Any improvements in the 8 over time?

[Vansconvert]

Has the factory made any improvements or changes to the construction of the eight over time? I don't mean recommended service bulletins, I mean the way the plane is built?

[RV6_flyer]

I am the 3rd owner of RV-8 kit 80012. Almost nothing was done on the tail when I purchased the kit. The tail is now complete.

The elevators have been updated. Early RV-8 used RV-6 elevators. Late RV-8s have RV-7 elevators. The difference is the counter weight. The RV-7 elevators use 1.25 pounds (IIRC) less lead but are balanced. Yes I purchased a few parts so that I could save the 2.5 pounds.

When you get to the wings, all late model have an included stall warning parts in the kit.

[goatflieg]

The plane went through a redesign; not sure of the date. I bought my first pre-plans kit in 2003 and had to replace it with the newer one in 2013 because it was obsolete.

[Vansconvert]

What was redesigned?

[jimgreen]

The RV8 was apparently not a prepunched kit initially, so some of the builder sites show the fuse on a jig. This likely would cause changes in a number of areas. At the moment I'm having trouble with the WD822 gear tower weldment and wishing that wasn't prepunched. Can't get the holes to line up with the skins and gear tower outer plate.

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by jimgreen

The RV8 was apparently not a prepunched kit initially, so some of the builder sites show the fuse on a jig. This likely would cause changes in a number of areas. At the moment I'm having trouble with the WD822 gear tower weldment and wishing that wasn't prepunched. Can't get the holes to line up with the skins and gear tower outer plate.

I'm sure Scott will chime in.

There is a difference between "prepunched" and "match hole".

"Prepunched" required jigging and I think the only thing prepunched ware the skins, not the underlying structure.

With the "prepunched" kits, both the skins and underlying structures were punched so you just clecoed them together and drill the holes to final size. No jigging required.

There was also an increase in the Acrobatic Gross Weight. I think this was due to a change in the main spar stiffener.

You will have to check with Van's to find out at what serial number each of these changes were incorporated.

[skylor]

The fuselage kits after ~2007 or 2008 are designated as the “dash 1” fuselage. These later kits incorporated significant design changes of the internal structure to facilitate the matched hole pre punch features. These kits actually have many formed parts and reduced overall parts count over the older kits. I suspect that the primary reason Van’s invested in this upgrade was to help reduce the cost and improve quality of the quick-build kits. The benefit for slow builders is that the newer kits require much less hand fabrication of various piece parts from raw materials and provides for easier fit-up and alignment of the fuselage structures. The plans are also significantly improved. Many of the parts in the later fuselage also include lightening holes that were not present or called out in the earlier kits. I estimate that the -1 fuselage is around 5-10 lbs (maybe more) lighter than the original design. Externally, the -1 is virtually identical to the original kit.

Skylor

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by RV8JD

Only in the Aerobatic Gross Weight. The so-called "Dash 1" wing came about later to make the RV-8 and RV-7 wings more common. This commonality results in a 50 pound increase in the Aerobatic Gross Weight (from 1550 to 1600 pounds), but offers no increase in the Max Gross Weight (1800 pounds).

I stand corrected. This morning I was thinking about my reply above and came back to correct the GW comment. - Thanks Carl!