Jim Lewellyn
Well Known Member
For those of you that do not know me, I fly an RV6 that I purchased (flying) a few years ago. I have logged roughly 400 hours in the 6 and have loved every minute of it. I recent flew a friend?s RV9A, so I thought I would share my impressions of the two machines for those trying to decide which model they might prefer.
My 6 has an O320 with a fixed pitch Sensenich prop. It is a very mannerly tail-dragger. Taxi requires little if any s-turning because forward visibility is quite good. Simply holding right rudder pressure during the take-off run keeps her tracking right down the middle. Once off the ground, the 6 is very responsive in pitch and roll. Both pitch and roll forces are very, very low. In fact, when I give the stick to someone in the right seat for the first time, I ask them to grab hold of it with the thumb and index fingers only. The reason for this is that almost all non RV pilot?s will drastically over control when using their whole hand on the stick. I once turned the stick over to a very seasoned pilot (without giving him the 2 finger instruction) and he promptly pitched the nose up pulling about 3.5 G's. Once he realized it, he pitched forward and vaulted us both off the seat. He just wasn't prepared for such responsiveness and low stick force requirements. In cruise, my 6 will indicate about 155 knots using 2400 RPM at 2500 ft. Back in the pattern, just easy the throttle back and trim the nose up to slow down to 90 mph, then dump out all the flaps. I fly final at about 65-70 knots depending on conditions, then three point land. As I said earlier, the 6 is very mannerly on the ground and again requires rudder pressure to keep it on the center line. Rudder/tail wheel response is also very quick (like pitch and roll). It is totally the opposite of a Cub where you kinda jab a rudder and then wait for something to happen...The 6 responds right now.
My friends RV9A is also fitted with an O320 and fixed pitch Sensenich prop, so engine start-up procedures are identical to my 6. My first impression while sitting in the 9A was that I was sitting really high off the ground, and forward visibility was incredible. Taxing the 9A was simple and felt like I was riding on a cushion of air (compared to my 6 with a solid tail wheel tire). The 9A just floats along in taxi like a magic carpet. Take off was simple and required about the same rudder inputs as my 6. Just hold right rudder pressure to keep it tracking straight ahead. Out of habit, I let the speed build up to about 80 MPH before rotating. My friend said that I waited too long and the 9A would have flown off nicely much earlier. I could tell that he was right because the 9A jumped into the air and climbed nicely like an RV does. I really didn't pay attention to the climb rate, but it seemed a bit better that my 6 would do 2 up. We leveled off at 2500 ft. and I pulled the throttle back to 2400 RPM's. It was a bumpy day, and we were indicating about 135 knots. I rolled the 9A to about 45 degrees and did a 180 in each direction. My friends 9A requires much greater stick force in roll than my 6, which makes perfect sense due to the extra 5 feet of wing on the 9. I did a couple of steep 360's (roughly 70 degrees). Pitch forces during the turn (and flying straight ahead) feel very similar to the 6 (very light). I would have to guess that the roll forces are roughly 3-4 times greater in the 9 than in the 6. The 9 is very stable and seems to right itself better than the 6 after coming out the back side of a bump. Back in the pattern, I slowed the 9 down just like I do my 6, just ease the power back and trim the nose up and wait. The 9 is very slippery like the 6 and requires a bit of planning to get it down to flap speed. But with a little practice, it is very easy to manage. Same full flap routine in the 9, as I use in the 6. I flew final at about 65 knots and floated way down the runway. The 9 just wants to keep on flying. Flare was simple and I made an extra effort to keep the nose wheel off the ground as long as possible. Landing the 9A was very easy, and if I could have done just a few more, I could have really greased it on.
Before flying the 9A, I had read all the specs for it on Vans web page. I must say that it flew just like I expected it to. It is all RV, and a real hoot to fly!
My 6 has an O320 with a fixed pitch Sensenich prop. It is a very mannerly tail-dragger. Taxi requires little if any s-turning because forward visibility is quite good. Simply holding right rudder pressure during the take-off run keeps her tracking right down the middle. Once off the ground, the 6 is very responsive in pitch and roll. Both pitch and roll forces are very, very low. In fact, when I give the stick to someone in the right seat for the first time, I ask them to grab hold of it with the thumb and index fingers only. The reason for this is that almost all non RV pilot?s will drastically over control when using their whole hand on the stick. I once turned the stick over to a very seasoned pilot (without giving him the 2 finger instruction) and he promptly pitched the nose up pulling about 3.5 G's. Once he realized it, he pitched forward and vaulted us both off the seat. He just wasn't prepared for such responsiveness and low stick force requirements. In cruise, my 6 will indicate about 155 knots using 2400 RPM at 2500 ft. Back in the pattern, just easy the throttle back and trim the nose up to slow down to 90 mph, then dump out all the flaps. I fly final at about 65-70 knots depending on conditions, then three point land. As I said earlier, the 6 is very mannerly on the ground and again requires rudder pressure to keep it on the center line. Rudder/tail wheel response is also very quick (like pitch and roll). It is totally the opposite of a Cub where you kinda jab a rudder and then wait for something to happen...The 6 responds right now.
My friends RV9A is also fitted with an O320 and fixed pitch Sensenich prop, so engine start-up procedures are identical to my 6. My first impression while sitting in the 9A was that I was sitting really high off the ground, and forward visibility was incredible. Taxing the 9A was simple and felt like I was riding on a cushion of air (compared to my 6 with a solid tail wheel tire). The 9A just floats along in taxi like a magic carpet. Take off was simple and required about the same rudder inputs as my 6. Just hold right rudder pressure to keep it tracking straight ahead. Out of habit, I let the speed build up to about 80 MPH before rotating. My friend said that I waited too long and the 9A would have flown off nicely much earlier. I could tell that he was right because the 9A jumped into the air and climbed nicely like an RV does. I really didn't pay attention to the climb rate, but it seemed a bit better that my 6 would do 2 up. We leveled off at 2500 ft. and I pulled the throttle back to 2400 RPM's. It was a bumpy day, and we were indicating about 135 knots. I rolled the 9A to about 45 degrees and did a 180 in each direction. My friends 9A requires much greater stick force in roll than my 6, which makes perfect sense due to the extra 5 feet of wing on the 9. I did a couple of steep 360's (roughly 70 degrees). Pitch forces during the turn (and flying straight ahead) feel very similar to the 6 (very light). I would have to guess that the roll forces are roughly 3-4 times greater in the 9 than in the 6. The 9 is very stable and seems to right itself better than the 6 after coming out the back side of a bump. Back in the pattern, I slowed the 9 down just like I do my 6, just ease the power back and trim the nose up and wait. The 9 is very slippery like the 6 and requires a bit of planning to get it down to flap speed. But with a little practice, it is very easy to manage. Same full flap routine in the 9, as I use in the 6. I flew final at about 65 knots and floated way down the runway. The 9 just wants to keep on flying. Flare was simple and I made an extra effort to keep the nose wheel off the ground as long as possible. Landing the 9A was very easy, and if I could have done just a few more, I could have really greased it on.
Before flying the 9A, I had read all the specs for it on Vans web page. I must say that it flew just like I expected it to. It is all RV, and a real hoot to fly!