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RV-6 access

whittfic

whittfic

Well Known Member
Patron
Calling on the collective wisdom of those who have been through this already. After close on ten years of on and off building I am now getting scarily close to seeing this beast take flight. However I am now about a month into the recovery stage of knee replacement surgery and am staring at the nearly completed fuselage wondering if I am going to have trouble climbing up onto the wing for access/egress from the cockpit. I know it is still early days for my recovery but I am unsure of how much flexibility I will end up with. I am considering fitting modified (ie. Shortened) steps while the fuselage is still in the pre-painted stage. From those who have 'been there, done that' would this be a worthwhile mod or am I worrying about nothing?

Clive Whittfield
Auckland
New Zealand
Rv6 slider getting close!!
 
Rv 6 access

Clive ,I too wonder how it's going to be getting in and out of an rv.As a 9a builder working on the fuselage and two months since left knee replacement I don't think it's going to be a problem.I am able to get into our 172 without too much problem although it's a little different access.As long as my arms and shoulders don't give out and I keep up with the stretching I think I'll be ok. It does get better every week.Keep up with the physical therapy and get your plane in the air
 
Access

I taught a man who had been busted up in rodeo work to fly his RV-6A.

He tied a small rubber maid stool (about 12" high) to a cord. He would get on the stool, then on a step, then on the wing. Once seated, he would pull the stool into the RV then stow in behind him in the baggage area.

Anything is possible.
 
whittfic said:
I am considering fitting modified (ie. Shortened) steps while the fuselage is still in the pre-painted stage. From those who have 'been there, done that' would this be a worthwhile mod or am I worrying about nothing?

Clive Whittfield
Auckland
New Zealand
Rv6 slider getting close!!
Click to expand...

Never replaced a knee (!!) but have installed a shortened step on my RV-6.

Install the step. Shortened it 3", it will look like it belongs and will make the step up to the wing (and especially down!) much easier.
 
whittfic said:
I am considering fitting modified (ie. Shortened) steps while the fuselage is still in the pre-painted stage. From those who have 'been there, done that' would this be a worthwhile mod or am I worrying about nothing?

Clive Whittfield
Auckland
New Zealand
Rv6 slider getting close!!
Click to expand...

Never replaced a knee (!!) but have installed a shortened step on my RV-6.

Install the step. Shortened it 3", it will look like it belongs and will make the step up to the wing (and especially down!) much easier.

Hope you have a speedy recovery. :)
 
Thanks for the replies folks. I will probably do what Sam and others suggest and go ahead with fitting shortened steps. Better to do it now before painting and I'm pretty sure it's going to make access a lot easier.

Clive Whittfield
 
I share your concerns, I had both knee joints replaced, one last August, the other in October. Recovery has been too slow and painful in my estimation. I am about ready to try entering my RV12 based plane, but with the wings off it is not a real test. So far it seems that getting out and down will be a bigger challenge than getting into it. The pain starts when I try to bend a knee much more than 90 degrees. I found that continuing to work on the plane has been far more of a challenge that I had envisioned, sure slowed progress down.
 
My wife has had both knees and both hips replaced. With a one-step stool, she has no problem getting in and out of our plane. She is also very good at keeping up with her physical therapy and controlling her weight. She is one tough cookie; did all 4 joint replacements with zero pain medications. Also does root canals without anesthesia.
 
I have had both knees and 1 hip replaced over last 10-5-1 years ,cant emphasize enough to do all phys therphy available and when it runs out you should know movements by heart and NEVER stop the exercises Tom
 
Knee problems

Don't worry too much about it as I was in a bad motorcycle accident and only have about half the motion in my right knee. Although I have not found the RV6 that I am looking for yet I just sold my Cheetah and it had pretty much the same slider configuration as an RV6 , I just had to adjust the way I got in. What I did find out in searching for an RV6 is that I cannot sit comfortably sit in a plane that has a post in between the seats, I barely fit so I have to find one with the controls attached to the top so there is space to stick my right knee towards the passenger side. I hope this helps but don't worry about getting in you just have to figure out a comfortable way.
 
getting out

Hardest thing with my 6A tipup is lifting yourself out of the seat and getting your feet up onto the the seat before climbing out onto the wing. My 90 year old aunt can still make it though. Another older friend with double hip replacement also can. I didn't put a step on the pilot side and can still make the big step onto the wing by grabbing the rollover bar and pulling myself up. (I'm 62 with no joint problems)

John
 
My wife has 2 total knee replacements and can get in and out of my -9A OK. The hardest part for her is getting her foot up and over the side of the fuselage, but she manages it. I might try to build up some sort of soft step we can put on the wing walk area to get her that extra inch of clearance.
 
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