I think the way to look at getting stuck somewhere is that it is a possibility, not a probability. I have had four major getting stuck events in a lot of hours' touring. I class major as more than one night. Three were abroad where an IMC would not have been legal, and on two of those even the birds had called it a day. The other was in the UK and I came home on the train and collected the aeroplane the next weekend.
Unscheduled one extra night type delays have led to some great times, like meeting a bunch of head case French parachutists, or getting invited to stay with complete strangers purely because of the bond that exists between aviators. Get-home-itis has no place in your psyche if you decide to tour or fly cross-country in a light aircraft, make a sensible decision and accept a delay and make the best of it. Nothing is so important that it is worth risking your neck for. I always carry a tent and sleeping bag as well, just in case.
Re the RV, my guess is the 8 will be a fair bit more expensive to build. People tend to put bigger engines in and fit constant speed props. Plenty of 4s have been cleared for aeros, and one or two have been used by display pilots, so they are adequately strong.
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That's a fair point Brian. It's obvious when you think about it. I was imagining getting stuck for days on end, but there's nothing stopping you taking a tent, or finding some other means to get home. It's certainly not worth risking lives over.
Plus, can't find much on the Sherwood Ranger. Certainly not much that's in-date.
If engines are ignored, does anyone know a realistic price comparison between the RV4 & RV8? The Vans site doesn't think there's too much in it (£2500), but I'm a bit sceptical about that.
Also, I've just noticed they no longer provide RV6/a tailplane kits. I suppose that's the gamble with kit aircraft - I guess there's nothing stopping them ceasing production of sub-kits before I would have finished.
Plus, can't find much on the Sherwood Ranger. Certainly not much that's in-date.
If engines are ignored, does anyone know a realistic price comparison between the RV4 & RV8? The Vans site doesn't think there's too much in it (£2500), but I'm a bit sceptical about that.
Also, I've just noticed they no longer provide RV6/a tailplane kits. I suppose that's the gamble with kit aircraft - I guess there's nothing stopping them ceasing production of sub-kits before I would have finished.
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Nigel Hitchman
- Posts: 357
- Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 5:10 pm
- Location: Hinton in the hedges
Jason,
Vans stopped selling the RV-6/6A kits about 10 years ago, when the introduced the RV-7/7A which is basically the same thing with a few minor improvements, but a much more "modern" kit, with match drilled holes. They continued to supply wing/fuselage kits to people who had already bought tail kits for quite a long time afterwards, so people werent left out in the cold.
I think you can reasonably use Van's calculator to work out prices and a comparison between the RV4 and RV8 kit. Even though most -8s have bigger engines mostly 180hp, as opposed to most -4s with 150/160hp the engine prices arent that different, I think at one time the 180hp engine was actually cheaper. I think the big difference you will find is the -8 kit is much better than the -4 kit, in terms of finished parts and match drilled holes, where the -4 kit is more like the old -6 kit with just raw materials needing to be cut out and dirlled yourself.
From what people say, the -4 is a better aerobatic aircraft than the -8, but the -8 is much bigger with more room for bigger people and baggage for touring. Some people say the -8 isnt the nicest flying aerobatic aircrarft, particularly when solo with a forward CG.
As for needing an IMC/IR to go to the rally, forget it! most of the people flying there wont have either and even if they had, most of the aircraft they are flying arent cleared for IMC/IFR. Yes you might get stuck, I have done occasionally, but very rarely, although Ive stayed at home a lot more often when I wanted to go somewhere. But often if thats the case, I wouldnt have gone in an IMC/IFR aircraft either! You just have to be careful, stay out of the cloud and know when to turn back before it is too late.
Obviously experience increases the weather which you would fly in and maybe also gets you to turn around earlier in some cases. If you are a new pilot, why not find a more experienced pilot who would go with you, share the flying and the cost, until you get more experience. They dont need an IMC or IR either!
Vans stopped selling the RV-6/6A kits about 10 years ago, when the introduced the RV-7/7A which is basically the same thing with a few minor improvements, but a much more "modern" kit, with match drilled holes. They continued to supply wing/fuselage kits to people who had already bought tail kits for quite a long time afterwards, so people werent left out in the cold.
I think you can reasonably use Van's calculator to work out prices and a comparison between the RV4 and RV8 kit. Even though most -8s have bigger engines mostly 180hp, as opposed to most -4s with 150/160hp the engine prices arent that different, I think at one time the 180hp engine was actually cheaper. I think the big difference you will find is the -8 kit is much better than the -4 kit, in terms of finished parts and match drilled holes, where the -4 kit is more like the old -6 kit with just raw materials needing to be cut out and dirlled yourself.
From what people say, the -4 is a better aerobatic aircraft than the -8, but the -8 is much bigger with more room for bigger people and baggage for touring. Some people say the -8 isnt the nicest flying aerobatic aircrarft, particularly when solo with a forward CG.
As for needing an IMC/IR to go to the rally, forget it! most of the people flying there wont have either and even if they had, most of the aircraft they are flying arent cleared for IMC/IFR. Yes you might get stuck, I have done occasionally, but very rarely, although Ive stayed at home a lot more often when I wanted to go somewhere. But often if thats the case, I wouldnt have gone in an IMC/IFR aircraft either! You just have to be careful, stay out of the cloud and know when to turn back before it is too late.
Obviously experience increases the weather which you would fly in and maybe also gets you to turn around earlier in some cases. If you are a new pilot, why not find a more experienced pilot who would go with you, share the flying and the cost, until you get more experience. They dont need an IMC or IR either!
Ah, I certainly didn't know that. - I was under the impression that the RV8 was better than the RV4 in all respects. I didn't realise the RV4 is better for aerobatics.
Yes, I agree with your IMC comments. I suppose with an IMC, there's a risk of falling into the 'Oh I can't fly there as there's no VORs nearby' trap.
I would make damn sure to consider it as a nice-to-have rating, rather than a necessity in order to fly further than x nm from the airfield.
Sharing the trip to Sywell with a friend did cross my mind. Hmmm...
Yes, I agree with your IMC comments. I suppose with an IMC, there's a risk of falling into the 'Oh I can't fly there as there's no VORs nearby' trap.
I would make damn sure to consider it as a nice-to-have rating, rather than a necessity in order to fly further than x nm from the airfield.
Sharing the trip to Sywell with a friend did cross my mind. Hmmm...
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