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Do I buy RV-6A or RV-7A ?

Dangerous Dan

Dangerous Dan

Active Member
Hi, Tired of flying my Tri-Pacer X country. Hoping to learn more about a fast, aerobatic, and pretty line of 2 seat airplanes. Seems a bottom $ RV-6A is about $30K cheaper than any -7A. I am told the -7s are not as sensitve on the stick so much easier to fly. Is this true? I read the Vans website. What do you VANs Air Force pilots say? I am isolated here in Iraq so Your Ideas will be much appeciated as I save $ and plan. Thank you, Dan
 
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Dangerous Dan said:
Hi, Tired of flying my Tri-Pacer X country. Hoping to learn more about a fast, aerobatic, and pretty line of 2 seat airplanes. Seems a bottom $ RV-6A is about $30K cheaper than any -7A. I am told the -7s are not as sensitve on the stick so much easier to fly. Is this true? I read the Vans website. What do you VANs Air Force pilots say? I am isolated here in Iraq so Your Ideas will be much appeciated as I save $ and plan. Thank you, Dan
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I think you'll find the difference to be minimal in handling, and you'll adapt to whichever one you buy.

The -7s are designed for a slightly higher gross weight, so if you are bigger than average that may be a consideration.

The -7s were all prepunched, which reduces the risk of builder error somewhat--I'd be more careful about examining the structure and rigging of a -6.

For a $30K delta, no question I'd buy a -6, and spend some of the difference on avionics. A $3K two-axis autopilot will alleviate most concerns about pitch sensitivity.
 
Almost the same

Hi Dan,
The two airplanes are so similar in handling, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in sensitivity although the -6 feels more responsive. The best buy is a -6 since they were superceded by the 7. A straight 6 will equal the 7 in speed and aerobatic capability although you can go to 200 HP in the 7. You're right in the big savings by buying a -6 but the resale may also take a hit later.....then again, a -6 might be easier to sell since less money is involved. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Regards,
Pierre
 
Not much difference, but..

The 7's have a little more head and leg room.
They have a little better baggage allowance.
They carry a little more fuel.
The 7's gross wt. is 200 pounds more.
The 200 HP is optional on the 7's.
The 6's have shorter gear legs and that, in my view, is good.
The 7's have the bigger rudder but it's for the longer wings.
I'm no expert but I think the 7 is easier to fly because it is a little less responsive or twitchy, depending on your view point.
They are both wonderful airplanes.
 
RV-6A sensitivity

I was way lower time pilot when I first flew a 6A and I was able to take-off and land safely within an hour. It is great to fly and as mentioned, a two axis autopilot makes a long flight mucho better.

Get a 180 HP engine and CS prop for best performance.
 
DeltaRomeo said:
30 large buys a lot of avgas.
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Hahahaa!!! Yup! I'd be carefuly buying a "bottom end" 6 though. Like others mentioned, the 6's construction is probably easier to mess up than the 7 since they weren't pre-punched. I don't recommend buying the very first 6 or 7 you find...look around.
 
All,
Thanks for the info. What a knowlegable, friendly & helpful group of mechanics & aircrew. I see no problems with support for selecting, operating & maintaining my future RV.
Thanks again, Dan
 
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$30K difference?

I'm not sure that there is $30K difference in the selling prices of -6's and -7's. I'm sure there are examples of this, but I would suspect the typical sale prices are significantly closer. Just pointing this out because it seems to be the central (and maybe flawed) premise on which the original poster is trying to decide in favor or a -6 or -7. Good luck, whatever you choose!

BTW, thanks for your service, Dan.
 
alpinelakespilot2000 said:
I'm not sure that there is $30K difference in the selling prices of -6's and -7's. I'm sure there are examples of this, but I would suspect the typical sale prices are significantly closer. Just pointing this out because it seems to be the central (and maybe flawed) premise on which the original poster is trying to decide in favor or a -6 or -7. Good luck, whatever you choose!

BTW, thanks for your service, Dan.
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I agree. I think the lower priced typically represents the smaller, higher time, carb engine and airframe with fewer (and older) avionics and intruments. maybe even some flaking faint and other cosmetic flaws that naturally occur with age. A great 6 should be worth close to an identical 7.
 
I was in the same boat...

I was in the same boat- I was building a 9a; but job,home, and pregnant wife made continuing tenuous at best for the next 2 years.

We decided to buy a flying RV instead of finishing the kit, my price range pretty much narrowed my choices to a RV6 on the bottom price range to 'maybe' a RV7 or RV9 on the high end. My range was 50k-80k.

The 7's and 9's are out there in that range, but you have to do a little digging. The 6's were much more plentiful (shear #'s flying) in that range.

Here's what I found:
The fuse is narrower by a few inches on the 6 than the 7/9.
The older 6's have a different bottom mounted brake/rudder control setup.
Some(?) of the older 6's have a bigger heater/fuel pump box between the pedals than the newer ones.
Older 6's are more common with manual flap.
It 'appears' that there are more older 6 taildraggers than nosewheel.
There was a change in the wingtip fairing at some point.
The 6's are lighter on the controls than the 7's (but not THAT much)

There's recently been a few 7's and 9's on the market in that price range. Some new without paint to a few years old.

I consulted with a very knowledgeable friend and he suggested that a RV7 in my price range would be a better investment if you want to sell later and a RV6 could be found if price was the most important consideration.

I went with the RV7, but If I had found the right RV6 first- I wouldn't have thought twice about buying it.
 
jcmcdowell said:
Ahhh-
that must be a pain to change.
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You'd be surprised how easy it is to get in there with the cushions and seat backs removed. Nice footrest for cruise, also.

b,
d
 
I have measured the 6 and 7 interior

Side to side near the shoulders is identical. No advantage to the 7 in the regard.
 
I stand corrected...

It seems 'roomier' in the 7/9 fuse.

What are the differences in the 6 fuse and the 7/9 fuse?

Is there a difference in seat width? Distance between seats and panel?

Flying in the 6a, I rub shoulders. In the 7 I don't (same person as co-pilot).
 
jcmcdowell said:
The fuse is narrower by a few inches on the 6 than the 7/9. Fuselage width is exactly the same!
The older 6's have a different bottom mounted brake/rudder control setup. Only on the earlier ones and can be converted!
Some(?) of the older 6's have a bigger heater/fuel pump box between the pedals than the newer ones. Batter box!
Older 6's are more common with manual flap. YES, a positive thing!
It 'appears' that there are more older 6 taildraggers than nosewheel. YEP!
There was a change in the wingtip fairing at some point.
The 6's are lighter on the controls than the 7's (but not THAT much)
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On the 7/9 the seat pan is lowered giving more head room. Fuselage is slightly longer between seat and firewall giving more leg room.
 
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The information is great!

Thanks for all the information. It really cleared up some specifics I was wondering about but not sure how to ask. The information coming out of this forum is another reason to choose an RV.
 
Option?

If you're in the market, I'd like you to know I've got an RV6A for sale. If you'd like to discuss or learn more please give me a call at 505-892-7909 or post me a message.
Good luck. I'm sure whichever way you go you'll end up with a great plane. RV's are what flying was meant to be!

adforrv6-1.jpg
 
jcmcdowell said:
I was in the same boat- I was building a 9a; but job,home, and pregnant wife made continuing tenuous at best for the next 2 years.

We decided to buy a flying RV instead of finishing the kit, my price range pretty much narrowed my choices to a RV6 on the bottom price range to 'maybe' a RV7 or RV9 on the high end. My range was 50k-80k.

The 7's and 9's are out there in that range, but you have to do a little digging. The 6's were much more plentiful (shear #'s flying) in that range.

Here's what I found:
The fuse is narrower by a few inches on the 6 than the 7/9.
The older 6's have a different bottom mounted brake/rudder control setup.
Some(?) of the older 6's have a bigger heater/fuel pump box between the pedals than the newer ones.
Older 6's are more common with manual flap.
It 'appears' that there are more older 6 taildraggers than nosewheel.
There was a change in the wingtip fairing at some point.
The 6's are lighter on the controls than the 7's (but not THAT much)

There's recently been a few 7's and 9's on the market in that price range. Some new without paint to a few years old.

I consulted with a very knowledgeable friend and he suggested that a RV7 in my price range would be a better investment if you want to sell later and a RV6 could be found if price was the most important consideration.

I went with the RV7, but If I had found the right RV6 first- I wouldn't have thought twice about buying it.
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I believe you are wrong about the width of the 6 versus the 7, they are exactly the same width.
 
6A vs. 7A

Hi all. New to this and I'm getting close to jumping in.
I want to buy a flying 6A or 7A.
My question is other than what I can read on Vans web site, what are the differences between the two?
Those that have owned or flown both, I would appreciate your input.
I see that the resale price is much greater for the 7 vs. 6. It makes me wonder if I should even consider a 6. Thanks in advance, Don.
 
There is a tad more leg room in the RV-7. The aerobatic gross weight is a little bit higher in the RV-7 too, IIRC.

Most of the differences between the two are in how they are constructed. The kits are quite different but the finished airplanes are pretty similar.

I've not owned both, but I have flown both and I don't think there would be enough differences to notice from a performance perspective. The variations from one airplane to the next (engine, prop, avionics) are probably more extreme than the design differences between the two models. Find one you like and buy it, you will not be disappointed in either design.
 
6A vs 7A resale

That they are different is perhaps due to the 7A commanding more money. I doubt that if you buy one (pick either) that it will vary in actual depreciation compared to the other.

Buy a 6A for 65K or 7A for 95K today. Resale in 10 years MAY have the same relative cost difference. Obviously you can do research to see if my opinion is valid.
 
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xpflyr said:
Hi all. New to this and I'm getting close to jumping in.
I want to buy a flying 6A or 7A.
My question is other than what I can read on Vans web site, what are the differences between the two?
Those that have owned or flown both, I would appreciate your input.
I see that the resale price is much greater for the 7 vs. 6. It makes me wonder if I should even consider a 6. Thanks in advance, Don.
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Hi Don,
Nice to see you here. I have to ask, did you sell your Pulsar yet? I don't recall for sure, but I think the last I heard was that you were thinking about it.

I've had the opportunity to take a ride in a -7 and a -6A. They were both fine airplanes, but the seats in the 6A were not very comfortable. I'm not sure if that was because of the cushions or the way the seat pans fit over the spar center-section. It reminded me of sitting in a bucket.

Either way, I think both 6 and 7s offer more room than the Pulsar. I do miss flying mine, though. :)
 
lostpilot28 said:
I've had the opportunity to take a ride in a -7 and a -6A. They were both fine airplanes, but the seats in the 6A were not very comfortable. I'm not sure if that was because of the cushions or the way the seat pans fit over the spar center-section. It reminded me of sitting in a bucket.
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If anything, the -7 should be more like sitting in a bucket. The seat pans are identical except that the seat pans have been lowered in the -7 to provide more head room.
Different cushions will make a great difference.
Another consideration on your comparison is the -6A vs. the -7. The -6A has the main gear towers that the -7 doesn't. These bother some of us short legged people but don't seem to be a problem for our long legged brethren.
 
Thanks Mel. I was hoping it was the seat cushions...I'm used to 1/2" thick cushions in the Pulsar, so the RV will be much more comfortable.
 
Mel said:
On the 7/9 the seat pan is lowered giving more head room. Fuselage is slightly longer between seat and firewall giving more leg room.
Click to expand...

I believe firewall to seat distance is the same. The panel is about 1" forward on the 7 as compared to the 6, which gives the "larger interior" feel.

I think the price difference noted would mostly reflect airframe and engine times, and, mostly, panel outfitting. Almost all the 7's have glass, very few 6's do. Same with fancy autopilots. If I had to go with a number, based on watching things for a few years, I'd say all things equal, the 7A's go for about 10k more than the 6A's. As to the price differential, some is newness, probably a lot is just supply differences.
 
There are new 6's and 6A's coming on line all of the time, many, like mine, with glass, AP, etc....
All things equal, engine, prop, avionics, construction quality, age, etc... there is little value difference between the 6 and 7's. Each has some minor plus's and minus's with most plus's on the 7's side. The 7's can take 200HP, have a higher Vne, more fuel, more baggage, bigger counterbalanced rudder, and "can" gross higher. The 6's roll faster, primarily due to 2' shorter wing span, and can be built slightly lighter, although most aren't. The 6's design was hand drawn and I think they are better balanced visually than the 7's which share a wing and tail brought over from the 8. It is suttle and probably subjective.

I think it is funny that one always thinks what you own is the best, as I would not trade my 6 for a similarily equipped and built 7 even with it's advantages. I have flown both and prefer the feel of the 6. If you want a slightly more stable machine, then the 7 is marginaly more docile.

Keep in mind, the 7 was born to take advantage of the Cad machinery and new construction methods used on the 8. Same tail, wing, and many other parts I believe are shared, or at least the manufacturing methods are the same.

I agree with Alex that much of the percieved price discrepency is due to age and available aircraft in the market. They are both fantastic machines as all of Vans products are.
 
6 vs 7

I looked for three years at 7's and 6's. Finally the stars alined and I found the right 6A for me. Price and avionics fit my budget. I got it today!!
 
I don't think it will matter

The counter at Van's website doesn't seem to increase from 2256 for the RV-6/6A duo even though new first flights pop up from time to time and the RV-7/7A count is 572. Supply and demand, designed in capacity for the IO-360 200 hp engine, "later model" appeal may hold the price up higher on the "7". They are different but not in ways that would matter to you probably. Good workmanship, attention to detail (are fairings installed at all intersections of landing gear components, etc.) fairings panel configuration, wiring installation, systems installations (pay particular attention to the fuel and ignition systems), the design and implementation of all of the things "left up to the builder", documentation availability (Van's drawings, builder's drawings, builder's log, organized actual construction photograph record, actual test data - with best rate & angle of climb speeds, best glide distance & endurance speeds, operations manual, etc. etc.) for operations, maintenance and trouble shooting. A good airplane in this choice is more important than model differences. Simple is often better with respect to systems. Many "whiz bang" items will be out of manufacture and support when maintenance is required, if they are not already. An autopilot is very important if you are going to do any IFR cross country flying but they are relatively easy to install - I put mine in after a couple of hundred hours of flying in the plane.

I suspect that after 6 months of "Oh gosh look at my great little airplane" there will be little difference than the pride in ownership you feel for what you have now. What really makes them special is flying the plane you built. I have an RV-6A that my wife and I built with no outside help and there is not enough money available to a typical buyer to buy it from us. If I were you I would seriously consider building an RV-7/7A (6s have been out of manufacture for years) for all of the reasons you want the plane and the life and educational experience.

Bob Axsom
 
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