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  #41  
Old 01-19-2012, 01:33 PM
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Sam Buchanan Sam Buchanan is offline
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Location: North Alabama
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick6a View Post
Made up minds are not likely to be changed and we ALL agree our primary mission is to fly yet I'd be willing to bet every RV ever built spends a LOT MORE time sitting on the ground than aloft. Once our minds are made up it is only natural to resist the alternatives, myself included.

Van's says the slider "provides better ventilation on the ground, and allows the pilot to taxi in with an arm over the rail, thereby making him (or her) "cooler" in two ways." Men tend to be visual creatures and it was this long time photo on Van's website that finally convinced me to build an RV back in 2000. It was the slider that did it:


I'm all for the coolness factor and in keeping with that sentiment, lets be honest about something else here Louise. There is something dorky about taxiing about while one hand is clutching the tip-up. Heck, my avatar would not even be possible sitting in a tip-up.

But the slider also sports other more utilitarian advantages seldom mentioned. Unlike the tip-up, there are no struts and some designs have been reported to need periodic maintenance or even replacement. When you open the slider, there is zero potential for any water to find its way behind the instrument panel. Those points have been talked to death. What is not talked about very often (if ever) is this. What the slider does have is a non-magnetic brace and that brace happens to be an ideal place to hang the wet compass. Now consider that sturdy steel rollbar. Those who are inclined to favor the tip-up see a visual obstruction. Many slider types see something else entirely. Grab handles mounted to it greatly add to balance and stability while a pilot or passenger is engaged in ingress and egress. Then there is the unsung utility of the overhead canopy latch. In flight, it is a perfectly positioned, ever ready handhold much like clutching an overhead strap on a moving bus and that latch is instantly available as something to grab onto such as when shifting around in your seat or wanting to sit more upright. Can't do all that with a tip-up. Add it up. The slider option offers the pilot a non-magnetic brace to attach the compass, an option to install pair of grab handles for enhanced stability, and a convenient canopy latch to grab onto as the in-flight need arises.
Ok...I admit it....I made the wrong choice 13 years ago when choosing the tip-up version of my RV-6. The past dozen years of RVating have been an exercise in futile pursuit of coolness.

Can't we all just get along???
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  #42  
Old 01-19-2012, 02:11 PM
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JonJay JonJay is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Buchanan View Post
Ok...I admit it....I made the wrong choice 13 years ago when choosing the tip-up version of my RV-6. The past dozen years of RVating have been an exercise in futile pursuit of coolness.

Can't we all just get along???
I am truly sorry you have suffered so, Sam. Some people just are not meant to be cool.

I love ALL Rv's, even the ones other people own. So, I will not try justify my equipment choices because of what I happen to own. I see that a lot here. Heck, I used to have a BMA unit, so what do I know?
Frankly, sometimes I wish I had a tipup, sometimes I wish I had a fixed pitch, sometimes I wish I had a light 0320, but I will stop at wishing for a nose wheel, just can't go there. Ha!
But I am happy to fly, chat, party, or simply hang out with RV people. They are the best regardless of what they own or like in thier choices.
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  #43  
Old 01-19-2012, 02:25 PM
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comfortcat comfortcat is offline
 
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Location: Southern California
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Default What we learned..

Actually, this thread has been VERY helpful to me and I'm sure to others. The canopy choice is personal, but we do have things to think about:

Slider drivers should think about panels that come apart or are in sections. I'm working on my fuse, and I'll be making that change! Visibility in the air is an issue, but maybe a small one. I was planning on hanging a mag compass on the roll bar, but maybe not. Hand holds for in/out look cool and helpful.

Tip up folks need to think about weather proofing avionics. Wind on the ground is an issue, with a big sail held down with small gas tubes. Rolling upside down in the air has good visibility, but rolling upside down on the ground has no forward roll bar. And Canopy Cracker is a must.

Guy like to look cool on the ground.
Chicks like to see well in the air.



Dkb
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  #44  
Old 01-19-2012, 02:31 PM
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airguy airguy is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by comfortcat View Post
Chicks like to see well in the air.
Yes, but my chick is used to visibility in a C-172, so I still have that one beat hands-down!
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  #45  
Old 01-19-2012, 02:52 PM
Pilottonny Pilottonny is offline
 
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Smile Avionics should be pretty maintenance free!

What is all this "getting under the panel" about???

What would you want to get under the panel for? (unless you made some sub-standard installations that you need to attend to every now and than!!?) I think he electronics are very reliable and "feel no need to get under the panel" at the moment and hopefully not in the next couple of years, either.

This may vary for others.

Rgards, Tonny.
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  #46  
Old 01-19-2012, 02:58 PM
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Mel Mel is online now
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilottonny View Post
What is all this "getting under the panel" about???
It's all about "modernization". How long do you think you "state of the art" panel is going to remain "state of the art"?

Example: When I built my RV-6 in 1993, Loran C was the latest affordable navigation system. Then came GPS. Later my gyro horizon gave way to my Dynon. My old King transponder gave way to my new mode "S" Trig. It is a never ending upgrade.
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  #47  
Old 01-19-2012, 05:02 PM
Scott Hersha Scott Hersha is offline
 
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You are considering the wrong kind of tip over canopy. Try the Showplanes tip over conversion. You have a fiberglass cover for your behind the panel valuables, but it's easily accessible....
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  #48  
Old 01-19-2012, 11:42 PM
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RV7AV8R RV7AV8R is offline
 
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Default My regret

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilottonny View Post
What is all this "getting under the panel"
Rgards, Tonny.
I am an EE and thought I would never need to get into my panel after I closed it up. In the last 7 years there was something every year that caused me to be back under there. Each time I wished I had thought to build my slider panel in three sub panels. Some day I will do it over with sub panels. Building without sub panels was my big mistake on my rv7 slider.
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  #49  
Old 01-20-2012, 04:13 PM
jay.pearlman jay.pearlman is offline
 
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Default acc?ss behind panel

Has anyone built access hatches in front of the canopy and behind the firewall? I would love to have good access to the areas just on the cockpit side of the firewall.
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  #50  
Old 01-20-2012, 11:53 PM
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NickAir NickAir is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jay.pearlman View Post
Has anyone built access hatches in front of the canopy and behind the firewall? I would love to have good access to the areas just on the cockpit side of the firewall.
Yes Jay,
there are even some photos posted. This idea looks great to me also. It has been done successfully by several builders.
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