B

bottlerocket

Member
Trying to have a real conversation with the wife about which RV (or other) to get so we can start setting some realistic goals. I personally like the 6 and 7 but I don't want to build some emotional attachment to a plane just because it looks fun to fly and can do loops to music (however cool that may be). I just want to ensure it will fill our needs and not be a gimmick. Any input is greatly appreciated!
 
Questions

Christopher
Thank you for your service.
Assuming you are asking for questions, here are a few RV related.
As you include your wife, these would involve her.

1. What is your preferred seating arrangement?
2. What is the primary mission? Hamburger hops or cross country excursions?
3. How many plus the pilot with any regularity? Any kids? Will they ride often?
4. Do you want to do aerobatics? Formation? Racing? How often?
5. What are the height, width and weight of pilot and passenger?
6. Prebuilt or are you going to build? SB or QB?
7. What is the budget?

Once you answer them with the better half, buy the 7a! Kidding.
Good luck.
 
1) Will you need more than two seats?
2) Will you be doing arobatics?
3) Will you fly mostly local or mostly cross country?
4) Will your flying be mostly VFR or IFR?
5) Do you have the time to build?
6) Do you have funds to purchase flying plane?


Just a few.
 
wirejock said:
Christopher
Thank you for your service.
Assuming you are asking for questions, here are a few RV related.
As you include your wife, these would involve her.

1. What is your preferred seating arrangement?
2. What is the primary mission? Hamburger hops or cross country excursions?
3. How many plus the pilot with any regularity? Any kids? Will they ride often?
4. Do you want to do aerobatics? Formation? Racing? How often?
5. What are the height, width and weight of pilot and passenger?
6. Prebuilt or are you going to build? SB or QB?
7. What is the budget?

Once you answer them with the better half, buy the 7a! Kidding.
Good luck.
Click to expand...

Ha! Yeah if I were single that would be the way I would go.

It has to be side-by-side, I do not fit in the tandem RVs. I'm not a small guy (6'4, 230). I'm really using this to try and decide between a 7a, 9a, and a certified (is that the proper terminology?) plane.
 
Economy... you will be hard pressed to find anything in the Certified Plane world that will match the RV7A or the RV9A for operation and ownership economy. :) I Love my 7A!
 
bottlerocket said:
It has to be side-by-side, I do not fit in the tandem RVs. I'm not a small guy (6'4, 230). I'm really using this to try and decide between a 7a, 9a, and a certified (is that the proper terminology?) plane.
Click to expand...
Have you sat in an RV-8 or -8A? Each individual in an -8 has more room to himself than if the two of you are sharing the width in a -7. Whichever aircraft you decide on, be sure to spend a while with both you and your wife sitting in an example.
 
After flying most of my life and wanting my own aircraft, I realized there are not many out there for the cost of an RV that will do a lot of different items extremely good.

First the RV has a great operating envelope. Both slow speed for approaches and landings and a cruise speed that you can go cross country and not spend all day getting there.

You can pick a model that has acrobatic ability and have some fun when you want to.

The fuel economy is great with a cruise speed of 185 mph or better and sipping around 8 GPH at altitude you can get better than 23 mpg. Better than my pickup truck and I am going in a straight line.

That being said you can not jump around inside the plane and with a 5 point harness even reaching into the baggage compartment is a twisting affair.

Yes you can buy 60,000 comanche's or Mooney's used but you'll pay for maintenance since you did not build it. And most of the time you'll find out that you only have 2 on board so rent an aircraft if you need more room.

I looked a lot and my RV7 fits my wife's and my goals perfectly. If I would get to 180 lbs my wife could buy more stuff on trips ;)

2-230 lb folks you have to limit your fuel to carry any amount go baggage, work some weight balance stuff for various aircraft and you'll see quickly that even most 4 place aircraft will limit you either on range or passengers/cargo.q

If your bank account can support 600,000 go buy a cirrus or new cessna TT.

Jack
 
"How Much" questions

Larry, John, & Jack touched on this: do you and your wife want to be airplane builders, or owners?

After you answer "mission" questions, suggest you consider opportunity costs:
A. how much time (hours per week, # of years) is this worth? what will we give up?
B. how much of us (see "New Builder Hints") is this worth?
C. how much money is this worth? what will we give up?

Good luck in your planning; you've already found a great resource in VAF and Doug's site.
 
bottlerocket said:
Ha! Yeah if I were single that would be the way I would go.

It has to be side-by-side, I do not fit in the tandem RVs. I'm not a small guy (6'4, 230). I'm really using this to try and decide between a 7a, 9a, and a certified (is that the proper terminology?) plane.
Click to expand...

Both occupants will have more "personal space" in a -8 or a Rocket than the side by side models. And a guy of your size is not going to fit comfortably in the 7 or 9 if you have anyone bigger than an infant next to you.
 
bhassel said:
It sounds like the 14!

Bob
Click to expand...

Agreed!! For a big guy, the -14 might be the right choice. Aerobatics plus roomy cross country machine. Of course, if you want four seats and can live without aerobatics, the -10 makes good sense. If I was building a two seater, it would be the -14 for sure.
 
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Mission

Rocket,
First, hand salute to you for your service...cheers!

Next, let me describe how Kelli and I got to the crux of our mission description.

Me: I want to fly formation and some aerobatics, take the airplane up initial, and have fun. In other words, fly with my hands. But I also love cross-country destinations. For example, I'm dying to fly to/spend the night in the Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, TX.

Kelli: She's a wonderful non-pilot spouse/flying partner but, for her, it's not about the journey...it's about the destination. She wants to see relatives, future grandkids, South Padre, etc., and she wants a smooth ride (ie, fly with my fingers). She also does NOT like to fly or drive in the back seat of ANYTHING, so she made it clear that she'll fly beside me.

So, that criteria list looks like:
- Aerobatic
- Smooth and steady flyer when it needs to be
- Side-by-Side seating
- Great cross-country legs

Choices so far: RV-6, RV-7, RV-7A, RV-9, RV-9A

Kelli next said, "No surprises." OK, I figure a ground loop counts as a surprise, and I do want her to travel with me, so that confines me to "A" models. (Note: Part of a successful flying relationship involves clearly understanding and interpreting your partner's criteria, especially when they don't realize they're handing it out).

Next, I'm a little big for a 6.
Next Next, the 9 handles just a tad too stiff for my taste.

Mission Statement: Day/Night VFR crosscountry and sport flying.
My aircraft choice: RV-7A.

That's how we did it. Your mileage may vary.
 
bottlerocket said:
Ha! Yeah if I were single that would be the way I would go.

It has to be side-by-side, I do not fit in the tandem RVs. I'm not a small guy (6'4, 230). I'm really using this to try and decide between a 7a, 9a, and a certified (is that the proper terminology?) plane.
Click to expand...

Maybe. I'm 6'5" and 230 lbs and I fly an RV4. Yes it is tight but not really uncomfortable. Getting in and out requires some finesse - finesse I found came more easily when I was closer to 40 than I am now closer to 60.

Not saying I would recommend a -4 rather that if you looked at an -8 you'd find a lot of room in them. Just to confuse you more...
 
The tandem vs. Side by side debate continues....

Just don't make the decision before both of you have had the chance to experience both. My wife is a non pilot passenger who just wants to get where we're going. She has no interest in the knobs, switches or controls. She's flown many hours in side by sides and strongly prefers sitting in the back of a tandem. She has a good view of the world going by on both sides, and has a great deal of personal space to do whatever it is she does back there. I'm a lucky man.

The point being, keep her happy.
 
Kelli next said, "No surprises." OK, I figure a ground loop counts as a surprise, and I do want her to travel with me, so that confines me to "A" models. (Note: Part of a successful flying relationship involves clearly understanding and interpreting your partner's criteria, especially when they don't realize they're handing it out).

Don't let a tail dragged turn you off, they are not very prone to ground looping.

It would be interesting to know how many people have actually ground looped and RV versus how many nose gears have been ruined on RVs.
 
What has to also be taken into consideration is baggage. If you play golf and travel, forget about everything except the 10 and maybe the 14.
 
Thanks again for all the replies guys. I have most of these questions answered and narrowed down my selection. The main purpose of the thread was to make sure I wasn't missing anything, so I'll catch y'all up.

bhassel said:
It sounds like the 14!

Bob
Click to expand...

Budget doesn't allow. Looking at <$80k

Kevin Horton said:
Have you sat in an RV-8 or -8A? Each individual in an -8 has more room to himself than if the two of you are sharing the width in a -7. Whichever aircraft you decide on, be sure to spend a while with both you and your wife sitting in an example.
Click to expand...

I've sat in an 8A and a 9A. Its not width that is the problem. I fit in the 9A just fine with my wife. I had to shoehorn myself into the 8A and there is no way I could get full deflection out of the roll axis ever in that thing. My knees are just too high and in the way.

esco said:
Larry, John, & Jack touched on this: do you and your wife want to be airplane builders, or owners?

After you answer "mission" questions, suggest you consider opportunity costs:
A. how much time (hours per week, # of years) is this worth? what will we give up?
B. how much of us (see "New Builder Hints") is this worth?
C. how much money is this worth? what will we give up?

Good luck in your planning; you've already found a great resource in VAF and Doug's site.
Click to expand...

Owners. With my commitments at work it would be **** near a decade before anything was flying if I were to build. The point is to have something now while we're both young w/o kids and can travel.

Toobuilder said:
Both occupants will have more "personal space" in a -8 or a Rocket than the side by side models. And a guy of your size is not going to fit comfortably in the 7 or 9 if you have anyone bigger than an infant next to you.
Click to expand...

Never sat in a rocket, only seen pictures. If they are anything similar to the 8A, its a no-go. My wife is 5'8 and 115lbs so shes a tiny one. We fit just fine in the 9A my buddy owns. We have not sat in a 6A or 7A yet but I'd assume they are close to the 9.
 
scrollF4 said:
Rocket,
First, hand salute to you for your service...cheers!

Next, let me describe how Kelli and I got to the crux of our mission description.

Me: I want to fly formation and some aerobatics, take the airplane up initial, and have fun. In other words, fly with my hands. But I also love cross-country destinations. For example, I'm dying to fly to/spend the night in the Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, TX.

Kelli: She's a wonderful non-pilot spouse/flying partner but, for her, it's not about the journey...it's about the destination. She wants to see relatives, future grandkids, South Padre, etc., and she wants a smooth ride (ie, fly with my fingers). She also does NOT like to fly or drive in the back seat of ANYTHING, so she made it clear that she'll fly beside me.

So, that criteria list looks like:
- Aerobatic
- Smooth and steady flyer when it needs to be
- Side-by-Side seating
- Great cross-country legs

Choices so far: RV-6, RV-7, RV-7A, RV-9, RV-9A

Kelli next said, "No surprises." OK, I figure a ground loop counts as a surprise, and I do want her to travel with me, so that confines me to "A" models. (Note: Part of a successful flying relationship involves clearly understanding and interpreting your partner's criteria, especially when they don't realize they're handing it out).

Next, I'm a little big for a 6.
Next Next, the 9 handles just a tad too stiff for my taste.

Mission Statement: Day/Night VFR crosscountry and sport flying.
My aircraft choice: RV-7A.

That's how we did it. Your mileage may vary.
Click to expand...

Flower Mound?! Wow my old home town. I went to Marcus HS.

I'm on the same page as you, more formation than aero, but if I want to do a rolling lead change I'd like the option to do so. But I'd also like something capable of some IMC XC (300NM or less most cases). Also I don't have my tailwheel sign off so I'd rather stick with tricycle.

Wife is a non-pilot but according to her, she would much rather sit next to me than just in the back. Plus if I'm flying solo I'd much rather be able to strap a bag in the front seat with me so I can reach stuff. More panel real estate is never a bad thing IMHO either.
 
bottlerocket said:
Never sat in a rocket, only seen pictures. If they are anything similar to the 8A, its a no-go...
Click to expand...

They are not at all similar in the front seat. The Rocket has a lot more width. You owe yourself a sit in one. My wife is 5-1 and petite. She's lost in the back of both the -8 and Rocket.
 
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