RV's for tall folks...

viper2fly · #1 01-25-2010, 09:45 PM

How do all,

Not sure if this falls into the correct forum here...

I am 6'3" with a 36" inseam...the waist...not important

Is the RV8 my only real option if light aerobatics are the eventual desire? There are three of us in my little family and while my, almost two year old little darling, daughter may not be ready now...she will be by the time I get my bird (whichever it may be) built and flying. Would love to take the Family on trips and be able to do a few charity runs for the Angel Flight folks or the Paws rescue ops, but I think that this bird is going to be about FUN and ultimate JOY in flying....Give and Take I know...oohhh...how about a four seat fully aerobatic bird that will push the 180knots mark...you know to cure the "get there'itus"...Just thhrowing it out there...

Thank you in advance for your time and replies!

Keith G.
Savannah GA
RV8/RV10 wanna be builder!

WingsOnWheels · #2 01-25-2010, 09:52 PM

Keith,

I am 6'4" and run about a 34" inseam (we won't talk about the waist..haha). I have only been in one RV, Mel's. While Mel's plane is not setup for folks with our altitude, I don't expect too much trouble. For you, headroom shouldn't be a problem, but legroom may be tight. The best I can suggest are thin seatback cushions, pedals all the way forward, and pedal extensions for the daughter. Avoid adding a center console to leave more room for your knees.

I'm building a -6. The 8 has an option for taller pilots, but you may not need it.

viper2fly · #3 01-25-2010, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WingsOnWheels

Keith,

I am 6'4" and run about a 34" inseam (we won't talk about the waist..haha). I have only been in one RV, Mel's. While Mel's plane is not setup for folks with our altitude, I don't expect too much trouble. For you, headroom shouldn't be a problem, but legroom may be tight. The best I can suggest are thin seatback cushions, pedals all the way forward, and pedal extensions for the daughter. Avoid adding a center console to leave more room for your knees.

I'm building a -6. The 8 has an option for taller pilots, but you may not need it.

Hey Collin,

The -6 is a side-by-side config for seating right? How is the shoulder room for two (if applicable)? This is probably the most exciting thing that I could ever take on and I am already feeling the anxiety over how I'm going to get it done...incredible right? Thanks for your input....happy and safe building.

Keith G.

jferraro17 · #4 01-26-2010, 08:05 AM

Keith--

I've met Colin, and I've flown a bit in Doug's -6.

I'm just a touch shorter than Colin, same general frame, and have to say, IMO, the -6 is pretty tight. When I fly with Doug, we take out the entire back cushion, and use the thinest seat cushion he has...any more at all and I get plunked in the head when the canopy comes down. Not to say you couldn't get a thinner version than he has. And that is with a Halo headset, not an "over the top" style.

Leg room--at 33"-ish inseam--is passable. But the longest/farthest we've been together is about an hour.

The shoulder room for me is the deciding factor. I've got a wide set, and after flying in the back of Danny's -8, knew I made the right choice. With Doug, seems we both sit a bit twisted to make it work. Just look at the specs on Van's page. Divide the side-by-sides in half and compare it to the -8 or -4.

Anyway, my $.02. Good luck, it's a great adventure!

Joe

lancef53 · #5 01-26-2010, 08:54 AM

I am 6'4" with a 35 inseam, and fit well in an 8, front or back. I went with the tall pilot option, because it makes the front seating more comfortable, and uses wasted space in front of the stick in the back.

Like Joe said, if your shoulders are wide, you will enjoy the 8 more on longer trips. Fitting in a 7 and being comfortable are two different things.

Don't build a 10 because you think you will have the seats full all the time, it doesn't always seem to work out that way!!

WingsOnWheels · #6 01-26-2010, 08:58 AM

I do have to agree with Joe that the 8 will have more space.

My wife and I fit fine in the width of the cockpit (she is 5'5" and small-framed). Most of my flying will be with her. I'm sure it will get tight with someone larger. There are some mods I am considering to keep legroom acceptable.

I was able to sit in Mel's plane whithout hitting my head. It sounds like you are mostly leg, so headroom probably won't me an issue.

grimr2 · #7 01-26-2010, 09:52 AM

I am 6'5", 250, 36" inseam. I have flown in a -6A and while it was a blast, I had to tilt my head because of the canopy and the bottom the the instrument panel hit just below my knees. So, essentially I was kinda hunched over with my chin on my knees.

I do plan on building the -8. However, this is where the honesty comes in. BEFORE I write the check, I will sit/fly in an -8 and make sure I can live with the space available long term. If not, I may have to concede that another aircraft may be necessary. Of course that "other" aircraft would be the -10!

YMMV

LarryT · #8 01-26-2010, 11:12 AM

I have one inch of temperfoam in the seat back. I removed the "wedge from the seat bottom and have two inches of temperfoam (1" pink, 1" green - left out the blue). My head room is OK with halo headset. Leg room is good if I fly in stocking feet. I bought this aircraft flying while I am building an RV-7, which has more headroom and legroom than the -6.

I held off on building until Van's came out with the -7 model. Prior to that I had had discussions with Tom Green in 2000 about putting -6 wings on a -9 fuselage to have more head/leg room and still have recreational aerobatic capability. My understanding is that the -7 is a -9 fuselage with -8 wings.

I am making the -6 work becaue I want to have something to fly while the glacial pace of -7 construction continues.

LarryT

Quote:

Originally Posted by viper2fly

Hey Collin,

The -6 is a side-by-side config for seating right? How is the shoulder room for two (if applicable)? This is probably the most exciting thing that I could ever take on and I am already feeling the anxiety over how I'm going to get it done...incredible right? Thanks for your input....happy and safe building.

Keith G.

WingsOnWheels · #9 01-26-2010, 12:16 PM

There are a couple options that I have considered to get a bit more room in the -6 cockpit. I will certainly run any of this past Vans before I move forward.

1: Raise the entire canopy assembly up 3/4 - 1 inch towards the front.
or
2: See if it is possible to have a custom-made or modified canopy that does not taper down as early.

3: See if it is structually possible to move the crossmember behind the seats farther aft, letting the entire seat pan extend a bit and move me back a bit (this might cause CG issues with low fuel).

These are just loose ideas with no research behind them...

N8RV · #10 01-26-2010, 12:33 PM

My 8 fits me well at 6'1", with Classic Aero Designs seats and no headroom issues.

I always chuckle when this subject comes up because when the 8 was introduced at Oshkosh, I asked a Van's employee (who shall remain nameless) if I could sit in it because I was thinking of ordering the empennage kit. He looked at me and said, "You should build a -4 ... you're not tall enough for this plane." I thought he was kidding, but he was dead serious. I felt like a little kid being shooed away by W.C. Fields ... "Now go away, kid, you bother me ..."

However, not one to take no for an answer, I ordered the tail kit anyway.

I did have one flight in a -6A once with a friend who was "vertically challenged" -- I also had to sit with my head cocked 45 degrees inboard to keep from banging the canopy. Glad I didn't build one of those ...