Hi my name is Bob Ellis and I was born in 1958. My father took me on holiday to Heathrow in 1970 and watching the planes triggered in me the desire to fly. After a few failed attempts to enter the RAF I was in the right place at the right time when the RAF was short of pilots in 1976. I joined the RAF in 1977 at the green age of 18 and I distinctly remember writing in an "about me" letter that my long term ambition was to build my own plane.
Well 29 years later I started to live that dream, the frightening thing though is how fast those 29 years had gone. I wouldn't be able to live this dream without the support and approval of my lovely wife Jill, who I know is looking forward to those cross country flights in the future. I also believe that with a project of this size two heads are better than one and I am being abley assisted by my friend Simon and Gary my Inspector.
I do not intend to log every step of the build as people like Dan Checkoway (US) and Richard Horan (UK) have done a wonderful job. I simply wish to record the main steps and add, or reinforce, ideas and techniques wherever I can. I hope you find my log useful if you are researching or thinking about building an RV8/8A. Please contact me if you find any mistakes or any questions about the project.
Please note I am not an EAA Tech Counselor/Inspector/Engineer, I am a first time builder and the comments that I have written should be used in conjunction with Standard Aircraft Practice documents. If any of the aforementioned disagree with any practices that I have suggested please contact me so that the item can be adjusted accordingly.