In general I like the RV-12 in concept and so far in "proof of concept".
I do have some design questions that I will be researching for answers.
1. Gas tank in the fuselage. I know why Van is doing this and I agree with his design reasons. I just don't know how he is doing this . Like others I?m not thrilled about the idea of a cockpit gas tank but I have flown several airplanes that have cockpit gas tanks (cubs, champs, etc). I?ll be curious as to what safety measures Vans takes concerning the tank. I?m also curious as the final shape and location. Right now it appears to be a tall rectangular tank right behind the passenger?s seat. In addition I have some questions about filling, venting and being able to visually check the fuel level. How do you ?stick? a fuselage tank during preflight to verify the fuel level? Can you see the fuel level if you remove the filler cap? One final thought is how much CG change will occur between full and empty. The primary concerns are any items that can compromise safety so I will be looking for specific design features that address safety concerning the fuel tank.
2. Landing gear. I?m pleased to see a strut style nose wheel and also the large diameter of the nose wheel. Good for rough field operation. I?m curious if anyone has seen an RV with main gear larger than the typical 5:00 x 5 tires. My 1965 Cessna 150 had 6:00 x 6 tires on the main gear and they were great on grass strips. Option for larger wheels would be a nice feature.
3. Flaperons. It sounds like they are effective as ailerons either in the drooped or raised position but I haven?t heard any comments yet about how effective they are as flaps. My 1965 150 had 40 degrees of fowler flap that let you come down like a parachute. I?m guessing the flaperons won?t be as effective as fowler flaps but it would be nice if the do something to lower stall speed and increase drag for landing. It appears to side slip ok in the video of Ken shooting touch and gos.
4. Cab forward seating. I hope Van keeps that feature. For a light sport plane I would prefer a high wing( I like the Cessna LSA) but the cab forward seating in the RV-12 looks like it might satisfy my sight seeing needs. Besides the low wing also helps facilitate removable wings. I?m also curious of the CG numbers associated with cab forward seating. I always enjoyed sailplanes as you sat ahead of the wing but we did have to watch the CG closely because we sat so far ahead of the wing. Some light weight pilots had to add ballast to meet the minimum weight requirement.
5 Removable wings. I for one hope Van retains this feature too as I fit the one scenario where tying down outside is an option for me. Our weather in the Northeast is not that violent in the summer. (We make up for that in the winter) I can get 7 months of tiedown space for the same price as 1 month of hanger rent. In the winter (after daylight savings time ends in November), I?ll remove the wings and bring the bird home (I live 1 mile from the airport). That feature alone will save me $2200 a year in hanger fees. Even if I wanted to pay for a hanger there?s a long waiting list to get one. It?s pretty evident how the front spars attach but I have not seen any detail of how the rear spar attaches yet. I'm curious if its difficult to rig removeable wings as they did comment about a heavy right wing on the prototype.
In general the cab forward seating and removable wings are the differentiating factor for me. Assuming they work out the details to Vans satisfaction and they retain these features then the RV-12 meets my mission statement for light sport flying fun. It will be faster and lighter on the controls than my 1965 150 and the airframe and power-plant will be 50 years newer
I see where Van is presenting ?Flying the RV-12? as a forum at Sun and Fun. Friday morning 9:00 AM. I?m sure there will be standing room only with a lot of people like myself asking questions.
Frank
I do have some design questions that I will be researching for answers.
1. Gas tank in the fuselage. I know why Van is doing this and I agree with his design reasons. I just don't know how he is doing this . Like others I?m not thrilled about the idea of a cockpit gas tank but I have flown several airplanes that have cockpit gas tanks (cubs, champs, etc). I?ll be curious as to what safety measures Vans takes concerning the tank. I?m also curious as the final shape and location. Right now it appears to be a tall rectangular tank right behind the passenger?s seat. In addition I have some questions about filling, venting and being able to visually check the fuel level. How do you ?stick? a fuselage tank during preflight to verify the fuel level? Can you see the fuel level if you remove the filler cap? One final thought is how much CG change will occur between full and empty. The primary concerns are any items that can compromise safety so I will be looking for specific design features that address safety concerning the fuel tank.
2. Landing gear. I?m pleased to see a strut style nose wheel and also the large diameter of the nose wheel. Good for rough field operation. I?m curious if anyone has seen an RV with main gear larger than the typical 5:00 x 5 tires. My 1965 Cessna 150 had 6:00 x 6 tires on the main gear and they were great on grass strips. Option for larger wheels would be a nice feature.
3. Flaperons. It sounds like they are effective as ailerons either in the drooped or raised position but I haven?t heard any comments yet about how effective they are as flaps. My 1965 150 had 40 degrees of fowler flap that let you come down like a parachute. I?m guessing the flaperons won?t be as effective as fowler flaps but it would be nice if the do something to lower stall speed and increase drag for landing. It appears to side slip ok in the video of Ken shooting touch and gos.
4. Cab forward seating. I hope Van keeps that feature. For a light sport plane I would prefer a high wing( I like the Cessna LSA) but the cab forward seating in the RV-12 looks like it might satisfy my sight seeing needs. Besides the low wing also helps facilitate removable wings. I?m also curious of the CG numbers associated with cab forward seating. I always enjoyed sailplanes as you sat ahead of the wing but we did have to watch the CG closely because we sat so far ahead of the wing. Some light weight pilots had to add ballast to meet the minimum weight requirement.
5 Removable wings. I for one hope Van retains this feature too as I fit the one scenario where tying down outside is an option for me. Our weather in the Northeast is not that violent in the summer. (We make up for that in the winter) I can get 7 months of tiedown space for the same price as 1 month of hanger rent. In the winter (after daylight savings time ends in November), I?ll remove the wings and bring the bird home (I live 1 mile from the airport). That feature alone will save me $2200 a year in hanger fees. Even if I wanted to pay for a hanger there?s a long waiting list to get one. It?s pretty evident how the front spars attach but I have not seen any detail of how the rear spar attaches yet. I'm curious if its difficult to rig removeable wings as they did comment about a heavy right wing on the prototype.
In general the cab forward seating and removable wings are the differentiating factor for me. Assuming they work out the details to Vans satisfaction and they retain these features then the RV-12 meets my mission statement for light sport flying fun. It will be faster and lighter on the controls than my 1965 150 and the airframe and power-plant will be 50 years newer
I see where Van is presenting ?Flying the RV-12? as a forum at Sun and Fun. Friday morning 9:00 AM. I?m sure there will be standing room only with a lot of people like myself asking questions.
Frank