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Looking for RV-6 or RV-7

mikeos98

I'm New Here
I have been looking for and rv7 project, and I have a rv6 offered to me. What are the big differences between the 2 and opinions on which to build?
 
Differences

RV 7 has slightly wider fuse
larger fin
capable of larger engine i think

I originally started the 6 and went with the RV 7 upgrade kit.

Sooooooooooooolong ago,... i need to get this done!
 
The biggest difference is, the 7's are all pre-punched. Cleco the parts together and start reaming all the holes out to full size for the rivets. No jigs are necessary. Very little measuring and marking where rivet holes will be drilled. That's all been done for you, and it's perfect. There's perfect uniformity with all the parts, so if you mess up a part, order a new one and it fits and matches all the existing holes in the substructure perfectly. Very little trimming or cutting. Just deburr the edges on your scotchbrite wheel. All of this will save you hundreds of hours of work.

With the older 6 kit, you must build jigs to insure an accurate alignment of parts and a structure that is straight and true. Basically, you have sheets of aluminum that need to be fitted, trimmed, and drilled from scratch. The rivet spacing and holes need to be laid out and marked. It will take you many more hours for all this work. That being said, you should be able to acquire an RV-6 kit for less money and if you're a patient and careful builder, you still end up with a very nice RV. Your choice!
 
Once they are done, the differences are pretty minor. Any differences in speed are likely to be due to builder variations rather than the design given the same engine etc. The interior widths are the same, per Van's - the 7 isn't wider than a -6 as both are 43" wide at the shoulder. The -7 may be able to accommodate taller people, however, this again depends on builder details - I built my -6A to easily accommodate my 6'5" frame while I have a harder time fitting into my 5'10" neighbors RV-7.

Build-wise, the -7s are quicker to put together due to the pre-punching etc for the airframe only. Once you get the airframe done, I think they are virtually identical - they both need wiring, FWF, etc.
 
I have been flying my RV-6 just short of 20 years.

In the air, both fly the same but the slightly longer wing of the -7 give is slightly less drag and therefore more speed.

IMHO, the -7 lands a little bit nicer. I think the slightly longer wing helps by making the transition from flying to taxi nicer.

The -7 will carry more weight and accept a larger engine.

IF you are building or finishing a kit that is already started, the -7 is a LOT easier to build.
 
6 or 7

you will have a higher probability of success with a 7 as ALOT has been made simple with the PP kit. it is a good start for a first timer and will give you confidence and experience to go to the next level and maybe build a 6 or 4 in the future. I am building my first and its a 6 and had no idea it would be this much fun and has opened my mind in wonderful ways. I have along way to go but will stay the course. go for it... make mistakes and enjoy the journey
billythekid
 
I think there's a fairly significant gross weight difference between the 6 and the 7..

1800 pounds for my 7 vs 1600 for the 6 is what I've heard.

Can make a difference if you go XC and want to carry something in the baggage area..
 
My (limited) understanding is that the two major differences are that the 7's are pre-punched and have a taller Vertical Stabilizer.

Seems that the VS from the 7 can be fit to a 6 build, so then it's just down to the pre-punching.
 
I helped build a -6 (and have 100+ hours in it), and am building a -7 (~ 1 hour in a friend's airplane).

What I've noticed:

Prepunching on the -7 makes some things a lot easier. It doesn't relieve the tedium of deburring edges and holes, dimpling, priming, etc. but fitting and trimming is much easier. The wings were a piece of cake compared to the -6.

The wing attach is much different on the -7; far fewer bolts to worry about. Attaching the tanks makes up for it a bit. Seems in the -7 there are more systems provisions built into the kit than there were in the -6; e.g. by-the-plans fuel system routing is a little different, with pass-throughs in the supports for the closeouts in front of the spar.

The -7 has higher aerobatic (6G) and gross weight limits than the -6. But, the airframe may be a little heavier.


As regards flying them, the two are virtually identical in the air as far as I can tell, with the big difference between the two airplanes I flew being the level of interior fitting-out (doesn't affect flying characteristics, but makes it a little quieter and smoother inside). The -7 seems to have a tiny bit better view over the nose on the ground, floats just a little bit longer on landing, and seems to have power steering with the big rudder (the -6 I fly has the small tail).
 
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