Rear seat brakes?

I am an experienced CFI and an RV-8 owner. My -8 has stick, throttle and rudders in the rear cockpit, but no brakes. I have experience instructing from the back as a former T-38 IP. So I might be interested in getting a LODA for instructing in the plane, but even restricting the service to experienced TD pilots, I am wary of not having any brakes in the pit. I doubt the FAA would issue a LODA without rear brakes, anyway.
So... Has anyone come up with a way to add at least a hand brake (like the old Comanches) in the rear cockpit? If so, I'd be quite interested in learning about it.
Andy Elliott

RV-8 rear brakes

Bruce Bohannon provides transition training in an RV-8 which he has fitted with rear brakes.

I believe the installation is of his own design and construction. It amounts to a (non-trivial) linkage from (non-stock) rear pedals to the (stock) front pedals to actuate the master cylinders for the brakes.

While I doubt he actually had to use them, I would not have flown with *me* in the front seat without *full* controls including brakes in the rear.

You can contact Bruce (who is based near Angelton TX, south of Houston) at:
(281) eighty eight ninety eight zero 78
[email protected]

BTW: Great instruction received!!

Peter

Would flying right-seat from a RV6/7 (at least initially) be of benefit?

It's been done and done well

See

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showpost.php?p=727606&postcount=4

Heal brakes ?

Just a thought from the old tube and rag ships. A cylinder with little fluid reservoirs screwed in them might be an easy retrofit since you already have rudder pedals. They might just bolt to the deck under the rudder pedals ?

Rear brakes (full controls) for the 8 has been done before. And the -7 is generally accepted for transition training for people building/flying an -8.

There's at least one example of a flying -8 under LODA with full back seat controls including brakes. I'll see if I can get that detail.

RV7 for RV8 training

Hi Gang,

I flew with Mike Seager out in Vernonia for a few days to get some transition training for the RV's and Tailwheel training so I'd be capable and comfortable to fly my recently completed RV8.

I can say his training is top notch and I had exactly 0 issues going from his RV7 to my RV8 first flight.

Have fun out there!! Still grinning from ear to ear!

Andrew