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11-22-2019, 12:01 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 407
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Tailwheel
I vote for tail wheel all the way. If I was even in the market for a used RV, I wouldn?t even consider a nose wheel version. Once you get some tailwheel instruction, you?ll understand and probably feel the same way. It?s not hard, and yet soooo much more rewarding to fly and master a tail wheel aircraft. These RVs were meant to be tailwheel.. just look at a 14 then a 14a.. no competition! Go take some dual and see what you think before making the mistake of building the wrong (a model) plane!
__________________
Tom
Las Vegas
RV-8 empenage almost finished
Horizontal Stab done! 2-15-2020
Vertical Stab Done! 5-27-2020
Rudder Done! 5-31-2020
Wings ordered!...
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11-22-2019, 05:04 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 344
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I went for the TW just for the fun and challenge of it. I had very little TW time and it was many years ago. But as much as I love flying I was getting bored. 10 years of Charter flying with as many as 12 flights a day had me losing the magic. When we sold the charter op I knew I wanted to get that magic back. One of our many time repeat passengers would always tell me about RV?s. So I started looking. My wife also thought a TW would be cool. I couldn?t be happier that I made that decision.
My thought is you go with what makes your boat float. But don?t fear the TW. After 42 years and thousands of hours in the air it?s never too late to master new skills.
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11-22-2019, 08:10 AM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Rescue, CA. KROB
Posts: 352
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It will be your blood, sweat and tears so build the plane how you want it. I wanted a taildragger.
__________________
Rob Lasater
Rv-14 flying baby, yeah.
Paid Dec 2019
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11-22-2019, 08:11 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Southwest Michigan
Posts: 180
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Most of my hours are in tailwheel. I was looking hard at the -9 and the -14 and took a demo flight in the -14 when I visited the factory. Loved the plane in the air. Didn't care much for the forward visibility on the ground. Its better than a Steerman (more than just sky out front) and not nearly as good as a Supercub. Which means you don't really need to S-turn on the ground, but you probably should. I didn't care for that.
If do another Vans build after the -12, it'll have a nose wheel.
__________________
Joe
RV-12 Empennage
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11-22-2019, 08:15 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: 07TS
Posts: 472
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I've got an RV-9A that I built, a J-3 I restored, and fly numerous RV-12's.
If/When I build another RV it will most likely be a nose wheel.
I love flying the cub, but it is a local, nice weather airplane. I use my 9A to travel. I've landed it in cross winds that would be way beyond my (and I believe the planes) ability in a TW configuration.
That, and the being tired after a long flight factor are what had me decide on the A model. The tailwheel planes are darn sexy though...
-Dan
__________________
Dan Weyant
RV-9A N96KD
Done and Flying 4/30/2015
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11-22-2019, 08:31 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Leesburg, VA
Posts: 492
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You are going to spend a lot of time, effort, and money so build the airplane you want; nothing else matters. You won't lose either way you go, the 14 (both versions) is an amazing airplane to build and fly.
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11-22-2019, 08:46 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Alameda, CA
Posts: 191
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nova RV
You are going to spend a lot of time, effort, and money so build the airplane you want; nothing else matters. You won't lose either way you go, the 14 (both versions) is an amazing airplane to build and fly.
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HERE HERE!!!
For me I chose the 14A because no matter how good I might get with a TW I need a lil mental insurance while riding inside the 4 year project full of $$$$.
100% NEXT plane will be TW, cub style...
which could be a Vans...
should they decide their next plane will be like that???!!!
__________________
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Dues paid (2020)
RV-14 #140394
Empennage - done(ish)
Wings - done(ish)
Fuselage - done(ish)
Finishing Kit - Somewhere in there
YouTube Build Channel
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11-22-2019, 12:49 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 612
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I can't say that I wouldn't love to fly a taildragger sometimes, and I think if you lived on a grass strip I'd go that route for sure. But, I think if you plan to use it for an x/c machine, the 14A will win that battle, mainly from a crosswind landing perspective. There was a day I took my daughter for practice right before she got her private in the 14A and it was 19G28, direct 90 degree crosswind on the long runway, and direct into the wind on the short. I wasn't even sure we were going to fly that day, but we decided that if she could fly it directly down the runway with all the crosswind corrections in, and keep it on the centerline and things were feeling good, she could land it. She did, 3 times in a row.
When traveling in the RV10 and 14A, we really don't have to really think much about crosswinds if the winds are 20 and under, unless it's really gusty. For myself I feel good until at least 25kts in the RV-10. In contrast, I was talking with a local RV pilot the other day who flew a taildragger and was trying to be sure to pick the best runway when the winds were only 10-15kts and the choice was within 10 degrees of being a perfect 45 degree split to choose which one to take. He said that for him, that's a lot of wind in the taildragger.
So when it comes to travel, I've been all over and although you can look at wind forecasts, the actual winds vary so much that if you simply have a goal of getting somewhere safely, you'll probably have a little easier time in the A models than the taildraggers, especially where you visit airports with only 1 runway. Consider what happened with Draco a couple months back. It's a super awesome plane with great short field capabilities, but I'm sure the pilot certainly has more respect for crosswind today than ever before in his life. That's not to say if you go the traildragger route you're doing anything exceptionally risky, but, take all things into consideration as you decide which to build, and make sure the goal of what the airplane is for is included.
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11-22-2019, 02:51 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Southwest Michigan
Posts: 180
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Rudder authority is the determining factor in how much crosswind a plane can handle. The position of the little wheel has nothing to do with it. The tailwheel -14 has the same size rudder as the nosewheel version. As far as the plane is concerned, if there's too much crosswind for a -14, there's too much crosswind for a -14A. That's as far as the plane is concerned.
As far the pilot is concerned might be a different matter, personal mins and all that. But honestly there's no magic to it. Both versions rely on rudder and differential braking to keep it going where you want it to go on the ground. If you've got enough of both in one, you're going to have enough of both in the other. And if you think you don't have enough in one, you probably shouldn't be attempting it in the other.
__________________
Joe
RV-12 Empennage
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11-22-2019, 03:06 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Barksdale AFB
Posts: 24
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Mission
I'd go based off of your mission. If your plan is primarily to fly VFR, do aerobatics, and fly off of a grass strip, I would go with the 14. If your plan is to fly to lots of different places mainly with hard surface runways, I would go with the 14A. That's just me. You do what you want and have a blast doing it. I am really enjoying the process of building my 14A. Part of what I enjoy a lot is bringing my personality and craftsmanship into the build. If you are really on the fence, I would recommend spending some time getting your tailwheel endorsement to see if you like flying a tailwheel airplane a lot. I got mine in a J-3C at Red Stewart Airfield in Waynesville, OH. It was not very expensive and was absolutely part of my decision making when picking the 14A. Build and have fun!
__________________
Collin M. Adams
____________________________________________
N711XA - Reserved
KDTN
PPL-SEL-IR
CPL - In progress
Vertical Stab - In progress
Rudder - In progress
Dues Paid - 2020
https://eaabuilderslog.org?s=cmadams
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