18
Years of the RV-Ator
by Sam Buchanan of the RV Journal
What
is it?: Collection of valuable articles from
the past eighteen years of the RV-Ator newsletter.
Cheers: An absolute must-have for all RV builders and
pilots; binding allows book to open flat at any particular
page; includes additional resource list.
Jeers:
none
Most
RV enthusiasts are familiar with the excellent newsletter
published bimonthly by the elves in Van's world headquarters.
Included in each issue is news about the latest RV models
and technical tidbits and advisories by the factory guys
as well as regular builders. What the author (RV pilot
and proprietor of the RV-ation Bookstore) has compiled
is many of the most relevant and useful articles concerning
building and flying RVs from the past eighteen years of
RV-Ator publication. Say you don't have back issues beyond
last year? No problem, the bestest and greatest is in
this book, "18 Years of the RV-Ator".
The
publication is printed in an 8.5x11 inch format with a
comb binder so it lies flat at any opening. This is really
useful so you don't have to weight the pages down with
a bunch of proseal-coated clecoes while consulting the
book in the shop. It is divided into topics that naturally
follow the flow of the normal building sequence. Some
of the topics:
Each
of the chapters is filled with many articles dating from
pre-1984 to the present. All RV models are represented
(with the exception of the RV8A) and the overall quality
of the articles is top-drawer. Many of the articles are
written by Van Hisself, others by factory types, and many
by builders who have found the better mousetrap.
I
checked to see how many articles were added for the 1998
edition; Indeed, there are many. I was especially interested
in the section on "Paints and Primers". This
chapter is almost worth the entire price of the book!
The majority of the info is from 1997 or later, so if
you have the 1996 edition or earlier, you won't have most
of this chapter.
A
must read is the "Safety Reports" section. This
is a list of "ADs" concerning all RVs.
The section is indexed so you can find any report in its
respective chapter. Related is the "Operational"
chapter which deals with issues that have arisen from
field experiences of RV pilots. Nearly any operational
hiccup you may have with your RV is covered in this section.
The "Accident Reports" is a sobering and educational
foray into the "An ounce of Prevention is Worth a
Pound of Cure" area. Don't miss these sections--they
are vital to our happy and successful careers as RV pilots.
The
last section, "Flying", is about as close to
a POH for an RV that you will find. Here is detailed info
about climb and cruise performance, techniques, and flight
testing. If you have read the entire book to this point,
you have more RV knowledge in your cranium than most pilots
of certificated aircraft will ever see concerning their
planes. The scope of knowledge presented it truly enormous,
yet immensely practical for the builder/pilot.
You
must have this book! If you already have the 1996 or earlier
edition, and are still building or in the early flight
stages, you still need to get this edition. Spending $28
every couple of years for the most current info on your
RV is chump change compared to the benefits received.
Highly
Recommended!
Sam
Buchanan
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