[lcnmrv8r]

Ok- I'm wondering what kinds of aerobatics are being doen with rv's? I know loops, rolls, and wingovers, but how about more agressive stuff?

 

[jus10stephens]

NO TAILSLIDES

Feel free to slap my hand if I am incorrect but I am pretty sure that RV's can not handle reverse airflow. I seem to rember either reading or hearing about a 4 that attempted a tailslide and it ended badly. If you want to perform hardcore aerobatics I would suggest something other than an RV.
Just my .02.

 

[n5lp]

Ok- I'm wondering what kinds of aerobatics are being doen with rv's? I know loops, rolls, and wingovers, but how about more agressive stuff? Anybody doing snap rolls, hammerheads, or tailslides? Anybody ever tumbled one-- on purpose???

I've done snaps, but not regularly. It does them fine. I've also tried hammerheads, but not too successfully as the engine tends to quit if you go true vertical (carburated).

I'm not interested in doing tailslides as I'm familiar with the construction of the tail control surfaces.

The airplanes also do nice Immelmans, Split Esses, Cubans, etc.

 

[Mel]

I have rebuilt a -3 after tail-slides. NOT pretty. I also do not recommend snap rolls in RV. The tail is just not that strong torsionally. I know some people do them, but not me.
Just my opinion. YMMV.

 

[frankh]

snaps

If I remember correctly the recommended AS for a snap is pretty low...Presumably for this very reason.

Frank 7a

 

[jartlip]

Aerobatics

If you cheat a little bit, you can do fun aerobatics. For the hammerhead, keep the vertical line a little positve, and the engine will stay running. On a Cuban Eight, you can't draw the 45 inverted downline very long, but you can mark it for a second before rolling upright. Both ways the engine keeps running and you don't get oil all over the belly.

I've done competition aerobatics in my Decathlon and the negative G's just ain't fun...to me anyway.

 

[gmcjetpilot]

Are you a Pro already?

Ok- I'm wondering what kinds of aerobatics are being doen with rv's? I know loops, rolls, and wingovers, but how about more agressive stuff? Anybody doing snap rolls, hammerheads, or tailslides? Anybody ever tumbled one-- on purpose???

Seth if you are that good and now do advanced acro in an Extra, Pitt S2B or something, you will not be happy with a RV. If you are a beginner dreamer it will light your fire for a long time.

My RV buddies that got better and better with acro and wanted to go to the next level, all pitched in and bought a Zlin 50 between them. They love their RV's, which they all still owned and flew, acro and formation flying, but the Zlin was for the advanced maneuvers and competition. The Zlin is no where near a top of the line acro plane but its built like a tank and as Lyc and Hartzell.

Snap rolls are not to great IMHO, at least in my experience because of the slow stall speed and reluctance of the wing to say stalled. I just don't like them. Richard Vangrusven wrote and article in the RVator many years ago about how to prep the RV for competition acro. Stall strips, removing wing tips and just putting a end plate and removing all excess weight where some suggestions I vaguely recall.

Last, my friend tried to do sportsman competition in the RV-4 but its very fast and hard to keep in the box.

If you are an amateur at acro the RV will give you 100's and 100's if not 1000's of hours of acro challenge. Even simple loops, rolls (aileron/barrel), hesitation rolls, stalls, spins and all manner or maneuvers are never perfect and you can always practice.

I don't know what you mean by "aggressive" acro or tumbled ( I assume you mean a "Lomcevak"). I think you have seen a lot of airshows.


PS don't forget inverted fuel and oil for the negative G stuff, which is a builder option during construction. It will add weight and probably about $1000 or more to the plane. Most RV's are not fitted with inverted oil. Some of the maneuvers you mention will require an inverted systems. Of course if you know aerobatics you can do a ton of stuff on the PLUS side of ZERO.

 

[garnt.piper]

RV Acro

Aggressive and acro in the RV don't go together. Flown smoothly any RV can walk through a Sportsman sequence and score well (except a -9 I guess). I flew one Intermediate comp in my RV-4, but it gets hard with the slow roll rate and quick speed build up on the downlines. You have to be careful. I had to do positive snaps, of course, but I always had the power back and speed below 80KIAS. Hammerheads are great, there is plenty of rudder. 'Cheating' is required so as not to stop a carburetted engine in the vertical and when doing slow rolls. I never tried a tumble, nor a tailslide intentionally, though I have fallen out of numerous hammerheads when I began with no damage (throttle idle, controls central - b**ger)!!

Keep the rubber side up!
2006 Australian Sportsman Champion