Buying and Flying an RV-10
 

I bought an RV-10 in April of this year (2016). It’s a big upgrade form a PA-28-180.

It was built by Steve Raddatz who has since passed away in a mid-air collision.

I love the airplane and I feel like I got an honest deal from the seller.

Since then, I have put about 70 hours on it and I thought I would share my experience with buying and flying an RV-10.

1. Experiences and Tips

• It flies as well as everyone says and it lands even better.
• It is not overly nose heavy. But, sometimes you might need a lot of trim when you are by yourself.
• The pitch trim is sensitive, but you get used to immediately and it is a non-issue.
• Flying a stick is MUCH more intuitive than flying a yoke.
• Drop the RPM to 2400 on climb out to help with CHTs.
• Keep the wheels balanced and aired up to prevent shimmy.
• Learning to use the Sorcerer was a bit of a challenge. TruTrak should up their game a bit on documentation, but the unit itself is great.
• Taxi at a speed that gives you enough rudder so you don’t have to ride the right side brake.
• Towers/Ground at unfamiliar airports call me a Cirrus.
• Free castering nose wheels take some getting used to on landing.
• I am not a fan of electric flaps. It takes too long to move them. But it beats having a jack handle in between the seats.
• My wife loves this plane.
• My kids love this plane.

2. The Vans Air Force board is indispensable.

3. Things I have fixed or need to fix:

• The Sorcerer autopilot was hunting +/- 100 feet. Corrected by changing a few settings in the autopilot.
• The Garmin G900X is awesome, but the audio panel quit working a few months in and required an exchange. $1200, plus another $1400 just to figure out what was wrong.
• The engine monitor started flaking out after a few months. Fuel flow would go to zero. CHTs would fluctuate. Sometimes the engine monitor itself would go blank. This was resolved by removing all of the units from the racks and cleaning the pins/connectors.
• The mechanical mag (one is Lightspeed), failed after a few months. Exchange for $750.
• I found (by smell) a fuel leak in the tunnel downstream of the aux pump. Tightened the fitting. This was going to be dangerous, or was already, so I am glad to have hunted it down.
• I would occasionally need to turn on the aux pump due to a low fuel pressure indication after a long, hot climb. After fixing the loose fuel fitting (noted above), I believe this is resolved. It has not happened since then and was likely the result of air entering the line at the loose fitting point.

(Edit) I got the low fuel pressure alarm on climb out a few days ago. So, whatever the root cause its, I have not located it...although the seep/leak has not reoccurred.

• CHTs on 1/3/5 were a bit hard to control. Removal of the air dam on that side helped a bunch.
• The Aux pump causes GPH to read high when it is turned on. Known issue. I do not intend to change it.
• OAT probe is in the wrong place (fresh air inlet) and measures heated air from the cowling. Will move it.
• I had to keep just a tiny bit of right rudder in cruise. Resolved by adjusting the existing static trim tab.
• The static ports need to be slightly raised (not an issue on newer RV-10s). They are flush mounted and a box speed test shows that the TAS reads low by 9 knots. I will eventually correct by adding a drilled out rivet head on the ports.
• The fuel gauges are not accurate above 20 gallons. Maybe there is a fix, but I have not tried.
• I will probably get a prop balance and an injector balance. That will make the smoothest running engine I have ever flow even smoother.

Congrats on your -10. I have had mine now for about 2+ years. Everyone loves it (teenage kids, wife and dog). I bought it, did not build. You will find the first year, you spend a lot of time working out minor issues and making it yours. After the first year and first condition inspection, you should have it perfect. Hope to see you at Petit Jean.

I am sure Steve is glad it is flying...

hope to get mine started soon..

The fuel tank floats will almost never get a reading above 20 gallons. This is due to the dihedral and shape of the tank. Accurate below 20 is helpful.

Age of the airplane has nothing to do with whether an RV-10 (or any other RV model) will have flush / inaccurate static ports.

The ports recommended (and supplied in static port kits) by vans have always been raised an appropriate amount to provide accurate readings.
It is some builders that chose to do something different which by now hopefully is well known and no longer done.

One trick that helped me quite a bit, is to put one or two AN960-10 washers on the screw on the rear baffle corner. Place the washers between the baffle and the engine.


I highly recommend attending Don Rivera's (AirFlow Performance) Fuel Injection class even if you have Bendix injectors. While you're at the class, have Don or Kyle balance the injectors. The classes are typically in November and March.

Might do that...only about 1:20 flight.

I would have thought it to be a little quicker. It only took me 1:50 from the central Ohio area.

I just noticed that you're in Franklin. I'm a Belmont Alum and am the area all the time. I was just at SYI last week. I'll have to stop in and say hello.

bob

Yessir...Let me know when youre coming through. I am at KMQY.

Thanks for the owner report, Scott. This is going to be so awesome!

Somewhere between two and ten years to go on my build. Worst case, I'll be Jay Pratt's age when she flies :p