Terry Shortt’s RV-7 | Wichita KS RV-7 #72651

Cheers to Terry as he completed his first flight in his RV-7! He shares:

On September 7th, 2019, My RV build adventure started when my good friend Craig Noah helped me pick up a set of almost complete used wings that had been hanging up in the original purchaser’s garage for the better part of a decade.

Fast forward 4 1/2 years, and N726TS took flight from K50 in Rose Hill Kansas for its maiden flight.

Thrust is provided by an IO-390 and a Whirlwind 3 bladed prop, which results in wonderful climb and cruise performance but with a light and predictable control feel. Once level at 5,000′ I orbited the field for a bit and explored the performance envelope for controllability. In level flight, she flew wings level hands off with the ball nicely centered. Stick forces at different airspeeds and flap/power configurations were predictable and straightforward, with no adverse handling characteristics. Really no surprises at all.

There are a couple of minor squawks to work off, but nothing significant. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better first flight experience. This is going to be such a fun airplane to fly!

Many thanks to all who helped get this project over the finish line, especially my always supportive wife Kriya, who didn’t blink when I told her I was building an airplane in the garage and became quite a pro at shooting rivets.

First flight videos can be accessed at my you tube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKX-hCq1sMNxjSHRIHCYXfA