Tip for the baggage area

As all 4 and 3 owners will know the plans and build books for the RV 3 and 4 left quite a bit for the builder to work out. As I am now assembling my 4 ready for its test flights I realised I mad a big mistake in not setting up the baggage area while the airframe was in the skeleton or canoe stage.

Crawling down that fuselage rear end is not easy at the best of times... so make sure you preassemble and prepare all the baggage area so its just a matter of dropping it in and riveting/screwing it together when you come to the final build. It will save you a whole lot of pain some time in the future!!

Comes with baggage...

WAM120RV said:

As all 4 and 3 owners will know the plans and build books for the RV 3 and 4 left quite a bit for the builder to work out. As I am now assembling my 4 ready for its test flights I realised I mad a big mistake in not setting up the baggage area while the airframe was in the skeleton or canoe stage.

Crawling down that fuselage rear end is not easy at the best of times... so make sure you preassemble and prepare all the baggage area so its just a matter of dropping it in and riveting/screwing it together when you come to the final build. It will save you a whole lot of pain some time in the future!!

Click to expand...

Steve,
While you're back there you might consider a mod I made on my RV4, a nylon net to carry light items. I did alot of traveling and camping in my 4 over the 10 years and 1300 hours I owned it. Sleeping bags and other light things eat up precious space. especially when a girl will actually travel with you and brings her stuff.
So...I hinged my rear inspection door and put a latch at the top for very easy access. I then stretched a nylon mesh between the longerons held with zip ties to store light items. (I limited it to 5lbs max.) I also built my front cockpit center console to be a fwd baggage area instead of battery storage. I placed my battery (odessey) on the firewall.

V/R
Smokey


Baggage mod 1



Forward baggage/former battery compartment with hinged door.

Great Timing

Steve,
Thanks for posting this! My son just bucked rivets on the side skins so I'm about ready to remove the canoe from the jig and start on the innards. I'll be sure to do all I can before I rivet on the top skins!
Smokey,
I like your mods, too!

Good idea

Smokey

Thats a good idea........ I like it!

Steve

Tips for baggage area

Thanks a bunch, for a great tips, doing that now as per suggestion, long time before I will need baggage compartment. These tips can not even pay for what is missing in plans, to save grief and skinned knuckles later.
Tom Hankamp.......Tomcatrv4

Baggage area mod

Hey Smokey,

That's a very clever mod.

I would be concerned about something coming free in turbulence and rubbing or binding against the elevator push tube. Has this ever been an issue or concern for you?

I'm building a 7 and more storage area is always welcome, especially for the other half. . Perhaps I'll use your idea for small light items also.

Steve Wolfe

Shed a little light...

eh_v8_tor said:

Hey Smokey,

That's a very clever mod.

I would be concerned about something coming free in turbulence and rubbing or binding against the elevator push tube. Has this ever been an issue or concern for you?

I'm building a 7 and more storage area is always welcome, especially for the other half. . Perhaps I'll use your idea for small light items also.

Steve Wolfe

Click to expand...

Hi Steve,
Never had a problem with shifting cargo. I designed the "nylon net" strictly for my 90"s era sleeping bags which consumed a huge portion of the RV4 baggage area. Placing the larger bags aft made a huge difference in utility capability.

The forward "glove box" helped a lot as well. What can't be seen is the top deck of the door has angle aluminum and tie downs. When closed, a gym bag pr small backpack can be anchored between your legs inflight. Since you are building a 7, I recommend you incorporate a glove box in the panel as I did on my RVX. Gets used more than the baggage compartment, especially by my wife....

Maximum utilization...

V/R
Smokey

PS: are you the Steve Wolfe of Samson fame?

Different Steve Wolfe

Hi Smokey,

Nope, I'm a former: spray, fire patrol, bird dog, flight instructor, night cargo pilot turned airline pilot. I fly CRJ's for a big regional airline in Canada.

I admit that on occasion I've self googled, and found that my name came up quite a bit!...... But it wasn't me.

Maybe someday I'll meet the other Steven Wolfe and learn to do some real aerobatic flying.

Steve