Dual controls question...

Do most people complete the -4 with dual controls?

How hard would it be to add rear seat stick, rudder, and throttle controls to a finished build? How much would it cost roughly?

I'm ready to buy a plane - this will help me know what is nice to have and what is mandatory to have.

Thanks for the help!

Controls

I can't speak for others but most 4s I have seen have dual control sticks. The rear is usually removable. I have also fitted rear seat rudder pedals in my 4 but have put in the connecting bar. This is simply because rudder is not really needed in flight as there is almost no adverse yaw.

I have seen several with dual throttles but doubt I would bother to fit them because of the added weight. My view of it is that if your friend want a fligt from the back seat it can bee done with just the stick.

The 4 is a sports car on wings. Depending on its empty weight you may be limited in what you can carry in terms of passengers. I am 170lbs and can carry a 200 lb person in the back with full fuel. For aeros I am limited to 140lbs in the back and 10 gallons in each tank...... I would rather have fuel than controls that go largely unused.

Stock RV-4s come with a removable control stick. You may wish to add a PTT to the stick or on a bulkead.

Lightweight, simple and cheap rudder pedals are available from Flyboy Accessories. They fold out of the way and attach to the existing rudder cables.

A rear throttle can be a 3/16 rod, threaded at both ends that passes through the bulkheads (use snap bushings) with a ball end fitting attached to the throttle arm and a threaded plastic ball from McMaster-Carr on the other.

An elevator trim switch can be mounted to the bulkhead below the throttle extension.

Total weight less than one pound.

Yeah, less than one pound is perfect. As long as I know it can be added it opens up the pool of possible airplanes a lot!

I will be giving rides here and there but mostly I will be teaching my 13 year old son. Weight shouldn't be an issue. Once he weighs 180, he's going to ask for the airplane solo anyways...

There are pics of a rear throttle and rudder pedals here.

Cheers,

Cool! Thanks! Good pics....

The rear stick comes in the kit. I installed a rear throttle as well. Rear seat pedals don't make much sense to me in an RV-4 and are more in the way than anything else. I installed rear seat foot wells which would make using the rear pedals tough. But the rear seat foot wells greatly improve rear seat comfort.