Light is right...
I am look at purchasing a RV-7 and it has a fixed pitch prop. I have low tail wheel time in a champ but lots of time in a RV-9A. Someone mentioned a CS prop is better because it will help you slow down the airplane and better for low TW time pilots.
I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on this.
Thanks.
Ravi,
Age old question. F16 Fighter weapons school answer?
It depends.
Long ago in a galaxy not so far away I built a light, simple RV4 that weighed in at 925lbs and cost me $21K in 1994 dollars. This was before pre-drilled, pre-punched, pre-fab RV's, the internet or chat groups and social media or even this wonderful site "DR" built. Back then RV builders (RV3,4) bragging rights weren't the HP of the engine or amount of glass in the panel but the empty weight, total cost and
efficiency! Also a prime topic for discussion was utilizing clean up mods, the coolest personal innovations and of course
Propellers as most folks used wood, FP props.
I began flying my 4 with a wood Sterba FP prop and 0-320 and found the RV4 to be an easy tail-dragger compared to our family Taylorcraft. I also found adjusting to a FP wood prop on a clean airplane wasn't difficult at all, just required practice. Later I would install and test a one-off Craig Catto masterpiece prototype prop that would become the RV standard. Much improvement and performance.
Useful tips:
1. Reduce engine idle to 600RPM. (why? less rpm equals less thrust in pattern)
2. Pre-planning. Slowing down earlier, planning descents or using overhead traffic patterns with no traffic to bleed off energy.
3. Practicing both straight in
flame out (engine failure) and standard traffic patterns at best glide speed (85 KIAS/100mph)
4. Challenge yourself to fly final approach at 65KIAS/70MPH with flaps. (I use 60KIAS)
Constant Speed RV's are nice for their own reasons not to mention flexibility, a bit shorter takeoffs and the air brake option you mention. Their drawbacks though (cost,weight,maintenance,engine failure glide distance, etc) don't add up for a
Jurassic builder/flyer like myself.
The lighter they are, the better they fly...
V/R
Smokey