RV Gs

Anybody know what an RV-8 is rated on +/- G forces?

+6/-3 @ 1600 lbs
http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/flyrvs.htm

max G loading

From section 15 of the preview plans:

MAXIMUM G-LOAD: Plus 6 and minus 3 G's for an RV-4 or RV-6/6A flown at an aerobatic gross weight of 1375 lbs. (1600 lbs. for the RV-7/7A/8/8A. or 1050 lbs. for the RV-3 The RV-9A has a maximum G load of +4.4 and -1.8 at 1600 lbs.). For operational gross weights above this figure, aerobatic maneuvers should not be performed. This also assumes that the RV was built in strict conformity with the plans. Any variation in materials used, dimensions of primary structural parts, or workmanship standards, can cause a loss of strength and cause the actual limit load to be less than the design limit load.

Click to expand...

)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D
http://www.rvproject.com

Don't know how I missed that! Thanks

But, only 1550 lb if you have the original wing...

Brian130 said:

+6/-3 @ 1600 lbs
http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/flyrvs.htm

Click to expand...

The original RV-8 wing only has a 1550 lb aerobatic gross weight. I querried Vans on this today, and they replied:

Yours is still 1550 if you have the pre-mid 2000 wing. The dash1
wing common to the 7 and 8 has the 1600 limit, but these were not
shipped til mid 2000.

What's the Difference?

Enquiring engineering minds want to know...what is the design diffence betwen the original and "dash 1" wing? Anyone know?

Paul Dye
(Engineering Geek)

How do you tell?

Mid 2000 is not very precise. Did Van's provide any other way to identify the Dash 1 wing or does anyone else know?

No, they didn't tell me how to identify the dash 1 wing. I'm guessing the front spar part number is different. My wing was delivered before 2000, so I know it is the first design. You could send an e-mail to Van's Support and ask them what they changed, and how to tell the difference.

[email protected]

wing spar differences

I don't have a good photo, but the difference is the "web" that runs from the root of the spar goes out further with the Mark 2 spar than it did with the Mark 1 spar. Here you can see the web laying on the spar - both anodized gold.

The dash 1 wing vs the original

I have the original wing. I called Vans to ask about the difference between my original wing and the dash 1. I was told that the difference is the spar. They went to the dash 1 wing spar because it is the same one used in the 7, and it made more sense to use the same spar for both the 7 and the 8. They assured me that there was nothing wrong with the original wing.

The natural concern of course is that after the wing spar failure on the factory demonstrator 8, they changed to a new wing spar. The told me that my wing was "nothing like" the wing that failed! When I asked about the different aerobatic limits between the original wing spar and the dash 1 wing, the person I spoke with said that it could just be that the original wing was only tested to 1550 lbs gross weight.

Thats their story and they are sticking to it.