Curious to learn where I can find info on use of the 540 in the RV8?
Ben
Where do I find?
-
Akroguy
- Class G
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 6:37 pm
- Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA!
- Contact:
It's been done, and it's a bad move. Throws wt/bal all to hell, wastes too much useful load, burns too much fuel, and can tweak the gear legs if not beefed or replaced with stronger gear. The F1 Rocket is the way to go if you want to go with a six banger on an RV type two seater. The airplane is superbly designed. It resembles a Van's RV only in outward appearance. It's really a total redesign with roots based on the RV4.
Brian
Brian
RV8 N94BD, five years of RV grins. RV-10 underway.
540 power
Fly Blue, Look up a guy near Shelbyville, IN, John Marshall has had several RV8/540s to his resume. Damn good craftsman. wght+bal, gear/ eng mount, oil filter, battery placement, all addressed. 900+ mi trip to Sun n fun 540 vs 360 side by side. 6 cycl used less fuel.
-
captain_john
- Sparky
- Posts: 5880
- Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 9:17 am
- Location: KPYM
They call them "Super 8's". They also offer "Super 7" plans as well. I considered it, for about a minute.
Here is an FAQ link:
http://www2.mstewart.net:8080/super8/faq.htm
Hope this helps.
CJ
Here is an FAQ link:
http://www2.mstewart.net:8080/super8/faq.htm
Hope this helps.
CJRV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!
Super 8
Now that's a darn good relpy, Nicely done "Capt. John!"
I looked into it. The rocket guys use additional wing ribs (only 2 or3 more), shorten the wing a foot or so, one-piece skins on the leading edge of the wings. Increase the skin thickness on the fuse and tail (the biggest weakness for acro is the tail supposedly...), and new gear so the longer prop won't hit the ground 
I am sure the O-540 will pin your head to the rest on take off.
I am sure the O-540 will pin your head to the rest on take off.aerial - Thanks for digging that up!
I believe the IO-360 will pin my head just fine!
I'll leave the Vne experiments to those that like to fly sitting on a parachute. My theory (at least currently) is if I want a faster plane, I'll build one...which now that I think about it, it exactly what I'm doing with the RV-7 vs. my Arrow!
I guess then decision becomes how far to you take it? Move up to a Rocket and you're not that far from a Legacy. Move up to a Legacy and you're not that far from...
I'm building a 7 and I'm sure I'll love it!
- Peter
I believe the IO-360 will pin my head just fine!
I'll leave the Vne experiments to those that like to fly sitting on a parachute. My theory (at least currently) is if I want a faster plane, I'll build one...which now that I think about it, it exactly what I'm doing with the RV-7 vs. my Arrow!
I guess then decision becomes how far to you take it? Move up to a Rocket and you're not that far from a Legacy. Move up to a Legacy and you're not that far from...
I'm building a 7 and I'm sure I'll love it!
- Peter
I agree totaly. Anyone who doesn't think a 360 can pin your head back I'll take for a ride. I've got a buddy here at my work who rides and races street bikes. He always talked about how fast he can get up to speed on his motercycle and joked about raceing me down a runway. Of course I told him I didn't really care how fast he can get from 0 to 100.
I took him for a ride a few weeks back. After we got back he just sat there and looked at the plane. Then he commented how there was no way he could get to 80 or 100 mph as fast as we did in the plane. I usally rotate at about 60 to 65 indicated. On average I would guess I use about 600 to 800 feet of runway. It is a great ride!! Keep building, you will soon find out!!
I took him for a ride a few weeks back. After we got back he just sat there and looked at the plane. Then he commented how there was no way he could get to 80 or 100 mph as fast as we did in the plane. I usally rotate at about 60 to 65 indicated. On average I would guess I use about 600 to 800 feet of runway. It is a great ride!! Keep building, you will soon find out!!
Golf Delta
No, I didn't go inverted but we did go a full 90 bank. We were orbiting his house so he could take some pictures from the air and when we were heading back to the airport he was commenting on pulling g's and how steep we were banking. He said it felt like we were knife edge, had to tell him we were really maybe 60 degs at the most. He then make the comment, "I wonder what it would feel like at 90?" Say no more.... I remember hearing a gurggling sound from him at about 4 g's.
He loved it, although it did take a few moments for his body to catch up with his head. I don't generally do anything agressive in the plane when I have a passenger, but he is used to speed, banking, and g's so he was the exception.
He loved it, although it did take a few moments for his body to catch up with his head. I don't generally do anything agressive in the plane when I have a passenger, but he is used to speed, banking, and g's so he was the exception.
Golf Delta
-
Guest
"...a gurggling sound!!!" - I LOVE IT!!! GOOD STUFF!!! 
Back to the original topic, I have a friend with a Rocket using the IO540. I asked him how he liked it the other day while visiting to borrow some rivets. Six months ago he was raving about it and telling me of a speed run to 350 mph indicated. His latest answer was a surprise. He told me that he was no longer enjoying it as much as he thought he would. He said that the huge weight up front was real detriment to the flying qualities that he enjoyed so much in the RV. (He has built six of them now.) He mentioned things like being wary of using a little too much brake on landing and nose-over tendencies etc. In short, I got the feeling that the performance qualities of the 540 were more than offset by the detrimental effect of the huge lump of steel in the cowling that ruled the aircraft in feel and handling.
My opinion on the Super 8 is: Don't bother. If you want a Rocket, go build one. If you want an "8" build that and be happy. Don't try to make a Rocket out of an "8".
Go read the article in the RVator about putting a bigger engine in the "9". In particular, examine the stress/speed graph very closely. Apply this graph to your RV-8 using higher numbers. Now think about cruising at 225 in your RV-8 and hitting unexpected turbulence of a 50 fps gust. Hey! You just bent your new airplane! Congratulations! You exceeded the Gee limits of your plane and guess what? It bent! If you think you can predict when you will hit the clear air turbulence that can bend your aircraft, dream on. I've spent a lifetime of flying people around in airplanes. You never know when you will get that big hit. But you will. And if you happen to be cruising at 225 in your RV-8 when you run into that gust...... well, just think about those puny little angle brackets that you bent for the forward spar joiners of the Horizontal Stab. That's enough to get my pucker factor into the red zone!
Cheers, Pete
My opinion on the Super 8 is: Don't bother. If you want a Rocket, go build one. If you want an "8" build that and be happy. Don't try to make a Rocket out of an "8".
Go read the article in the RVator about putting a bigger engine in the "9". In particular, examine the stress/speed graph very closely. Apply this graph to your RV-8 using higher numbers. Now think about cruising at 225 in your RV-8 and hitting unexpected turbulence of a 50 fps gust. Hey! You just bent your new airplane! Congratulations! You exceeded the Gee limits of your plane and guess what? It bent! If you think you can predict when you will hit the clear air turbulence that can bend your aircraft, dream on. I've spent a lifetime of flying people around in airplanes. You never know when you will get that big hit. But you will. And if you happen to be cruising at 225 in your RV-8 when you run into that gust...... well, just think about those puny little angle brackets that you bent for the forward spar joiners of the Horizontal Stab. That's enough to get my pucker factor into the red zone!
Cheers, Pete
Peter Marshall
Newbie RV-8 builder.
You wanna draw, ....against the fastest rivet gun in the West??? LOL
Newbie RV-8 builder.
You wanna draw, ....against the fastest rivet gun in the West??? LOL
-
captain_john
- Sparky
- Posts: 5880
- Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 9:17 am
- Location: KPYM
CJ,
The difference is the 180 hp is a parallel valve engine and weights about 300 lbs. the 200 hp is an angle valve engine and weights about 330 lbs. So the 180 hp engine is lighter. I am connecting it to a WW 200RV prop and we will see if the speed is much different. i'll have the numbers when I get it flying sometime in the spring.
Dan
The difference is the 180 hp is a parallel valve engine and weights about 300 lbs. the 200 hp is an angle valve engine and weights about 330 lbs. So the 180 hp engine is lighter. I am connecting it to a WW 200RV prop and we will see if the speed is much different. i'll have the numbers when I get it flying sometime in the spring.
Dan
-
captain_john
- Sparky
- Posts: 5880
- Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 9:17 am
- Location: KPYM