RV-9 ride/forward visibility

[RKellogg]

My -7A started out as a -7. During the build process I got a ride in a -7, and the forward visibility during taxi caused me to re-think the little wheel question. I had read reports about highly skilled pilots taxiing into things. Then helplessly watched a -4 taxi into a runway light. After reviewing my mission profile (heavy on XC travel to strange airports on dark and stormy nights) I traded away the sexiness of the tail wheel for the predictability of a nose wheel. I "like" tail wheel, it was a hard decision, and certainly thousands of skilled pilots have thrived in tail wheel planes. But I chose to reduce the potential for mis-adventures at remote airports and inopportune times. IIRC, the tail wheel insurance was almost 80% higher...
Call me unskilled or risk averse if you must. Prefer to think of myself as a prudent pilot.

[MarkW]

Originally Posted by N941WR

Yes, but you are tall Mark. What are you, six foot twelve, or something like that?

Nope a short 5'17"

I was able to add a couple of RV-9's to my list today. Greg and LD.
I am up to 19 but not all those are flying.

[krw5927]

Travis, I'm based in Wichita but my wife and I fly often to BentonVILLE, AR to visit family. Mine's a 9A, so not exactly what you're looking for, but I'd still be glad to get you and your wife rides any time we're at KVBT.

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by RKellogg

...

IIRC, the tail wheel insurance was almost 80% higher...
Call me unskilled or risk averse if you must. Prefer to think of myself as a prudent pilot.

Urban legend. Someone with a -6A posted their insurance premium the other day and my insurance was almost $500 cheaper and I have $10,000 more hull value.

It may be slightly higher at first but once you have 100 hours in type, it equals out.

[Tumper]

I'm 5'7" so I have wedges under the seat to get me up to the canopy, as Bill stated. I don't have any problem seeing.

[keen9a]

I recently noticed that my head height varies with cabin temperature due to the softness of the foam seats. On a really cold day, my head was touching the canopy when I first closed it! I have the Classic Aero interiors with three pieces so I removed the small wedge.

I have no real trouble seeing over the nose except over the right corner of the cowl. We have a little joggle with a hill in our taxiways where the newer portion of the airport intersects with the old. That's the only place I've really needed an s-turn (downhill to the right).

FYI, I also had no T/W experience. I got an ~6hr T/W endorsement in a J-3 (talk about bad visibility!), and did ~8hrs with Mike Seager in the RV-7. My insurance was much less expensive than I expected ~1800.

PS Mike's heavy RV-7 is slightly easier to 3-point than my light RV-9. When you flare slightly high in the -7 it sinks to the runway. When you do so in the -9 it stays there until you stop flying and then bounces.

[aupaflyer]

Originally Posted by MarkW

Nope a short 5'17"

I was able to add a couple of RV-9's to my list today. Greg and LD.
I am up to 19 but not all those are flying.

You can add two more here from Spain, one of them is mine. (EC-XMV)
I had other taildraggers before, Kitfox, Cup etc. and the 9 is no comparison. You forget its a taildragger its so easy.


Jorg

[grubbat]

Mark,
The official -9 tailwheel club has 19? I was thinking it was around 10 to 15. Glad to know it's growing annually more are learning about Van's best kept secret. Hard to imagine, that out of Millions, there remains but only 19 of these rare jewels. Nice.

Originally Posted by MarkW

Nope a short 5'17"

I was able to add a couple of RV-9's to my list today. Greg and LD.
I am up to 19 but not all those are flying.

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by grubbat

Mark,
The official -9 tailwheel club has 19? I was thinking it was around 10 to 15. Glad to know it's growing annually more are learning about Van's best kept secret. Hard to imagine, that out of Millions, there remains but only 19 of these rare jewels. Nice.

Due to their rarity, I think anyone thinking of selling theirs should add a $40K premium to the asking price.

[rightrudder]

I was pleasantly surprised with the forward view on my -9A slider, and the amount of head room. The glare shield is low compared to a 172's (which to me has a seated-in-a-bucket feel) and I can see over it and a good portion of the cowling too while still being able to put my fist between the top of my headset and the canopy. I'm about 6'3" with longer legs and a shorter torso.

On the trike/conventional gear thing, the debate is as old as the hills, but I love the taxiing visibility. I trained on a trike gear, and while I'm sure I could easily learn to fly a tail dragger, the idea of having to "fly" the plane while on the ground seems antiquated, and ground looping/dicey taxiing in high winds are other minuses that turned me off.

That said, if I had to land on rough grass strips all the time, I'd be tempted by conventional gear, but I'm an asphalt-only guy.

Here's a side-view pic to show you the head room: