The Middle

The second year of flying my RV-6A is drawing to a close, and as I look back, I'm amazed at how much I've learned along the way. It's an amazing aircraft, one that has taught me more about flying than anything else I've flown. While it does straight-and-level as good as any brand-C or brand-P aircraft, it excels at formation, aerobatics, and mock aerial combat. My favorite part was capturing the "pilot's halo" while descending through an undercast while on an IFR plan. Seeing the halo around the airplane was fitting, I thought.


I can't help but feel I'm in the middle of my flying career with this airplane - year one was great and year two was awesome. I can't wait to see what year three holds!

Brad, very nice video!

Video

Great video. Looks like fun, fun, fun.

Looks like you guys are having fun.
The wobble 0:18. Too much aft stick?

xblueh2o said:

Looks like you guys are having fun.
The wobble 0:18. Too much aft stick?

Click to expand...

No - believe it or not, that's the result of wake turbulence. Both aircraft were probably pulling about 3g there, and the Pitts' wake is very pronounced.

Brad,
Am I really seeing the 7's nose rate as fast or faster than the Pitts? That's impressive. It gives you options at/after the merge to change your 1-circle/2-circle gameplay. Which one sustains energy better?

Fun video, nice job!

Pitts vs RV seems an interesting mix of performance capabilities. Details please...

scrollF4 said:

Brad,
Am I really seeing the 7's nose rate as fast or faster than the Pitts? That's impressive. It gives you options at/after the merge to change your 1-circle/2-circle gameplay. Which one sustains energy better?

Click to expand...

Good question. The single seat S1S has better instantaneous numbers as well as a cosmic roll rate, but sustained performance is much closer I think. The RV retains energy better, but the Pitts has a better energy addition rate. Certainly at the merge the Pitts has the edge, but if I mind my rate numbers I can give him a run for his money. If I don't, he'll be behind my 3/9 line in short order.

So the Pitts wins the radius fight (1-circle), but the RV wins the rate fight (2-circle). Nice to know.