New guy needing a nudge...

Hello all.

Tom Longfellow here from Monticello, Fl. near Tallahassee.
I have always wanted to fly, so this year I have started the journey.

I am almost done building my hanger at 74FL


I hope to start my PPL training and BUILDING AN RV as soon as I finish the hanger.

Heres my concern/question.... I like trigear not taildraggers (sorry)
Will the nose gear of a 9a or 7a hold up to flying from a grass strip everyday?
With the recent posts of nose gear failures, I have some concern.

How many RV A's are flying from grass everyday?

Am I worrying about nothing or should I be concerned??
I am not asking to get into the specifics of the nose gear again, just an overall idea if the RV would be a good choice for me.

Thanks for any imput..

Great site..nice to find a 'nice' forum..


Tom Longfellow
Happy holidays

[Highflight]

You might check with Roberta Hegy here on the forum. She lives at an airpark with a grass strip and has been flying from it for (I think) over a couple of years.

I'm sure there are many others who fly a lot from grass strips with -A models. It's just that, like any news, all you ever hear about are the failures and almost never about the successes.

[Build9A]

I think the nosewheel is fine for grass. I don't have any numbers, but lots of folks live and fly A models off of grass. I have landed on a couple fairly rough fields with my 9A and haven't had a problem. I am more "aware" and careful after reading some of the posts on this issue. Build the fairings with a little extra clearance and hold the nose off on landing until it comes down on it's own and you should be OK. We haven't talked much about taildragger incidents in this forum, but your insurance quotes will tell that story. I fly to Quitman, GA once in awhile. If you are interested, I'll divert to 74FL on my way sometime and show you the 9A up close. jack

[johnp]

another data point --

the guy that got me started building flies a 6a out of kittie hill, tx
(leander, 77t). i've flown his 6a in and out of there. he's been
flying it for about 5 years, no real problems. i'm building a 7a.

as others have said, either one is good.

[Bob Axsom]

THe RV is a hot airplane, the nose gear is known to be more vulnerable to bad landings than production aircraft and you don't even know how to fly let alone have finese in landing. Unfortunately in order to develop the skill you have to experience tha variety of bad landings and their causes, effects and recoveries. I cannot imagine a new pilot landing and never making an error that could damage the nose gear of an "A" model RV. My guess it the RV-9A would be the better short term choice and the RV-7A is what you would wish you had later on. I land my RV-6A on grass occassionally but it is not something I do with great joy because I never know what hidden holes are out there. Having read this and you still want to press ahead then go on, they are both fine airplanes but you should know the demands on your skill going in and the smaller margine of forgiveness for abuse provided by the RV. If you do, it there will be some OH SH**! landings but if you get them out of your system without damage and maintain your grass strip well you will make a life altering transition and be happy with either plane.

Bob Axsom

[alpinelakespilot2000]

Originally Posted by Bob Axsom

My guess it the RV-9A would be the better short term choice and the RV-7A is what you would wish you had later on.

Bob Axsom

OK, Bob, I'll bite. Why would this be?

[rv9aviator]

I wouldn't worry too much about your abilities after getting your pilot's license. I could probably handle cross winds and soft fields better right after I passed my test than I can now. The problem comes in when you don't fly for an extended period while building. I will fly my RV-9A from a grass strip and yes I have concerns but I am still going for it anyway.

Also, the only other plane I might wish I would have built is an RV-10 since I want to travel and not do aerobatics. The cost difference will make me feel much better about my choice.

Originally Posted by Build9A

I fly to Quitman, GA once in awhile. If you are interested, I'll divert to 74FL on my way sometime and show you the 9A up close. jack

Jack.. Thanks for the info man!!

let me know when you are headed to quitman sometime.. it would be great to see your 9


Tom

[Build9A]

you can pry my 9A from my cold dead hands..... some of the young whipper snappers feel that the 9A is a trainer. With a 160hp it's not a trainer, but it's fairly easy to fly. Actually flies better and better control than any trainer I've flown. 7A's are great airplanes, but I'll forgo the 15 mph and the upside down capabilties and the additional cost of the 0-360. Well........, it would be cool to do a few rolls and loops once in awhile. Build any RV( ), you can't go wrong.

[Highflight]

I'll bite back

The 7 series is going to fly faster, climb faster, and allow airbatics where the 9 won't.
If there was no difference between the 7 and 9, then Van wouldn't have to go to the trouble of offering both.

On the other hand, flying and climbing faster means burning more fuel so we all takes our pick and flys what we got.

Once you make your choice, don't look back and don't have any second thoughts.