Highest altitude in an RV

[apkp777]

Had someone ask me today "how high can you fly?". I told him, I have no idea. Van's lists the ceiling for an RV9 with 160 HP at 24.5k. I wonder? Some of the MEA's in the Rockies are above 14k. I know that I should have no problem with that, but it begs the question - How high have you flown in your RV?

[n5lp]

Originally Posted by apkp777

...How how have you flown in your RV?

Terry Jantzi has been to about 26,000. http://fly.hiwaay.net/~sbuc/journal/high.html

Personally, I have never been into the flight levels.



206 knots groundspeed at 17,500 in the middle of summer.

[apkp777]

17.5 is pretty good. Very interesting article Terry wrote about getting to 26k. For non-turbo that's pretty good I'd say.

[boom3]

A guy in our local EAA chapter made it to 28,500 in his RV-4.

Burrrr.

[Ironflight]

No contest, if you include "modified" RV's....Bruce Bohanon, RV-4/8, "Flying Tiger"....49,000 and change!

[B25Flyer]

I flew my RV-4 w/160 CS at 17 and 18K all the time.... 5gph 155KTAS. over 30 nm/gallon!!!! it was still climbing in the 500 fpm range solo...

The Rocket is still in the 7-800 fpm range at 120 KIAS between 17 and 18K... It will do 200 KTAS on 10 GPH, 20 nm/gallon, still not bad for 230 mph!!!! Put a 40 kt tailwind behind you, and fly for 4 hours and you are along ways from home!!!! I do have to watch the CHTs in the climb however, they will get over 400 very easily if you get slow or get stingy with the gas.....

The EVO would make FL 300 with no trouble I am certain... But I don't have an A-12 regulator to get there....

Tailwinds,
Doug Rozendaal

[Mike S]

IIRC, Kahuna got to 30k' in his super 8

[turbo]

i did an altitude test years ago when i got a o2 bottle. 1,000fpm to 12,000' then 500 fpm to 17,999'. 180 hp 6a cs. awesome view from there. should of shut down and glided back. love them RV's. turbo

[apkp777]

Something about flying that high just makes me quiver. Thoughts of Mike Adams in the x-15 sub orbiter spinning at 230,000 while descending goes through my mind. Yeah, I am a wuss! But you can be sure, I am going to file an IFR flight plan for FL18 or FL19 in my -9. Something about reading back my clearance "climb 3000, then expect FL 18 one zero minutes after departure" that is freaking awesome. Especially when at FL 18 you tell the controller, "hey, I getting a bit of chop, would like to request higher!"

[mburch]

Originally Posted by apkp777

I am going to file an IFR flight plan for FL18 or FL19 in my -9.

I bet you mean FL180... even my old Subaru-powered RV-9A could make it to FL18!

mcb