuel, or brake fluid after that kind of engine-powered ground test.  The weather forecast for the next 10 days is not the best for getting in a flight test on a new airplane.

December 13, 2009: David posted this photo today on Van's Air Force RV-8 forum of his airplane ready for flight with all the cowl work completed.

December 17, 2009: David called to advise he had the first flight today of 2.1 hours duration.