The new design has a beefier center section as the spar no longer carries through, so this also adds to the stiffness of the fuselage without wings.

 

I wouldn’t bet it’s stiffer than my RV-3 center section.  Part of installing the “B” wings was to replace the spar carry-though.  Van must have made me install 5 extra layers of material in some places.  It’s pretty beefy now :-) 

 

I've booked vacation for next week, and if all goes well, I will have it moved to the airport by the end of the week.

 

Good luck with the move.  I’m sure it will go well.  FWIW, a flatbed wrecker worked great for my RV-8 fuselage, and that’s how the RV-3 will go as well.  You’ll have to check the length though, since some of the wreckers are shorter than others.  I was absolutely amazed at how the majority of people were completely oblivious to the fact that there was an airplane on a wrecker traveling down the road.  I’d say that 75% of the people in my neighborhood didn’t even notice.  I bet they notice when I run the engine this weekend :-)

 

Today I welded up the exhaust system and am very pleased with it.

 

Today was a historical day for welding.  No, I didn’t actually weld anything, but I did hire a welder for the LAST time.  I had my exhaust pipe welded to the flange, and the O2 bung attached.  I had those things clamped together in the vice last night, and they were just taunting me “go ahead, just TRY to weld me”.   Then I think I heard laughter.  I’m not sure if it was the pipe, or the new (still in the box) TIG welder laughing :-)

 

BTW, the next project will be an Airbike, with a fairly simple 4130 fuselage.  I have all the plans, and I’m determined to learn, practice, then weld that fuselage myself.  If I don’t get it right, it will kill me, but as my favorite line in Karate Kid says- “either way, problem solved” :-)

 

Now I just need that EM-2.... really!

 

Isn’t this where John should remind us (again) that he’s first :-)

 

ps. Are you using the turbo?

 

Affirmative.  I won’t really know how much it violates my CG until I get the plane put together, so the decision isn’t quite final.

 

Rusty