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New guy requesting assistan

A64Pilot

Member
I’m a new guy here first post, so I’m real ignorant, but want to learn.
I apologize if this is asked adnaseum
I’m Retired now and am looking for another airplane and desire some advice from owners. I have a 46 C-140, it’s nice but old and slow, not a traveling machine at all.
First a little about me, I’m a 30 yr A&P, was an IA until last year when I didn’t renew as I was caught in the Bahamas during the lockdown.
I’m Commercial Instrument airplane single engine and Helicopter, fixed and rotary, seaplane
I’ve got a lot of hours, a few thousand tailwheel, Maules, C-140 and everything Thrush aircraft built for 15 years, so I am partial to a tailwheel, nothing wrong with a nose dragger, I just like the little wheel behind me.

I want to go with an Experimental, but not build, or not yet anyway, maybe later?

Certified is just too expensive for the return

95% of my flying is single pilot, and just flying for the fun of it, very light aerobatics is nice, but I don’t have the stomach for any real acro, just like an airplane that’s stressed for it and hopefully recoverabkefrom an upset
I’m 5’10” and 250 lbs, wife is 5’5 or so and close to 200 lbs, if we ever meet, please don’t tell her I said that, but I assume it’s real important in aircraft selection.
Anyway if we travel one small bag is plenty, much less than 50 lbs, if needed we can ship anything else, we won’t travel often, that’s why shipping is an option.
I’m IFR rated and actually enjoy it as I’m good at it, but IFR isn’t a requirement now, I’d like gyros though for inadvertent IMC recovery, but don’t need an IFR platform.

Now for the real relevant part, budget is 50’s ish, maybe 60K if that really gets something well above what 50 gets you.

I think I want an RV4, but don’t know enough about any of them to have formed a real opinion. I think I want a 180 HP CS, but if it’s not really needed I’d be fine with fixed and 160 HP, performance is nice, but I know there is a point where each kt gets more and more expensive, weight goes up, useful load goes down etc. I want to stay down where it’s affordable speed and decent useful load.

Can I get a good RV for that budget, good being defied as well built airframe, mid time engine with no issues, I don’t need bells and whistles, just a good solid dependable airframe with good, not perfect P&I, but not bad either.
finally, what if anything is available within my budget.
Time to buy is soon, not pie in the sky dreaming, gathering info stage now.

Oh, and we live in Central Fl, just South of Ocala.

I hope this post is acceptable, and not improper.
 
Based on recollection of my RV-4, the two of you would be outside the RV-4 c.g. envelope.

My RV-9A with 160 HP, constant speed has a payload of right at 590 lb. That would be you two, no baggage, and 23 gallons of fuel. The way I fly, that's 2.5 hours to dry tanks.

Best to you in your search!

Ed
 
Keep an eye on all the classifieds, ie here, barnstormers, trade a plane, etc. I think there's some RVs that will fit your budget. Even though you're an A&P, it still wouldn't hurt to get an RV guy to check out something you may be interested in.

PS. my wife would never go for tandem. She rarely goes anyway......but.
 
3 strikes

Your occupant specs will lead to CG and gross weight problems in the RV4.

BUT, put your wife in the back seat of an RV4, close the canopy, and then come back in 90 minutes and let her out.

That will effectively remove RV4 from your list of options.
 
CG is an issue, any way to manage that? 25 lbs of lead in the engine compt, remove for single pilot flight?

Thrush dual cockpit aircraft we hung I think it was 50 lbs of lead in tanks attached to the engine mount to maintain CG with passenger. Of course everyone just removed them and flew out of CG, aircraft was real tolerant, what determined max aft CG was stick force neutral point, not aerodynamic issues.

RV 9 I believe is not within budget.

On edit, what about a 6?
 
Even though you're an A&P, it still wouldn't hurt to get an RV guy to check out something you may be interested in.

I’d definitely try to find someone to go along if possible. I’d be competent to inspect the engine, but I don’t know the airframe like a builder would.
 
I think a simple RV-6 might meet your criteria.

I just ferried a very basic RV-6 from Oklahoma City to near Denver last Friday. I've lost a bunch of weight lately and am 5'10" and 185#. The passenger was maybe 5'11" and probably near 240#. We fit just fine and I don't believe either of us was really uncomfortable with the situation. I would think sitting next to your spouse would increase the tolerance for rubbing shoulders (but what do I really know... I'm single).

The plane was a very basic -6 with a 150hp IO-320 and a fixed pitch prop. We did approximately 150kts true airspeed with the wheel pants removed. Climb out and performance in general was not a problem.

It wouldn't be appropriate to tell you what this guy paid for the plane, but I feel comfortable sharing that it was well within your budget.

With your credentials as an A&P, I'm sure you'd be plenty capable of upgrading a basic plane like this as your time, funds, and general inclination allowed.

Welcome to the wonderful world of RVs!

Edited to Add: I'll add that the last time I soloed an RV-4, I weighed around 240 pounds. I found it to be quite uncomfortable up front. The owner was a little shorter than me, so he built it exactly to plans. I know of another RV-4 that was designed around a 6' tall pilot and he fits very well and is comfortable up front. I've ridden in the back seat of the 6-footer's RV-4 and didn't like how tight it was as a passenger. I was right at 200 pounds when I rode in the back. That was his personal passenger weight maximum at the time. He's since revised the weight limit downward, but I didn't ask him what it is now.
 
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I bought a 6. Our plane is a fixed pitch, tip canopy, with an IO-320.

Because ours did not have the 360, CS prop, or slider, the plane was more affordable.

After flying for 150 hrs we changed the panel.

This year I got a prop extension and prop weight from Saber in TX.

After flying 5 hours of testing, I was able to move my CG forward and increase my GW to 1,750 pounds. This helped a lot with useful load and not having to land with lots of gas as ballast (fuel burn in RV moves aft).

Before we had to land with fuel to stay in envelope. With Saber's help we got a lot more utility out of our 6.

Hope this helps

Lastly, I looked and in my 6 (with the prop weight and GW increase) a 250lb pilot and 200 lb pax would allow 10 lbs of baggage with full tanks.

With 22 gals you could have 45lbs of baggage.

My empty wt is 1,074

All that to be said, I would strongly look at the Wt and Bal of any aircraft you may be looking at and run some scenarios.
 
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Forum software and I don’t get along apparently so I’ll try again.

Looks like a 6 it is then, at least I ought to be able to find a simple VFR steam gauge FP, which is fine, if it can climb better than 500 FPM and cruise over 135 kts, that’s all we need, OK we don’t need 135, but I’m sort of used to that.

So how do you do a gross weight increase? What’s a prop weight, is it a weigh on the Crankshaft?
 
I just went and measured my little C-140 cockpit, it’s roughly 35.5” wide, we fit snug in it and I often fly with my arm on her shoulders to gain room, so if a 6 is 6” wider, then it’s plenty wide for us
 
As I tell everyone thinking about buying an airplane...

1 - Define YOUR mission. Listen to recommendations from others with a similar mission as yours.
2 - Decide on an airframe. Don't start with a particular airplane in mind.
3 - Get some "stick time" in that model airplane. You might change your mind.
3 - Look for the right one but don't "fall in love" with a particular one. Take your time.

Just my 2cents.

BTW, I am based at St. Augustine and fly to Ocala often so maybe we can meet sometime.

:cool:
 
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Sure, I’d like to meet. I live /based at Love Field 97fl
https://www.airnav.com/airport/97FL, or of course I can drive to Ocala.

Yes, I’m going to try get a flight in an RV6, I believe my budget of 60K pretty much puts me in a 4 or a 6. I think a neighbor may have a 6, it’s a side by side RV anyway
 
Sure, I’d like to meet. I live /based at Love Field 97fl
https://www.airnav.com/airport/97FL, or of course I can drive to Ocala.

Yes, I’m going to try get a flight in an RV6, I believe my budget of 60K pretty much puts me in a 4 or a 6. I think a neighbor may have a 6, it’s a side by side RV anyway

Cool. FYI The new St. Augustine airport restaurant (Hangar One Bistro) will start opening for lunch on Wed 9th. Maybe meet there or at Highjackers at Flagler (KFIN) airport. Unfortunately the restaurant at Ocala is still closed. Just let me know when/where we can meet.

:cool:
 
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Once you start considering a plane that might work our for your mission...

Get the Wt and Bal and really look at takeoff AND landing

Before we got our prop extension and weight (hung on the front of the fixed pitch prop) we HAD to land with lots of fuel just to keep the CG in envelope.

Some don't know this, buy a 6 with a fixed pitch prop (light), than realize that the airplanes utility with 2 people is limiting

You will have to take off with X fuel for max take off weight, than have to land with Y gas just to keep the cg in envelope.

I have a cross country planned next week. I'm 200. Pax is 250. He wants to get 39 lbs of Christmas gifts.

We can't takeoff with more than 31 gallons because of GW and we have to land with at least 22 gallons for CG. Therefore we need a fuel stop after we burn 9 gallons. Thats not much of flight time..
 
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Sure, I’d like to meet. I live /based at Love Field 97fl... ...I think a neighbor may have a 6, it’s a side by side RV anyway

Terri Hull is her name at Love's Landing with a -6. A fellow C-140 to RV transitioner. I can reach out if you'd like. She may even be on here...

I'm a -4 owner and have been going round and round with guys and their weight and balances lately. They're not as scary tail heavy as myth would have it BUT... That being said, it is definitely an airplane with different flight characteristics with weight in the back. It is much easier to go over gross than it is to go out of the published CG range in a RV-4.

My airplane is a standard 1500lb Gross Weight, with a wood prop and O-320 (the supposed most tailheavy configuration as opposed to C/S or 360 guys). 966lbs empty. Somewhere in the 50% percentile of -4's (I'm guessing). I'm 215lbs (working on it...) and with another me in the back seat and full tanks, we are within the CG limits at 26% MAC (Van's says 15%-30%) and over gross by 88lbs.

LEGALLY, on a 1500lb gross weight RV-4, you and your bride could only go with 15 gallons of gas and 0 bags in an airplane with an empty weight such as mine. You would be at 26.25% MAC. Towards the rear, but in limits. You'd notice....

I'm throwing my recommendation in the RV-6(7) ring for you also.
 
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