Buying an RV-4
When your going to buy a rv4 does it make a difference on long gear or short gear. How can u tell by looking at a picture if it has long or short. Is there a preferred engine set up or size that is best. Is there a certain engine model to stay away from. Should the spar type make a difference whether it was factory built
Hi Stan,
I bought my RV-4 in June of this year. I shopped really carefully and developed a good understanding of what's out there and what was important, at least to me. I've pasted my Questions for Buyers sheet below in case you might find it helpful. Feel free to PM me with any questions you may have and good luck on your search. The -4 is a great airplane!
To your specific question about gear legs I'll say this. I'm sure there is a way to definitively determine if an airplane has long or short gear legs but I never found that necessary. You can just tell. Just look at a photo of a short gear plane and it is VERY obvious. And, you won't see too many out there with the short gear legs. Tall gear legs was one of my minimum requirements. For two reasons. First, I wanted the increased prop to ground clearance. Also, I read that it is difficult to execute a true three point landing in a short gear leg -4 without touching the tail wheel first. You supposedly can't generate enough angle of attack to put them all on the ground at the same time. I've never tried it of course but I will say that I've been very happy with the three point landings I can perform in my long gear leg airplane.
Selecting an engine and prop combination is a much harder question. A light -4 with an O-320 and a fixed pitch prop might be a nice airplane for some people. But, I knew in advance I wanted maximum performance and flexibility so I looked for and found a nice -4 with an 0-360 and a constant speed prop. The CS prop is especially nice for aerobatics and formation flying. You need to know your mission. If you want a low cost cross country airplane, an O-320 with a FP prop might be just fine. If you plan to operate in a wider range of conditions and max perform the airplane, get a higher performance engine/prop combination. I agree with 8 Ball on the engine type - Lycoming or a lycoming clone. One of the very few things I didn't get on my airplane that I wanted is a fuel injected engine. That and lack of an inverted oil system limits my ability to fly the full range of aerobatic maneuvers the airplane is capable of. That said, I do like the ease of starting and simple operation of my carb equipped motor!
As I understand it, Van's doesn't build spars but you can buy one already assembled by one of their business partners. That's what the guy that built my plane did. You can usually tell the pre-assembled version by the nice gold anodized color of the spar which you can easily see running across the floor of the front cockpit.
Unless you want to upgrade the avionics on your own, I'd place a high priority on a panel with an EFIS and quality EMS system. Also, consider what you'll need to do to get the airplane 2020 ADSB compliant.
Good luck!
Randy
Here's my shopping list:
RV-4 Criteria
?
Minimum acceptable
◦ 180 or 160hp
◦ Pivot Throttle - not vernier
◦ Position lights
◦ Landing lights
◦ Heavy duty firewall weldments
◦ Pilot PTT
Long Gear Legs
◦ Wheel and Strut fairings
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Highly Desireable
◦ Attitude Gyro or EFIS
◦ Constant Speed or adjustable prop
?
Nice to have
◦ Glass panel
◦ Wing to*Fuselage fairings
◦ Fastback canopy
◦ Upgraded (James) cowl
◦ Rear seat footwell
◦ Co-Pilot PTT switch
◦ Heated pitot tube / AOA
◦ Electric flaps and trim
◦ Todd?s Canopy
Questions for Sellers
? Aircraft History
RV Model:
Quick Build (QB) or Standard Build (SB):
Slider or Tip Up:
S/N:
Location:
Asking Price: $
IFR/VFR:
Why selling:
Total Time (hrs) on airframe:
First flight date:
Original Builder (y/n)?:
- If not, seller is currently owner #_____.
Empty Weight (lbs):
- CG (empty weight - inches from datum):
- date of last weighing:
Year painted:
- Painted by:
◦ Builder
◦ Owner(s)
◦ Damage
◦ Paint (by who, when, type)
- Storage type
- Currently flying?
- Any extended periods of non-use
- Empty Weight
- Significant modifications / rework since certified
- Flight maneuvers / regimes certified - copy of certification
? Engine History
- Engine Make/Model:
- HP:
- Total Time Since New (hrs):
- Time Since Overhauled (hrs):
- Ignition:
- Carb/FI:
- Exhaust system:
- Engine Purchased from:
- Engine Assembled by:
- Date of last compression check:
- - Cylinder #1:
- - Cylinder #2:
- - Cylinder #3:
- - Cylinder #4:
Other unique features FWF:
◦ Experimental / Certified components
◦ Manufacturers
◦ Engine Overhauled? *By who? When?
◦ Mags overhauled? *When?
◦ Engine records - email / photo
Prop:
- Make (FP or C/S):
- Model:
- Pitch:
Fuel Tanks
◦ Any leaks?
◦ Sloshed?
? Service Bulletin compliance
? Misc features
◦ Trims
◦ Engine weldaments
◦ elevator skin thickness
◦ conical or dyanafocal engine mount
◦ filtered air box or ram air
◦ sam james cowl, plenumn and wheel pants, or vans pressure recovery pants.*
◦ Tailwheel enhancements,*
◦ upgraded seats and harnesses*
◦ crack free and spotless canopy?*
◦ footwells for pax?*
◦ good pilot and pax heating and cool air flow
? Weight / Useful load
? Most recent Compliance Inspection
Maintained by?
? Squawks / known issues / last Conditional issues?
? Included accessories (covers, mounts, etc.)
? Build Log available?
? Availability for inspection / flight test
Past incidents/repairs/damage repair:
-
-
Service bulletins/Change notices that have been complied with:
-
-
Date last transponder / pitot static check:
ELT battery age and last test:
Flaps (manual / electric):
Rudder Trim (manual / electric):
Elevator Trim (manual / electric):
Aileron Trim (manual / electric):
Strobes Make/Model:
Landing Lights Make/Model:
Age of tires/tubes:
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Avionics:
-
-
-
|
Interior:
Modifications:
-
-
Real World Cruise Figures:
- _______kts IAS at ________" of MAP spinning ________rpm while burning ______ gph.
- _______kts IAS at ________" of MAP spinning ________rpm while burning ______ gph.
Date aircraft last flown:
Willing to deliver: Y___ N___
