Handcontrol RV8A
Hi Guys, I'm the bloke from Oz and with the help of a couple of good mates am building an RV8A Fastback QB.
I am a paraplegic with no use of my lower limbs and have been flying Piper PA28, PA32, P32RT and Bonanza with hand controls for rudder and brake for 17 years.
I decided I wanted to build an RV 2 years or so ago and made some enquiries with Vans who gave me Carl Hay's name. Carl and I have become firm friends and have the same disability.
Carl slow built an RV6 in the early nineties and has a pair of joy sticks for his right hand mounted in the centre of the fuselage. This pair of sticks control the rudder and differential brakes. He has not installed conventional rudder pedals or brakes in his aircraft. He uses the standard joystick for all other normal flight operations.
Carl lives at Eagle Creek east of Portland and is a member of EAA Chapter 105. If you wish to talk to him contact me at (
[email protected]) and I will check with him that it is ok to pass on his details.
After looking at all the RV models and after speaking with Carl I decided on the 8A due to the cockpit width. Unlike Carl, I like to use a different setup for the handcontrol and operate the rudder with a handle working in the vertical plane with my left hand, hence the requirement for a wider cockpit.
With GA aircraft, particularly Piper, it is normal to design and build a removeable handcontrol. However these hand controls are not as good as they could be.
With the RV I am designing a dedicated permanently installed handcontrol that will still allow my mates to fly it normally. After all, they are helping me build it.
We have made many modifications to the standard design including,
enlarged rear luggage area to accommodate a wheelchair,
Showplanes fast back and canopy which looks good, has more volume in the rear luggage and removes the canopy side rails,
installed an electric trim in the rudder,
engineered and cut a 'Spitfire type 1/2 door in the left side fuselage to reduce the height in which to climb over the side,
mounted the rudder control bar at the left side of the front seat,
mounted a hand brake with differetial braking off the joystick,
Installed a layshaft under the rear floor to transfer the rudder control from the handle to the rudder cables.
All this has taken many hours and I guess has added about 800 hours to our build time.
We are now awaiting the finishing kit with more than 1500 hours invested in a quick build.
I had considered a removal hand control but have not designed one and believe it would not be without its challeges.
Apart from my RV and that of Carl's I am not aware of any others that have been converted.
A useful source of information might be the International Wheelchair Aviators who have a web site.
As I am still installing the handcontrol I cannot give you finished photos but I have heaps of the process. If you like, just send me your email.
Hope this helps.
Cheers Cliff