RivetBangers.com

I find the broad range of opinions on avionics & instrumentation to be interesting. Ultimately, though, I think the majority of it is based on the intended mission of the aircraft. Yeah, I know, you all are thinking "well Duh!!"

So, Im curious, what is it that you all intend to do with your aicraft? Aero? Cutting holes in the sky? Touring? Serious travel?

Im building to have a touring aircraft. Something fairly stable, low stall speed, that Patti is comfortable riding in. We want a plane that we can fly places in a resonable amount of time, hopefully in light IFR, and shrink our backyard. No acro desired. That makes the 9 perfect for us. I think that explains why I want a more "capable" panel than most of those that I "meet" on the net.

What about you guys? What is it that you want to do with this plane?

I want a reasonably fast cross country airplane that will be comfortable for us to tour in.

Mine will be strickly VFR. If I do anything beyond a VFR panel, it will simply be a Dynon or similar. No backup instruments, one radio. I even have an idea now to simply use the airspeed and altitude functions of the GRT EIS from Eggenfellner, along with an AOA, and that's it!

Since I planned a VFR airplane from the start, I wanted something with a lighter touch, and acro capable (though I don't plan to be upside down) so I can yank and bank, hence the 7.

VFR cross country and fun yank and bank on Sundays.

I built my RV-4 as a cost-effective way for me to continue flying. It is a light Day/Night VFR machine. But it's all business and not much comfort.

My RV-7's mission is almost identical to Chad's. My main goal this time is comfort. Not necessarily speed. It will again be day/night VFR with at most a Dynon in it for inadvertent cloud encounters. Comfy seats, smooth engine. Bottom line: comfy cross-country traveler.

If I'm really honest I would bet that 80% of my flying in the RV-7 will be pancakes with the other RVer's on Saturday!

However, I WANT TO GET TO THE PANCAKES FIRST so I'm planning to be as light as possible with the IO-390 upfront. We'll have a basic IFR panel primarily so we can file to get up on top...no hard IFR planned but it will include a TruTrack autopilot for IFR safety.

- Peter

I want a comfortable cross country machine for going places in North America with enough range to be able to file IFR when needed. I'm not overly interested in aero and find a side by side nicer for long flights simply because of the room to organize things in. If I have a passenger, which I don't most the time, the side by side is my preference.

I expect to fly mostly to paved surfaces and arrive after dark at many places, so went with the (shields up) nose wheel. I like electronic toys, and hence will likely have a lot of them in the panel.

And the most important mission criteria, I don't want to have to book a plane weeks ahead only to find I get delayed a day by weather and can't go on the trip because the plane has to be back for someone else.

One word... FUN!

N200PF wrote:However, I WANT TO GET TO THE PANCAKES FIRST so I'm planning to be as light as possible with the IO-390 upfront.

I agree: FUN!!

VFR night with the cheapest EFIS available at completion.

Ya know what I find interesting is the responses here. Spike, if the same thread would have been started on the other forum....O' Brother

Womack2005 wrote:...Spike, if the same thread would have been started on the other forum....O' Brother

Hmmm, Im not sure I get ya. I dont spend much time on the other sites.

While most flying will be more local, the main mission will be for long cross country, day/night VFR. Acro is not necessary, so the -9A was the choice. I am more interested in the comfort, so don't mind a few pounds more for a complete looking interior, and higher back seats with headrests, sound insulation, etc. Intentions include taking this plane all the way out west, up to Alaska, etc.
The engine will depend on fuel prices, such as if the FAA tax hikes go into place (sorry Bush, I mean "user fees") - leaning towards a Lycoming clone, maybe O-360 with the lower compression cylinders to have the option for mogas. Make look at alternatives (am watching the Chad Enthusiometer for now '')
Wink ).
Prop - another debate - main mission will be going to airports with sizeable runways and not hot and high tiny strips, so I'm not sure the CS makes sense vs. a cruise pitched Catto.
Avionics - Dynon EFIS and EMS - great features for the price. Love the extras over steam, and barely more in cost now. Plus on screen checklists, alarms on EMS so more time spent watching for traffic, and so on. Garmin 396/496, TruTrak 2 axis AP, SL30 radio.
Like night flying, so some a$$kicking HID lights plus wigwag are being researched, roll-your-own nav LED's (2 Luxeon III's or 6 Luxeon I's can be done for $30 a position, Lambertian pattern looks like it will meet regs).

Womack2005 wrote:I agree: FUN!!

Ya know what I find interesting is the responses here. Spike, if the same thread would have been started on the other forum....O' Brother

Copy that. Of course it depends on WHO asks the question. If you're in the in-crowd, then that's fine. But if you're not... WATCH OUT!

FUN!! That's exactly what THIS forum is.

This is an AWESOME topic!

I wish I had more time to respond, but you hear too much from me anyways.

I am planning on building RV N357JS HEAVY and the mission will be high performance sport touring.

I look forward to seeing more replies!

CJ

This baby is my magic carpet, my fighter and my time machine.

She's going to take me to NYC in an hour, DC in 2+, the FL Keys in a day . . .

Then on the those days when I just want to fool around, I will be zipping along the Maine coast . . . inverted.

I'm building mine so I can fly out and see all the great people I've met through the board here!

When I started I chose the RV7A because both of our kids would soon be off to college and it would just be the wife and I. Now both kids are off to college I need to get this thing done! One is Alabama and one in Texas. I also have one brother in Wyoming, another in Florida and a third about 100 miles away. One of my close nephews lives in Montana and one has a place in Missouri on the lake with an airport only a 1/2 mile away. I will have plenty of places to fly to. We literally have friends all over the US and as I've heard others say the RV makes it a much smaller country.

Due to the above I plan on a comfortable cross country platform with a good autopilot, moving map and all the other goodies. Currently I plan on pulling it through the sky with an IO360-M1B and a CS prop.

Now if I can just get back to building. My slave labor will be returning from college in a couple of weeks and then we'll get to moving again.

I chose the RV-8 for the tandem centerline seating because I fly a lot of formation and gentleman's acro. (in fact got some rolls and loops in today with the RV-4 after work)

If I were single, I'd have just the RV-4 and put a 180 with a constant speed prop on it, but I chose the RV-8 because I wanted to join everyone else for those cross country trips and vacation get-aways with my wife and she needs to have the back baggage area, and I'll get the front .

Most of my flying is within the New England area, but usually I like to plan and fly at least one or two trips a year. (last year I flew the 4 into OSH)

I can't wait for CJ and I to finish these baby's and get'em flying together so we can plan a few trips together.

Right now my RV4's purpose is to help develop a broad continuum for corrosion analysis research. After completed, this research will be compared to the life expectancy of the builder to determine the stronger.

Now that there was funny.


Sounds like we should start a flyout or something considering how everyone wants to fly these things together. Maybe we should look into putting some kind of flyin together or something.

I'm building my RV-BH(the Bearhawk Version ) with camping in mind. I want to head out and be able to carry all of my necessities with me. You know; tent, sleeping bag, dirtbike, etc. . .

Spike wrote: Now that there was funny.


Sounds like we should start a flyout or something considering how everyone wants to fly these things together. Maybe we should look into putting some kind of flyin together or something.

Yeah, I think that would be a great idea. Do an annual RivetBangers weekender fly-somewhere event. I'm guess in about 1 to 2 years we can start kicking them off in good numbers

I use my 8 for everything. loops and rolls, going to breakfast anywhere within about 200 miles, going to see my grandkids in Colorado. (4 & 1/2 hrs by RV , 2&1/2 days by auto, Ugh!) a very fun aircraft!!
Dan