Changing from -6A to -6 prior to "finish kit"

I am hoping to purchase my first RV-6(A) kit from a co-worker whom is unable to complete it due to personal reasons. It is at the stage where he says it is all but awaiting the finishing kit. It sounds like a good opportunity for me.

question??? I would like to make this a conventional tail-dragger. Other than patching the area where the struts were to attach to the wing spar; what else would be involved to the conversion?

I would appriciate any inputs and/or ideas.

Thanks

Jim

Tail Dragger Conversion

Not sure of all of the changes, but here a few
You will need a different engine mount and match drilled gear legs.
There is a Weldment for the tail that also holds the stinger and wheel assenbly. The weldment fits inside the last two bulk heads.

AL Smith
KEOS
Mounting Wings/Finish
RV 6
N 495AB Reserved

I appriciate the response. I went to a local airport here in northern california while on a layover. An owner of a RV-4 showed me the engine mount (wittman mount) that incorporates the MLG strut tubes. As far as the tail wheel, you may be correct. It appears by looking at his that the rear bulkhead on the fuselage has to be remove to install the stinger tube. I think your feedback backs-up what I have found at the local airport. I will still look for more input. Thanks for your time.

I would like to thank Ted Weddell and Duncan Miller at the NutTree Airport in Vacaville, CA to take time to talk to a stranger about RV-6's.

Changing from -6A to -6

Both Mike Seager and some of the boys from Van's have done this conversion. They would be good folks to talk to about this. You may have good luck selling your un-needed parts, especially since they are new. Here is Mike's email: [email protected] and Phone: 503-429-5103

Good luck,
Dave

And move the brake lines in the cockpit. Not sure about the -6, but on the -7 the fuel lines run through the gear mount weldments. If the weldments are installed and you want to remove them, you'll have to re-do the fuel lines in the cockpit as well.

If you look at the plans, the taildragger model calls for two back to back rear bulkheads whereas the nosewheel plan only shows one rear bulkhead. I assume that the second one is there to beef up the area for the tailwheel mount. Also note that the vertical strips that attach the horizontal stab are at a little different angle vertically but I could not really see how much difference that could make. As far as I can say about Van's experience at it goes like this. The first time I saw the "Red One" N66VA it was at Merced in 1993 with a nosewheel. It also had the one-off tall rudder that never made it into production. I questioned Bill Benedict at the time that the tail tiedown looked like a cut off tailwheel spring sticking out with a ring welded to it. He just smiled and as I recall didn't really give me much of an answer. That just confirmed my belief that Van's staff builds some parts in the shop and eventually they have enough big pieces lying around so they create another "factory demonstrator." Later in its life the red 6A became a tailwheel model and that was the one Mike Seager was using for instruction until that Lancair ran over it at Oshkosh.

Jim,

You need to order part # RV-6TO6A FUSE RETURN KIT from Vans. This has the additional F-611 and F-6112 bulkheads, the tailwheel assembly and mount. If the tapered alu bars (F-611C) have been installed, you will also need to order the straight bars needed to bolt the tailwheel mount to. I'm just about to rivet this conversion now, and so far it's taken me about 8 hours.

Hope this helps,

James