speed

speed

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I thought I was sold on an Rv8 then.. my buddy send me a flyer for the T51.

Any Rv8'rs have an opinion about the Titan T-51?
 
Well my -8 is not flying but I did sleep in a holiday in one time.

Titan is just up the road from me, its a neat little 3/4 scale and if you want a mustang and only a mustang its the way to go however.....

Just looking at kit prices it is much much more to complete. Kit price is in the mid 50,000 range.

I know the performance is pretty good on the titan, exactly where it compares to an rv I am not sure.

It all just depends what you want I guess, a replica fighter that is much more experimental IMHO, the ones with rotax engines just do not sound right. They seem to be doing ok with the subaru engines but I dont know how many are out there flying.

As opposed by Rvs which are plentifull and use real airplane engines, I dont have anything against alternative engines but I just think they are a little more into the "experimental" side of what we do is all.

I do know that you will need a 3/4 scale person for the second seat in a titan, not so for the RV. the back seat in the scale mustang isnt very big and I imagine luggage could be an issue as well. The -8 has lots of room for us big guys and our wifes luggage as well.

All depends on your mission? what is it?
$.02
 
N282RV said:
It all just depends what you want I guess, a replica fighter that is much more experimental IMHO, the ones with rotax engines just do not sound right. They seem to be doing ok with the subaru engines but I dont know how many are out there flying.
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I don't think they have ever used the Subaru engine in the T-51. I've been looking at it for some time. I believe they are using the Suzuki.
 
If you want to look like a Mustang then go T-51. If you want a little fighter that can really go places and has lots of support, both in terms of people and in parts availability, then the RV-8 is the way to go. Of course I suspect that you already know that.;) You are asking a bunch of RV guys to tell you to go T-51 :eek:...I don't think so.

Although from several feet away the T-51 does look kind of cool.:D
 
The T51 has used Rotax 912/914, CAM (125 (nee Honda four), Suzuki V6 2.5 and 2.7L, LOM and soon Honda 3.2, 3.5 and 3.7L V6 engines.

The T51 is more complex with the retractable gear demanding more maintenance. Back is more cramped and the speed isn't there unless you wait for the Honda installations to mature.

I agree with the others, if you need a P51 replica that looks good and isn't outrageously expensive to acquire and fly, the T51 would fit the bill. Otherwise an RV8 with a 180 or 200 hp Lycoming will outperform it in almost every way until the Honda (up to 240hp) is proven, then the tables are turned.
 
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oop

yeh I meant suzuki, not subie. The honda engine should be neat, I just love honda products, of course the devil is in the details of a auto conversion, I find these things interesting but not sure at this stage in life I wana play that game.
 
KFFC T-51

I've observed a T-51 with the smaller engine go together over the last few years. It is a good looking bird with outstanding construction. However, in 2 test flights, performance is poor. Test pilot refuses to fly it again until prop and /or engine is replaced. Max level speed with gear up was reported to be 103 mph.He reports no way could it carry a pax.

Another T51 in our area is for sale with reported poor performance as the reason.

Bottomline: RV-8 for flyers today, T-51 for possible future flyers. No comparison between capabilities.
 
Yep

Thanks... I agree and everything. I am back to an RV8, you just cant beat the complete package. Oh yea and the wealth of information and friendly builders :D

Granted the T51 is extremely unique and I would love to pull up to the FBO in one, but if I am going to have only 2 seats I definitely want to be able to put someone in it :)

.... I didn't expect RV'rs to tell me to go T51 ... I counted on the valuable experience of the builders and more qualified individuals to make a proper assessment of the to experimental kits. I appreciate everyone who took the time to response and shared their knowledge with me.

Thank you !
 
I've been admiring these for a few years and watched them mature. They are certainly cool looking planes but do not perform like an RV. One of the guys working the Titan T-51 booth at Oshkosh was selling his for a ridiculous amount of 180K+ but when I offered to trade my glass cockpit IFR RV7A for it he perked up and was interested.

One that was on display had a Honda engine but the performance was still not close to the RV3,4,6,7,& 8. In fact even a 150hp RV9 could perform better and a -10 is definitely faster.

Another couple issues with them is that as kits they are pop-riveted together which detract from the look. There was one out in the ultra light area that was being assembled with flush rivets which looked a lot better. Then there are the storage compartments which are very small with really tiny doors. This plane was not designed for traveling with much gear onboard.

Bottom line to me is if you want performance then go RV. If all you want are looks, go with the T-51. Either way though, any one of the RV's or a T-51 will turn heads.

Oh....I missed the 37 ship flight of T-51's at Oshkosh. Does anyone have a video or some pictures :D Welcome to the RV forums.
 
One of the RV-6A guys at Pierce Co., WA is putting together a very nice T-51. It?s currently on the gear and he?s working the engine prior to installing on the aircraft. The Mini-Merlin Suzuki V6 that he?s installing looks great and the 4-blade prop that?s going on will look much better than the earlier 3-blade used with the Rotex. The kit still requires a lot of rivet layout and drilling so it?s not nearly as refined as the RV series in overall fit and finish of the basic kit. The price of the kits have gone up so with the kit, + prop, engine, instruments, etc, you?re now looking at the same investment as a nicely equipped RV-8 with a new engine. In the air it looks like it scales well, but I still think it sits nose high on the ground. I did see the B/C model that Titan had at OSH and it did look really interesting. Aside from being a pretty tight squeeze for the rear seater, the B/C model is going to be a really interesting replica. I follow the replica?s and I think Titan is going to be one, if not the most successful replica produced. If the Honda pans out, and they can keep the costs down, it?s going to give the RV-8 a little competition for those looking for the P-51 look, especially if the performance is fairly close.
 
For Sale?

Vern:

Who has one for sale?

I spent several days with Bill at the Titan facility in Austinburg, OH several years ago. At that time, the LOM engine was being used by several builders. If I remember correctly it is an air cooled direct drive 180HP supercharged engine that fit in the cowl with room to spare. I know of the Suzuki, but like the Subie and the Chevy LS, it seemed rather complex. The LOM was rather simple by comparison. The T-51 kit is a well designed, complete kit with a lot of factory testing on them. I too have thought of buying one. Its not a RV-8, but it is a great looking airplane.

If my recollections are not accurate, feel free to correct them.
 
N62XS said:
Vern:

Who has one for sale?

I spent several days with Bill at the Titan facility in Austinburg, OH several years ago. At that time, the LOM engine was being used by several builders. If I remember correctly it is an air cooled direct drive 180HP supercharged engine that fit in the cowl with room to spare. I know of the Suzuki, but like the Subie and the Chevy LS, it seemed rather complex. The LOM was rather simple by comparison. The T-51 kit is a well designed, complete kit with a lot of factory testing on them. I too have thought of buying one. Its not a RV-8, but it is a great looking airplane.

If my recollections are not accurate, feel free to correct them.
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Hi there,

Were you looking to buy a T51 kit?
 
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