Homebuilt for the enhanced male

Hi Peoples,

I am at the stage where I'm shopping around for my first airplane to build and came across the RV-7 and it seems to tick off all my boxes in a kit. Question is...
Do I fit?

I am about 6'6, 250lb with size 17 feet. I generally feel a degree of cramped in just about any aircraft having only been comfortable in a T-28...needless to say thats not really on my list.

Anyone on the forum on the large side?

First off, welcome to the club sir!You have definetly come to the right place.I'm not that big but I'm 6'3" 200 pounds. I've now flown in one rv-6a and sat in one 7a and I wasn't cramped or claustrophobic at all.Supposedly the 7 is roomier than the 6 according to Vans own advertisments but Tom Green got really annoyed when I asked him about that at the factory and said that wasnt true.Some of the models have a "TALL PILOT" modification you can build into it but I don't know about the 7.Your best bet would be to get into one "down there" ,Ive seen tons of first flight reports from Australia in the last year so your bound to find one to try on when you start looking.I hope it fits you so we can see you around here in the future.Good luck!

I'm 6'6, 260, and size 13(Aussie 12). An 8 is by far the most comfortable for me. Thin cushions and the tall pilot option will certainly help. Also, building an 8A will give you more leg/foot wiggle room as you won't have the gear towers in your way.

I sat (didn't fly) in a 7A and fit. If you fly with someone else of your stature, you'll rub shoulders but it's not terrible. The roomiest of the RV's is, of course, the 10. There are acres of room in those.

All that said, I'm in the final steps of buying a flying 6A. It's got less headroom and legroom than a 7 but I can still comfortably fly it. I'm going to eventually move the rudder pedals forward and make my own cushions, but for now, I'm happy.

Honestly, the RV's are pretty accommodating for guys like us. The others that are similarly accommodating are the Murphy series, the Bearhawk, and the Zodiacs. Good luck in your quest, I can honestly say I feel your pain.

comfort

I'm 6'3'' and about 200#. You can get comfortable in a 7A, but it is tight. I believe the 7A is roomier than a 6. I sold my 7A and built a 10. Much more room, not as much fun to fly. I needed the room for more passengers. When the 7A was being built, I assumed there would be more space, so didn't make any extra effort to enhance the available room Just sitting in a 7 is not enough, you need to fly for an hour or two cross country with a passenger to get a honest feel for the space.

Just what I was after, thanks guys. I am starting to look around, see if I can find an RV local to me so I can sit in and push and poke but Plumber is right, Ill need to con a flight in one.

I have a good friend who is likely to be my partner in building/flying/owning who is not as tall as me but wider across the shoulders and we had already figured that it would be fairly tight. He had already looked at the Murphys and is pretty much sold on a Rebel.

In looking at previous threads on this topic, the RV-8 tends to stand out for height as being the roomiest. Has a tall canopy option and the most legroom. BUT, I highly recommend you fly (not sit) in a couple - there are RV owner lists here, check with your local EAA chapter, or I have seen a few folks put out requests for a ride here in the forums. Good luck.

6 vs 7 cockpit size

Harland E. [n.m. u.s.a.] said:

Supposedly the 7 is roomier than the 6 according to Vans own advertisments but Tom Green got really annoyed when I asked him about that at the factory and said that wasnt true.Some of the models have a "TALL PILOT" modification you can build into it but I don't know about the 7.

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I broke out a tape measure comparing the cockpit between the 7 that lives next to my 6. Identical. The 7 does have an option to have the seat further back when you build it.

Nucleus

nucleus said:

I broke out a tape measure comparing the cockpit between the 7 that lives next to my 6. Identical. The 7 does have an option to have the seat further back when you build it.

Nucleus

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It is my understanding that the cabin width is the same between the 6 and 7 but on the 7 the seat ribs are lower so you get more head room. I flew in a 6 recently that had thick seat cushions and I found it had insufficient headroom for me to be truly comfortable (I'm 6 ft). The 7 appeals to me more.

6'3" 225 here and its tight in a 7, not uncomfortable, but tight.........the 10 I had a chance to sit in did have tons of room. Still the 7 has LOTs more leg room than the 150 I did most of my private training in

Hmm so there's talk that the 8 might be the go? Ill have to get around and have a look at some RV's, see what might be good. I'm still in the training stages so itll be a while yet before I'm ready to buy.

Coolie,

If your looking for a two place aircraft from Vans, get the 8. I am 6'5" and 215 lbs and have sat in the 7 & 8. The 7 is not twice as wide as an 8 so you will end up with more shoulder room, leg room was a wash. You can also get the tall pilot option from Van's which I understand is the "6'10" kit". However, I have no idea what this does to the room in the rear seat. JS