G-HILZ.co.uk - the story of an RV8

Building - final assembly

We assembled the RV-8 at North Weald. For the first few weeks, G-HILZ was hangared with vintage jets (Jet Provosts, Gnats and a Vampire) and had yet to meet another propeller aircraft! That has now all changed and we fly formation with our friends in their RVs, Yaks and Pitts Specials. All our preparation at home paid dividends as we completed the final assembly in 6 days. Long days as we had an hour and a half drive from home to North Weald and back again each day. Luckily, the Area 51 team shut the hangars and go home at a sensible time in the afternoon - otherwise we'd have worked long into the evenings! Thanks to all at Area 51 and Kenet for your help and advice

The story in photos


Day One of the final assembly - the right wing on...		Then the left wing

We got the horizontal stab on too then put G-HILZ in the hangar for the night		Day Three - Tail on, ailerons and flaps being fitted

Day Five - cowlings and odds and ends being fitted		Ready to be fuelled so we could calibrate the Dynon 180 fuel guage

Day 6 - being weighed - came out at a pleasing 1106lbs.		Day Seven - the first engine run

G-HILZ.co.uk - the story of an RV8

Building - final assembly

The story in photos

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