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Show us a pic of your RV-4 !!!

Very nice RV-4! Welcome to the world of RVs. There are plenty of RVs in central Michigan, and although you won't see many of us in the winter months, we will enjoy your company this summer!
 
More details on the yellow RV4 Fastback

Starting at the front: The spinner is a copy of the Rocket, shortened to a 13" dia. instead of 15". The prop is a Whirlwind 74 RV. The engine is a stock IO-360 180 h.p. I moved the instrument panel forward to the #2 bulkhead (like the Rocket.) No canopy frame would fit so I welded up a new one with 3" lower sides. I took it to Dayton and they formed a canopy to fit the frame (super people). I made foot wells for the back seat, not heel wells. I put the Rocket fastback on. I used no wing tips, just flat plates. I worked hard to keep it light. It's a little under 1,000 lbs. including electric flaps, trim and auto pilot. It outperforms my old '4 (same engine). It really rolls fast. I am very pleased. I like the '4 better than any of the RVs I have flown, including the RV-3s. Any questions -- contact Jim 317-718-three415.
 
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Been lurking a long time on this site. I'm getting closer to flying.
Here is first Picture RV-4 N698PK. O-320 Powered.
 
A few pics of ours:

PH-SUM, former N554DW. Imported early 2018 from North Dakota.

O-320, Catto prop. Love how it flies!

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RV4 Picture

My RV4.

IO360, constant speed Hartzell, Airflow Perf. fuel injection. Just upgraded to GRT glass panel.

Ted

n7m8m9ED8rg1SY9R7
 
Four is More...

A few pics of ours:

PH-SUM, former N554DW. Imported early 2018 from North Dakota.

O-320, Catto prop. Love how it flies!]

BenUllings_2018-07-31_EHLE_A2A_RV4_PH-SUM_D817676-bewerkt(2030)BU-FB1200.jpg

Ontzagwekkende Hans!
I have fond memories of zipping around the Netherlands at 500/500 (500Knots at 500' AGL) in the F16 many moons ago.
Your Four looks great, nice job blending your new registration into the paint scheme!

You have chosen wisely...
V/R
Smokey
 
Beautiful plane!

Camillo,
Thanks for sharing your build site and the video. I love the paint job. Congratulations. She's a beauty.
Ron
 
clean bird and the paint scheme is very good. BTW, the translation to English on your website is excellent. I enjoyed reading it.
 
Thank-you!

Thank-you to everybody.
Yes, bellissimo, Smokey. Bellissimo e velocissimo!
I designed the paint scheme with a pro in a couple of hours. A lot more work was needed during the painting: the painter became crazy! (and me, too)
For the call sign, it was a deliberate violation to the english grammar: however I could only use 4 letters after the "I" and I had to sacrifice the "U".
Steve, thank-you for your compliment. My listening capacity unfortunately is worse than the written form. I hope with my weekly podcast listening to make the step, sooner or later.
Ciao.
Camillo

P.S.: he/she is hard to land; more difficult than the -9A. In these first flights, we resemble more to a cangaroo than a plane with his pilot? :D:D
 
P.S.: he/she is hard to land; more difficult than the -9A. In these first flights, we resemble more to a cangaroo than a plane with his pilot… :D:D

The RV-4 isn't hard to land well, but it is hard to land well CONSISTENTLY. If you are bouncing, that's a sign of too much speed - a very common mistake that easily leads to PIO (in any airplane). Some will wheel land, then immediately come way forward on the stick and "pin it on". That isn't correct technique either. Try slowing it down, touch down on the mains with the tail slightly low, give it a few seconds to slow, then ease the tail down - no extra, unwanted speed.
 
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The RV-4 isn't hard to land well, but it is hard to land well CONSISTENTLY. If you are bouncing, that's a sign of too much speed - a very common mistake that easily leads to PIO (in any airplane). Some will wheel land, then immediately come way forward on the stick and "pin it on". That isn't correct technique either. Try slowing it down, touch down on the mains with the tail slightly low, give it a few seconds to slow, then ease the tail down - no extra, unwanted speed.

Excellent advice Jon. Until I learned to land my Rocket like that, I had PIO. I now wheel land exactly like I used to land my RV-9A.... Nose slightly up, wait for it to touch and keep the stick in the same position while the aircraft settled. Then, either gently tail down or nose down depending on my objective. Sometimes I add power for high speed taxi.

The Rocket, in particular, has long titanium springs for gear legs, so the conventional advice of checking forward after touching down on a wheel landing just compresses the springs, followed by you know what.

V
 
My Father's RV-4 from 1996

My father had an RV-4 with a pretty nice paint job. He also wrote two books on the RV-4 in the 1990's. One was an operators manual, the other was a maintenance manual. They aren't doing us any good sitting in a box. I scanned them both in and so if someone wants a copy I can give you a PDF to use and share.
 

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Free RV-4 manuals

OK, so the manuals are only 25 MB combined but too big to attach to e-mail or to post directly. Here is a link to the two PDF documents. My father, Jim Lenahan, wrote these and he did originally sell them but he died in 1996 and these have been rotting in a box. I'd rather give them out for free to others that love the plane he loved if you find them useful. Please feel free to download and share with others for free.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0fh81sws0gmsbxx/AACMfBkEAQ65U2MRWjSE_01Ra?dl=0

-Tom Lenahan
 
Tom: many thanks for graciously making these two documents available!
I'm sure your dad would be pleased to know his efforts are being made available by you to the benefit of the RV community.

Doug
Seattle area
 
Thank You Tom!

Thank you Tom! You may not be a pilot, but you have the spirit of this community. Thank you for sharing. Lots of good information in your father's work.
 
Happy New RV4 Owner

I just took ownership of this RV4 and I couldn’t be happier!
 

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RV-4 at Johnson Creek

Finally made it to JC!
 

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OK 33 pages of allegedly photos. Haven't gone through every page but don't see many photos.

I have 42% R/C Model with a 120cc Engine and I'm looking for a Scale Color scheme to finish mine in so was hoping to get some ideas from here.

Anyone know of any other sites with a bunch of RV-4 Photos?

I really like the Yellow Tiger Strip one that is currently on the Vans Wep page. Loos like it's not a US or Canadian Registered aircraft as it starts with TF. Anyone maybe know this aircraft?

Open to colorful schemes.

Wish I could build a full scale RV-4 but the 42% model is all I can do right now.
 
Mines all white..

A lot of the images from early posts were deleted by the shutdown of picture hosting sites. Just do a web search of RV-4 images and you can scroll all day. Id send you pictures of mine, but it 100% all white.."Casper"..not much of an eye catching scheme.
 
1997 RV-4 232 SuzieQ SN 2860

Still one of my favorite photographs of SuzieQ....
 

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Fresh from paint. My neighbor and I knocked it out in just over a month. I did a full strip of the original 25 year old paint and we tag teamed the color and clear.

I purchased her just over 2 years ago on the way to OSH. Put a G5 in at the show and flew her home.

I built quite a few panels by trade, so first on list was a usable instrument panel. 4 panel revisions and 2 years ​later I've settled on a Dual screen G3x with G5 backup, 307 Autopilot head and Gtr 200 comm. I could not be happier!

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Engine was reconfigured from O-360 Fixed pitch to IO-360 Constant Speed. I switched sumps to the superior cold air forward facing, Fuel injection and ignition by SDS, Exhaust mods by Clint @ Vetterman. Then build up a custy FAB inspired by Dan Horton. I'm using the exact filter he is, in the same configuration and can detect zero intake loss. Front of the cowl was reshaped for a 13" spinner. Also on the list, Custom Plenum, inlet rings, and new oversized oil cooler with after duct.

Right before paint I added RV-8 Flap fairings, -8 Ailerons with custom electric trim tab, built a new counterbalanced Rudder, and new Smoke / Fuel tanks. I've got 4.5 gallons of Smoke per side, then the main tanks @ 16.5 a side and automatic aux tanks with another 9.5 a side. Total fuel of 52 gallons.

The end result is a normal cruise of 180ktas @ 8-8.4gph and an all in of 191ktas. I can slow down to 177 @ 7.6 LOP.

Is she a light weight 320 FP? No. But it amazes me every time we fly at how fast and efficient it's turned out to be. I really, really like this airplane.

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Fresh from paint. My neighbor and I knocked it out in just over a month. I did a full strip of the original 25 year old paint and we tag teamed the color and clear.

I purchased her just over 2 years ago on the way to OSH. Put a G5 in at the show and flew her home.

I built quite a few panels by trade, so first on list was a usable instrument panel. 4 panel revisions and 2 years ​later I've settled on a Dual screen G3x with G5 backup, 307 Autopilot head and Gtr 200 comm. I could not be happier!

View attachment 14307


Hi Nick,

Great looking 'pit. I'm noticing your circuit breaker panel. I need to rework
mine and I've been thinking about a multi-tier breaker panel like the
Steinair and like yours.

May I ask: how does yours open up if/when you need to get to the breakers?
Does it pivot on a hinge at the bottom? Access is a key factor in my thinking
and planning.

Thanks
 
It unscrews from the perimeter and you can pull it out and away from the fuselage side. The panel that Stein sells for the -8 'may' work, I don't know. I bent this one up in my shop.
 
It unscrews from the perimeter and you can pull
it out and away from the fuselage side. The panel that Stein sells for
the -8 'may' work, I don't know. I bent this one up in my shop.

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the reply and info.
 
Hunting

With the Wittman Tailwind I hunt most all non turbo spam cans. However I am a catch and release kind of guy. No machine guns or rockets. Just a bit of history: A highly modified 0 320 Tailwind with Catto prop held the SARL record at one point at over 240 statute, so be careful if you're betting much money.
 
The Legend

You got that right...
Way back when, I flew my TCraft to Sun N Fun and parked next to several Tailwinds. Steve Wittman was being honored and I got to meet him and chat a bit. He even autographed my TCraft with a sharpie. He asked me to give him an F16 ride to my reply of "I'll show you how to start it, after that you're on your own"! :)

To this day, all my airplanes have a few of his "speed tips" applied, even my M5.
Years later I would deliver a Jim Clement built masterpiece with a well tuned 0-320 and a Warnke prop, frustratingly it was quite a bit faster than my RV4 at the time, very cool.

V/R
Smokey
 
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Sound's like

With the Wittman Tailwind I hunt most all non turbo spam cans. However I am a catch and release kind of guy. No machine guns or rockets. Just a bit of history: A highly modified 0 320 Tailwind with Catto prop held the SARL record at one point at over 240 statute, so be careful if you're betting much money.

Red Hamilton's?
 
Half way to heaven ...

After a few years of looking around, a few weeks ago I finally bought an already flying RV-4. After completing my transition training yesterday in an RV-7, I finally flew it today! Great airplane, although I must admit that I was nervous about flying it since I do not have much tailwheel time. It is serial number 377, started in the early 1980s. It sat untouched from 1993 until about 2008, when Scott Hess bought it and finished the project July 2010. I found out about this airplane right here on VAF, saw it, and fell in love with it. It has a 160hp engine, fuel injected, and a fixed pitch sensenich prop, and only had 71 hours total time when I bought it. Looking forward to many hours of fun with this airplane.

Since I don't know how to post pictures yet, attached is a link to the pictures I took today after my first flight.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108201...lightAugust62011?authkey=Gv1sRgCMCfm96_uuuJEw

Many thanks to the many VAF members (you know who you are) who have helped and encouraged me throughout this process, which took a few years. Could not have done it without them.

Thanks,



photo-12.jpg

[ed. Added one of the pics for you! dr]

Campi, I got my kit in late 1983 ... kit 519... finished 14 Feb, 1985 .. first flew Mar 31,1985 ... it was the 4th RV-4 to fly ... I built it to sell for profit ... the kit back then was $4600.00 ... 36 yrs later I still have it ... just could't bring myself to sell it ! ... So much fun !
 

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Out of Phase 1

N124F is out of Phase 1 and is now free to roam (first flight 2/7/2022). One cross country McKinney TX to Booneville AR. Several flights now with my son. Awesome! Kit 1705 only took me 32 years to complete. (Lots of work, family, and other airplanes required my time :) )

ECI Titan (I)OX-360
AFP Fuel Injection
Catto 3-Blade
Dynon Skyview (classic)
Dynon 2-axis autopilot
MGL-V6 Comm
Fly LEDs lighting
Oregon Aero leather seats (VERY comfy)

Cruises 162kts TAS, 8500ft, 55% power, 6.5 gal/hr. I can go faster and burn more gas, but why bother? Nice aerobatic performance, though not as effortless as my Pitts was. I can carry a 220lb passenger with full fuel which is better than I feared.
 

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