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  #11  
Old 11-23-2013, 10:47 PM
Toobuilder's Avatar
Toobuilder Toobuilder is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Mojave
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While I'm sure there are plenty of airplanes that are more delightful to fly than a Rocket, the airplane definitely resonates with my "too much power is just right" mentality. Perhaps this explains why I have a garage full of ill handling 60's American Muscle cars and my idea of a "sports car" is a 450+ HP Corvette rather than a Miata or Honda S2000. No, the nose heavy, 260 HP RV-4 is just about right for this simpleton....
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WARNING! Incorrect design and/or fabrication of aircraft and/or components may result in injury or death. Information presented in this post is based on my own experience - Reader has sole responsibility for determining accuracy or suitability for use.

Michael Robinson
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Harmon Rocket II -SDS EFI
RV-8 - SDS CPI
1940 Taylorcraft BL-65
1984 L39C
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  #12  
Old 11-24-2013, 12:41 AM
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brianwallis brianwallis is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: In Walter Mitty's dreams
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Default Comparison

Pros and Cons all over the place make it feel like apples and oranges sometimes, each has a mission. Although after getting used to my RV-3 with 172 hp, the next time I hopped into a high wing spam can I wanted to cry. Here I was trying to compare the next best thing to the Space Shuttle to a trainer... Like comparing supermodels to frumpy old people. Completely different. DON'T fly a -3 unless you have permission from the significant other to buy it on the spot. Rockets are supermodels for sure, RV's seem to do everything well and spam cans are great for trainers. Power does corrupt.... but so does lightness and responsiveness
(Legal disclaimer - there is definitely a time and a place for spam cans - and I certainly do enjoy slow flight and frogging around just relaxing but I had to choose between an RV and a spam can for financial reasons - can't justify both, and the RV won.) I did get a -9 tail kit though to start building something I can teach my son to fly in though.....
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Last edited by brianwallis : 11-24-2013 at 08:53 AM.
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  #13  
Old 11-24-2013, 03:52 AM
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plehrke plehrke is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Defiance, MO
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Default I am starting to swing the other way

Quote:
Originally Posted by Toobuilder View Post
While the Rocket does not seem all that incredible any longer, the RV seems downright slow. Even with min fuel, a cold day and solo, this 200 HP RV felt like it could hardly get out of its own way - almost toy like.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironflight View Post
When I get back in my beloved -8 after goign for a romp in Tsam, I feel like I am driving a truck (a nice truck, for sure - but still a truck....).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acrophil View Post
Having said all that, I would thoroughly enjoy a Rocket for what it is! Just as I enjoy the RV-7A that I currently have. Most every airplane I have flown, I have enjoyed (maybe that old musketeer not so much). Just what you get used to ......
I'll take the other side of this discussion. While I totally agree that "power corrupts", as I get older I have started to appreciate the finer points of "Slowing down and enjoying life". After flying my RV I still enjoy going up in my C-140. Nothing beats putting around at 80 mph on a warm summer evening flying low and slow over the river, soaring like the birds.

Variety can be the spice of life.
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  #14  
Old 11-24-2013, 06:50 AM
sandifer sandifer is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Acrophil View Post
Having flown an Extra 300 for years ( also a Sukhoi 26 interavia SP-95, and a Pitts Model 12) I can tell you that a Rocket just doesn't compare well. The Extra is fast, has a real symmetrical wing, has a 400 degree roll rate, a plus and minus 10G load rating and has never had a structural in flight failure. It has room for two and plenty of ramp appeal. The Rocket is a great airplane but has compromises in all those areas. You can buy a mid wing 300 for the same or less than the price of a Rocket so it is probably the best value for a fun ride on the planet!
I don't think there's any comparison between a Rocket and Extra 300. The Rocket's a whole lot faster, more fuel efficient, can takeoff/land much shorter, much better climb performance, weighs about 250 lbs less on the same power, and stalls about 10 mph slower. It's like saying an RV-3 doesn't compare well to a One Design. They're entirely different airplanes. Like the Extra, the One Design has better pure aerobatic performance if the ONLY thing you care about is aerobatics, but the Rocket/RV beats the **** out of the Extra/One Design in every other way, including cost. And which Extra 300 have you seen a 400 deg/sec roll rate in? I'd like to see video of that.

Last edited by sandifer : 11-24-2013 at 06:54 AM.
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  #15  
Old 11-24-2013, 07:45 AM
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Captain_John Captain_John is offline
 
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Location: KPYM
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Note to self:

Never drive a Rocket!

. CJ
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  #16  
Old 11-24-2013, 08:38 AM
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Toobuilder Toobuilder is offline
 
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Location: Mojave
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Note to all: this thread is not meant to disparage other aircraft - just voicing my observations. The RV-8 is a great airplane and I have a lot of fun outrunning Mooneys and Bonanzas. Additionally, I love to fly the simple stuff like L-3's, Cubs, Citabrias, etc. I'm only commenting on the amazing quickness with which our perspective changes as we adapt to something new. The Rocket has the best power to weight of any aircraft I've flown yet, and it just so happens that the resulting performance is a very obvious tactile sensation. Too much power is a lot of fun, but unfortunately it quickly becomes the "new normal"... Hence, my thread.
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WARNING! Incorrect design and/or fabrication of aircraft and/or components may result in injury or death. Information presented in this post is based on my own experience - Reader has sole responsibility for determining accuracy or suitability for use.

Michael Robinson
______________
Harmon Rocket II -SDS EFI
RV-8 - SDS CPI
1940 Taylorcraft BL-65
1984 L39C
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  #17  
Old 11-24-2013, 11:37 AM
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wirejock wirejock is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Estes Park, CO
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Default s2000

Quote:
Originally Posted by Toobuilder View Post
While I'm sure there are plenty of airplanes that are more delightful to fly than a Rocket, the airplane definitely resonates with my "too much power is just right" mentality. Perhaps this explains why I have a garage full of ill handling 60's American Muscle cars and my idea of a "sports car" is a 450+ HP Corvette rather than a Miata or Honda S2000. No, the nose heavy, 260 HP RV-4 is just about right for this simpleton....
You're the first person I've ever read who knows what a S2000 is. I owned one for 10 years. What a sweet handling car. I raced a Miata for quite a while and always wished she had another 100hp. Someday I would love to race a big American Muscle Corvette.
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Donated 12/03/2019, plus a little extra.
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  #18  
Old 11-24-2013, 01:22 PM
Aryana Aryana is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Western US
Posts: 98
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandifer View Post
I don't think there's any comparison between a Rocket and Extra 300. The Rocket's a whole lot faster, more fuel efficient, can takeoff/land much shorter, much better climb performance, weighs about 250 lbs less on the same power, and stalls about 10 mph slower. It's like saying an RV-3 doesn't compare well to a One Design. They're entirely different airplanes. Like the Extra, the One Design has better pure aerobatic performance if the ONLY thing you care about is aerobatics, but the Rocket/RV beats the **** out of the Extra/One Design in every other way, including cost. And which Extra 300 have you seen a 400 deg/sec roll rate in? I'd like to see video of that.
Mid wing, 2 place, Extra 300. This plane has been fitted with a new wing that has full span ailerons (with an even faster roll rate) since Rocky owned it. Sorry, there's no video of the roll rate after the new wing was installed, but it's definitely faster.

http://youtu.be/4yY5Q_63z8A?t=31s

Last edited by Aryana : 11-24-2013 at 01:26 PM.
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  #19  
Old 11-24-2013, 01:40 PM
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Eddie P Eddie P is offline
 
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Location: Aptos, CA (previously Reno, 21 years!)
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Heck I thought any good pilot would know what a S2000 was when the weather was too bad to fly...
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  #20  
Old 11-24-2013, 01:42 PM
Tom Martin Tom Martin is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,544
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Michael
Welcome to the world of rockets. I have been flying various versions for 15 years and now have over 1500 hours of wonderful rocket adventures. The take off and climb is something that never gets boring. My son lives about 1600 nm from my home and the rocket makes that trip possible in a day.
I get better mileage then my pickup truck and if I want to slow down to RV9 speeds, (Though I do not know why anyone would want to), I can get 150knots at 6 gph.
I have owned and built two HRIIs, one sport wing F1 and my current ride, a F1 with the EVO wing. It is absolutely my most favorite airplane ever and I regularly file for 210 knots TAS over 10,000' burning 11.2 gph.
Rockets are not as rare as they were when I built my first one, it was the 18th HRII to fly and until that time I had only seen them in pictures. I was flying my delightful RV4 when I heard about the Harmon and it seemed to have everything that I wished I had in my RV4, wider fuse, greater load, longer gear legs, and more power. You can never have too much power.
I hope you have as much fun as I have had with these amazing airplanes.
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CPL & IFR rated
EVO F1 Rocket 1000 hours,
2010 SARL Rocket 100 race, average speed of 238.6 knots/274.6mph
RV4, RV7, RV10, two HRIIs and five F1 Rockets
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St.Thomas, Ontario Canada, CYQS
fairleafield@gmail.com
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