Weight a minute...
I was wondering which model and what the weight was for the first RV-4s.
I believe they were 150 HP engines. Maybe conical mounts.
Did original RV4 mount the Concorde battery or some equivalent to the nowadays Odyssey?
Just curious how Van's calculated empty weight of the prototipe.
Thanks.
Camillo
Camillo,
I used the Van's prototype as the guide for my RV4 build (89-96) The RV4 prototype has thinner metal in some places than the standard kits, a Narrow Deck 0-320 150HP (
Later a WD 160HP Constant Speed was added) no heavy forward longeron weld-ments, .016 tail skins and very few interior appointments or avionics. The prototype also has only one paint coat of each color. It's worth going in the EAA museum at Oshkosh to look it over.
http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/5VanGrunsven RV-4.asp
I finished my RV4 The Bandit 1996. My friend Arvil and I rolled it out of his shop and I test flew it. The first sixteen takeoffs and landings were from his 900" (320m) runway, a testament to the design.
The Bandit weighed
921 lbs empty with no paint, no interior, Sterba wood prop, 150hp Narrow deck (conical) 0-320 which weigh 11 lbs less than a wide deck. I used a motorcycle battery, no interior, Lexus starter/alternator, NASA foam for seats, Hand held radio, no transponder. Total cost in 96" dollars? $21,000.
I would later paint and re-engine/re-wire it with avionics and goodies adding 30lbs and nearly 30HP with a wide deck 178HP 0-320. Performance was better in all categories. The new airplane belongs to its new owner, an F-18 Pilot in VA.
The original flew the best...
The Bandit, Idaho backcountry (U72) circa 2005, in its element!
Ciao!
Smokey