Can Experimental go into RVSM now?

Chip-

Although as far as I have been able to determine none ever has before, in theory they always could, there's nothing that prohibits it except the expense. It was basically the same process and cost to get an RVSM STC for a Certified model, but done individually for each Experimental airframe. But as of this week, that process is much simpler and cheaper, enough so that I know several people working on doing it. One way or another, I certainly won't be the first; by the time I'm flying in a few months I'll either be able to follow a well-trodden path or know enough not to start.

We're in the same boat with an Epic LT. Opened up some correspondence with our local FSDO and going to get their guidance

Wings came back from the paint shop.

Nice!

Gorgeous. What's the plan for the static paint blow off? On mine and most IV-Ps they chuck little chunks of paint when descending out of the flight levels and when in rain. I put some tape on the leading edge and it stopped it. Something to think about with such a beautiful paint job.

Gorgeous, Dave. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

BTW, it has dawned on me that the title of this thread goes well with an old Beatles song. I’m guessing you did that on purpose?

This has gotten better since the IV-P, and even since earlier Evo, as they keep adding more conductive paths for static charge. The electric de-icing system along the leading edge also adds more conductivity. But at the same time, it means I can't put protective tape on the hot leading edge. Bottom line, we'll see how it goes and touch it up at annual if we have to. Simplifying touch-ups is one reason I went with a solid color for most of the leading edge. And it's dark, to make any ice visible.

Guilty as charged!

Why not? Have you seen the Therma-wing repair kit? It's basically a thin mylar tape that goes across any gash or defect you get, it should still work with a film across it

I'm going to be cautious about putting anything on the leading edge for two reasons. First, instrumented testing of the first Evo with the Villinger de-ice system found surprisingly large (at least to me) variations in heating, ascribed to variations in the thickness of material over the system. That's why we made extra efforts to have as thin and even a layer as we could over ours. Second, Evo owners who've put on and removed protective film on the leading edge report that it cost in the neighborhood of 10 knots. The Evo wing is very sensitive to surface contamination near the leading edge tripping the laminar boundary layer. One owner reported that a paint stripe cost 10 knots that he was mostly able to regain by carefully feathering in the trailing edge of the stripe.

I answered this wrong before, I had it backward. There IS a lock, it's hidden inside the actuator cylinder, and is automatically released when the pressure rises. Clever, but being hidden does make it harder to debug when something fails.

I answered this wrong before, I had it backward. There IS a lock, it's hidden inside the actuator cylinder, and is automatically released when the pressure rises. Clever, but being hidden does make it harder to debug when something fails.

Meridians, TBMs and most jets have no over-center mechanical locks? I think not. Even the IV-P has a mechanical over-center lock.

Meridians, TBM, Learjet locks are mechanical but inside the actuator. I've seen both types on other jets.