RV6 vs 9A question

I am in process on a 9a and my father-in-law has a flying 6 that he is wanting me to take for a while ( I know, what a problem ).

While I will certainly obtain transition training before taking him up on this, I expect to have probably a hundred hours or so in the 6 by the time the 9A is ready.

My question is to all you experienced RV pilots out there: Is transitioning to the more docile 9A a piece of cake at that point or should another round of training on the 9A precede flying it?

thanks,

-Mike

A 9A should be easier to fly, but I would get enough time in one to be sure, especially if you are going to test fly the 9A. A few takeoffs and landings should be enough for a seasoned pilot.

JMHO
Roberta

No Problem

I went up with Jim Younkin in his RV-9A and it seemed like the same thing as my RV-6A except easier to fly.

Bob Axsom

I built an 8A. Got transition "training" in a 6. Had 2000 hrs. in Supercubs so was not unfamiliar with taildraggers. I found the 6 to be pretty "squirrelly", in comparison to the Cub, but I managed. I had no time in an RV "A" model before I flew mine. Totally a non-event. My 8A is extremely easy to handle landing and taking off. My advice: don't worry about it, flying your 9A will be a piece of cake compared to the 6.

John Miller

You should be just fine

I got my transition training in a 7 and I fly a -9. You should be just fine switching over to the 9. Your approach and landing speeds will be less.

Have fun!

RP

vanlle2000 said:

I've got an RV-6 I bought 12 years ago and have been flying ever since. I've had the chance to put about 100 hours in an RV-9A and a couple dozen in an RV-9.

For 90% of my flying, I'd leave the 6 in the hangar to fly the 9A. Except for aerobatics, I find it a more relaxing airplane to fly and land. It's just as fast as my 6 with the same engine (actually, between these two airplanes, the 9A is faster) carries more, handles high altitudes better and lands slower.

Wasn't quite as happy in the 9...I think the airplane really wants to be a trigear and is happier that way.

Click to expand...

Would you be equally happy landing on grass with either the 9 or the 9A? I'm sincerely interested in the answer because that is the delima [yes I've read throughout but haven't seen a post where someone had flown both types extensively] I am considering.

thanks,

John

Deuskid said:

Would you be equally happy landing on grass with either the 9 or the 9A? I'm sincerely interested in the answer because that is the delima [yes I've read throughout but haven't seen a post where someone had flown both types extensively] I am considering.
John

Click to expand...

I know of two particpants on this forum who consistantly land on grass strips with their RV7A and RV9A. Their home fields are grass, and I never see them complain!

L.Adamson

Deuskid said:

Would you be equally happy landing on grass with either the 9 or the 9A? I'm sincerely interested in the answer because that is the delima [yes I've read throughout but haven't seen a post where someone had flown both types extensively] I am considering.

thanks,

John

Click to expand...

With my 9A I've done:
2100ft grass, no problem
1800ft grass with tall trees, no problem
1000ft grass (clear aproach), no problem... ok, that's about as short as I want to do.

I personally wouldn't want to be doing off field rough strips, and gravel makes we wince... But reasonable grass seems fine to me.

Andy you are my hero. I have 1200 feet with a clear approach and worry if I will be able to use my strip with the 9A. I feel better now. Being able to roll my plane out of my own hanger and taking off from my front yard has been a dream for a very long time.

vanlle2000 said:

I operate daily off a rough grass strip -- or at least I do when it's not a complete mudhole like it's been for the last three weeks...ducks are landing there now -- and have had the 6, 9A and 9 in there repeatedly. I prefer the 9A...lands slow and short (although length here is not a problem) and with the trigear I can see where I'm going and steer around the rough bits. Both taildraggers are bit blind looking straight forward. sometimes I wish I were tall. But none of these airplanes have any trouble with grass.

If short is the issue, i'll take the 9A every time. I can almost always stop it shorter than the tailwheel airplanes. the diff isn't much, but it's consistent. It's the only one I've been able to get over the trees and still stop by my place -- about 800'. Great wing and flap. the 9 i've never been able to do that, because it's just more work to get the taildragger down and settled to the point where the brakes are effective. while i'm working, distance goes by. Slowly, but go it does.

Click to expand...

Thanks all, it seems the 9A suites my needs.

Vanelle2000 I'm a bit confused, you say 'your place' has an 800' runway and trees? Isn't that a bit 'tight'? How tall/close are the trees?

thanks

John

Grass/Dirt Strips

Deuskid said:

Would you be equally happy landing on grass with either the 9 or the 9A?
John

Click to expand...

I have always enjoyed landing at places off the beaten path. I stated out with a C-150 and I was always dressing nicks out of the prop. Grass or dirt, the prop seemed to go hunting for something to ding it up.
After 425 hours in the 150 I also got a little board? there just wasn?t much of a challenge any more. My next plane was a Piper Pacer. Very short coupled and much more challenging, but also much more fun. I also never had any problem with nicks or grass stains on the prop. That airplane made two trips to Idaho and Montana and one trip to Wisconsin from Phoenix AZ. The search for better mountain performance and cross country speed ended with the RV-9. Every plane is a compromise and this was my best choice. I chose the -9 for prop clearance, period. There was no controversy, at the time I made my decision, about the robustness of the nose gear. So for what it?s worth the -9 is my choice for a fast little airplane that will handle relatively smooth back country strips.

Good luck in your decision,


Roger Ping
RV-9 90869
63+ hours and have?n fun!