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7 tail on 6

I

IBPJ

Member
Did a search but didn't come up with anything. Called Van's and they said yes it would work and people have done it. They even called it a RV6 1/2. Has anyone done this, seen it done or know of anyone that has done it? If so what are the pros and cons. I'm at a point that I could do it with very little trouble but not sure if it would be worth the effort.
 
Why? The 6 flies just fine the way it was designed. I can't see how a bigger tail would make any improvements to it.
 
For what it's worth mine is one of the last 6 empenages shipped and came with the taller balance horned rudder that was used on the original 7s. I believe that in order to improve spin recovery these have since been replaced on the 7 with the even larger, riveted trailing edge rudder used on the 9.

Jim Sharkey
RV6 Tip-up FP O360A1A
 
jsharkey said:
For what it's worth mine is one of the last 6 empenages shipped and came with the taller balance horned rudder that was used on the original 7s. I believe that in order to improve spin recovery these have since been replaced on the 7 with the even larger, riveted trailing edge rudder used on the 9.

Jim Sharkey
RV6 Tip-up FP O360A1A
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My RV-6 will have been flying 10-years in September and there are presently 2,004 hours on the hobbs meter. The vertical and rudder that was on the original kit are perfectly fine. Late RV-6(A) kits use the counterweighted RV-8(A) vertical and rudder that had prepunched parts. Many people thought that the prepunched parts was an upgrade.

Unless you are planning on doing aerobatic competition, you do not need the larger vertical or rudder. If you are planning on doing aerobatic conpetition, you need a different airplane.
 
small tail

I have a small tail -6A with an O-320 and must keep a close eye on W/B. Not so much now with the Sensenich metal prop but with a wooden prop and the bigger, heavier 7/8 style tail you could seriously limit your W/B envelope. :(

Plus, I think the smaller tail looks better anyway. :)
 
ME TOO.....

N162RV said:
I have a small tail -6A. With the bigger, heavier 7/8 style tail you could seriously limit your W/B envelope. :(

Plus, I think the smaller tail looks better anyway. :)
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Doesn't everyone like a little tail? :cool:
 
Yupper

gasman said:
Doesn't everyone like a little tail? :cool:
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Yes a little tail is nice!!!! I still think the original small tail is the best looing in the RV world
 
Spin Recovery

My 14 year old -6 still has the original tail. The only thing about it is after 6 turns, spins are slow to recover. That is why Van eventually went to the -8 vertical tail. I don't recommend more that 1 1/2 turn spins with the original vertical. After 1 1/2 turns it starts to wrap up pretty fast.
 
I believe Jerry Springer put a -7 tail on his -6 after someone crunched his tail at Van's Homecoming a few years ago. (Scumbag didn't fess up, either!) He says he likes the mod. Don't know how to get hold of him; might try the RV White Pages. He lives in Oregon in the Beaverton or Hillsboro areas, I think & he shows up every year at Arlington. Maroon & white plane.
 
It's either a -6 with the -8 tail or an early -7. Judging from the wingtips, my guess would be a -6. Most -7s use the newer style wing tips and the -9 rudder.
 
I fly two RV6As, one stock and the other with a 7 tail and wingtips. I have flown them back to back and find little differance between the two airplanes. If anything the stock 6 might have a little faster roll rate. Don
 
Yeah, it's quessing if viewed from further (or from this pic) -- I also thought I saw my first RV-7 (there was one RV-7A) at Barkarby (ESKB) fly-in in the beginning of June as this plane was taxing...

Rudder has counterweights as RV-7. The elevator couterweights leads are as I've seen in other RV-6s. Wing tips differ from current RV-7 models. Non slide skid walks say it's RV-6... So let this be RV-6. :p

And I quess this answers partly for the original question: there are RV-6(s) with RV-7 rudder and VS at least.
 
Pirkka said:
And I quess this answers partly for the original question: there are RV-6(s) with RV-7 rudder and VS at least.
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There are plenty of them. In 97 or 98 they started shipping the 8 tails for the 6, so any 6 started from then until the end of the 6 has the 8 tail (mine included.)
 
You mean like the NEW BIG RV7 tail compared to the old short 6 tail....like below? Don't mistake the newer 6 tails for the new 7 tails. Not the same in several ways. Ane yes...the white one is in fact an RV6...and a half! Ask me how I know?!?! :)

Cheers,
Stein.

tails3.JPG
 
VAN's SB 02-6-1

http://www.vansaircraft.com/pdf/sb02-6-1.pdf from VAN's probably has not been mentioned because everyone has read it but in the event it was missed by some I have posted the link. It discusses the development of the RV-7 vertical stab/rudder. A comparison to the 6 and 6A is mentioned and maybe I missed it but I have always read it with the understanding that the 7 and 6 spin characteristics are about the same after the 9 (larger) tail was put on the 7. The 6 does have a bit more Dutch roll characteristic but that is dampened by placing both feet on the rudder pedals (or some have placed springs on them) there seems to be NO big spin recovery improvement in the 7 over the 6. Has anyone reading this done a number of spins in both types other than VAN's test pilot?
 
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