jthocker

jthocker

Well Known Member
Well after continuos building hardcore for the last 3 years(3- 8's), and having promised all my buddys that I would quit building and just fly. I am having "empty shop syndrome" again! I have tried to alleviate the symptoms with some mods. First the "Open Canopy Flying" fling, then the "smoke system" affair.

I need some Idea's for something to keep me busy, otherwise my old golfing buddies are going to come calling and I won't have any excuse's.;)
 
come up with a turn key system for extending the baggage compartment to accomodate golf clubs. I'll place your first order.
 
Golf Club extension

THe golf club rack has been designed and the pics and concept forwarded to John already.
John, take it easy on the golf comments....golf is good...it pays for my AVGAS...
Doug Bell, PGA Professional;)

Mike,
Send me a direct email and I will forward the golf club pics to you.
[email protected]
 
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Well, since I aready have a Dynon D180, Sl40, GTX 327, 496 with XM wx and radio and everything playing together perfectly. I'll have to dig up Doug's pictures and build the golf club mod. Then I'll take my sticks up to my old stomping grounds in Mich. and let Doug fix my swing. I lost my swing about 17 years ago when kids arrived.

As for wiring, I've found that to be the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the projects. Building harnesses for Garmin, Dynon, TruTrak, and GRT stuff is anti climatic.
 
Get an RV-8A fuse, and build it as a tailwheel plane, BUT: build the main gear on the wings, with a wider stance than stock.
Advantage?
1) Reduced drag and turbulence at that pesky fuselage-gear-wing intersection area and gear outside of the prop blast area.
2) Wider gear stance for easier landing. Low drag 90 degree intersect angle between the grear leg and wing.
3) More room in the cockpit.
Disadvantage?
1) Can't take the wings off without a fuselage cradle, but who cares?

That may be a little more of a mod than you had in mind....;)
Scott
 
glfrdug said:
THe golf club rack has been designed and the pics and concept forwarded to John already.
John, take it easy on the golf comments....golf is good...it pays for my AVGAS...
Doug Bell, PGA Professional;)

Mike,
Send me a direct email and I will forward the golf club pics to you.
[email protected]
Click to expand...

Hi Doug,

I'd love to see what you have come up with--I'm not at the computer where I'd prefer you send the pics, so if you're still online I'll give you my e-mail address now and will send a message to you in the morning. [email protected].

I have a sheet of .032 alclad that I was going to cut into 2x 7" and 2x5" sheets to make a rectanglular tube using thin walled angle at each corner. I will center it between the longerons that support the upper baggage floor so the bottom of the tube is flush with the upper baggage floor. I'd like some sort of hinged door at the rear of the baggage compartment so the tube is only open when i want it open for golf clubs, and/or flyrods. But I'd love to see other ways to make the mousetrap.
 
jthocker said:
Well, since I aready have a Dynon D180, Sl40, GTX 327, 496 with XM wx and radio and everything playing together perfectly. I'll have to dig up Doug's pictures and build the golf club mod. Then I'll take my sticks up to my old stomping grounds in Mich. and let Doug fix my swing. I lost my swing about 17 years ago when kids arrived.

As for wiring, I've found that to be the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the projects. Building harnesses for Garmin, Dynon, TruTrak, and GRT stuff is anti climatic.
Click to expand...

Looking at the airplanes already completed.. You might like a HRII project.
 
Rear Heat has already been done by some guy in Georgia, go figure!
Besides, I have to 2 heat muffs in series, seat heaters, and a well sealed canopy, but winter will be the ultimate test.

I do like the idea of the 3, primarily because you never have to offer a ride, but the new kits have spoiled me and I have to say that when the 8 came out I liked the lines of the 3 and 4 better. Now I prefer the lines of the 8.

I'm leaning towards the golf club idea.
 
Start forming ribs for a tapered wing!

I've designed a tapered wing for the -8, 25 ft span, 100 sq ft wing area, mild laminar flow airfoil. I have no taste for hand-forming the 52 ribs that would be needed to make it out of aluminum (13 ribs per side, front and rear). Also I know my riveting is not smooth enough to get any laminar flow. So, it will be plastic:eek: But if you are in the mood to start forming ribs, I can send you a nice airfoil shape.
 
my thoughts

mandm1516 said:
Hi Doug,

I have a sheet of .032 alclad that I was going to cut into 2x 7" and 2x5" sheets to make a rectanglular tube using thin walled angle at each corner. I will center it between the longerons that support the upper baggage floor so the bottom of the tube is flush with the upper baggage floor. I'd like some sort of hinged door at the rear of the baggage compartment so the tube is only open when i want it open for golf clubs, and/or flyrods. But I'd love to see other ways to make the mousetrap.
Click to expand...

Mike,
You recieved my email this morning with the pics...my thinking was that I wanted the clubs held individually and securely so as to not move around in flight. I also thought the tubes would place the weight of the clubs almost 90% at the rear seat much like a passenger.
I have traveled to many tournaments and it works well. Take my collapsable carry bag and away I go. I have seen the larger compartments in an RV6 and it works great. This was one simple idea and it has worked well.
I bet we have about $30 bucks into the entire thing....the 15 tubes was the only real cost.
Doug
 
Doug, thanks very much for sending the pics, they really helped me go from a conceptual idea to something I can start working on. Just doesn't seem right to have the capability to travel somewhere warm during the winter and not take the sticks. Like JT said, the swing may or may not go with me.
 
mods

Lucky
Check Mike Stewarts site for rear heat.
For my dual heat muffs, I went with the standard takeoff from #3 cyl. baffle to a muff directly below it. Then the outlet from that muff goes around the back of the engine to a muff inlet on the left exhaust, muff outlet to the heater valve. I'll try to find the pic.
 
3 big ones come to mind immediately:
1..a great big fiberglass saddle tank to fit in the rear seat area and maybe hold up to 240# of avgas. make it easily installed or removed and route the fuel thru the #3 position on my Van's fuel selector.
2..a Dave Ander's style exhaust.... like the one he won the PAV Challenge with in 2007..twin mufflers with heat muffs under the cowl ( I need my heat ) leading to a single 7 and 1/2 lbs Ultramet ceramic foam muffler lying along the belly aft of the cowl exit...
3..a no canopy option......... along with a canopy jetison system in the event
you want to get rid of it.

Ralph Howey
RV8QB
Wings
 
Make it shiney

scsmith said:
I've designed a tapered wing for the -8, 25 ft span, 100 sq ft wing area, mild laminar flow airfoil. I have no taste for hand-forming the 52 ribs that would be needed to make it out of aluminum (13 ribs per side, front and rear). Also I know my riveting is not smooth enough to get any laminar flow. So, it will be plastic:eek: But if you are in the mood to start forming ribs, I can send you a nice airfoil shape.
Click to expand...

The rib forming is not the big deal, MII buiders do it that way. You sound like a fabricator not an assembler. A gentleman by the name of Gearge Linkis built his MII not only with folding gear, also with all aluminum cowl, wheel pants, and fairings. Imagine an '8 buffed out tip to tale. We have some polished Swifts who frequent the fly-ins in our area and they are stunning.
 
Adam
All those controls are readily available already if you sit in the seat with the best view.
Seriously, if you want to teach someone to fly get a 7. When you build an 8 it's about "you". The rear rudder pedals in an 8 take away from valuable cockpit space and the rear throttle horribly complicates front quadrant maintainace. KEEP IT SIMPLE and you'll fly YEARS sooner!
 
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