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Can you change landing gear configuration?

Hi, I'm new to these forums so let me do a brief intro. I started and paused my private pilot training 25 years ago. Recently restarted and am in the late stages of PPL now. I'm a fan of RV's in general and would really want to own a 6, 7 or 9 someday. But I don't have the time, space or patience to try to build one myself. I'm in awe of those of you who are building your own planes -- wish I could myself ... but sometimes a man has got to know his own limitations.

So I keep looking on the forums and websites for used RVs. Sometimes I've seen an RV6 that would fit my mission and my budget. But realistically I want a tricycle gear plane. I would love to get a tailwheel endorsement and expand my horizons, but I'm looking for a good xc machine and my passengers would not feel comfortable in a tailwheel.

So I'm wondering if it's possible to change an RV6 to an RV6A? Is is possible with an RV7 or RV9 as well? How much time, effort and money does it take?
 
Hi, I'm new to these forums so let me do a brief intro. I started and paused my private pilot training 25 years ago. Recently restarted and am in the late stages of PPL now. I'm a fan of RV's in general and would really want to own a 6, 7 or 9 someday. But I don't have the time, space or patience to try to build one myself. I'm in awe of those of you who are building your own planes -- wish I could myself ... but sometimes a man has got to know his own limitations.

So I keep looking on the forums and websites for used RVs. Sometimes I've seen an RV6 that would fit my mission and my budget. But realistically I want a tricycle gear plane. I would love to get a tailwheel endorsement and expand my horizons, but I'm looking for a good xc machine and my passengers would not feel comfortable in a tailwheel.

So I'm wondering if it's possible to change an RV6 to an RV6A? Is is possible with an RV7 or RV9 as well? How much time, effort and money does it take?

It is possible to change the gear config but for someone who doesn't "have the time, space or patience to try to build one myself" it is not a practical endeavor.
 
It is possible to change the gear config but for someone who doesn't "have the time, space or patience to try to build one myself" it is not a practical endeavor.

I agree with Sam.
You will be far better off continuing to search until you find the right one (be sure to use some experienced help to evaluate I before committing to buy though).
 
So it sounds like it's a bit of effort. Can you give me a ballpark? Is it about 40 hours of work? 400? Could I utilize a build assist center? I don't have the space at home to work on a plane and all of the local airports have a multi year waitlist for hangars.
 
I agree with Sam.
You will be far better off continuing to search until you find the right one (be sure to use some experienced help to evaluate I before committing to buy though).

rvbuilder2002, thanks for the guidance. Um, I'm going to ask a dumb question, cause I really don't know. Where are some places I can get experienced help to evaluate potential planes?
 
So it sounds like it's a bit of effort. Can you give me a ballpark? Is it about 40 hours of work? 400? Could I utilize a build assist center? I don't have the space at home to work on a plane and all of the local airports have a multi year waitlist for hangars.

I suppose you could use professionals to convert the gear but the expense would far exceed what it would cost to buy a tri-gear RV in the first place. Converting the gear is not a trivial undertaking especially going from taildragger to nose gear.

Are you considering keeping a "new to you" RV outdoors?
 
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The work/effort to convert a 6 to a 6A would include all/some/more of the following:

New engine mount and nose gear = remove and refit engine.
Modifications to engine cowling.
Modifications to baffling.
Modifications to firewall penetrations.
New main gear legs and sockets.
Reinforce lower fwd fuselage sides.
Remove tailwheel and patch rear fuselage.
New gear leg fairings and wheelpants.
Paint cowling, fuse sides, fairings.
Fuel line and vent line routing.
Weight and balance.
Flight testing.

This would take more than 40 hours for sure! Depending on the skill, experience and resources of the builder could be 2-4 weeks or more effort I'd guess.

Note that parts for the 6/6A have gone up in price and wait times are longer since Vans discontinued this model. You could scrounge for unused parts, but that takes time and patience...
 
I suppose you could use professionals to convert the gear but the expense would far exceed what it would cost to buy a tri-gear RV in the first place. Converting the gear is not a trivial undertaking especially going from taildragger to nose gear.

Are you considering keeping a "new to you" RV outdoors?

Sam, thank you. I'll focus on the tricycle gear models from here on.

Unfortunately, ramp tiedowns are probably my only option for some time. The closest airport has a 5 year waitlist for hangars.
 
When it comes to pre-buy inspections, Vic Syracuse (search here on VAF) in the Atlanta area comes highly recommended. But first: google Gallagher Associates (or search VAF for Leah Ringeisen) and have a heart to heart talk about insurance costs for a brand new private pilot.
 
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The work/effort to convert a 6 to a 6A would include all/some/more of the following:

New engine mount and nose gear = remove and refit engine.
Modifications to engine cowling.
Modifications to baffling.
Modifications to firewall penetrations.
New main gear legs and sockets.
Reinforce lower fwd fuselage sides.
Remove tailwheel and patch rear fuselage.
New gear leg fairings and wheelpants.
Paint cowling, fuse sides, fairings.
Fuel line and vent line routing.
Weight and balance.
Flight testing.

This would take more than 40 hours for sure! Depending on the skill, experience and resources of the builder could be 2-4 weeks or more effort I'd guess.

Note that parts for the 6/6A have gone up in price and wait times are longer since Vans discontinued this model. You could scrounge for unused parts, but that takes time and patience...

Thanks Paul! Seeing your list now makes it clear why others are telling me to go a different route. Not a small undertaking for a newbie.

I think I've probably put my foot in mouth by saying I didn't have time or patience. I actually do, in other areas of my life. But I've been doing those areas for many years. I had to quit my flight training 25 years ago because life got in the way. Now I've finally been able to prioritize it, but I'm much older. I don't know how many years of flying I'll have ... so I've gotten a little impatient in trying to catch up for lost time.
 
When it comes to pre-buy inspections, Vic Syracuse (search here on VAF) in the Atlanta area comes highly recommended. But first: google Gallagher Associates (or search VAF for Leah Ringeisen) and have a heart to heart talk about insurance costs for a brand new private pilot.

Thanks Bob, will do! I have renters insurance now during my flight training. Wasn't too bad. But now that you mention it, I'm seeing all kinds of posts by people complaining about insurance costs. I wonder if it's hull insurance by low time pilots that causes the high rates or whether the liability portion goes up significantly when a low time pilot is no longer flying "training" aircraft.
 
Mostly the hull insurance. Even high time pilots will pay a significant premium until they have 100 or so hours time in type. Liability is not too expensive because coverage is minimal, typically $100K per passenger. Significantly higher limits are mostly unattainable.
Insurance seems to run in cycles. Currently, a little more expensive, a little harder for low time pilots to find at all. I know a 150 hr pilot, not instrument rated, who just got excited and bought an EAB (long EZ, not RV) without checking first. Only one carrier would quote him - for $8,000/yr. Call Gallagher.
 
Devils advocate biting ;)

I'm looking for a good xc machine and my passengers would not feel comfortable in a tailwheel.

A tailwheeler is de facto a better XC machine than a nose dragger... usually lighter and less draggy, e.g. more efficient.
Now about those passengers of yours :eek:
 
Why Not a Tail Dragger

My question is, why do you think a tail dragger would not be a comfortable cross country machine? I love my tail dragger, a 6, and cross country all the time. Non pilot passengers don’t know the difference, usually. Pilots think tail draggers are cool. A non issue. The only issue for anyone is the take off and landing roll.
 
As mentioned swaping either way is a big undertaking, chose wisely in the first place so a conventional u/c machine would be the better choice -)
 
Couple of things regarding the tailwheel isn't good for X/C.

Passengers won't know the difference once it gets in the air, other than they won't have that big ugly gear tower sticking up right under their knee in a taildragger.

They look cool

couple of knots faster, all other stuff being equal.

Lats year when I was making this decision, I was quoted about $500 per year more per year in insurance premium. They said the premiums would get lower the more tailwheel time I got (at the time I only had but that tailwheel would always be slightly higher.

Do whatever you want, just want you to be informed.
 
Mostly the hull insurance. Even high time pilots will pay a significant premium until they have 100 or so hours time in type. Liability is not too expensive because coverage is minimal, typically $100K per passenger. Significantly higher limits are mostly unattainable.
Insurance seems to run in cycles. Currently, a little more expensive, a little harder for low time pilots to find at all. I know a 150 hr pilot, not instrument rated, who just got excited and bought an EAB (long EZ, not RV) without checking first. Only one carrier would quote him - for $8,000/yr. Call Gallagher.

The canards are a bad example, their premiums run much higher than the RVs.

As another Data point, when I finished my RV6A I had about 230hrs TT and like 1.5 in RVs (before transition training). Full-coverage insurance was about $1200. I recently got a quote for a Velocity, fixed-gear, same hull value as the RV. Came in at about $6,000.
 
I am converting a mostly finished project from nosewheel to tail wheel. It is a -7 (-9 would be similar). There is nothing hard about it (compared to building a plane) but it has taken 2x as long as my worst case assumption. In my case I had to insert the tailwheel parts into a completed tail. In your case you would have to insert the main gear weldments into a completed center section. If I had a -6 (different spar/center section) I would not have even considered it.

The cowl requires a complete new fitting and repaint. The legs are different so new brake lines, all new fairings, new paint there. The engine is removed and there may be some mounting locations of peripherals that do not work.

Long story short, it is a fun, not terribly difficult project that absolutely requires a shop and (for someone who didn’t do the original work or hasn’t built) probably a few hundred hours.

Buy what you want, don’t buy a project. Given your situation, you will be much happier. But don’t discount the tailwheel planes. The gear weldments in the -A models are an annoyance, the conventional is lighter and may be a knot or so faster. Plus, most importantly, it looks cooler.

I would be happy to regale you with anecdotes from my own, incomplete, conversion project.
 
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