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Weight a minute...
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Great thread! It seems this thought process has gone by the wayside in the modern "cookie cutter" RV world. For us Jurassic RV builders, low empty weight and cost savings was everything. The first line in Van's RV8R Newsletter completions back in the day was empty weight (the second was cost to complete). Now it seems the reverse is the case, more weight, more cost. Having flown several RV's in the past 25 years, the light weight airplanes simply fly better and faster regardless of HP. Funny how that works... Since my current RV-X and my previous RV-4 tipped the scales under 950 Lbs, I will add a few more audacious ideas I have seen and used... 1. NO cockpit upholstery or insulation. Colored NASA foam for seats. 2. Minimum or NO electrical system. (B&C SD8, ATV battery or Photoelectric cell) 3. Minimum panel. How about an iPad only,...and Good Lord forbid, no autopilot! 4. Manual flaps, period. 5. NO exterior paint. Or, only ONE coat of color/primer. 6. 0-320, (or light 0-360) Composite FP prop, Magnesium flywheel. 7. P-mags or electronic Ignition, (1/2 weight of mags, I weighed them) 8. Handheld Radio, PLB, ADS-B The list goes on, but the logic of saving weight on bolts and nuts is awesome. However comma, adding a full panel, multicolor paint, autopilot and Angle valve IO-360/Hartzell is like ordering a Big Mac and fries with a diet Coke, just doesn't compute...:) V/R Smokey |
RV-8 Manual Flaps
If I could put manual flaps in my RV-8, I'd be on that like a fat kid on cake. I haven't found a plane with manual flaps that I don't like and I've flown with several different makes/models. There's really no electric flaps that I do like. Haven't flown an RV yet, so maybe there is one that I like ;)
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Still, very good reminder for all where weight can be saved in areas that do not affect structure... and, keeping Smokey's record intact, 100% agree. |
List of Weights of Things
I've been keeping a record of the weights of some things that I've gotten for my RV-3B. I'm listing them in this format:
The system they go into, The part description, Weight in grams, Weight in pounds, Any notes if applicable. Lights AeroLEDs Microsun 101.8 g .22 lb Fuel system, Van's brass fuel selector valve and handle, stock, no bezel or fittings, 208 g, .46 lb Fuel system, Andair FS 20X7T fuel valve, handle and bezel and fittings, 244.1 g, .46 lb, (the bezel is 15 or 16 grams alone) Autopilot, GRT roll servo, 997 g, 2.20 lb. Autopilot, GRT pitch servo, 1023 g, 2.26 lb. Autopilot, Dynon servo with limit bracket, 931 g, 2.05 lb. Autopilot, GRT servo harness, 256 g, .56 lb. Autopilot, Dynon servo harness kit, 310 g, .68 lb. Electrical wire, 4 ga. welding wire, 100 inches, 399 g, .88 lb. Oil cooler, Van's stock OIL COOLER II, 887 g, 1.96 lb. Oil cooler, Earl's 21000ERL, 447 g, .99 lb. Ignition, P-Mag 114, without gear, without plug, 1497 g, 3.30 lb. Ignition, P-Mag 114, with gear, without plug, 1610 g, 3.55 lb. P-Mag plug adapters, set of 8, with rings, 188 g, .41 lb, In plastic bag. Ignition, NGK BR8ES spark plug, one, with gasket ring, 55 g, .12 lb. Prop governor, PCU5000-X, 954 g, 2.10 lb. Oil drain valve, Fumoto Engineering T202N, NPT 1/2-14, 160 g, .35 lb. Oil filter adapter, Lycoming 77852 clone, no gasket or filter, 398 g, .88 lb. Hardware, AN509-8R8 screws, 1/2" long, 50 of them, 66.7 g, .15 lb, My RV-3B has about 200 for both wings - replace with MS24694S3 below. Hardware, MS24694S3 screws, 3/8" long, 50 of them, 48.9 g, .11 lb. Instruments 8-Day Clock, Wittenauer 182 grams .40 lb. Instruments ASI, 2 1.4” 195 g .43 lb Instruments Trig TB-90 comm head 90 g .20 lb Instruments SV backup battery 400 g .88 lb Instruments 7” Dynon Skyview EFIS 1,250 g 2.76 lb Instruments RV-3B panel blank, edge strip 647 g 1.43 lb Instruments Slip indicator 12 g .03 g Instruments Honeywell TL switches for panel 196 g .43 lb Instruments 11” iPad Pro, 2018 472 g 1.04 lb. Prop governor, PCU5000-X, 954 g, 2.10 lb. Oil drain valve, Fumoto Engineering T202N, NPT 1/2-14, 160 g, .35 lb. Oil filter adapter, Lycoming 77852 clone, no gasket or filter, 398 g, .88 lb. Sensor kit Dynon kit for 4-cyl Lyc, carb engines 1,362 g with packaging 3.00 lbs |
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