When I built my -8, I made the conscious decision to not add rear seat rudder peddles or throttle control. I looked at the available options (a little bit flaky), as well as the potential for their use (very remote), and decided that it simply wasn't worthwhile for my purposes. Having a stick back there so that the occasional passenger could experience the superb handling qualities was enough.
Recently, I took another RV pilot flying, and her only comment on not having the throttle was "Well, what do I do if something happens to you - fly around until it runs out of gas, and then dead-stick?" Well, she had a point, and gave me something to brainstorm on during the next few long cross-country legs. I wondered if it would be possible to easily provide a rear seat throttle capability to an existing plane with zero impact to the existing design, and very low cost. What I was thinking about was basically a piece of cockpit equipment - not a mod to the airplane.
In the Space Shuttle, we carry a device we call the "swizzle stick" - a telescoping rod with a little fixture on the end that is useful for reaching switches and circuit breakers when you're strapped in tight and wearing a pumpkin suit. A little more thinking, and a look at my DJM throttle quadrant, and I came up with the following Custom-Made, RV-8, Rear Seat Throttle Manipulator! Constructed from the finest materials available at Home Depot Aviation Supply (0.5" aluminum tube, 3/8" aluminum rod for the hook, and a wooden knob painted with genuine black Krylon - primed, of course!), it hangs from a small Velcro strap attached to the mid-body brace and hooks into the hollow end of the throttle handle. A neoprene wrap on the end of the "L" covered in heat shrink tubing matches the inside diameter of the throttle handle and allows it to stay put while being flexible. The rear seat passenger can install this without aid if needed, or it can be rigged before flight, and doesn't get in the pilot's way.
So...if you have a completed RV-8 and really want a rear seat throttle that one time out of 500 flights....here's an idea for you. Pictures pretty much explain it all. Kits will not be made available, Royalty fee of one Diet Coke will be expected for every one that I see at fly-ins....
Recently, I took another RV pilot flying, and her only comment on not having the throttle was "Well, what do I do if something happens to you - fly around until it runs out of gas, and then dead-stick?" Well, she had a point, and gave me something to brainstorm on during the next few long cross-country legs. I wondered if it would be possible to easily provide a rear seat throttle capability to an existing plane with zero impact to the existing design, and very low cost. What I was thinking about was basically a piece of cockpit equipment - not a mod to the airplane.
In the Space Shuttle, we carry a device we call the "swizzle stick" - a telescoping rod with a little fixture on the end that is useful for reaching switches and circuit breakers when you're strapped in tight and wearing a pumpkin suit. A little more thinking, and a look at my DJM throttle quadrant, and I came up with the following Custom-Made, RV-8, Rear Seat Throttle Manipulator! Constructed from the finest materials available at Home Depot Aviation Supply (0.5" aluminum tube, 3/8" aluminum rod for the hook, and a wooden knob painted with genuine black Krylon - primed, of course!), it hangs from a small Velcro strap attached to the mid-body brace and hooks into the hollow end of the throttle handle. A neoprene wrap on the end of the "L" covered in heat shrink tubing matches the inside diameter of the throttle handle and allows it to stay put while being flexible. The rear seat passenger can install this without aid if needed, or it can be rigged before flight, and doesn't get in the pilot's way.
So...if you have a completed RV-8 and really want a rear seat throttle that one time out of 500 flights....here's an idea for you. Pictures pretty much explain it all. Kits will not be made available, Royalty fee of one Diet Coke will be expected for every one that I see at fly-ins....
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