Smoke System

[Allen231ah]

Just ordered a SA100H smoke system for my -8. I have an O360 with a CS prop,the battery is installed in the back. I?m a little heavy up front as it is. Any recommendations for installation, front or back baggage area?

[vmirv8bldr]

Allen, I cannot provide an answer, but am interested in the same. What prop do you have? Metal? Composite? Dual Mags? I am still building and can tweak lots of things. I haven't decided on smoke yet, but in planning for it down the road....I would like to make the provision now.

As I am not yet flying, the following is my opinion. Those with installed flying systems, should be trusted long before me.
As a manner of practicality, it has to be filled. If equipped,the external filler extension must be mounted on a flat surface. So, if it's fwd baggage, you'll have to fill through the door with no extension. I would expect some spillage. If rear, better for weight anyway, it could be installed with the external neck mounted to the fuselage side, eliminating spills from filling.

[LovelyLibertyRV8a]

It might be worth to drop a call to my buddy John Manduca, who owns "Smoking Airplanes". His number is 661-713-9050, and tell him J.D. told you to call.

[mannanj]

Whatsa matter Allen? Doesn't smoke enough already?????????????

[Allen231ah]

Originally Posted by vmirv8bldr

Allen, I cannot provide an answer, but am interested in the same. What prop do you have? Metal? Composite? Dual Mags? I am still building and can tweak lots of things. I haven't decided on smoke yet, but in planning for it down the road....I would like to make the provision now.

As I am not yet flying, the following is my opinion. Those with installed flying systems, should be trusted long before me.
As a manner of practicality, it has to be filled. If equipped,the external filler extension must be mounted on a flat surface. So, if it's fwd baggage, you'll have to fill through the door with no extension. I would expect some spillage. If rear, better for weight anyway, it could be installed with the external neck mounted to the fuselage side, eliminating spills from filling.

Bart,I have a mag on the L and Lightspeed Plasma II on the R . The prop is a Hartzell 72inch CS and O360A1A from Van's . I am happy with this setup, I think if I had it to do over I would go with the BPE IO390 ,,,,,now that would be cool.

[N53LW]

I just picked up a 2x4' sheet of 5052 to build my smoke tank. Going to install it in the lower front baggage compartment. Looks like I should have around 3.27 gallons available. BTW have the Barrett Percision Engines AEIO 390 X.... w/a 3 blade MT, and it's great!! Allen Barrett even drove up from OK to KC MO for our first engine run, they are absolutly great people.

[ronschreck]

Originally Posted by Allen231ah

Just ordered a SA100H smoke system for my -8. I have an O360 with a CS prop,the battery is installed in the back. I?m a little heavy up front as it is. Any recommendations for installation, front or back baggage area?

Allen,

I have put my smoke tank up front and believe that is the preferred location. The front baggage compartment is much closer to the center of gravity and therefore will not have as great effect on CG as a rear baggage compartment location. Additionally, a full oil tank in front can be ballanced with a much smaller ballast in the rear. The RV-8 seldom suffers from too much weight, but due to the tandem seating arrangement the CG often becomes an issue when loading the rear seat and baggage compartment.

I have placed my smoke tank on the far left side of the front compartment. The filler is slightly obscurred by the aircraft structure but there is enough room to fit a filler nozzle in there. You could move the tank closer to the center to make filling easier at the cost of a few inches of baggage space.

[pierre smith]

....with either quick disconnects or a 90* valve . When you're taking your SO on a cross-country someplace, you don't really need smoke. That's what we're doing with a -7A going together.

Regards,

[Andy Hill]

I've been through this RV-8 smoke system forward or back debate with someone in the UK

The answer to me would rely on "when" / "what" the smoke system is for. If it was for proper display work, which by most definitions requires you to fly minimum crew i.e. solo, and that display is aerobatic, then it really has to go in the back. Reason(s) The RV-8 (as any aircraft) gets heavy on the controls with a forward CG, so the Smoke system would oppose that. This assumes that when not displaying and, say flying dual / carrying baggage, the tank is empty, and maybe even parts of the system are removed.

If, OTOH, you mostly fly dual, smoke or no smoke, forward might best for reasons stated above i.e. less effect on CG.

Andy Hill
RV-8 G-HILZ

[N24YW]

A fellow builder made this tank for me. It holds a little over 2 gallons.