Today's Fathers Day and there's rain in the forecast. I got up early and managed to put in 2.3 hours, meaning I'm done with Phase I! Now I can fly where I want and can take passengers up with me!
Phase I Test Flying - 33 hours done, 7 to go!
The FAA requires that I complete 40 hours of flying before I can venture outside of my assigned test area or take a passenger up with me. During this time I've had a chance to really get to know my plane, how it flies, and how my avionics work. It's proving to be everything I'd hoped for and more. The engine has been running great and the few minor squawks from early on were easy to fix.
I just installed the gear leg fairings the other day and expect to pick up 6-10 knots. I've started on the wheel pants, which will add more speed, but those are going to take another couple of weeks before I'm likely finished.
It's been raining the last few days, but the prior week we had some really nice days with scattered clouds around 4500-6500 feet. Seeing some big holes in the clouds, it's great to push the throttle forward, point the nose up and climb up on top at well over 1000 fpm while maintaining airspeed.
MY FIRST FLIGHT IN MY RV-9A!!!
After finishing up my transition training I finally got to take my RV up for the first time the evening of May 18th. Right around 7:00 pm the earlier wind gusts diminished into a light breeze right down the runway. I couldn't pass up the opportunity so I pulled it out of the hangar and gave it a good checkout. Everything seemed good so I taxied out to the end of runway 18 at KANE. It took off quickly and I climbed up to 2500 feet. I circled the airport for about a 20-25 minutes in the perfectly smooth air. After that I came around and made a nice flare and landing. What a great way to spend a springtime evening. Here's the traditional post first flight picture with what's known as the RV grin!
N291MT TAKES TO THE AIR!!!
After almost 3 1/2 years of building, my RV-9A made it's maiden flight on May 3rd, 2009. Doug Weiler, president of the Twin Cities RV Builders Group and a very experienced RV'er, flew it for the test flight, with Tom Berge and I flying chase in Tom's -7A and Bernie Weiss and Pete Howell taking photos from Bernie's -7A. Peter Fruehling joined my family taking pictures of the big day.
Doug reported it flew straight and level hands off, so clearly all my building errors canceled each other out. The first flight was about 50 minutes, then we pulled it back into the hangar to give it a good check-out. Aside from a leaking oil cooler fitting, the first flight went great!
Click here for a video of the first take-off.
Click here for a video of the first landing.
Welcome to my website. My name is Mike Behnke and I'm building a Van's RV-9A airplane.
What is a Van's RV-9A?
Van's Aircraft makes a series of very popular kitplanes, with more than 5,000 planes flying and many more under construction. The RV-9A is a 2-seat version that will cruise at around 185 mph and has a range of over 700 miles. It is easy to fly, economical and versatile. In addition to local hops and short cross-country flights, it can also serve as a good IFR cross-country platform. Unlike Van's prior models, the RV-9A is not designed for aerobatics, but then again neither am I.
This website is to document the construction of my airplane to meet FAA requirements, and to share my project with other builders and visitors. Please feel free to contact me at mike@mikesrv9a.com with any questions or comments about my project or my website.
