Prototype Question

On videos of the prototype RV12 there is a bicycle brake handle on the control stick, does anyone know what it is for?

If I remember correctly, it's a hand brake. The prototype did not have foot-operated brakes.

Yeah, the prototype had a hand break. As it operated both wheels breaks, the nose wheel was steerable with the rudder pedals. I guess Van thought a few RV-driver's heads would explode, so they changed back to a more "traditional" RV format for production.

--Bill

Interesting, I'm a bicycle rider and have a lot of Cessna hours, sounds like a design I could adapt to quickly. thanks, GDS

GDS said:

Interesting, I'm a bicycle rider and have a lot of Cessna hours, sounds like a design I could adapt to quickly. thanks, GDS

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Have a go in a YAK50 or a YAK52. These have a bicycle brake handle mounted on the stick to operate the air brakes. Sounds like a truck when you apply the brakes.

I received my RV-12 transition training in the yellow RV-12 from Mike Seager. It wasn't difficult at all to use the hand brake. Trouble is, it took three hands to start the airplane: one on the brake, one on the throttle and one on the start switch.

Been a long time since I've had three hands. Would've been easier then.

I guess since Van is a glider pilot and the hand brake system is frequently used on gliders for it's simplicity and weight savings, thats how it got started. But as Mitch Lock pointed out it takes three hands to start the plane, so it wasn't practical. Besides most people prefer toe brakes anyway. By subtracting the weight of the steerable nose gear hardware from the added brake pedal assembies, it's not a bad trade off.

Art Pennanen