Webb

Webb

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With some of the inventive mods I've read about......What changes or improvements would future RV's benefit from?
 
Drilling on the outer continental shelf, ANWR, etc....

As to the RV's themselves, they are a beautiful set of trade offs. I'm not sure I'd change anything.

Perhaps a slightly larger two seat? It would only need to be maybe 3 to 4 inches wider to make a huge difference. I'd probably give up some performance for that, and I'm not a big guy by any stretch. Sort of the analogy of going from the -4 to the -8 for the side by sides.
 
More power and better Propeller

I bought the largest stock Lycoming my RV-6A was designed for and the Hartzell Prop that was available at the time. When My engine has to be overhauled I will have Barrett Precision Engines take it to its safe limit of power and when the prop has to be overhauled I will have blended airfoil blades installed or I will buy a custom max speed fixed pitch prop and put a new plug in the crankshaft. The existing system is very good and the airplane itself is great! The nose gear is fine and I prefer it over the tail dragger for my types of operations.

Bob Axsom
 
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AlexPeterson said:
Drilling on the outer continental shelf, ANWR, etc....
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Good one Alex. You beat me to it! :D How about a solar powered engine? Wouldn't that be sweet!

With all the different models to choose from and the matched drilled kits, it is really hard to find room for improvement. I guess all the innovations you mention that builders do with their kits is what makes homebuilding interesting.
 
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canopy

Plug and Play canopy and canopy skirts.
With the pre-punch kits, the geometry of the airframe should be consistent enough to allow this.
 
Slightly wider cabin (mentioned earlier)
Wing spar attach point on the outside of the fuselage, like on the RV-10.
Folding wing option, like on the MM II.
 
Based on time spent

Plug and play cowl and plexi.

Not for aerodynamic design - for the time spent to get it to fit.
 
Plenty!

  • Like Bill says, spar attach on the outside
  • Factory RV-8 fastback option
  • Factory canopy choice on RV-8 (slide or tip over) (FB and std models)
  • Common builder mods incorporated into the kit
  • Incorporation of 'gotchas' into the plans and instructions so future builders don't suffer the same fate; we tell them, they should add them in.
  • Bigger wheels option for rougher strips
  • More thought in the design over some rivet types/locations; I get irritated having to grind down just about every expensive tool I've purchased to fit a tight area!
  • A factory base kit for systems would be nice too; I'm close to electrical and panel and frankly completely lost!
I know that sounds like some moans in there too, and they are, but don't get the wrong impression; I think the kit is still great. Most of my hassles have been (and will continue to be I'm sure) around the plan deviations like the fastback mod, gear, etc, etc.
 
Better written / More complete instructions

I have always wished that there was a lot more verbage in the plans - they seem really inadequate. And lots of pictures - there are almost none in the plans. I'd pay good money to have videos of how to build - the "From The Ground Up" videos are nice, but no where near enough detail.
 
Ditto on the canopy for a tipper. I've seen a composite tipper canopy frame and I'd suspect it can be done. There's got to be a better way!
 
Plug and play on the canopy and skirt would be nice

But I have to admit, I have avioded doing it so I end up finishing up alot of other things that I didn't want to do but are better than the skirt. What ever it takes.
 
I'd like to see the RV-12 available as a taildragger and with a larger fuel tank.
 
I don't get the question

Other than the components of the kit being more prefab the use of “if” doesn't apply. You can and should make any changes you think should be. If Van hadn't made changes to the St its Playboy the RV3 would never have been. I plan to look into changes of the nose wheel strut on my 7A.
 
Fiberglass control surfaces

I'd like the option to make the rudder and aileron (and maybe flap) surfaces out of fiberglass or carbon fiber.

I might feel differently later, but yesterday afternoon I put a danged rivet gun crease in a rudder skin. (So now, of course, I blame the aluminum.)
 
not alone

Captain Sacto said:
I'd like the option to make the rudder and aileron (and maybe flap) surfaces out of fiberglass or carbon fiber.

I might feel differently later, but yesterday afternoon I put a danged rivet gun crease in a rudder skin. (So now, of course, I blame the aluminum.)
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I'm glad I'm not alone. I did the same thing.... twice... this past weekend.
 
Captain Sacto said:
I'd like the option to make the rudder and aileron (and maybe flap) surfaces out of fiberglass or carbon fiber.
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What is stopping you? We are in the world of experimental so go for it... What is the benefit you are looking for doing this? They might be a bit lighter but then needed work would probably quite huge.


This thread was interesting reading. Most modifications suggested would add price to the whole package and that is something that most people would not like to pay. Just adding option will add price for original and optional modification/part instead just keeping one solution.

You all know how well these Plug&Pray -things work so be aware before asking for them. :D I haven't get into canopy stage yet but have read and heard so many comments that it could need some improvement.
 
rv72004 said:
quicker quick build.
better quality fibreglass parts.
dvd build manual
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Off Topic... GOD i hope they never make a faster quickbuild. It's already so easy it's cheating ;)

On topic, after reviewing the plans for the RV-4 project I picked up... Van's has made all the improvements I could ever ask for. The rest should be personal touches. Quality of fiberglass parts, and workmanship on the tail are two of the main ways I get a feel for an RV when I first walk up and look at it....
 
fiberglass control surfaces?

Re my suggested change of optional fiberglass control surfaces, poster Pirkka asks..."What's stopping you?"

And it's a good question, as I have considered doing this. It boils down to the notion that I think that subassemblies of this type need to be engineered thoroughly. You know, stress points, harmonics and flutter, failure nodes, spar torsion, all that sort of thing.

Someone with much more engineering skill than I would need to figure out all of the above and more before I would consider being a test bunny.

Still, if the idea of carbon fiber or glass control surfaces is intriguing to me, maybe it is to other RV builders; and who knows, perhaps aftermarket control surfaces might appear for sale one of these days.
 
Captain Sacto said:
Re my suggested change of optional fiberglass control surfaces, poster Pirkka asks..."What's stopping you?"

And it's a good question, as I have considered doing this. I
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Nice you have though it! Reason why did I came with my question particularly with you was that I don't believe Van's would do more fiberglass parts than needed... they are metal-company and will stay metal so options like this are definitely DIY.
 
I'd like a long tapered wing option for the RV-8 so I can call it a motorglider.
Then when I get old and might not be able to pass a physical, I could just forget about it and keep flying!
 
1. Van's needs to list the most common tech support questions they get, write up answers, organize them by aircraft part (wing, HS, slider canopy, etc.) and post them on their website. This would help builders get answers when Van's is closed and reduce the time they spend answering questions.

2. Weldments that are built to spec. The tubes on my steps were too long and had to be shortened, the gear leg sockets don't fit the QB fuselage and have to be shimmed (per Van's advice), the legs didn't fit into the sockets (Van's replaced them after I spent hours trying to make them work after they assured me they would fit). I haven't gotten to the engine mount or canopy frame yet, but with 4 out of the 5 weldments I have worked with so far being out of spec, I don't look forward to those parts.
 
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