What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Looking for early RV-4 plans

Lars

Well Known Member
Sponsor
This may be a long shot, but specifically dated before 11/1983, looking for sheets 24, 30 and 31. A smartphone photo of them would be fine, just need to verify some tail attach details on a plane I'm working on.

Email is best, [email protected]

Thanks!
 
RV-4 PLANS

Hi Lars

My -4 is a 1982 vintage and I still have the plans so exactly what pictures do you need??

I don't think mine are numbered by pages but if you have a specific page you wanna have a look at I can check if I still have it.

Bruno

[email protected]
 
RV4 Drwgs.

Lars -

I built my -4 in 1985, but the drawings you are inquiring about were drawn in 1982/83, so they should be good to go for you.

OBTW - I was an "Aggie" from 1967 to 1972 Civil Engineering. Remember going out to the airport a lot and dreaming. Still go there to visit friends that never left.
I know you have been there for a while because I have been watching your posts, and was hoping to get together with you sometime to look at your plane - maybe this would be a good reason to do so.

David Howe
RV4 S/N 1136
HRII S/N002
 
Lars,

I have an early set that shows a different horizontal stab. attach method (# 30)
if thats what you need. I contacted Van's and they said either one was OK. There is a picture of it on the forum you can find if you search "stab attach" or such. PM me if you can't find it and I'll send you a pic of my old plans sheet
Skip
 
Lars,

I have an early set that shows a different horizontal stab. attach method (# 30)
if thats what you need. I contacted Van's and they said either one was OK. There is a picture of it on the forum you can find if you search "stab attach" or such. PM me if you can't find it and I'll send you a pic of my old plans sheet
Skip

Turns out I now have a couple of version of older plans.

I've been assisting on a condition check on an early RV-4. When we first saw it we were concerned that the original builder had invented his own horizontal stab attach- partially the result of being a little hair-trigger due to all the RVs that have come through the shop with atrociously poor stab attach workmanship. A call to Van's didn't help- apparently no one on current staff was aware of the significant changes that Van made on the horizontal stab attach as the RV-4 evolved, and photos led them to conclude erroneously that it was not to (early in this case) plans. Where is Van when you need him?

Now we realize that what we were looking at was actually a properly executed example of rev 1-ish tail tail attach. The F-410 bulkhead is one piece but the attach angle is behind the horizontal stab spar, not in front of it as in rev 0. My guess is that the RV-4 horizontal stab attach, with its associated split F-410 bulkhead layout that has become the standard layout for Van's tail attach was done because the original RV-4 attach was really difficult to install. Thinking a midget with Gumby arms would've been necessary to get on the bolts that would only have been accessible by shimmying into the aft fuselage head-first.

It's been fun gaining a little insight into the evolution of Van's designs in the last few days. Thanks again to all that replied and supplied me with most useful information!
 


Found the pic I sent to Van's. This is from plan set #1904. They replied this was an early version on the horz. stab. attach method and was used (and still being used) by early 4s with no problems. This is how my a/c is built. They did not offer any explanations as to why it was later changed. Standardization with later models maybe ?
Skip
 
Original horizontal stabilizer attach design

Here's a snip from a print of the original version of sheet 30, from plans set #68. In this, apparently the original design, the horizontal stabilizer forward attach angle is visible ahead of the spar. If you look closely you can see that the owner of the plans drew the "rev 1" attach angle in by hand, behind the spar.

Seems to me that it would not have been fun to assemble the stab to the fuselage with that design, which I assume is why it changed fairly quickly.

All of which is probably of only mild historic interest at best, but having the various versions of the drawings sure cleared things up for me. Thanks again to all who replied.

i-wqXjfJ5-X2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back
Top