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Electric or Stiff Arm Flaps RV-4....

Please pick the option that describes you below.

  • I have electric flaps and love them.

    Votes: 38 55.9%

  • I have manual flaps and love them.

    Votes: 22 32.4%

  • I have electric flaps, and wish I would have gone manual

    Votes: 2 2.9%

  • I have manual flaps and wich I would have gone electric.

    Votes: 7 10.3%
  • Total voters
    68
Gregg Brightwell

Gregg Brightwell

Well Known Member
All,

The very recent thread on flaps is very timely for me, as I am putting deposit on fuse kit next week. (Merry Christmas to ME) :rolleyes:

This is a poll to see what the consensus is out there with flaps on an RV-4. I WANT electric, but was suprised to see it as a $605.00 option. (I thought it was more like $250.00 for some reason)

Manual flap handle is in the way at times.

I have flown both styles, and am now back 'ON the fence'.
 
Gregg, as I have not yet flown my RV-4 I do not yet have an opinion. However it seems it is one of those never ending debates. I decided to convert mine over to electric and see how it works out. If I don't like it, I can easily change it back.
If you are good at fabricating and reading plans, you can buy everything needed for less than $250.00
 
flaps

Gregg Brightwell said:
All,

The very recent thread on flaps is very timely for me, as I am putting deposit on fuse kit next week. (Merry Christmas to ME) :rolleyes:

This is a poll to see what the consensus is out there with flaps on an RV-4. I WANT electric, but was suprised to see it as a $605.00 option. (I thought it was more like $250.00 for some reason)

Manual flap handle is in the way at times.

I have flown both styles, and am now back 'ON the fence'.
Click to expand...

I did an electric retrofit last winter. Very happy with the results. The handle was always in the way of the passengers BIG left foot and my left shoulder did not look forward to the full flap extension process.... money well spent.
 
Get a handle on it...

When I built my RV4 back in the day, (89') electric flaps weren't an option. The idea of a light, simple, effective flight control with instant use, no delay and simplicity is perfect.
I designed the handle so it didn't interfere with the rear seat foot well or I landed no-flap with a rare big dude in back seat. I have flown all the RV models with and without and have my own opinions. My Rocket had electric flaps and I flew a friends without. Just like my RV4 with manual, I liked them better. So...
when I built my RVX it has manual flaps.

1500 RV4 manual flap hours later it proved it's worth in every conceivable use.
Why you say?
1. STOL: takeoffs and landings, quick up and down.
2. Dog fights, Aerobatics- increase turn radius, nose rate below 100 knots.
3. Simplicity, never breaks, instant feedback.
4. Lighter
5. No wires, motors or switches.

My dos centavos...
V/R
Smokey
RV4 flown 1500 hours, sold
HR2 flown 1000 hours, sold
RVX flying furiously!
F16 missed greatly!
 
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Manual flaps RV-3 vs Electric flaps RV-6

I have electric flaps on my 6, MAC servos, works fine but a bit slow compared to the manual flaps on my 3. I have colored tape indicators on the flaps for position on the 6, or you can just count seconds of deployment as well. If I went electric again I would use a position switch for both up and down so you can just set it and forget it. I would also rig the flaps switch for the stick handle, mine is on the dash, not the best place. I echo what Smokey says about manual flaps, and would add that when you are doing touch and goes, the manual flaps are so much quicker and easier to use. I will not be putting electric flaps on the 3 ,too simple, light, fast and cheap to change. As well, with the manual flaps, you almost don't need to look at the ASI during deployment of the manual flaps, you can really tell how fast you are going just from the deployment pressure with the manual handle setup. Keep it light, keep it simple.
 
I had manual flaps on my 6 back in the 90's and they worked well. The handle was a tube with a half circular arc that when you pushed the button held by a spring it automatically clicked into a slot on the circular arc holding the correct down position
The 4 manual flap is a 1/8 in flat bar that is flimsy and was too close to my left side and I was constantly kicking it out of position with my body movement releasing the flaps. Not good on final approach with full flaps. I rebent it more to the outside away from my body and welded reinforcing strips along the entire length giving it more rigidity. Work great now.
I pulled my electric flaps after two motor failures as I had to keep pulling the floor to get at the motor.
The manual flaps are better IMO once you fix the flap arm issue.
 
I vote for the manual flap.
Like others have said, just re-design the handle.
Why put an expensive and more complex system in when you only use it during landing.
my 2cents
 
Gusty winds when landing

I have mentioned this before, the main reason I like manual flaps is for landing in gusty or x-wind conditions. Once assured I have landed I dump (raise) the flaps which fimly plants the a/c. Feels like spoilers deploying on an airliner.
 
My experience point is only ~60/hrs on my -4 with manual flaps. I recently heard the tip springer mentioned and it's absolutely right. The responsiveness is my favorite aspect. 95% of my flying is solo, so I can deal with the generally rare occasion of the passengers foot being in the way.

Sort of off topic--but those with footwells, do you find that the passengers foot is still in the way? Same/less, perhaps?
 
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Had 2 RV4s... first electric : current manual...
I've had the electric flaps fail, but the manual ones never have ! :)

I pick manual : KISS !
 
Passenger Briefing

Nate-ISU said:
My experience point is only ~60/hrs on my -4 with manual flaps. I recently heard the tip springer mentioned and it's absolutely right. The responsiveness is my favorite aspect. 95% of my flying is solo, so I can deal with the generally rare occasion of the passengers foot being in the way.
Click to expand...

I address the "leg-in-the-way" issue in a preflight briefing with the passenger. I explain the flap system and tell them when I pat their leg to just draw it up and back some while I deploy the flaps. Then I can pat their foot and they can extend again.

On final, I have them withdraw again so I can dump the flaps quickly for the spoiler effect.

... Only downside is when my Sweetheart is on board and Good Grief; but she really has great set of gams!! I get to patting her leg I forget about the flaps!! :eek:

Cheers,
 
Another view on flap retraction!

I agree with all the guys that the ability to raise the flaps quickly in cross wind an gusty conditions is good, but should point out its not impossible with electric flaps. I do it all the time in my 4.

I have electric with the showplanes positioning system. 1 press 10 degrees, second press 20 and third press 40 degrees. However, 1 press up means that unless you press down again they are coming all the way up in probably 3 seconds max. In fact you have lost enough flap to secure you on the ground in a second or so.

I might even experiment with dumping them in the flare just before touch down to see what happens.
 
Thanks for the thread..

This thread was great, and has sold me on using manual flaps in my 3B. The 10 will of course have electric flaps. For what it's worth, I've ridden in the back of a 4 with footwells and handle flaps. The pilot briefed me on it, along with egress, etc. prior to flight. Then, when we came into the pattern, he simply reminded me to move my foot. The handle deploys the flaps so quickly, that it's really a non-event

Seems like a no-brainer to keep the plane light and simple.
 
Closer than I thought...

Well, once again, I've been surprised. I fully expected the results of my poll here to be 75% electric and love em, 24% manual and wish I'd went electric, and 1% manual and love em.

It was WAY more even than I thought it would be. Looks to me like the 605$ For the electric flaps option will be applied to a future finish kit. :rolleyes:

Thank you all for your participation and justification/reason for your selection.

Merry Christmas!

Gregg
 
Electric

While I do believe in light and simple electric trim and flaps was my choice on my 4 and my rocket. The reason was having ridden in the back of a couple of 4s and having to deal with getting my foot out of the way so they could get the flaps down. The electrics keep you from having to make big movements in a small area. Also at least for me it's easier in formation simply moving the flaps down with my right thumb vs taking my hand off the throttle to move the flaps. Just one more opinion
Ryan
 
I fid this an interesting thread - sociololigally. If you read the POSTS, you would get the idea that the majority like manual. If you look at the poll NUMBERS, the majority is by far for the electric. And the "I wsich I had done the other thing" votes are almost trivial - meaning folks liek to defend the choice they made. All of which is just fine - and just intresting.

And in the end, "Build the plane you want to build, not the one others want you to build..." :)
 
Go manual!

I'm one of the few here who converted from electric TO manual, and never regret my decision. Why? Too many issues with the electric motor. I know most have very good luck with it, but not me.

But, I like to travel a lot and don't want to be stuck because my flaps won't move. Also, I take off "flaps up" so my passenger only has to move her foot twice (once on downwind, the other time after exiting the runway).

Not a big deal if you ask me!


Keep it simple!

Rick
 
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