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wanted rv4 try on / first view/ ride in South TX area

vanscommuter

I'm New Here
Good evening, Wanting/thinking to purchase a used RV4. I would like to try one on for size first. I am a bit concerned that the plane will be a tight fit for me. I am a 6ft+ a tiny bit ( shrinking every year i guess), and 230#'s.
I have not been flying in about 20 years. I have approx. 450 hrs mostly tailwheel and about 100hrs in a C model Mooney.
If any one in the general area of South TX has a RV-4 that i could visit , sit in and maybe take a ride. I can pay fuel and expenses if we get to the ride part.
I am based near Corpus Christi TX, but i can travel to visit a RV4. I would prefer to stay South of Austin / Houston, and South into the valley is ok too.

I would like a RV grin

thanks
 
RV-4 trial fit....

Wanting/thinking to purchase a used RV4. I would like to try one on for size first. I am a bit concerned that the plane will be a tight fit for me. I am a 6ft+ a tiny bit and 230#'s.
If any one in the general area of South TX has a RV-4 that I could visit, sit in and maybe take a ride.

It depends on how the front seat was done whether it will accommodate your frame. I'm 5'10" and am quite comfortable in SuzieQ.

As far as getting a ride, your weight might be a limiting factor. Most RV-4's are going to have a back seat weight limit and you might be exceeding that. I had a 190 pounder in SuzieQ and the control differences were....noticeable..! But I'm sure someone close by would not mind you sitting in theirs to get a feel for what the front seat is like. You might be more comfortable in a -8. I think there is WAY too much room up front but am used to the perfect fit of my front office....
 
Thanks roadjunkie. I mostly want to try on the front seat. And if that goes well I can get more serious about looking for a plane and a ride. I did see a re assemble project plane with a angle valve io360. I called vans to see about their ride program and they don't have a 4 for rides. Plus I don't qualify for a ride as I am in the used market. But that is beside ghe point. Vans said the extra weight of the angle valve 200hp was a poor choice of engine for the 4.
Does anyone have want to talk about that?
 
IO360 vs other engines....

I did see a reassemble project plane with a angle valve io360. Vans said the extra weight of the angle valve 200hp was a poor choice of engine for the 4. Does anyone have want to talk about that?

Hey, Aaron: Let me jump in again. I'll have to agree with Vans. The difference in just the engine weight is about 23 pounds. That doesn't sound like much but weight is weight and has to figure into both weight-and-balance but also gross weight.

SO: the suggested gross weight of an RV-4 is 1500 pounds but depends on what the builder decided. If you have a, say, 980 pound empty weight (maybe in the neighborhood of average for an RV-4 with an O-320 or O-360). That leaves 520 pounds of useful load. If you subtract 23 pounds for the extra weight of the 200 hp engine, that leaves 497 pounds of useful load. Subtract your weight and that leaves 267 pound of useful load. A full fuel load would be 192 pounds. That leaves 75 pounds of useful load. Half fuel would leave you with 171 pounds of useful load, enough to put an average passenger in but not much baggage. And if your 200 horses are sucking down 10 gph, you have 90 minutes of fuel, with no reserve, with a passenger. Takes away from what these airplanes are good for. And that does not factor in weight and balance. Hmmmmmmm. Vans philosophy was to 'build in lightness'!

200 HP would make your take off distance shorter and rate-of-climb better but may not have much effect on cruise with a higher fuel flow. Also not sure what a 'reassemble project' means. Are all the parts there? Why was it taken apart? I'd have that very closely looked over by someone familiar with RV-4's. Just some random thoughts on this April Fool's Day....:rolleyes::p Just more factors to consider......:cool:
 
I generally don't care how someone wants to end their life but stuffing 230# in the back of an RV4 may expedite the process.

A good friend completed his RV4 a week after I first flew mine. Due to his size he moved the rollbar and seatback two inches aft of the plans position. With a 0-360 and a fixed pitch prop, that plane could get off very quickly. He was fond of giving rides and stuffed into the backseat who ever wanted a ride. Full fuel and a rolly polly in the back seat with legs the circumference of tree stumps they took off. Ten minutes later they had been observed to perform acro maneuvers at 1500 agl and the last one ended in a fully developed flat spin. It didn't end well for these two pilots with the backseater being a flight instructor and should have known better. You can try but most of the time you can't fool physics.

As Dirty Harry once said "Do you feel lucky? Well,do you, punk?"

Cheers, Hans.
 
Respecting the Airplane....

I generally don't care how someone wants to end their life but stuffing 230# in the back of an RV4 may expedite the process.

Discussed above. Not too many people would be willing to do that.

A good friend completed his RV4 a week after I first flew mine. He was fond of giving rides and stuffed into the backseat who ever wanted a ride.

Bill gave me my first ride in an RV-4.....!:)

Full fuel and a rolly polly in the back seat with legs the circumference of tree stumps they took off.

I think Steve might have been bigger than Bill.....:(

Ten minutes later ended in a fully developed flat spin. It didn't end well for these two pilots

And Bill should have known better as well. RV-4s are VERY sensitive to aft loading, more so than most. My 190 pounder was still within my CG but did not feel comfortable. Never had anyone that heavy since. PAY ATTENTION!
 
Good evening, Wanting/thinking to purchase a used RV4. I would like to try one on for size first. I am a bit concerned that the plane will be a tight fit for me. I am a 6ft+ a tiny bit ( shrinking every year i guess), and 230#'s.
I have not been flying in about 20 years. I have approx. 450 hrs mostly tailwheel and about 100hrs in a C model Mooney.
If any one in the general area of South TX has a RV-4 that i could visit , sit in and maybe take a ride. I can pay fuel and expenses if we get to the ride part.
I am based near Corpus Christi TX, but i can travel to visit a RV4. I would prefer to stay South of Austin / Houston, and South into the valley is ok too.

I would like a RV grin

thanks

Just got back from Sun and Fun. I am at KIKG, Kleberg County. I would also be able to fly into any of the local airports but I'm not crazy about flying into towered airports. I will pm you my cell #.
 
thanks a bunch Stan, No need for you to fly anywhere. I can easily do KIKG if you are ok with that? Kingsville is on my way to work.
and thank the rest of you all too. Got it RV-4 keep it light
I did not really think about me being too big for a back seat ride, I knew the 4 has limited useful load and best kept light. It has been so long since i was under 200# i just don't think about it anymore. And not flying for 20 years did not help either
But back to rv-4's The super fastest -4 i have read about runs a angle valve io-360 correct?

The re-assemble project plane story is it was a flying rv-4 with a 360, not sure if it was O, or IO. It is supposed to have a IO360 cowling and engine mount. If i understand correctly somewhere along in its life the original engine, prop and all instruments were stripped to put into another RV. At least one owner ago the plane was sold as a complete hull, less engine, prop, and instruments. The plane was disassembled for shipping to the new owner. So the present owner has been re assembling and accumulating parts to put it back together, and so far he has a engine and prop takeout from a piper Arrow. And he de-skinned a elevator to install electric elevator trim.
I have only talked to the fellow once, He indicated the plane is all there, less instruments,
But yes it will need a thorough inspection for sure.

A question about electric trims in the RV. Did i read correctly somewhere on VAF that the electric elevator trim is lighter than manual trim? What about the other electric trim conversion weights?
I really was not interested in electric trims on a RV until i read that.

I am hoping/wanting for a lives outside commuter plane for super humid South Texas. Flying will cut 140 miles off my weekly 400 mile round trip drive. So to me there is a pretty good argument for flying a small fast/efficient plane for my commute. But that also means at the least a aluminum prop, and hopefully a low budget autopilot and maybe some IFR stuff. Yes and the weight just keeps piling on. Almost the only thing that is keeping the -4 on my list is that 99.99% of the time it will be just me. And keeping Experimental with non certified instruments . Who would have thought vacuum pumps would be going extinct

thanks again for replies
 
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