Caveman
Well Known Member
For those still building, wondering what your future may be like, here’s what my experience has been.
Background: Rv-7, VFR airplane, VFR pilot, Mattituck IO-360 /w 9:1 pistons, Hartzell B/A prop, Plane Power alternator, Sky Tec starter.
Caveat: I have only flown a few other RV’s so I don’t have a lot of back ground to compare my systems to.
I just finished my 4th oil change and my umpteenth firewall forward inspection. 106 hours so far. No maintenance issues at all. I checked both the oil filter and oil screen, lubed the exhaust joints and cables, inspected the wiring and hoses for chafing, and the baffles for cracks. I am not 100% happy with my baffle seal material. I’ll redo the back and front portions at some point. I have purchased the orange silicone material but just can’t stand to take the time to do it. The engine runs very cool and I can run LOP. I never had to fiddle w/ injectors. At the first condition inspection I changed out the tailwheel control arm and key just because I was a new tailwheel pilot and it was showing a bit of wear. In hindsight, I could have let it go until the next condition inspection, I’m sure.
I don’t know how I could be any happier with the engine. Support has been first rate. I’ve corresponded with Mahon via e-mail early on few times and he has answered questions promptly.
Vendors:
AFS 3500 w/ map and b/u battery: Love it! I wouldn’t change a thing. I must admit that it takes awhile to learn the menus, but other than that, I love it. In fact, it does more now, through software updates, than when I purchased it. If there is a problem with this, it is that since Rob came out with the flight director, now I want to upgrade to the AFS autopilot from my ADI PII, and he has me considering upgrading myself and the airplane to IFR status. I am heartily resisting at this point, due to personal stubbornness and potentially misguided beliefs and more $$. I did add the AFS external gps antenna after I was flying. I have called AFS two or three times with AOA issues and software update questions. All problems were builder induced or builder misunderstandings on how the software functioned. The AOA system had a slice in the tubing that happened when installing the wings at the airport. Support was outstanding!
I had to send my TruTrack ADI PII, back right before my DAR inspection. My wing servo kept moving when it shouldn’t. After doing the checks in the manual and calling TT, I made a few other checks they suggested and then I sent the control head in. Lucas took care of me in a flash and I had the unit back in time to get it reinstalled before the inspection. Since then it has just worked great. I fiddled with the settings a bit and had it locked in after the first time and haven’t touched it since. It flies the airplane in turbulence at least as well as I do. First rate Company, first rate service, happy as can be.
SL40 and GTX 327 work great, no issues. I almost went with an SL-30 and now I wish I would have. Is there an SL-30 or 430 in my future? I was and still am on a budget.
496: that little box just amazes me. XM weather – just do it!
Safety trim: Installed it and never touched it since. Works like a charm. What more can I say? Overkill? I’ll let you decide.
Electrical: I had an issue with my stereo audio that turned out to be caused by a soldering iron burning through the insulation. It was hard for me to troubleshoot because the pilot side worked fine and passenger side worked with a mono headset. The issue only manifested itself when I purchased a set of Bose headsets for my wife. Bose helped me troubleshoot and even had me send her headset back in. I finally found the wiring issue and fixed it.
In hindsight, I am amazed that all the wiring works and I have had relatively few issues. For a first time builder, I took a real chance doing it myself including cutting the panel. It is probably the most satisfying part of the build. My rear strobe did quit working recently and it took me a couple of hours to trouble shoot and repair a Molex pin barrel that had opened up, causing an intermittent connection.
I tried installing wig wag lights with Vans 4 wingtip light system. I couldn’t seem to get it to work and gave up. I changed the switch, removed the flasher and went with simple. The wingtip lights are adequate but nothing to brag about. I recently had one of the MR-16’s burn out and couldn’t find a 75W replacement in our little town WalMart or Ace aviation deptartments. I decided to try a 50W flood instead of the 75W spot and I kind of like the results.
Changing the bulbs is kind of a pain. It’s a good thing there are 4 bulbs because I wouldn’t want to try and do it on a cold winter night on a ramp in the middle of nowhere. I finally have the lights aimed where they need to be. I have two switches, with the outside bulbs aimed for taxi and inside set for landing. Like I said, they work okay, but I’m sure there are better alternatives.
How does it fly? Well, I had the relatively common heavy wing, which was sorted out with help from VAF. Other than that, it flies probably like nearly every other RV-7. I suspect it is smack dab in the middle of the pack as far as speed. I haven’t flown beside any other RV’s in a declared speed run. The few RV's I have flown beside, I seemed to hold my own. I have made no airframe speed mods. The most surprising thing to me, being an old Cherokee pilot was the climb rate. It took me several flights before I quit blasting through my intended cruise altitude. I went up for a night currency flight last Sunday and glanced at the VSI and I was well over 2200 fpm and wasn’t even remotely trying to climb hard. The airplane was at about half fuel and only me on board, and it was in the 50’s but WOW it is satisfying to look down and see numbers like that.
Flying adventures: If you are looking for close calls, there haven't been any. Where have I gone in 106 hours? Well, first flight away from home was to a local air show / fly-in. Since then we’ve been to two or three breakfasts at PNC, more fly-ins, we’ve made several trips to Oklahoma City and Guthrie to see our kids. The crowning glory was a trip to Oshkosh and Niagara Falls. I’ve taken my wife and brother in search of Indian / Calvary battle grounds and visited museums in far away cities. I’ve given several rides to family and friends.
Aerobatics: BIG Grin! I don’t do it a lot but, Wow. What a way to make your troubles go away! Nuff said.
Tail wheel: Glad I did it! I live in one of the windiest areas of the continental USA and had 7 hours of tailwheel time before transitioning with 8 more hours in an RV-6. I landed at an away airport last weekend and a local asked me about ground handling. In one word… pussycat. I may live to regret it but right now, I just love the fact that I made the decision I made. Does it carry increased risk? Yep! Is ground visibility reduced? Yep! It is faster, lighter, cheaper, and in my opinion, more fun. I wouldn’t try and talk anyone into it or out of it. Like the canopy question, it is purely a personal decision with no right or wrong answer.
Oh yeah, the tipper canopy. I am happy with it… finally. I rebuilt the cussed thing three times before I gave up, semi-satisfied. It fits better than many that I’ve seen, but not as good as some. I’d give it a B grade on workmanship. It was definitely the hardest part of the build for me. I’ve flown in light to moderate rain and have no horror stories of fried avionics. Take someone up on a clear moonlit night and they’ll get an experience they won’t soon forget. The view is just awesome. I have flown sliders and I like them too. I doubt there is much difference in build difficulty so I wouldn’t base my decision on that alone. For me the tipper was the right choice.
Background: Rv-7, VFR airplane, VFR pilot, Mattituck IO-360 /w 9:1 pistons, Hartzell B/A prop, Plane Power alternator, Sky Tec starter.
Caveat: I have only flown a few other RV’s so I don’t have a lot of back ground to compare my systems to.
I just finished my 4th oil change and my umpteenth firewall forward inspection. 106 hours so far. No maintenance issues at all. I checked both the oil filter and oil screen, lubed the exhaust joints and cables, inspected the wiring and hoses for chafing, and the baffles for cracks. I am not 100% happy with my baffle seal material. I’ll redo the back and front portions at some point. I have purchased the orange silicone material but just can’t stand to take the time to do it. The engine runs very cool and I can run LOP. I never had to fiddle w/ injectors. At the first condition inspection I changed out the tailwheel control arm and key just because I was a new tailwheel pilot and it was showing a bit of wear. In hindsight, I could have let it go until the next condition inspection, I’m sure.
I don’t know how I could be any happier with the engine. Support has been first rate. I’ve corresponded with Mahon via e-mail early on few times and he has answered questions promptly.
Vendors:
AFS 3500 w/ map and b/u battery: Love it! I wouldn’t change a thing. I must admit that it takes awhile to learn the menus, but other than that, I love it. In fact, it does more now, through software updates, than when I purchased it. If there is a problem with this, it is that since Rob came out with the flight director, now I want to upgrade to the AFS autopilot from my ADI PII, and he has me considering upgrading myself and the airplane to IFR status. I am heartily resisting at this point, due to personal stubbornness and potentially misguided beliefs and more $$. I did add the AFS external gps antenna after I was flying. I have called AFS two or three times with AOA issues and software update questions. All problems were builder induced or builder misunderstandings on how the software functioned. The AOA system had a slice in the tubing that happened when installing the wings at the airport. Support was outstanding!
I had to send my TruTrack ADI PII, back right before my DAR inspection. My wing servo kept moving when it shouldn’t. After doing the checks in the manual and calling TT, I made a few other checks they suggested and then I sent the control head in. Lucas took care of me in a flash and I had the unit back in time to get it reinstalled before the inspection. Since then it has just worked great. I fiddled with the settings a bit and had it locked in after the first time and haven’t touched it since. It flies the airplane in turbulence at least as well as I do. First rate Company, first rate service, happy as can be.
SL40 and GTX 327 work great, no issues. I almost went with an SL-30 and now I wish I would have. Is there an SL-30 or 430 in my future? I was and still am on a budget.
496: that little box just amazes me. XM weather – just do it!
Safety trim: Installed it and never touched it since. Works like a charm. What more can I say? Overkill? I’ll let you decide.
Electrical: I had an issue with my stereo audio that turned out to be caused by a soldering iron burning through the insulation. It was hard for me to troubleshoot because the pilot side worked fine and passenger side worked with a mono headset. The issue only manifested itself when I purchased a set of Bose headsets for my wife. Bose helped me troubleshoot and even had me send her headset back in. I finally found the wiring issue and fixed it.
In hindsight, I am amazed that all the wiring works and I have had relatively few issues. For a first time builder, I took a real chance doing it myself including cutting the panel. It is probably the most satisfying part of the build. My rear strobe did quit working recently and it took me a couple of hours to trouble shoot and repair a Molex pin barrel that had opened up, causing an intermittent connection.
I tried installing wig wag lights with Vans 4 wingtip light system. I couldn’t seem to get it to work and gave up. I changed the switch, removed the flasher and went with simple. The wingtip lights are adequate but nothing to brag about. I recently had one of the MR-16’s burn out and couldn’t find a 75W replacement in our little town WalMart or Ace aviation deptartments. I decided to try a 50W flood instead of the 75W spot and I kind of like the results.
Changing the bulbs is kind of a pain. It’s a good thing there are 4 bulbs because I wouldn’t want to try and do it on a cold winter night on a ramp in the middle of nowhere. I finally have the lights aimed where they need to be. I have two switches, with the outside bulbs aimed for taxi and inside set for landing. Like I said, they work okay, but I’m sure there are better alternatives.
How does it fly? Well, I had the relatively common heavy wing, which was sorted out with help from VAF. Other than that, it flies probably like nearly every other RV-7. I suspect it is smack dab in the middle of the pack as far as speed. I haven’t flown beside any other RV’s in a declared speed run. The few RV's I have flown beside, I seemed to hold my own. I have made no airframe speed mods. The most surprising thing to me, being an old Cherokee pilot was the climb rate. It took me several flights before I quit blasting through my intended cruise altitude. I went up for a night currency flight last Sunday and glanced at the VSI and I was well over 2200 fpm and wasn’t even remotely trying to climb hard. The airplane was at about half fuel and only me on board, and it was in the 50’s but WOW it is satisfying to look down and see numbers like that.
Flying adventures: If you are looking for close calls, there haven't been any. Where have I gone in 106 hours? Well, first flight away from home was to a local air show / fly-in. Since then we’ve been to two or three breakfasts at PNC, more fly-ins, we’ve made several trips to Oklahoma City and Guthrie to see our kids. The crowning glory was a trip to Oshkosh and Niagara Falls. I’ve taken my wife and brother in search of Indian / Calvary battle grounds and visited museums in far away cities. I’ve given several rides to family and friends.
Aerobatics: BIG Grin! I don’t do it a lot but, Wow. What a way to make your troubles go away! Nuff said.
Tail wheel: Glad I did it! I live in one of the windiest areas of the continental USA and had 7 hours of tailwheel time before transitioning with 8 more hours in an RV-6. I landed at an away airport last weekend and a local asked me about ground handling. In one word… pussycat. I may live to regret it but right now, I just love the fact that I made the decision I made. Does it carry increased risk? Yep! Is ground visibility reduced? Yep! It is faster, lighter, cheaper, and in my opinion, more fun. I wouldn’t try and talk anyone into it or out of it. Like the canopy question, it is purely a personal decision with no right or wrong answer.
Oh yeah, the tipper canopy. I am happy with it… finally. I rebuilt the cussed thing three times before I gave up, semi-satisfied. It fits better than many that I’ve seen, but not as good as some. I’d give it a B grade on workmanship. It was definitely the hardest part of the build for me. I’ve flown in light to moderate rain and have no horror stories of fried avionics. Take someone up on a clear moonlit night and they’ll get an experience they won’t soon forget. The view is just awesome. I have flown sliders and I like them too. I doubt there is much difference in build difficulty so I wouldn’t base my decision on that alone. For me the tipper was the right choice.
Last edited:
