Maybe Building a 9A?

[MLock]

Just to be clear for everybody. The RV-7, 8, 9 and 10 are "prepunched" designs. Only the RV-12 and 14 are "matched hole".

[Mark Dickens]

Originally Posted by MLock

Just to be clear for everybody. The RV-7, 8, 9 and 10 are "prepunched" designs. Only the RV-12 and 14 are "matched hole".

Mitch, this is why I was asking. If you read your website at http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/kits-standard.htm, it claims that "RV-7/7A, RV-8/8A and RV-9A Standard Kits are completely matched-hole.".

[Fearless]

Mark,

You won't need a jig to put the structures together which you cleco together like on your 8 but you will need to ream the holes to final size before riveting together unlike on the 12 and 14. I love my 9A.

[Mark Dickens]

Originally Posted by Fearless

Mark,

You won't need a jig to put the structures together which you cleco together like on your 8 but you will need to ream the holes to final size before riveting together unlike on the 12 and 14. I love my 9A.

I have no problem with that. It's funny how the terminology has evolved. There's pre-punched, matched hole and now final size matched hole. Next the holes will be dimpled for you with clecos pre-installed!

The important thing to me is not having to spend lots of time constructing and truing up jigs.

[Mark Dickens]

OK, so I just pulled the trigger on the preview plans...last time I did that was OSH '99!

[Jecurtin3]

Mark,

I'm new to VAF and considering building a 7 or 8 or 9. But as yet, undecided on which way to go. You mentioned in your post that "The -8 is a great plane and I have no plans to sell it but it doesn't really work for the wife and me as a "go to the beach for a weekend" plane."

Could you elaborate on why the 8 isn't a "go to the beach for the weekend" plane? My understanding, albeit from Van's marketing, was that the 8 was a great cross-country aircraft.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

John

[Mark Dickens]

Originally Posted by Jecurtin3

Mark,

I'm new to VAF and considering building a 7 or 8 or 9. But as yet, undecided on which way to go. You mentioned in your post that "The -8 is a great plane and I have no plans to sell it but it doesn't really work for the wife and me as a "go to the beach for a weekend" plane."

Could you elaborate on why the 8 isn't a "go to the beach for the weekend" plane? My understanding, albeit from Van's marketing, was that the 8 was a great cross-country aircraft.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

John

It IS a great cross-country machine, but what you don't know is that my wife is 4'10" tall and it's a process getting her in and out. Plus she doesn't like the tandem set up or the close confines, like so many other wives and girlfriends. The -8 is a great plane, lots of fun to fly, fast and for me by myself, a great cross-country machine but if I want my wife to come with me, it's going to require sitting next to me not behind me.

If your wife or GF is tall and/or skinny (my wife is neither) and doesn't mind sitting in the back under an acrylic bubble, you're golden. There's a reason Vans quit designing new tandem planes and focused on side by side designs, and I'm sure this is one of the contributing factors.

[rv7boy]

My wife told me if I expected her to look at the back of my head while we're flying, she would just stay home! Made the tandem versus side-by-side decision easy for me!

[Mark Dickens]

I would add that if your primary mission is cross country flying without any aerobatic capability, it's hard to beat the -9 with its Roncz airfoil and longer wing. Very efficient design for that mission profile.

[Mark Dickens]

Originally Posted by rv7boy

My wife told me if I expected her to look at the back of my head while we're flying, she would just stay home! Made the tandem versus side-by-side decision easy for me!

I've had a view of the back of my head and it's not a pretty sight!