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Home Project News February 3, 2021 Project Log FAQ Project Notes Project Summary Guestbook Other Stuff | Airplane Overview Aircraft Type I picked the RV-7 for several reasons. Actually when I ordered my first kit the RV-7 wasn't out yet. I had originally chosen the RV-6 but one week after I received my empennage kit Van announced the RV-7. It is to be the RV-6's replacement. I was in a good position since I had an RV-6 builders number I could either keep building my plane as an RV-6 or I could order a couple of control surface skins and make it into an RV-7. I chose to do the latter. I had originally chosen the RV-6 because it seemed to do everything that I wanted from an airplane really well. With a 200 mph cruise and side-by-side seating it is a good cross country airplane. It is rated as an aerobatic category airplane so it should be very fun to fly. I also wanted a metal airplane since that is the construction technique that I feel most comfortable with. Once the RV-7 came out I had another decision to make. Should I stick with the RV-6, an airplane that has been built and flown in higher numbers than many production aircraft, or dive off into the unknown with the RV-7. There were two main advantages to the RV-7 in my opinion. The first was the stronger airframe. The RV-7 has a higher gross weight limit and a higher Vne wich means if I watch my weight and balance right I should be able to get my wife, myself and our scuba gear in this airplane with a full load of fuel. I was a little worried about that on the RV-6. The other reason that I chose to switch to the RV-7 was the match drilled kits. The RV-6 has some pre-punched parts but the RV-7 has a complete pre-punched kit and it should take a lot of time off of the building time. Landing Gear Configuration My RV-7 is an RV-7 not an RV-7a. I wouldn't be caught dead in a nose-dragger (Danger: large amounts of sarcasm being used - Before you flame me realize that this statement was made purely on the basis of a recent thread in the RV-List and is a joke. I don't even have a tailwheel endorsement yet.) I love airplanes. I don't care how many wheels they have, where the wheels are or whether there are any wheels at all. Personally I like sailplanes, most only have one wheel. I picked the tail dragger version because I love how they look on the ramp and because of their utility. I know, I know you can land the trike RV's on grass and dirt too, but I'm hard to convince and I intend to land on grass strips a lot and I don't like the thought of that nose wheel giving up and me trying to carve my way out of an upside down airplane, just because of some gopher. Please don't flame me I love your RV-Xa's too. Canopy I plan to build the sliding canopy version. It is hot in Houston and I want to taxi with the top down. Simple as that. I like the added visibility of the tip-up but taxiing with the top down win's. I also liked the added room behind the panel and I don't have to worry (as much) about the water dripping on the avionics. |