Newbie from Northern IL

I've read this list a couple times and I, too, am impressed with the help available here.

I just bought a partially built 8A and it's about ready for wire, engine and finish kit. Presently looking at mounting the battery immediatly behind the firewall in the right hand corner. The battery planned is 12V, 14.9 lbs, 20AH Panasonic, SLA. The engine is a Lyc IOA360-A1A, planning a whirlwind 200 prop.

Please tell me how this can be done without a lot of worthless ballast in the empennage? ... maybe create a contained storage bin back there accessible through the baggage compartment. The turtle back is not installed yet.
Thanks to all for your help ...
Jerry Grimmonpre'

Where ya at in N IL? There's a bunch of us, including several -8s and -8As, who fly out of Poplar Grove. http://home.mindspring.com/~rv6/Blackhawkone/

I'd suggest an aft mounted battery, accessable through the rear baggage, or an access panel cut into the turtledeck. I'd also suggest you toss the Panasonic and spring for an Odessy.

Another newbie in Northern IL

I have been checking out this great website for a coupla years now, and i'm very close to ordering an empennage kit. But....i'm having a tough time deciding between the -7 and -8! I guess the problem is that they are both great airplanes !!

I am located in McHenry, IL and was wondering if there is anyone local who has a -7 or -8 either flying or under construction that I could check out and possibly get a ride?? I will pay for gas!

Thanks,
Doug Hull

Doug, the performance of the '7 and '8 are just about even for all intents and purposes. The only real difference is whether you like the tandem or side-by-side seating better.

You don't really need a ride to figure out which you'd like better... just sit two chairs side-by-side and sit in the left seat with your wife/friend/girlfriend or whatever in the right seat.
Then, put one chair behind the other and sit in the front chair with that same person behind you.

Which do like better?

Most of my flying will be with my wife so I like to have her next to me instead of behind me so I can keep an eye on her... I never know when she'll bail out to go shopping at a moment's notice.
And when I fly alone, I much better like the idea of having the right seat empty to be used as a convenient place to put stuff I want to get to during flight.
That's my .02

redtail said:

I have been checking out this great website for a coupla years now, and i'm very close to ordering an empennage kit. But....i'm having a tough time deciding between the -7 and -8! I guess the problem is that they are both great airplanes !!

I am located in McHenry, IL and was wondering if there is anyone local who has a -7 or -8 either flying or under construction that I could check out and possibly get a ride?? I will pay for gas!

Thanks,
Doug Hull

Click to expand...

We have a 6A and I love to give rides ... we should have her (N468AC) back this Saturday so maybe next week?

[email protected]

I'm at The Landings in Huntley IL. Very familiar with Poplar Grove ... have gone there to shoot landings. Re: Panasonic ... similar style to Odessy ... but only $44 at Digi-Key.

I just don't want to hang heavy cable through the airframe all the way to the front. The planned position places the battery where it can be accessed easily, at the bottom of the front baggage. The conductor from the battery to the master contactor ... about 3-4 inches. The heavy cable saved is maybe 12 feet. It seems this would simplify the heavy electrical install.

I would rather have some kind of useable ballast than heavy cable buried along the fuselage. Even if the ballast is something like tiedown gear, a few tools, survival gear, canopy cover, etc. The planned panel is all electric so maybe a second battery, in the back, could serve as a backup and cure the weight and balance as well. A backup battery could be wired with a lighter gage (maybbe a #8) to serve only the panel electrics thereby foregoing the larger cable sizes.

Anyone going this way or is my thinking in left field?
Thanks ... Jerry

jerry said:

I'm at The Landings in Huntley IL. Very familiar with Poplar Grove ... have gone there to shoot landings. Re: Panasonic ... similar style to Odessy ... but only $44 at Digi-Key.

Click to expand...

One of our guys, Tom Briden, is at Huntley and has an 8A. Do you know him?

Re: Panasonic battery. Yes they are cheaper, but you get what you pay for. They were very popular a few years ago, but a couple years ago they moved production to Mexico and the quality has gone downhill. The Odessy is not that much more $, and is a better product. Especially if you're building an all-electric panel, why go cheap on the battery?

I do know Tom B he's a super guy ... he's about 6 rows of hangars West of me. We'll be formation flying when I get to the flying part. I didn't realize the Panasonic was made Mexico ... mine speaks Chinese. It's a heavy little box at nearly 15 pounds. Bob Nuckolls has a philosophy that says ... buy the cheap one and change it every condition inspection. The Panasonic fits my cycle too so there's a hand-me-down. If I go with a second battery in the back, all these batteries will trade places. The oldest will then be 2 years and it will be in the cycle. I may change my mind later if I get rid of the cycle.
Do you think the backup battery in the back could be adequetly wired with about a #8 wire to the panel electrics ... about 10 feet of run that way, I estimate.
Jerry

redtail said:

I have been checking out this great website for a coupla years now, and i'm very close to ordering an empennage kit. But....i'm having a tough time deciding between the -7 and -8! I guess the problem is that they are both great airplanes !!

I am located in McHenry, IL and was wondering if there is anyone local who has a -7 or -8 either flying or under construction that I could check out and possibly get a ride?? I will pay for gas!

Thanks,
Doug Hull

Click to expand...

We are building a 7A (slow build) at out hanger in Kensoha, working on finish kit. You are welcome to visit anytime. Give us a call.

Larry and Lolly
847-526-7192

jerry said:

Bob Nuckolls has a philosophy that says ... buy the cheap one and change it every condition inspection. The Panasonic fits my cycle too so there's a hand-me-down.

Click to expand...

I too am a disciple of Bob Nuckolls, and wired my -6 per his design. When he wrote the part about cheap, throw away batteries, I think he had the Panasonic in mind, before they spoke Chinese (I'll have to check my old one, coulda sworn it was from Mexico.) At Oshkosh '04 I spoke at length to Bill Bainbridge of B&C, who is close to Bob, and whose opinion I respect a great deal. He was the one who clued me in to Panasonic, and recommended I switch to the Odessey (which I did, and no he wasn't trying to sell me a battery.)

They've gone up a bit, but you can still find the PC-680 online in the high $70s. Not much in the grand scheme of things.

ANOTHER newbie....

Hi all.....I'm in NW Indiana....name is Alan......just jumped over from the last RV group thats shutting down. I'm a future "8" builder, been to the class in Iowa last year. I too am itchting for a ride in an 8....fuel is on me.