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Converting an RV-6A to an RV-6

R

raymac

I'm New Here
We are considering converting our flying RV6A to an RV6. Apart from the obvious requirements such as new engine mount, tail wheel assembly, rerouting brake lines etc. any comments on.....

1. Is it best to leave the 6A main gear supports in place or is there a replacement part to retain the integrity of the main spar assembly.
2. Are there W&B considerations with the current 0320-D2A, Aluminium prop and ancilliaries.
3. Any other issues that folk may have come across....

Thanks

Ray
 
I'm also doing this....

You can remove the main gear supports. It doesn't need them for strength. At the moment, I'm in a get rid of any unneeded weight mode.
However, I am going to look at my old "6" plans to see if any additional angle stock is needed.

I have a few questions myself. And getting info from search engines on this forum, other forums, Google etc. isn't quite enough.

For instance, will the top rear deck have to be removed to shoe-horn the new double 611's in?

Can I use my existing 612 & rivet holes, with another one added to it? A problem that I see there, is that the added thickness aft, will move the location of the vertical stab spar, which is tight against the existing 612 bulkhead. So I'm assuming that I just have to re-drill a two piece 612 & make sure the aft dimension is the same as now.

L.Adamson
 
Sam Buchanan said:
Larry, go ahead and convert it to a tip-up and fixed-pitch prop while you're at it........ ;)
Click to expand...

Some things.........you just never do! :)

It's been kind of interesting. I've had friends that call me an idiot. One say's I'll just crash more. My ex-aerobatic instructor, present airline pilot, and Pitt's M-12 owner..........that I shared a hangar with, thinks it's a great idea. A Super Cub owner with tundra tires, acted surprised that RV's even have tailwheels. That wasn't the support I wanted, as I asked the question in front of my wife, who's not exactly thrilled. But I must give credit to my wife. I was just going to junk it, after the "mishap" & sawzall the wings off, to get it home. She thought different.

However...........it's too late now. All the main gear supports are gone. The floor is coming out to remove the steps. The tail is off to change the bulkheads. I even peeled the "A" off the fuselage this evening! :D

L.Adamson
 
tailwheel

I bought a kit 6A and changed it to a 6 it was the first thing I done on the kit Ken at vans said it would be the hardest thing that i would do on the whole kit build but it wasnt to bad about two weeks part time when you order vans tailwheel kit order about 38 inches of 1 1/4 times 3/16 2024 flat bar for the stab rear mount i took of the topcover its a must then cut and drilled out old bulks you will us the same holes for new bulks plus the added holes and your stab bars will still be in same place no change after i drilled out old rivets i didnt like the fit of the rivets so i went back with 4's in the old holes and 3's in new holes i like the look of the stinger out the tail with new bell fork on back as far as the old main gear mounts vans said just put bolts in the holes as for the steps i put up a thread and ask others as to taking off or leaving them on ,Sam replied he installed them on his 6 and cut three inches of i thought that was a great idear and im cutting 4 inches off of mine and welding the step back on also the pop rivet dimpler was the berries hope this helped Bob
 
I didn't like the little rivets in the tail section and upsized mine to 4's back there.

Larry, good luck with the conversion. I just don't want to hear it when you taxi into a trailer!
 
I thought about going from a 7A to a 7. Weekend before last, I landed at KLEX with gusts to 32 knots @ 60 degrees off the nose.

No longer thinking about it. ESP after having to pull the seat leather out of my split side.
 
Get a small camera.

N941WR said:
Larry, good luck with the conversion. I just don't want to hear it when you taxi into a trailer!
Click to expand...

.....do what Lee Logan did. Mount a small camera in the wingtip that displays what's in front of you on the 'glass screen while taxiing.

Best,
 
Been there, done that...

Ray,,
My RV6X began life as a partially complete 6A fuselage kit and 4 emp and completed wings. Yes, removing the gear supports reduces weight and adds entry ease and legroom. I get to fly both the A model and TDs frequently doing my R2 aviation gig. My thoughts are more pro, I love taildraggers overall simply for aesthetic reasons if nothing else. I set my personal crosswind limits at 17 knots but taxiing around at gusts to 40 is doable however comma anything above that is dicey for rudder authority. The A"s have had no problems on my short turf strip, even in rainy season but I use the "stick in lap till parked" technique. My RV6X has a slight edge on mud with its larger tires. 7A models are nice on frozen surfaces in high winds, the big rudder and tri gear allow "land sailing" on the ice.
Overall though you will love the TD. You might even pick up a couple of knots in cruise.
Smokey
 
Last edited:
Webb said:
I thought about going from a 7A to a 7. Weekend before last, I landed at KLEX with gusts to 32 knots @ 60 degrees off the nose.

No longer thinking about it.
Click to expand...

Why not? That's a 24KT x-wind component. No problem for an RV taildragger. Heck, I've done that in a J-3. I'm not sure there's truly any difference between the amount of x-wind a trike RV can handle vs. the tailwheel. It might just feel like the A-model can handle more because it's a bit easier.
 
luddite42 said:
Why not? That's a 24KT x-wind component. No problem for an RV taildragger. Heck, I've done that in a J-3. I'm not sure there's truly any difference between the amount of x-wind a trike RV can handle vs. the tailwheel. It might just feel like the A-model can handle more because it's a bit easier.
Click to expand...

You could hover the Cub!!!

Easy is good.
 
raymac said:
We are considering converting our flying RV6A to an RV6. Apart from the obvious requirements such as new engine mount, tail wheel assembly, rerouting brake lines etc. any comments on.....

1. Is it best to leave the 6A main gear supports in place or is there a replacement part to retain the integrity of the main spar assembly.
2. Are there W&B considerations with the current 0320-D2A, Aluminium prop and ancilliaries.
3. Any other issues that folk may have come across....

Thanks

Ray
Click to expand...

Ray,
David Gill, who has an RV-9, converted his from a 9a in a weekend (he lives near Aylesbury). You will have to remove the last bulkhead in the fuselage, fix in the tailwheel support and then rivet in the double rear bulkhead - might need some shims - its not that difficult, especially if you have tungsten bar. You can leave the main gear attachments in place, but they aren't needed for strength, get in the way and are unnecessary weight. W&B with a Sensenich prop should be OK. You could consider Tail Lynx steering springs and a Bell tailwheel yoke for improved steering and clearance. I would also buy intersection fairings (not from Vans). Do you need new gear leg fairings? Might be worth considering flexible brake lines (from someone like Earls at Silverstone).
Pete
 
penguin said:
Ray,
David Gill, who has an RV-9....
Do you need new gear leg fairings? Might be worth considering flexible brake lines (from someone like Earls at Silverstone).
Pete
Click to expand...
For the RV-9, you will need to make the upper fairings. I made both the upper and lowers on my -9. While the -7's fairings are close, they will not work as the -9 has longer gear legs, thus a different angle.
 
6A and crosswine tamer

I fly a 6A out of a 1 runway airport and appreciate the 6A each time the wind in 90 off, I know it handles better than tailwheel. I had a T-18 previously.
 
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