How much would I shorten the steps on a taildragger RV if I was a-buildin'? I'd probably shorten 'em by about 17, 18 inches or so, maybe more.
My RV-9A (yeah, I know, tailwheel at the wrong end) was discovered to have cracks in the steps on both sides. Jesse's posse's thought was they could fix the welds in place but then decided against it, pulled 'em, welded 'em, reinstalled 'em. Cost me a half dozen aeronautical grade hamburgers and eight or so years worth of VAF dues. Them steps came back powder coated white which meant they stood out from the paint scheme, but that turned out to be a why-didn't-I-think-of-that really great idea. Makes the steps real visible.
When I got my RV-8A (yeah, heard ya the first time) in a trade, one step was broken off at the fuselage and the rest of the step was in California, somewhere, probably within 300 nautical of the Golden Gate. Go find 'er. Naw, that one's not it, see here, the cracks don't match up to what's still in the fuselage. So I ordered a new step and proved my sheet metal machismo and patience by installing the new step and fabricating a new fairing from scratch. Whoopee.
Would I put steps on a taildragger RV? Would I log on to the web using Morse code? Would I swan dive into an empty swimming pool off the high board again? Would I put an R-985 on an RV-3? (Hmm, now there's an idea. If you three-point every takeoff and landing....)
On my RV-8 (always parked with flaps full down so they don't get stepped on), the easy way to get on board is to walk up to the trailing edge deliberately and WITHOUT STOPPING let your momentum carry you atop the wing. If I act like the stiff, paunchy old man that I am and stop at the flap, then I get to go through the clumsy and America's funniest home video-inspiring exercise of putting one hand on the canopy railing and with great exclamation and exasperation hoisting myself onto the wing with one hand.
And on the RV-9A, with steps on each side, almost the same rules apply: momentum or video, except that unschooled folks'll (not the nautical term) try to pull the canopy off its tracks if you let yer guard down. Biggest difference on the -9A is to park the plane with half flaps -- full flap deflection makes the trailing edge likely to getting kicked.
Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to put steps on taildragger RVs. Teach 'em manners and grace and vegan eatin' (goes right well with brisket and a little sausage) and physical therapy and ballet and reducing drag count and gettin' that cruise speed up by 0.00828 Mach. Maybe only 0.00827 if you drill the holes and then have to fill 'em. And it keeps the rattlesnakes outside of the inside when you're overnightin' out in the desert playin' "wish I was an RV super cub." No help keepin' out the ringtails, though... even the stiff, paunchy old ones.
