In order to build the RV-8 a number of tools are required. Some of them are absolutely necessary, others are “nice to have”. Either way I’ll try to give you my view on some of the more common tools that I use. Tools were gathered from a number of suppliers. Some suppliers are even RV-builders themselves and offer toolkits tailored for building aircraft such as the RV-8.
One of those suppliers is Cleaveland Aircraft Tools of Iowa, USA. They offer a wide selection of tools and even complete tool kits which give you everything you need to get started. Besides the custom service they are ever friendly and helpful so I have no hesitation to recommend them if you ever consider building an aircraft yourself.
The compressor
As a number of tools that are being used are air-tools you need a compressor to drive them. Compressors come in all shapes and forms and it is useful to read up on the various models and specifications. Here are the considerations that I made when choosing my compressor.
The Tool kit
There are a few toolkit suppliers that offer type-specific tool kits but one of the most famous definitely Cleaveland Aircraft tool. They offer customized kits for the Van’s RV series but will also be happy to adapt the kit for your personal needs or requirements. I’ll try to add some thoughts about various tools as I progress with this build