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guzziguy

I'm New Here
Hello all,
I'm currently in the market for an RV4 and have noticed that a lot of them have tip up (over) canopies. That's fine, but I really like the slider more. Is it easy to modify the canopy from tip to slider? Understand I'm not a builder, so the KISS principal is important!!
Also, does anyone fly their RV4 WITHOUT a canopy? Maybe either remove it before flight, or replace it with a small windscreen like on a Stearman, or can you fly with the canopy slid back (ala WWII fighters)?

I know I know.....they may be silly questions to more experienced builders/fliers, and I HAVE read the 'silly questions by pedestrians" thread, but I figured I'd ask anyway....I hate being ignorant!

Cheers
Rob
 
You can modify the airplane to take a slider. It's probably not that easy on a completed aircraft. One reason not many people have sliders is that tailcone is too short. The slider will hit the vertical stab before it goes back far enough to allow the rear passenger easy ingress/egress.

People have flown open canopy RV-3's not sure why you couldn't do it on a -4. You may need to make a cover for the rear seat though.

http://www.vansairforce.net/_RV3B/images/theshot.jpg
 
You gotta roll your own

guzziguy said:
Hello all,
I'm currently in the market for an RV4 and have noticed that a lot of them have tip up (over) canopies. That's fine, but I really like the slider more. Is it easy to modify the canopy from tip to slider? Understand I'm not a builder, so the KISS principal is important!!
Also, does anyone fly their RV4 WITHOUT a canopy? Maybe either remove it before flight, or replace it with a small windscreen like on a Stearman, or can you fly with the canopy slid back (ala WWII fighters)?

I know I know.....they may be silly questions to more experienced builders/fliers, and I HAVE read the 'silly questions by pedestrians" thread, but I figured I'd ask anyway....I hate being ignorant!

Cheers
Rob
Click to expand...

The standard RV4 kit uses a tip-over canopy. There is no factory option for a slider. If you want want one, you gotta roll your own. Same for no canopy, of course.

Personally, I wish the factory would offer both those options. The thing that inspired me to build another RV was a picture that appeared on the VAF home page a while back of a guy who built his RV4 as a hardtop convertable. He had a fiberglass two-holer that he could bolt on whenever he wanted. I thought that was just about the coolest thing I ever saw. I'd post a link but I guess it's too old. Maybe Doug could help. It was in Nov 2007.
 
sliders and open cockpits

A friend of mine built a slider on a 4. With the slider off, he built a turtle deck behind his head, kind of like a Pea Shooter, (pre WW2 US fighter) to make an open cockpit. With an Air Force fighter helmet on, he couldn't go over 120 kts, because the buffeting of his head made every thing a blur.

Steve Barnes The Builders Coach
 
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