[ShannonEvans]

In my hope to own an RV at some point I have been thinking about a few things & was wondering. Note, I am not a builder, I would be buying one already flying. It seems to me that the RV-8/8a would best suit my mission. However, I would really want at least 180hp with 200 prefered.

I see people always redoing the panel, but how hard is it to do other mods. For example.

1) I get a flying RV-8 & want to add a Sam James Cowl. Is this worth the effort & expense?

2) Purchase RV-8 with 160hp engine, fly it awhile then change to 0/i0-360 lyc. Is it worth the trouble.

I notice the io-320 birds are much cheaper, but my experiance in SW Kansas with brand C & P with these engines is they are under powered. (YES I KNOW THE RV IS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL)..

Point is there will need to likely be some compramises on the initial purchase with the hope of upgrades later.

Anyone been down this road. Where did you compramise & what would you do different.

Shannon Evans
N5650S

 

[Ron Lee]

"1) I get a flying RV-8 & want to add a Sam James Cowl. Is this worth the effort & expense?

2) Purchase RV-8 with 160hp engine, fly it awhile then change to 0/i0-360 lyc. Is it worth the trouble."


1) Good question. I have not determined that it would be worth it on my 6A so have not done it. Maybe it is. I just don't have credible data.

2) Not in my opinion. Buy the 180 HP or better initially. Also Constant Speed prop.

 

[n5lp]

Those kind of modifications are a huge job, especially for someone that did not build the airplane. I would recommend you buy or build the airplane the way you want it or as close as possible to that.

Personally, I would not consider an O-320, for any two seat RV, underpowered at all.

 

[osxuser]

If you purchase an O-320 RV, the ECi IO-340 is a good higher power solution, and a CS prop can be added at the same time.

If you DO buy an O-320 to (i)O-360 coversion in the future, THAT would be the time to do the SJ cowl. Don't fit a cowl on a O-320, on an airplane you want to put an O-360 in.

 

[N941WR]

...I notice the io-320 birds are much cheaper, but my experiance in SW Kansas with brand C & P with these engines is they are under powered. (YES I KNOW THE RV IS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL)....

Shannon,

1,400 FPM is double "brand C & P" and 197 MPH is just a little faster than the others. Whats not to like about a 160 HP -8?

Still, try to buy the plane you want up front.