CH-640 vs RV-10

[dicel87]

Did anyone consider the 4 seat CH-640 prior to deciding on the RV10? From a price perspective and ease of construction (pulled vs bucked rivets) perspective I like it. However, I can only find one on the net that has been completed, and worst of all......it just looks like an ugly duckling to me when compared to the RV10.

Any thoughts?


Scott

[Supereri]

It isn't the quickest thing on wings... 175 mph VNE with a 240HP engine seems sluggish comapred to the even the 210hp -10. Maybe I am missing something

[dav1111]

Not only is it an ugly duckling, the CH-640 is not even in the same class as the RV-10. Having flown the RV-10 (Prototype #1) It performs like my 6A did but with a heaver stick feel (that was with 3 people on board and almost full fuel at 2800 MSL.

I have completed the Emp/Tailcone, wings are 95%, QB fuselage is ready for tailcone attachment.

Russ Daves
RV-10 #40044 (N710-RV reserved)

[armywrights]

I've got a rudder in my shop as a reminder.

I flew the CH-640 for about 0.5 with the marketing director of AMD, John Degonia, at AMD's home in Eastman Georgia. Then when my wife and I attended the rudder workshop, we went up again, this time with me in the backseat.

That's what killed the deal for me. I'm only 5'9" and I had to sit cramped and sideways to even sit in the backseat.

Both times, however, Degonia gave a very quality ride, and even acknowledged that the CH-640 is a 4-seater like a Ford Mustang is a 4-seater, with a little ledge in the back. Performance out of its 180 HP engine was very good, however, and the airframe handled very nicely.

We were and still are impressed with the service of the kit owners; we just realized that we couldn't live with the not-really-4-seater experimental stretched version of its certificated 2-seater mother ship, the Alarus.

Too bad for Zenair, though, because I really liked the $25k cost of the CH-640 kit, not to mention that almost all of the parts come off of the same assembly line as the certificated version, which, last time I talked with them, had no ADs or SBs after 6 years of service.

So I'm going to build the RV-10. I'll be ordering the Tail Kit after going to the Lakeland SportAir workshop the end of this month, and I'll willingly pay the extra $15k for the established lineage of Van's to get the room that I need for my growing family.

So does anyone want a CH-640 rudder for posterity?

Rob