DonFromTX

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
I have not even started yet, but want to go faster! Don't flame me, but if someone has considered any speed mods, I would like to talk about them. I am interested in bumping right up to the very limit of LSA speeds, partly for speed, but also for efficiency. Any ideas?
 
See the Disclaimer at the bottom of the previous post.

Its Don's Fault! He made me do it!:(
 
Although I can see I will need a course in Dynon reading, I was smart enough to see you had a genuine Texas Tailwind there (I think)!
 
Lets go Fast!

Don the RV12 will easily fly the advertised speeds in the POH. You can down load it from Vans Web site. I'm not going to talk about the subject of LSA speeds. That has already been beat to death on other threads. Beyond what you saw earlier its not a fast airplane. If you want that I recommend you build something different. It will be a big improvement over the ercoupe. There are a few things you can do to reduce drag. Wheel pans help a lot. Transition fairings will help to. They are the fairings you would put around the struts as they go into the fuse or where the strut goes into the wheel pans. You may have to build you own at first. But as time goes by aftermarket ones will show up. Its all about how much money you want to spend. I don't recommend you mess with the engine at this time. The steps could be slightly changed to reduces drag. Because this plane is so light and the physics of the environment effect it alot going high may no be the way to go. The Dynon/496 combination will provide you with enough info to make precise decisions as to what altitude you want to be at if on a x-country. You will be able to see your IAS, TAS, & GS as well as winds aloft all on one screen. Then you will be able to see the winds aloft as seen on the web on the 496 if you subscribe. Its going to be fun my Friend.:)
 
Sorry, I made two mistakes. The first was not checking the archives for information (I hate people that want to beat a dead horse), it was pointed out that this issue has already been beat to death. The second was not making it perfectly clear, I have no interest whatever in converting an LSA R12 into something not even legal LSA wise. My old beat up body will never again be anything but a Sport Pilot. Published figures indicate that perhaps the RV12 is a tad slower then 120 knots at sea level. I have NO experience with 750 lb empty planes, so I used the 3300 Jab powered Sonex as an example, it is perfectly legal at sea level and is claimed to cruise at 170 mph at 8000 feet. It was pointed out to me that such figures are simply not true, even the Sonex people will argue that point.
Sorry if I ruffled anyones feathers with my unresearched post. Beatings with wet noodles will follow shortly,
 
RV12 wheelpants

Wheelpants are already available for the 12, you don't have to wait! It really cleans up the gear.
 
Oh yeah, you better believe I ordered them at the same time I ordered the rest of the kit! I believe in them, have had them on everything I have owned, even the Ercoupe has a set.
 
Don thats the reason we're building experimental. If anybody has made their 12 more efficient I'd like to know about it!!!! All ideas are welcome. No need for the wet noodle.:D

Gary
 
Hey, another S Texas guy! How far along are you, I get up your way occasionally.
There seems to be an unwarranted phobia that the 12 will go too fast and the FAA will snatch them away from us. The FAA recently challenged a friend with a 170 mph Sonex, he won, they backed off declaring it perfectly legal as an LSA. I think our design was carefully done to fall well below the LSA requirements, and that we can tweak a few knots more out without a problem, that is part of the fun of being experimental.
I am building ELSA, but you can bet your boots when it is all done, I will be customizing it to suit me better.
 
DonFromTX said:
Hey, another S Texas guy! How far along are you, I get up your way occasionally.
There seems to be an unwarranted phobia that the 12 will go too fast and the FAA will snatch them away from us. The FAA recently challenged a friend with a 170 mph Sonex, he won, they backed off declaring it perfectly legal as an LSA. I think our design was carefully done to fall well below the LSA requirements, and that we can tweak a few knots more out without a problem, that is part of the fun of being experimental.
I am building ELSA, but you can bet your boots when it is all done, I will be customizing it to suit me better.
Click to expand...

Don, you may be interested in the Australian LSA rules:

A maximum takeoff weight of 600 kg or 650 kg for an aircraft intended and configured for operation on water or 560 kg for a lighter-than-air aircraft.
A maximum stall speed in the landing configuration (Vso) of 45 knots CAS.
Maximum two person, including the pilot.
A fixed landing gear. A glider may have retractable landing gear. (For an aircraft intended for operation on water, a fixed or repositionable landing gear)
A single, non-turbine engine fitted with a propeller.
A non-pressurised cabin.
If the aircraft is a glider a maximum never exceed speed (Vne) of 135 knots CAS

Note: no maximum speed limit for powered aircraft.
 
Another S Texas Guy.

Hey Don, Im currently flying with about 40 Hours. Based out of KARM. Come on over if you want to see the plane and we'll get a BarBQ sandwich from the famous Jr.s

Gary
 
Interesting. Apparently you can have an in flight adjustable prop? (We cannot have that in the USA) Some of our rules seem to make no sense, like the speed limit at sea level and no prop that you can adjust in the air.

rgmwa said:
Don, you may be interested in the Australian LSA rules:

A maximum takeoff weight of 600 kg or 650 kg for an aircraft intended and configured for operation on water or 560 kg for a lighter-than-air aircraft.
A maximum stall speed in the landing configuration (Vso) of 45 knots CAS.
Maximum two person, including the pilot.
A fixed landing gear. A glider may have retractable landing gear. (For an aircraft intended for operation on water, a fixed or repositionable landing gear)
A single, non-turbine engine fitted with a propeller.
A non-pressurised cabin.
If the aircraft is a glider a maximum never exceed speed (Vne) of 135 knots CAS

Note: no maximum speed limit for powered aircraft.
Click to expand...
 
You got a deal! Meanwhile, if you feel like a couple hour cross country come on down to T65, the hamburger is on me!

jersey said:
Hey Don, Im currently flying with about 40 Hours. Based out of KARM. Come on over if you want to see the plane and we'll get a BarBQ sandwich from the famous Jr.s

Gary
Click to expand...
 
DonFromTX said:
Interesting. Apparently you can have an in flight adjustable prop? (We cannot have that in the USA) Some of our rules seem to make no sense, like the speed limit at sea level and no prop that you can adjust in the air.
Click to expand...

There's nothing in our rules about what type of prop you can have or how fast you can go in your LSA. But I'm happy with the RV12's setup. If I wanted more performance, I'd be looking at a 7 or a 9, but I'm used to Cessna's and the 12 will more than match them :)
 
rgmwa

I'm considering a RV12 build in South Australia - so RV12 can be registered RAAus at 600kg MTOW? Good time to be purchasing in the US eh!

Cheers

Erik
 
Ausmo said:
rgmwa

I'm considering a RV12 build in South Australia - so RV12 can be registered RAAus at 600kg MTOW? Good time to be purchasing in the US eh!

Cheers

Erik
Click to expand...

Erik,

There are currently only two RV12's flying in Australia - one on the east coast, and the other in Victoria (first flight last week). At least, I've only heard of these two so far. They are both are RAA registered, and I assume at 600kg.
Now's not a bad time to buy with our dollar just about at parity with the US. I just hope it keeps going up until I'm ready for the engine and avionics, even though our farmers want to see it head south again. You just can't please everybody!
 
rgmwa,

Thanks for the advice. I'm curious, it sounds like you are ordering the engine from the US - I would have thought this could be sourced in Australia less the cost of international shipping?

On the subject of shipping, who did you use and what was the cost? I am thinking that to take advantage of the strong $ I should order the entire kit without engine. I imagine this would reduce the shipping costs overall as opposed to ordering and shipping component kits seperately.

Any advice from you or other Aus builders would be most welcome.

Best regards

Erik
 
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