I think it requires both a new engine mount and gear legs and maybe cowling. I could be wrong.

"Easily" is a relative term. $ and time.

Finn

I was on your quest about a year ago. I ended up with an older (first flew in '91) RV-4 so it probably has short gear. It also has a high hp IO-360 with CS prop. Short gear is not a problem. It will land either way no problem. I usually wheel land but if I slow it down a little it will 3 point.

Most of the time I putt around to conserve fuel but it is better to have it and not use it. CS prop is really nice but with the disadvantage of added maintenance cost. Even with a 0-320 and wood prop the RV-4 has plenty of get up and go.

my 2cents and it worth exactly what you paid for it.

long vs short gear: I have long gear on mine, my buddy has short gear on his. yes the long gear 3 points better, but mine still wants to land tail first.

props: my buddy has a 320 with fixed wood prop, i have a 360 CS: his plane is lighter, handles a bit better because of it, mine is no slouch, but lighter is better in a 4. now mine is pretty light for a 360/CS im at 995lbs. as for speed I get about 3 or 4 MPH on the top end over him. He does have a great prop. I get a s...load more climb than him. on a formation TO I need to pull it back quick to stay in formation. as previously noted a CS prop is better for formation work. the big difference in props is decent. with a FP 4 you have trouble slowing down and going down, they are slick. mine comes down like a manhole cover at idle.

engine size: as noted above not much faster, but climbs a lot quicker. is it worth the cost for a 360 vs a 320 ????? im in the camp that there is never to much HP, so i like the 360, but you pay a big premium for the 360 and C/S.

not mentioned yet, 320 with a C/S prop. pros, a bit lighter than a 360, bit cheaper. cons still 20 hp less. if i were building and buying a new engine, a 340 might be a good fit.

bottom line is they are all great airplanes, decide what fits your mission, and find one that get most of the things that you want.

bob burns

RV-4 N82RB

Legs etc.
 

Mine is an 0-360, FP, short legs. It does land tail first when 3 pointing but it?s not a big deal and I wheel land most of the time anyway. I?m not at all inclined to switch.

Cheers

I have a long gear -4 that I built, the long gear being the new standard in the finish kits at that time. I have worked on and flown several RV-4's in the past 10 plus years, and would not make the short gear a deal breaker in buying a flying aircraft. Some engine/prop set-ups may reduce the ground clearance, but over-all, the conversion to long gear may not be worth the cost if you find a plane that meets your criteria otherwise. Put a set of the pressure recovery pants on it (if not already equipped) and move on. There are a lot more shorts than longs on the market..just get one !

I have been flying my 4 for 23 years and never once I wished I had long gear legs. I have always wondered why you would want them because the ground visibility is excellent. I usually make wheel landings when flying solo and with a passenger and baggage, I make 3 point landings. When I am tail heavy, I do not flare but let the tail just set down at the same time as the mains. It has never been a problem and I have made direct cross wind landings of up to 30 knots.

My 4 sports a stock Superior parallel valve IO360 180 HP will do 226 MPH flat out at 500 feet MSL and I have never seen a 0320 even come close to that. I can climb at 1000 fpm at 10,000 feet loaded with my wife and baggage for a week. I flight plan at 175 knots and burn 7 GPH above 10,000 feet. I get 1000 fpm at 10,000 feet.
The CS prop is the only way to go. I can shoot an ILS approach at 160 knots and touch down on the numbers. The CS prop is like having a huge speed brake. It also helps with weight and balance fully loaded.

I do loops and rolls but usually use my plane for cross country flight. My wife always wants me to roll the plane when we go somewhere and I loop and roll with the grandkids. If I were big on aerobatics, I would probably have the smaller motor for weight with an inverted oil system or get a Pitts or something more designed for that type of flying.

I am not sure where some of you are getting your parts but building 4 with a 180 HP and a constant speed prop painted by a professional you’re looking at probably 5 years and 80K. I think you could build a RV-8 for a lot less than 160K even with the quick build option. You possibly could buy a 4 for half the price of an 8 because it would not be nearly as well equipped and a lot older. I talked to a guy one year at Oshkosh that built a 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and a 10 and wished he had kept the 4. It’s a great plane.

I just finished the long gear mod on my -4. I would not say it is easy, but not terribly complex. The biggest issue is you have to remove the engine. That is obviously a lengthy process with all the connections, hoses etc. the long gear legs require a new engine mount. Also there are new fairings and wheel pants that need extensive fiberglass work, then painting. I had an additional problem to correct. My original engine mount was slightly rotated (1/2”) that translated to 3” difference between wingtips that bugged me since I bought the plane. Overall, it took 4 months (about 2 days per week) and I still have the wheel pants to finish, but it is flyable.

Probably the quickest way to tell the difference if you are not very familiar with the -4 is the long gear legs use the pressure recovery wheel pants otherwise know as Dolly Parton wheel pants.

I have found the difference in flying qualities negligible for the most part. Yes you can’t do a true 3 point landing with the short gear, but a slight touch of the tail wheel first was never a huge issue for me. I do find the long gear better for wheel landings; my opinion only.

My recommendation is there are more important considerations, especially the engine as noted in other posts. Either way you will love it!

My short legged 1994 RV-4. I've changed quite a few things on the old Indian, but the short gear isn't on the list, nor will it be. It just isn't worth the $$ and effort.

Short vs long?
 

All,
I've been flying my 1996 short legged -4 for 6+ years. Never even considered the conversion to long gear.
My has a CS prop, 160 hp IO-Lycoming, and is light (933#, fast 193mph) and gives me 4 hrs of flight time.

My advice is find the plane that meets your mission, you'll be happier.
Glass panels and Dolly Parton pants can be added later, or better yet, customize it to "make it truly yours".

Buy it. Fly the daylights out of it.

Daddyman

not true about the wheel pants, I have the long gear, but the smaller wheel pants. the gear change came before the PR wheel pants.

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB