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RV-7A #74583 N12VD

2023-07-03: Phase 1 Complete

Well, I've gone through all my planned tests and am ready to move on from Phase 1. I will not sign it off for aerobatics at this time, as I'm not aerobatic-trained. I also limited my G load testing to a little over 3.5G for this reason. May bring it back into Phase 1 much later on to do some aerobatic testing.

Thank you to VAF for encouragement and help during this build and test.

"Final" thoughts:

Plane is very capable, I'm getting there.

My only complaint is high CHTs. I'd like them about 20 degrees cooler especially during climb-out. Still have a few things to try to resolve this.

Generally happy with my panel layout and my decision to use toggles for mags/starting rather than a key.

I wish I put the fuel pump switch closer to the engine controls. It's kind of in an awkward, forgettable spot at the moment.

The plane's stall characteristics are wonderful. It just kind of buffets, then gently stalls. Even in banking, accelerated stalls, I have plenty of time to correct before the stall fully develops. With correct coordinated control input, the airplane just kind of levels itself.

It's a little more squirrely the further aft CG is, so I just need to be more precise keeping it coordinated. I am not spin trained so I did not allow it to go into a fully developed spin.

Climbed up to just below 17.5K and it was still climbing. It'll take me wherever I need to go altitude-wise.

Cruise performance TAS are 90-97% of what Vans advertises.

I can lean pretty aggressively before engine complains. Have not done a full "GAMI sweep" test yet.

A camera externally mounted to the wing tiedown actually has a small but noticeable effect on roll stability. Glad I tested it thoroughly. My op limitations required testing all configurations where I plan to have external stuff mounted.

I actually used my parking brake once when I forgot to bring chocks to the fuel station.

Two and a half months of flying before I take it to get painted! Here is a video and a few Phase 1 pictures:

Landing with medium aft CG, a little fast but not too bad in my opinion





 
Good on you Ryan !!
Enjoy your machine.
Despite all the testing, you may find that there's more to discover out as you gain experience.
I'm approaching 100 hours and I'm still enjoying going out and test new things and discovering others.
I'm in the middle of fine-tuning even more the fuel mapping.
These are exceptional airplanes.
I still have the grin !!
 
Nice Ryan. It is good to see O61 again. Have fun now without all the necessary tests. Just fly for fun!
 
Congrats Ryan!

As far as CHTs have you searched the baffles for leaks? What ignition/timing you running?
 
Landing video

Nice landing in the video Ryan and good to see the nose wheel being held off during the tollout!

What type of helmet are you wearing? I think that's a good idea while test flying.
 
Congratulations!

…now about that nose wheel fairing; seems to be pitched a bit too far forward — or is it the camera creating and optical illusion?
 
Congrats! Nice landing and great job holding the nose gear off.

I was surprised at the amount of fore-aft movement the nose gear exhibited when it first touched the runway. It seemed like a lot compared to the other -A RV videos I've seen (or maybe I haven't seen enough videos!). It seems that once the nose wheel was spun up by the first contact, the subsequent contacts did not induce the large motion. Maybe goes back to the nose wheel bearing tightness and wheel drag issue.

Do you have the new elastomeric nose gear or the original nose gear? If it is the new elastomeric NG, that motion may just be the rubber donuts initially compressing and rebounding, and is probably perfectly normal for that nose gear.
 
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…now about that nose wheel fairing; seems to be pitched a bit too far forward — or is it the camera creating and optical illusion?

I was surprised at the amount of fore-aft movement the nose gear exhibited when it first touched the runway. It seemed like a lot compared to the other -A RV videos I've seen (or maybe I haven't seen enough videos!). It seems that once the nose wheel was spun up by the first contact, the subsequent contacts did not induce the large motion. Maybe goes back to the nose wheel bearing tightness and wheel drag issue.

Do you have the new elastomeric nose gear or the original nose gear? If it is the new elastomeric NG, that motion may just be the rubber donuts initially compressing and rebounding, and is probably perfectly normal for that nose gear.

This is the new elastomer nose gear. I believe this is how it is supposed to work. It has always "hung down freely" a few degrees, meaning there is a little up-down free play until the elastomer pads make contact and the gear is fully supporting the forward weight on ground. I'd be interested in seeing other videos of the elastomer style gear in action to compare.

EDIT: IGNORE ABOVE. VANS CONFIRMS THIS NOSEGEAR IS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY!
 
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This is the new elastomer nose gear. I believe this is how it is supposed to work. It has always "hung down freely" a few degrees, meaning there is a little up-down free play until the elastomer pads make contact and the gear is fully supporting the forward weight on ground. I'd be interested in seeing other videos of the elastomer style gear in action to compare.

Thanks for the info. Enjoy the airplane!
 
…now about that nose wheel fairing; seems to be pitched a bit too far forward — or is it the camera creating and optical illusion?

I was surprised at the amount of fore-aft movement the nose gear exhibited when it first touched the runway. It seemed like a lot compared to the other -A RV videos I've seen (or maybe I haven't seen enough videos!). It seems that once the nose wheel was spun up by the first contact, the subsequent contacts did not induce the large motion. Maybe goes back to the nose wheel bearing tightness and wheel drag issue.

Do you have the new elastomeric nose gear or the original nose gear? If it is the new elastomeric NG, that motion may just be the rubber donuts initially compressing and rebounding, and is probably perfectly normal for that nose gear.

Reply to correct my initial bad information!

After replying that the "free play" seen in the video is normal, it didn't sit well with me that I was just assuming this to be true. So I contacted Vans and indeed, the nose gear should NOT have this free play. Per NOTE DWG 46A, The MS21045-6 nut that compresses the elastomer spring needs to be tightened such that the spring is fully compressed and no gap exists between the elastomer pad and the elastomer. Mine was not tightened at all, and VERY incorrect for 50 hours and 61 landings!

If you have the new style elastomer nose gear, please see DWG 46A and make sure you have tightened that nut that tensions the spring!
 
Nuts tight?

Reply to correct my initial bad information!

After replying that the "free play" seen in the video is normal, it didn't sit well with me that I was just assuming this to be true. So I contacted Vans and indeed, the nose gear should NOT have this free play. Per NOTE DWG 46A, The MS21045-6 nut that compresses the elastomer spring needs to be tightened such that the spring is fully compressed and no gap exists between the elastomer pad and the elastomer. Mine was not tightened at all, and VERY incorrect for 50 hours and 61 landings!

If you have the new style elastomer nose gear, please see DWG 46A and make sure you have tightened that nut that tensions the spring!

That could have been messy :)
 
Reply to correct my initial bad information!

After replying that the "free play" seen in the video is normal, it didn't sit well with me that I was just assuming this to be true. So I contacted Vans and indeed, the nose gear should NOT have this free play. Per NOTE DWG 46A, The MS21045-6 nut that compresses the elastomer spring needs to be tightened such that the spring is fully compressed and no gap exists between the elastomer pad and the elastomer. Mine was not tightened at all, and VERY incorrect for 50 hours and 61 landings!

If you have the new style elastomer nose gear, please see DWG 46A and make sure you have tightened that nut that tensions the spring!

I'm really glad you followed up on your gut feeling. I think you owe me a beer! :D
 
Here's what the new style nose gear is supposed to look like transitioning from flight to landing, with the spring cap tensioning nut properly adjusted:

N12VD Landing LHM - Adjusted Nosegear

Big difference. Happy with my decision to 1. point a camera at the underside of the airplane during testing and 2. follow up when someone points out something not quite right. I owe Carl more than a beer.
 
Here's what the new style nose gear is supposed to look like transitioning from flight to landing, with the spring cap tensioning nut properly adjusted:

N12VD Landing LHM - Adjusted Nosegear

Big difference. Happy with my decision to 1. point a camera at the underside of the airplane during testing and 2. follow up when someone points out something not quite right. I owe Carl more than a beer.

+1 on the camera decision. Otherwise you'd never know there was a problem.

Now that's more like it! Huge difference in the nose gear response between the first video and that one. Went back and looked at the first video again, and the large nose response is a little scary.
 
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Well done-done Ryan! Now the flying fun will continue.

What about the builder's prologue? Was it all worth it, the time, the cost, the inevitable highs and lows? Any words of wisdom for those of us who are still behind you?! :)

Cheers
Paul
 
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