Congrats to WillyEyeball

Congratulations to Bill who took 1st place in the Sportsman category today at IAC 19's Blue Ridge Hammerfest in Morganton, NC (MRN) flying his RV-4. As you can see below, Bill flew against quite a few very capable airplanes (and pilots). I had the pleasure of meeting Bill and watching him fly for the first time this weekend, and he is one of the most relaxed, nicest guys you will meet. It was a great seeing an RV flown so well. Bill has really put in a lot of time and effort in last few years getting to this level.

Also flying very well was Ron Schreck who is getting back into competition acro in his RV-8. Saturday was a total wash, and Ron had to leave and didn't fly the 2nd and 3rd flights, hence the standings. I was looking forward to watching him fly his Intermediate level Free sequence which included a snap. I saw him practice this last weekend, and I can confirm that RVs do in fact snap very nicely if you have the technique. FYI - both Bill and Ron's airplanes have full inverted systems.

So... about 50% of the total RV population involved in competition acro across the country was present at this one contest. No reason why these numbers cannot go up! Now the next time I hear someone say RVs are not well-suited to competition acro I guess I'll just simply post a link to this thread. It's all about practice and seat time. The airplane will do it just fine.

Do these routines require inverted fuel and oil?

Well done Bill.

-Dave

+1 On the congratulations!
I'm working on my RV-8 is to get started in IAC competition. (engine & prop change, remove weight)
I'm working to be ready for the 2015 season, so hopefully more RV's will be on the record. My son was going to start with his RV-4, but he got such a great deal on a Pitts S1E, well, what could he do?
The Apple Cup @ Ephrata WA is the closest for us.

Sig600 said:

Do these routines require inverted fuel and oil?

Click to expand...

Inverted systems are not truly required until you get into the Intermediate category, which has sustained negative G figures. In the Primary and Sportsman categories, the figures involve only momentary negative G exposure - as in the -1G transition through rolls if they are done properly. Non-inverted system airplanes can respectably fly Primary and Sportsman, but you must have some tolerance for the engine quitting momentarily (carb) and some oil loss - which you must monitor and be willing to clean off the belly unless you've modified your breather hose plumbing. My friend in a non-inverted, carbed, Clipped T-Craft did pretty well in Sportsman a few years ago. But there is no question that inverted systems are an advantage here. Or you can cheat the figures to stay positive, but you will receive downgrades. There is no need to be concerned about oil pressure issues during the momentary negative G transitions during Sportsman level figures. Airplanes with carbs and wood/composite props would need to be careful to avoid complete prop stoppage during certain figures. Metal props will keep windmilling and restart as soon as positive G is re-applied. Fuel injection alone definitely helps here.

One more thought on inverted fuel and oil. If you run a non aerobatic constant speed prop the be aware that they can overspeed the engine if the oil pressure goes away. There are ways to mitigate that issue. If you design a free, as Bill has, some times inverted systems can open up different figures that work well with your strengths. My RV-7 with no inverted puts about 1/3 to 1/2 a quart of oil on the belly for each trip thru the box. All of the people I've met at the contests have been happy to have RV's compete . Fly safe Dave.

Of course, one way to ensure oil pressure loss won't result in an overspeed is to make sure you do not have inverted fuel either. A dead engine won't overspeed

I crack myself up sometimes...

Not entirely true if a constant speed is Miss adjested and goes really flat you could still have an over speed without it running
Dave

Way to go...

Congrats, Bill!

Hope we can cross paths next year and get two RV-4s in the same competition.

Cheers,
Patric

RVs can do it

Thanks, and I've had a lot of coaching and encouragement. Always hope to see more RVs, and if we do, it might scare off the Pitts and Extras. If I can answer any questions about RVs and competition acro, you can contact me with personal e-mail. By the way, the 2015 Sportsman free style is very RV friendly, and we should score well.
Cheers,
Bill McLean
RV-4 Slider
lower Alabama

We have a Yahoo Group too!

A few years ago I was encouraged by Doug Bartlett, former president of the IAC to see what I could do to stir up some interest in competitive aerobatics in the RV community. As a result I started a RV/IAC Working Group on the Yahoo forum to provide a communication link between the RV community and those in the IAC who have been or want to help bring more RV participation in the sport. If you share that interest please join the forum HERE.

I am also hopeful that Doug Reeves will dedicate a section in the VAF for aerobatics alongside the formation section. (HINT, HINT!)

Admittedly, I have been otherwise occupied with my participation with Team AeroDynamix and have been unable to give fuller attention to the RV/IAC effort. I am retiring from Team AeroDynamics and will fly my last airshow with the team this coming weekend at the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at Pensacola NAS. I've been with the team for eight seasons and figure it's time to move on. I do so with no regrets as it has been a great ride!

I plan on taking a more active part in IAC competition and hope many of you will join me.