M

mo9A

I'm New Here
Just wondering if anyone out there has converted an existing 6,7 or 9 to a tricycle 6A, 7A, or 9A and how difficult the project was. I built and sold 9A a few years back but don't remember if the landing gear can be switched out that easy. Contemplating purchasing a 9 wreck and rebuilding it to a 9A.
 
mo9A,

sorry to see that the initial replies just come from the "real pilots" blabla tailwheel-crowd... gets annoying time and time again. wonder why they always need to try to elevate themselves :-( the -A is a fine airplane just as well (be careful on grass however) and practically all modern aircraft designs use a nosewheel, which should speak for itself... so my advice, great idea, go ahead!

the switch can certainly be done and has been done quite a few times. it's not a flip-flop thing and easy to change back and forth, though, but rather a real reconstruction project.
mainly involves swapping out the engine mount, mod to the exhaust mount and cowling, installing the main leg supports and associated hole in the fuselage.
the main leg supports are probably the trickiest to install and fit, one because it's a weldment and usually doesn't fit 100% without filing, grinding etc... and second because there might be fuel lines in the way as the taildraggers have more space in that location available during the build.

talk to van's they should be able to help out!
just be rather cautious and thorough about the "wreck"... make sure there are no hidden twists or damage in the fuse/wing/tail or any other structurally important load carrier.

good luck with your project,
bernie
 
Mo,

I'm in the process of going the other way on my 9A (converting to 9). Let me know if you want a gently used engine mount (337 hrs, no hard landings, for 7A or 9A O360) and/or gear legs (or even the nosewheel fairings!).

greg
 
9 to 9A

I also went the other way with my 7A and converted to a 7. I still have the old engine mount and gear. O-320.
 
Quote:
sorry to see that the initial replies just come from the "real pilots" blabla tailwheel-crowd... gets annoying time and time again. wonder why they always need to try to elevate themselves?" :-( the -A is a fine airplane just as well (be careful on grass however) and practically all modern aircraft designs use a nosewheel, which should speak for itself... so my advice, great idea, go ahead!
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The answer to you question might be that those annoying pilots can fly both types, and know which is the most desirable. The fact that most of today's planes are nosedraggers might be the reason for any A models at all! It's difficult to find taildraggers to train in, and today's pilots might not know what they are missing! You statement implies superiority to nosedraggers because most modern plane are tricycles. Careful, someone might consider that "annoying".
 
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I don't usually comment on this issue, but

Danny King said:
Quote:
The answer to you question might be that those annoying pilots can fly both types, and know which is the most desirable.
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I've got to say that I see no particular reason to discourage anyone from buying or building an aircraft with a nose wheel.

Pilots who fly both, myself included, don't have a clue as to what a person's preferences are until that person tells us or maybe shows us by plunking down some money. And we ARE talking about preferences.

I've owned an -8A for four years and I recently bought an 8. I've taken a little, no make that a lot, of ribbing from my friends who fly tailwheel Rv's. But in my case, it's just been good natured ribbing and has never offended me nor was it the reaason I bought an 8.

I've got quite a bit of experience in tail draggers such as B-18's and Heilo Courriers, along with the usual light aircraft. And I've got close to twenty thousand hours in nosewheel aircraft.

I bought an 8A for a specific mission, if you will, and now I have bought an 8 for a specific mission. I love them both!

I just wish I could justify owning both!

So my advice to both sides of this never ending discussion is simply to make sure they know when your kidding them! They can't always tell!

If they really want your advice as to which is best - don't worry - they'll ask you for it.
 
You might try to look at it from an economic viewpoint. Find some estimate of how many hours of training and $/hour to get a tailwheel (conventional;)) gear endorsement vs. what you'll spend doing a conversion. I really have no idea which way that analysis might go.


PS: What Danny said...
 
Personally, this taildragger nonsense is getting out of hand. This is ridiculous. A man asks an honest question on this forum and it turns into a bunch of young kids in the front yard seeing who can pee the farthest -- most of whom haven't completed ANY airplanes yet.

GET OVER IT ALREADY.
 
"conversion" is really a "build" ?

I had contemplated this topic a couple of times but always got the feeling that the "conversion" was really a partial re-build as Bernie describes. I'm on grass most of the time so I wanted a tailwheel. I finally decided to just limit my search to tailwheel and not get caught up with some of the really nice nosewheel RV's out there. Unless the "wreck" is a really good deal (aka minimal damage and a good price), you may want to look for you're preferred configuration too. Just my 2c and and probably not worth that much :)
 
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Jamie said:
Personally, this taildragger nonsense is getting out of hand. This is ridiculous. A man asks an honest question on this forum and it turns into a bunch of young kids in the front yard seeing who can pee the farthest -- most of whom haven't completed ANY airplanes yet.

GET OVER IT ALREADY.
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Whoa, there's been nothing of the sort. :confused: Aside from two posts purely in jest, there has been rational mature discussion. If you didn't pick up on the "in jest" part, then I think you're too sensitive on the issue and need to lighten up. I really don't care what type of plane anybody chooses to fly. If you're secure in your "pilot-hood", then you shouldn't care one iota what the preferences of others are.
 
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You are already have build experience, you will be in rebuild mode for the wreck, Vans will tell you exactly what parts are needed. I say if that's what you want go for it. I doubt it will add 80hrs to do the conversion. Don't forget to install some steps.
 
MO9A,

To convert the -9 to a -9A is straight forward.

You will have to start with replacing the engine mount and cutting slot in the lower cowl for the nose gear and patching the lower corners of the cowl where the TD's gear legs go. That is pretty easy.

While the engine mount is off, you will have to remove the brake lines as they penetrate the firewall in front of the pilot and run to each gear leg. The new lines will go down the center tunnel and out to each gear weldment, which will be placed in front of the spar.

There is a small triangular bracket that bolts through the lower spar bolts and the side of the fuselage. You will have to remove this and replace it with the main gear weldments at the same time you cut new holes in the skin for the gear legs.

The tail stinger bracket is your choice. But there is no need to haul that extra weight around WAY back there. (Remember, your relocated main gear are now behind the CG, so I would remove that bracket.) Then you can either patch the slot for the bracket or replace the aft most bottom skin.

Next up will be refitting the gear leg fairings and some minor cosmetic stuff.

As for the NW vs. TW stuff, it only takes about 10 hours to get your TW endorsement and who can't use 10 hours of additional training. At first it will drive you crazy but around hour four or five, you will get it. The rest of the time is making sure you've got it. There is nothing special about TW pilots, other than we like to brag. Heck, if I can fly a TW aircraft, anyone can!

Good luck with this project, if you buy it. If you do buy it, please keep us posted as to how the rebuild goes and if you elect to convert it.

(If you are ever in the Charlotte, NC area, let me know and I'll be more than happy to take you for a ride in my -9.)
 
]There is nothing special about TW pilots, other than we like to brag. Heck, if I can fly a TW aircraft, anyone can!
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I don't really think that's the point. It's a fact of life, that tail wheels will react differently in cross wind conditions..........and to the worse, rather than better. It's just physics as they say.

It's also a fact, that the pilot in a tail wheel airplane will not be seeing the ground in front of him/her as easily as with the nose wheel version. These are two bonafide reasons, why so many aircraft were redesigned with the wheel up front after WWII.

Another fact......tail wheel aircraft accommodate rough runway conditions better than the majority of nose wheel types. But then RV's just aren't bush planes anyway.......because "real" bush pilots fly "high wings"....

Other than that, it just looks as though a tailwheel RV is just something good to "play" military. Overhead breaks and all that stuff! I read that AVWeb article that was linked today... :D

L.Adamson --- RV6A (painted with a WWII invasion scheme) :eek:
 
Conversion of 6 to 6a

This is a copy of my previous post. It may be of some help.
I did my tail dragger conversion on a Decathalon then flew my lovely little RV6. I just could not feel good about the landings but understood the takeoffs OK. Call me a wimp but after flying and talking with other RV6 pilots I discovered that I was not Robinson Crusoe. Some always felt uncomfortable with their landings but the 6A/7A pilots were generally at ease with their choice. So I converted "Rough Red" RV6 to a 6A and haven't looked back.

The conversion is quite easy with the conversion kit costing about $A5000.(It's standard from Van's)
There is about 80 hours of work in it but one doesn't even have to take the prop off the motor. Drilling the holes in the weldments to match the spar bolt holes is the hardest task and you have to be double jointed to get some of the bolts in behind the weldments but that's the case with any 6A.

Did I give it enough time to get comfortable with the taildragger? No I didn't.
Do I regret my decision? I wish I could have been comfortable with the taildragger but at my age ther's the dog and tricks thing. The conversion is simple and if you liked your building experience, there is reward in doing the conversion yourself.

In other words if you want a 6A rather than a 6 then convert it.

"Rough Red" RV6A
 
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