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7A conversion to 7

casper

Well Known Member
I would like to convert my 7A to a 7. Comments and tips welcomed. Looking for information on this endeavor. looking for motor mount trade or buy out right if you have the correct mount.
 
cjensen said:
How far along are you Doyle?
Chad: I have been flying this airplane for 31/2 Yrs. 550 Hrs. Just need something to do to keep from going crazy, or more crazy.
 
casper said:
I would like to convert my 7A to a 7. Comments and tips welcomed. Looking for information on this endeavor. looking for motor mount trade or buy out right if you have the correct mount.

Doyle,
I had the mount and legs but these parts are long gone except I may have the tail wheel yet. Let me look around in the left over parts department and if I have it you can have it cheap. My RV-4 friend may have acquired it in the middle of the night. No, he wouldn' do that....

The change is not a big deal except getting the tail wheel hardware installed in the aft fuselage. I'd have to look at the plan, but it seems to me the aft bulkhead will have to come out to get it in and then reinstalled. There is quite a bit of stuff riveted to it. Maybe the bracket would go down and in from the top with HS removed, that part will be fun.

I don't think you will go crazy or bored flying the tail dragger. :)
 
David-aviator said:
Doyle,
I had the mount and legs but these parts are long gone except I may have the tail wheel yet. Let me look around in the left over parts department and if I have it you can have it cheap. My RV-4 friend may have acquired it in the middle of the night. No, he wouldn' do that....

The change is not a big deal except getting the tail wheel hardware installed in the aft fuselage. I'd have to look at the plan, but it seems to me the aft bulkhead will have to come out to get it in and then reinstalled. There is quite a bit of stuff riveted to it. Maybe the bracket would go down and in from the top with HS removed, that part will be fun.

I don't think you will go crazy or bored flying the tail dragger. :)
David, I think you are right, the about the aft bulkhead. I wish it wasn't so. If you still have that tail wheel set up I would buy it.
 
Waffling

I am finally getting going on my fusealge, which I bought as a -A variant. I only have a few hours on a taildragger and don't want to commit to a TD at first.

I am curious about making the fuselage reconfigurable at a later date to a TD. Since I haven't built the aft bulkheads yet, would it be feasible to install the TD hardware on those bulkheads, but not use them until I decide to convert? Are there other things to consider to allow relatively easy conversion later?

When conversions are made, are the gear towers left in place or removed?

Or is it not work the extra weight?
 
Norman CYYJ said:
Mounting the TD gear aft before hand will add too much weight in the tail and your CG will be too far aft.

Depends on the engine and prop, Norman. With an IO360 and CS, or Subaru H6, it is not an issue. With an O360 and FP it could be.

The tail wheel apparatus is still installed in my airplane and I've also added 7 lbs of lead at the HS so as to be able to trim the thing up on final.
 
Also, you may need to remake the bars that attach to the h-stab and are riveted to the double bulkhead. Per the plans, those things get tapered for the -7A but not the -7. Not a big deal though...just one more thing to have to do.
 
I have not cut the bars yet. Can I leave the bars straight, attach the bracket, but not the tail wheel tapered steel spring, and leave it there for later?

I had not thought of the weight and balance issue (Duh!) and will have to look into it.
 
You can fab a new brake mount that can accept the 7A and the 7. In the 7A the brakes exit the fuselage by the 704 bulkhead. In the 7 the brake line exit the fusalage infront of the SS firewall. Look the plans to see the difference in the brake bracket.
 
Does anyone have a tailwheel assembly that they want to sell. I am looking to purchase one.


I purchased my kit from another builder, and it was originally a 7A. I am building it as a 7.
 
BJohnson said:
but not the tail wheel tapered steel spring, and leave it there for later?

There is no need to install the TW spring, only the the steel piece that the spring fits into, its not that heavy so the W&B change would be very small. When (if) you made the change you will have to cut a couple of holes in the bottom skin (so will Doyle), but its no big deal - photocopy the drawing and use it to mark out.

Doyle, you will have to remove the aft bulkhead to the TW spring bracket in - I did it recently on my 7 QB.

There is also a bracket that goes on the firewall to let the brake lines pass through instead of remaining in the cabin - no big deal.

Pete
 
RV-7/7A

I asked Van's about this very thing. Below is the response and below that my question. Note that it is pretty easy to convert the 7 to 7A, but not sure if your tail is done how easy it would be.

It is possible. The main problem is that you will need to get 2
> engine mounts/gear legs, so it adds a lot to the cost. The weight
> gain is not significant, really only having the tailspring mount
> installed. The main gear leg mounts don't have to be installed until
> you convert. Conceivably you could get the float type engine mount
> with both main gear and nosegear sockets in it in the finish kit.
> Again, the weight penalty is not much.
>
> Vans
>
> On 9 Aug 02, at 8:39, Hogan, David L Mr wrote:
>
> > This question should probably be in the too stupid to print column,
> > but I would like to know if it is possible to construct my RV-7 so
> > that it could easily later be converted to an RV-7A? If it is
> > possible, is it practical or would the weight gain be a considerable
> > problem? I'm only at the empennage kit so this is not an emergency
> > question.
 
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