Van's Air Force
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rear-seat max
- Thread starter BruceMe
- Start date
Russ McCutcheon
Well Known Member
My Dad?s -4 has 0-320, wood prop, standard-heavy starter and belt driven alternator. I have flown it with him in the back 200lb and a couple of overnight bags, he has flown it with me in the back 225lb and bags. I can?t tell you if it was within proper CG or not but it was not a problem. Suggest you start with a light passenger and work your way up. Also trimming down for landing helps.
smokyray
Well Known Member
He ain't heavy...
Well, My RV4 has a placard above the back seat stating "cute girls under 125 lbs only"...
questions?
RR
PS: I set a limit of 200lbs total aft of the roll bar...has worked well for 10 years...If you fly fat folks, fill it with gas, it's fwd of the CG...
Well, My RV4 has a placard above the back seat stating "cute girls under 125 lbs only"...
questions?
RR
PS: I set a limit of 200lbs total aft of the roll bar...has worked well for 10 years...If you fly fat folks, fill it with gas, it's fwd of the CG...
190
190 lbs. in the rear. Wood prop carb'd 320 standard starter and alternator.
When you start flying, grab an instructor and stick him in the rear. The plane behaves substantially differently with a passenger when on short final.
There is a tendency to balloon as the pitch forces get lighter. I am in the habit of carrying a few extra knots (75mph on short final) and a little nose down trim to offset the tendency to over flare. Works fine. It would be handy to have somebody experienced to use as ballast for the first few times around the pattern
.
Sounds like you're getting close. Good luck and look forward to seeing you at the flyins....
John
190 lbs. in the rear. Wood prop carb'd 320 standard starter and alternator.
When you start flying, grab an instructor and stick him in the rear. The plane behaves substantially differently with a passenger when on short final.
There is a tendency to balloon as the pitch forces get lighter. I am in the habit of carrying a few extra knots (75mph on short final) and a little nose down trim to offset the tendency to over flare. Works fine. It would be handy to have somebody experienced to use as ballast for the first few times around the pattern
. Sounds like you're getting close. Good luck and look forward to seeing you at the flyins....
John
Wicked Stick
Well Known Member
Hi Bruce,
Didn't see you at LWM's fly-in this year, so I guess the 4 will be airworthy later this year ?
Anyhow, I ran some W&B calculations for our RV-4 when we first got it. With the wood prop and 160hp up front, My limit is a 195 lb'er in the back, with nothing in the baggage area. Once you start to get 1/2 the fuel burned off, your gonna be near the aft CG.
We flew ours to OSH this year with two adults coming in around 170 each, and only 18 lbs of baggage in the back. (we had someone take most of our luggage to OSH by car since they were driving anyway.) With that configuration, we were near the aft C.G. after burning 3 hours of fuel.
I could still wheel land it no problem, but the trim was nearing it's full forward travel. Also, with someone heavy in the back, be REAL careful pulling the stick aft as it won't take much force whatsoever to pull 3 g's.
Send me an e-mail and post some pictures of where you are now, and hope to see you flying it soon.
Didn't see you at LWM's fly-in this year, so I guess the 4 will be airworthy later this year ?
Anyhow, I ran some W&B calculations for our RV-4 when we first got it. With the wood prop and 160hp up front, My limit is a 195 lb'er in the back, with nothing in the baggage area. Once you start to get 1/2 the fuel burned off, your gonna be near the aft CG.
We flew ours to OSH this year with two adults coming in around 170 each, and only 18 lbs of baggage in the back. (we had someone take most of our luggage to OSH by car since they were driving anyway.) With that configuration, we were near the aft C.G. after burning 3 hours of fuel.
I could still wheel land it no problem, but the trim was nearing it's full forward travel. Also, with someone heavy in the back, be REAL careful pulling the stick aft as it won't take much force whatsoever to pull 3 g's.
Send me an e-mail and post some pictures of where you are now, and hope to see you flying it soon.
ddurakovich
Well Known Member
I seriously resemble that remark!smokyray said:
Oooops! Just remembered, I'll be in the front seat.....
Sorry
BruceMe
Well Known Member
Possible NSTB report
Pilot error, stall-spin on short final. The accident resulted from aft CG loading. The rear seat passenger's Florida drivers license stated his weight as 210 pounds. This exceeded the rear-seat placard "Cute girls 125lbs or lighter" as found in the wreckage.
-Bruce
Pilot error, stall-spin on short final. The accident resulted from aft CG loading. The rear seat passenger's Florida drivers license stated his weight as 210 pounds. This exceeded the rear-seat placard "Cute girls 125lbs or lighter" as found in the wreckage.
-Bruce
