Tango Mike
Well Known Member
I bought my '97 RV-4 in 2000 from the builder, a self-described speed freak, who told me he had included a number of options to reduce drag: cowls, a hard engine baffle, wing-root fairings, wingtips, fast-back canopy mod, and rudder cables routed within the fuselage and not exposed to the slipstream. He won an award at Oshkosh '97, apparently, and referred to the airplane as an RV-4.5.
A friend with a long-term -4 project asked me if the records included any information about the source of the optional parts. He also asked whether I knew if the oil-cooler arrangement on the airplane was builder-custom or an option offered by someone else.
The records are no help and I have no current contact information for the builder, so I've included some photos of the options to ask if anyone in the Van's community might be able to shed some light on their source. Any ideas would be appreciated.
The oil cooler (sorry for the focus):
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1273.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy413%2FTangoMike3%2FIMG_0288_zps54d6fac8.jpg&hash=8ab98bc2d8a6992d876df7cd26d8e987)
The engine baffle (view 1):
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1273.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy413%2FTangoMike3%2FIMG_0287_zps2a80108c.jpg&hash=b62883ddb5c6dd5358c4eae86244d0c6)
The engine baffle (view 2):
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1273.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy413%2FTangoMike3%2FIMG_0286_zpsb456a7a5.jpg&hash=510e178f639de0107479c7c4c3c52cbc)
The engine cowls:
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1273.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy413%2FTangoMike3%2FIMG_0290_zps1e260212.jpg&hash=2cfe6fa1f577c803882172ef090b44ed)
Tosh
A friend with a long-term -4 project asked me if the records included any information about the source of the optional parts. He also asked whether I knew if the oil-cooler arrangement on the airplane was builder-custom or an option offered by someone else.
The records are no help and I have no current contact information for the builder, so I've included some photos of the options to ask if anyone in the Van's community might be able to shed some light on their source. Any ideas would be appreciated.
The oil cooler (sorry for the focus):
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1273.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy413%2FTangoMike3%2FIMG_0288_zps54d6fac8.jpg&hash=8ab98bc2d8a6992d876df7cd26d8e987)
The engine baffle (view 1):
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1273.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy413%2FTangoMike3%2FIMG_0287_zps2a80108c.jpg&hash=b62883ddb5c6dd5358c4eae86244d0c6)
The engine baffle (view 2):
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1273.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy413%2FTangoMike3%2FIMG_0286_zpsb456a7a5.jpg&hash=510e178f639de0107479c7c4c3c52cbc)
The engine cowls:
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1273.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy413%2FTangoMike3%2FIMG_0290_zps1e260212.jpg&hash=2cfe6fa1f577c803882172ef090b44ed)
Tosh