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building a RV-7 and need advise

N

nmontei

Member
Hello,

I?m building a RV7 this spring and I was wondering if you were to build again what options / avionics / interior / modifications would you do? Please keep in mind that I am a teacher so money IS AN OBJECT, lol at least my wife thinks so. I figured why no take the question to the experts, the ones who have already built a plane.

Thank you very much for your time,
Nicholas Montei
 
Install a 2-axis autopilot from the get-go. Don't wait until later to upgrade. Upgrades can be a real pain in the butt. Even if you think you don't really need it (you don't, but it's really nice to have) and might not want it, you will eventually...and when that day comes you'll be cursing that you didn't just install it up front! Ask me how I know.
 
I say just get started on the tail, and answer those 'down the road questions' when you get to that point in the road. If you've already chosen the 7, buy the tail and get goin'! The only choice to make there is whether or not you want manual or electric trim. That'll buy you 4 to 6 months of time to think of the next series of questions...and the tail is cheap motivation in the grand scheme.
 
Nicholas

Have a real hard look at your planned mission of the plane. This will answer many of the questions you have early in the build phase. Remeber the more that you expect your plane to do the more $$$$$$$$$$$$$ that will be needed. As a retired school teacher it has been the real challenge of the build to get the funds to build. BUT I WILL FIND THEM.....or as my wife says, "there goes the reetirement!!!!!!!!!" "Get a job"!@#$#@!%^%$$#@!!

Don't hesitate to get going even if you haven't a clear notion of the mission as it will evolve over time.

Frank @SGU
RV7A Tip up, ECI IO 360/FI/EI, IFR panel, Looking for the $$$$$$$$$$$$$ to finish.
 
What are you going to do with it.

Nicholas,
First you need to ask yourself, "What do I plan to do with my aircraft".
Will it be, aerobatics, Crosscountry or just for beating up the clouds.
If it is for crosscountry you may choose comfort over minium empty weight and so install plush seating and interior insulation & lining, plus a good panel with GPS Glass and an autopilot and even long range tanks.
If it is for local flying and aerobatics you might forgo comforts in an effort to keep the empty weight down- no paint like Dans- basic instruments and max engine power for climb performance.
Once you have decided what you are going to do with it you can start looking at aircraft built for the same task.
For example, mine is really heavy, but very comfortable with 70gal of fuel and 1200nm range. On the other hand, my mate's machines is more basic and outclimbs mine.
Pete.
 
Lots to Learn

Nicholas,

If you are new to this airplane building stuff, like I was when I started, I would suggest starting the learning process -- which takes years and is never really complete. There's an incredible amount ot learn and it takes time. Subscribe to RVator, Kitplanes and Sport Aviation. Read Vans Air Force and the forums -- every day. Browse through Dan's and others pages. Go to RV fly-ins and talk to people. Visit other builder's. Buy and start reading The AeroElectric Connection. Buy and read 20 Years of RVator. It's like drinking from a fire hose but you are incrementally adding to your knowledge base every day. You will get smart on all the issues -- priming, engine selection, VFR or IFR, panel, tip-up/slider, tailwheel/nosewheel, etc -- and then will be in a position to make the decisions which are right for you.

Here's a long term specific: decide if you are going to have a five-point seat belt harness and install the crotch-strap brackets early while you are building the center fuselage. It's a lot easier then than after the fuselage is built!
 
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VFR or IFR?

I assume its going to be a VFR machine but if you have asprations for IFR that means a whole lot more money and work. It probably is not worth building for VFR and trying to plane for upgrading later...I.e you really need to have all the wiring in place if going intending to upgrade to IFR later on..

Anyway, assuming VFR I agree with Dan but I would make sure that you get a Trutrak A/P that has a turn coordinator display, either a Pictorial pilot (plus Atlrak altitude hold) like I have or even better the upgrade that gives it all in one box with a true artificial horizon.

Mine is IFR but I use the PP and Altrak as both backup for my EFIS and convenience.

Other than that all you really need is an altimeter and an ASI from Vans.

I would strongly recommend a a multichannel egine monitor to take care of your Lyc clone if your going that way...e.g a Dynon EMS D10....Lots of montioring for the buck.

Then you need a handheld gPS...the cool thing is the GPS can drive the autopilot.

My CFII allowed me to use my A/P's for th first time today during my IFR lesson...Phew what a workload reducer!

Frank
 
Autopilot

I have been intrigued by the suggestion that autopliots are a must.
Maybe it is because fliers like Dan live near LA and so there is so much airspace that the work load of map reading, frequency changes and radio calls justifies it.
I have done a few 5 hr trips out of my home airport here in Australia and due to the lack of population (20,000,000) and consequent lack of contorolled airspace, it has been straight line from departure to the destination at 8000' OCTA.
So maybe if you live in North Dakota an autopilot would not be so necessary, and should be replaced with a survival kit and an ELT.
Pete.
 
One suggestion

There is one thing that I will do differently on my next project.

I increased the hieght of my instrument panel by 1 3/4". This is very common among builders who are using multi function displays and need/want just a little more room on their panels. I spent a lot of time building the panel and I absolutely love it. But! I am 6'2" and the lower edge of the panel comes too close to my knees for my liking. My suggestion would be to try your best to use the stock panel. On longer flights it will allow you room to move around in the cockpit a little to stay comfortable. If you do decide to use a taller panel, I would install the blank panel in the airplane and borrow someone's seat cushions to test for comfort.

Keith
 
fodrv7 said:
I have been intrigued by the suggestion that autopliots are a must.
Maybe it is because fliers like Dan live near LA and so there is so much airspace that the work load of map reading, frequency changes and radio calls justifies it.
I have done a few 5 hr trips out of my home airport here in Australia and due to the lack of population (20,000,000) and consequent lack of contorolled airspace, it has been straight line from departure to the destination at 8000' OCTA.
So maybe if you live in North Dakota an autopilot would not be so necessary, and should be replaced with a survival kit and an ELT.
Pete.
Click to expand...
Most people seem to want an autopilot. I know some RV pilots that take off, turn on the A/P and turn it off again when they are ready to land. Don't quite understand that reasoning. I had an A/P until a few years ago, decided I never used it, so I took it out. Haven't missed it. I guess I just like to fly.
 
Right on

Mel said:
Most people seem to want an autopilot. I know some RV pilots that take off, turn on the A/P and turn it off again when they are ready to land. Don't quite understand that reasoning. I had an A/P until a few years ago, decided I never used it, so I took it out. Haven't missed it. I guess I just like to fly.
Click to expand...

I'm with Mel... Keep it simple. A wing leveler is all you need. I'm building a plane to fly. Basic utility, and there's no reason to break the bank. ;-)

All this glass etc... is nice, but not necessary. I can fly across country with the basics but will have a cheap wing leveler. After all, flying the plane is the fun part of all this. :D
 
Know Thyself....

Hi Nicholas!

In truth, there is no one here that can tell you what you need or don't need. They can tell you their experiences, all of which are completely valid for their own purposes. But the real question you have to ask is "what are YOU going to want to do with the airplane?"

Van originally designed the RV line to be simple, performance oriented sport planes. For VFR flying and sport acro, there isn't a whole lot that you need. I have toyed with starting an RV-3 and putting nothing but what I used to have on my old J-3 Cub in for the the way of instruments. This is in contrast to my RV-8 which has a full glass cockpit, three GPS's, Two-axis autopilot, highly redundant electrical system.....in short, everything that I feel I want for traveling, IFR when necessary. There is also nothing stopping me from going up locally in the -8 and flying the heck out of it with some fun aerobatics, like I did yesterday afternoon.

When I start a project, I begin with a set of requirements. I separate the absolute, bottom-line, no-kidding ones from the "nice to haves". I prioritize. And then I start to flesh out what I need in the project to accomplish those requirements. It is an objective, fairly dispassionate process that engineers love, and (many) wives might hate.....and there is nothing that says that when you're done, if you get an answer that you don't like, you can't throw it away and build what you want anyway! But at least you'll have studied all the options.

I tell people that I try not to give advice. I don't know you or your needs. But I will tell everyone that in my opinion, the first thing is for you to figure those needs out. No one can really define them for you.

Good luck on the first of many fun parts - deciding what you want the airplane to do....for you!

Paul
 
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