Which one? 7 or 7A?

[wjb]

Originally Posted by wirejock

My choice was easy. Sweetie said, "you can build any plane you want as long as the wheel is in front." Happy wife, happy life, happy husband.

Mine said the same thing, sorta! Put the little wheel it the back. Happy wife; happy life! (I don't think our better halves will be great friends, Larry!)

Also, +1 on the TW endorsement .. a Citabria is a joy to fly and it feels sooooo good to stick a perfect wheelie.

[tkirk]

During the build phase, I too, worried about which model to build. I loved the TD, but was nervous about the perceived "handling characteristics". However.....I think you should build the model you want, and stop worrying about handling, grass strips, etc. The RV is a GREAT airplane, and either model serves most missions well. In the long run, learning TD vs training wheel is a non issue. I had about 100 hours total PIC time and 10 hour TD when I finished my 7. Get good transition training when it is time for the first flight ( I used Alex D.), and you wont look back. I love everything about the 7, and I am so glad I picked the model I wanted!

[tjo]

I currently fly a C150 and rent C172's and a J5 cub. Interestingly, the Cub's prop is about 30 years old, but is almost pristine even though it routinely lands on grass strips. The 172's have dings in the props that have been repaired and even the 150, that is taken very well care of, has some dings.

In the end, I a building a 9 (no "A").

YMMv, HTH.

Tim

[agirard7a]

Originally Posted by Ghost two-six

In May I'll be coming up on 25 years as a CFI. I've done a good amount of BFR's in that time as well. I will say that of those BFR's I've seen a fair share of tricycle drivers that flat out really didn't know how to land an airplane or perhaps just completely forgot. If not for the gear design saving them we'd have been in a bad spot had they landed like that in a conventional gear aircraft.

Now I will say that the folks saying build what you want are absolutely right. There have been plenty of situations wherein I was flying a TW and wishing I was in a trike because in a trike I really wouldn't have to think about it and or work as hard or have even the faintest of doubts.

Thing about a TW is - you learn to feel in your butt EXACTLY when that airplane's gonna quit flying. You can land a trike without really ever knowing that. And believe it or not that "aeronautical proprioception" has helped me flying just about every fixed wing aircraft that I've ever been in - to include ones like the Boeing 777 and 787 which have artificial feel modules simulating what I'm supposed to be feeling.

So in summary - in learning to land a TW well you're gaining skill that's truly valuable. Just one man's opinion YMMV.

This is very well stated. I'm building an A and flying a tail wheel.
What I am still learning in the tail wheel, is not to land the plane
But let it land when it wants to. Holding just off the runway until it finally bleeds off enough speed and touchs down like butter. Anytime I try to land the plane
On my own, it bounces either the mains or sometimes the tail. Of course speed over the numbers is a direct correlation on how far the plane will glide down the runway before touch down. Cross winds have not been an issue.
Having learned how the tail dragger performs, I believe will help me tremendously in a nose wheel. Letting the plane bleed off speed before it touchs down and holding the stick back to keep the nose off as long as possible is the key. As many people have stated, the nose wheel is only for slow taxiing and parking.
Personally I like the look of the tail dragger. But there is no doubt a great advantage of visability on the ground with the A model. The problem I believe with the A model is some land them like a Cessna or Piper tri gear and force it down to the runway before it's ready to land on its own. You can't do this with these A models.

[Neal@F14]

Tailwheel..... and slider canopy.

[DanBaier]

More "it depends."

Properly flown, it seems to me handling a 7A is much like a 7 on the landings. In a 7A, ideally, you put the main gear on and coast out quite a way with the nose wheel off - rudder skills required (albeit not as much necessary in 7A as 7). The notion that somehow in the 7 it is easier to sense the point of a full stall landing doesn't quite match my experience. (Either the 7 or the 7A rewards the pilot with good airspeed control and rudder skills with a good result.)

Another factor might be the choice of motor. From the aircraft I've flown, if it has a parallel valve Lyc, fine. If it has an angle valve Lyc, it might have a tendency to feel a little nose-heavy. This could give an impression that the 7A versus the 7 is more difficult (granted, with some planning relative to W&B during the build, much of that should be something that can be neutralized).

If you had good TW training, the shift from 7A to 7 should really nothing to be deeply concerned about.

There are pros and cons to both the 7A and the 7. It is important to note 7s are not immune from flip-over accidents - but that they flip over for different reasons. (Which ever choice you might make, you should google for the NASA study on the RV nose gear and go through that carefully.)

Dan

[rvbuilder2002]

The second best advice in this thread is build what you want....

The very best advice is to get at least a couple of hours of dual instruction in a tail dragger so that you can make a decision of whether you think you like the challenge or not.

I know of numerous heart breaking stories where people built the RV they thought they wanted and then after completing it found that a tail dragger just wasn't for them.

[agirard7a]

My thought was to change my nose wheel to a tail wheel
on my 9a now having experience in a TW. Also for my fear
Of flipping over in a grass strip with the A model. I asked the advise of the famous Russian on this subject who has a ton of experience on grass strips with
His 9a. His comment is he would dare take his nose wheel plane
where many TW aircraft dare not go. He has obviously developed skills
to do so. Personally if I was flying into grass strips often I would feel safer
With well developed skills of three point landing a TW minimizing ground speed.

[Bavafa]

Do you want to be on your toes only during those times landing on rough strip or each time there is a bit of cross wind?

[rbibb]

Originally Posted by pastranafan5

and I love how the 7 looks.

Do you really need us to tell you the answer?

If it helps you justify doing what you know you want to do already alright:

Build the taildragger, its the plane you want.

As George Patton used to quote Frederick the Great (IIRC) "never take counsel of your fears".