Looking for opinions on an RV7

Hey all,

I was planning to start a rv7 tail kit this fall, but I happened to see a flying airplane for sale that caught my eye. Quickbuild 7 with apparently nice paint, O-320-E2A/sensenich with around 800 hours, and a panel that I'll kindly call "less than ideal"

As I'm mulling over the pros and cons, I just though that I'd throw it out here for opinions. I don't think that forum rules will allow me to link it here, but it's a blue/silver 7 in Lamar Colorado. Anybody know anything about that particular plane?

Seems to me that if it's as advertised, a guy could upgrade the panel, resell the VFR stuff and have a nice little IFR weekend plane that could do 700 nm legs and runs on Mogas for about $80k. Am I wrong?

We all want to go fast, and if I build one I'm going with an IO360, CS prop, and a nice IFR panel, but realistically, 90% of my flying is 200 miles or less, with some 800 mile trips a few times a year.

If I'm brutally honest with myself, more power would be nice, but I'd be paying dearly for the 10 minutes it would shave off of short trips and to go nowhere fast on local joy rides.

It seems like this might allow me to get into a flying rv and do a nice avionics package for quite a bit less that it would cost me to build one.

I welcome all opinions!

Just because you have the power does not mean you have to use it. My 22-years experience flying RVs has shown that at 150 KTAS, they burn the same fuel with the 320 (160 HP) or the 360. IF the 360 is a 200 HP version, it will burn less fuel.

As the speed is pushed up, the 320 will burn more fuel than the 360 until the 360 starts going faster than the 320 then the 360 will start using more fuel to make the HP that is needed to run faster. The 200 HP will use less fuel than the 180 till the 180 is WOT then the 200 HP can push it up, go faster, and also use more gas.

IF you can find the Lycoming power curve charts, compare the pounds of fuel per hour per horsepower produced.

I got a great deal on my 320 core/rebuild, so couldn't justify the extra cost of a 360. I am very happy in most cases. I cruise at 160 knots (that is LOP, so could go faster) and the 360 wouldn't buy me a lot more and not sure I would throw the fuel at it if I had it. My climb rates are lower than I would like in the heat of the summer, but it is not a handicap. I don't drop below 500 FPM until 9000' when fully loaded in summer.

Need to balance cost vs. benefit by your own standards. Some would say it is simply improper to not have a 360, but you should ignore that and do your own analysis.

Larry

lr172 said:

Need to balance cost vs. benefit by your own standards.

Click to expand...

And here it is stripped down to the bare essentials.

Dang... If I didn't already have my kit and wasn't getting really close, I'd be flying out to look at that thing too and getting a local to inspect it for me.

Lots of folks have close to that much in their panel and engine alone (or more).

Looks beautiful and seems like a great deal to me. Fly if for a while till the weather gets crummy and you can save some $$ and upgrade the panel. Might look at Advanced quick panel to minimize downtime or Stein when if/when you do get it.

If well built, I think it is a great way to get into a plane and be flying ASAP vs. building for years. Some people love the process of the build as much as they do the flying, some people want to get flying (YMMV).

Can't go wrong either way-

Terry

Here?s a thought. Build an RV14. I call the RV14 an RV7 on steroids. It?s bigger and for most of us larger sized guys significantly more comfortable. Being the latest Vans kit it would be a quicker, easier build project. You can build it ?your way? making it as simple or complex and pretty as you want.

It might cost you a little more than a seven to build but the ROI would also be greater. A friend of mine built his standard build kit in just over thirteen months and last year won a craftsmanship award. Speed things up with the quick build kit and a build school.

You said you welcomed ?all opinions.?

Yup, All opinions welcomed

Honestly, I've been procrastinating on ordering the kit due to the great rv7 vs rv14 debate that's been going on in my head.

After going back and forth I've settled on the 7. I'm 5'10" 165 and my wife has a runners build, so the extra useful load of the 14 isn't really needed, and if I ever need something bigger I've got access to pretty much the entire Cessna piston line and a couple of really nice g36 Bonanzas through work.

I wanted an 8 with a big engine and constant speed prop. Spent 2.5 years figuring out the details of that build. Then, a good man found me the plane in my signature at the right price with 90% of what I wanted in an RV. I bought it. Five and a half years and 550 hours later, after lots of tinkering, I have a great plane that I have made mine, with lots of memories to go along with it. Plenty of 'building' to be done to an already flying plane. If that 7 checks out (get a good person to do a good pre-buy) go for it and start RV grinning! JMHO.