Very nice RV-4! Welcome to the world of RVs. There are plenty of RVs in central Michigan, and although you won't see many of us in the winter months, we will enjoy your company this summer!
A few pics of ours:
PH-SUM, former N554DW. Imported early 2018 from North Dakota.
O-320, Catto prop. Love how it flies!]
P.S.: he/she is hard to land; more difficult than the -9A. In these first flights, we resemble more to a cangaroo than a plane with his pilot…
The RV-4 isn't hard to land well, but it is hard to land well CONSISTENTLY. If you are bouncing, that's a sign of too much speed - a very common mistake that easily leads to PIO (in any airplane). Some will wheel land, then immediately come way forward on the stick and "pin it on". That isn't correct technique either. Try slowing it down, touch down on the mains with the tail slightly low, give it a few seconds to slow, then ease the tail down - no extra, unwanted speed.
Fresh from paint. My neighbor and I knocked it out in just over a month. I did a full strip of the original 25 year old paint and we tag teamed the color and clear.
I purchased her just over 2 years ago on the way to OSH. Put a G5 in at the show and flew her home.
I built quite a few panels by trade, so first on list was a usable instrument panel. 4 panel revisions and 2 years later I've settled on a Dual screen G3x with G5 backup, 307 Autopilot head and Gtr 200 comm. I could not be happier!
View attachment 14307
It unscrews from the perimeter and you can pull
it out and away from the fuselage side. The panel that Stein sells for
the -8 'may' work, I don't know. I bent this one up in my shop.
With the Wittman Tailwind I hunt most all non turbo spam cans. However I am a catch and release kind of guy. No machine guns or rockets. Just a bit of history: A highly modified 0 320 Tailwind with Catto prop held the SARL record at one point at over 240 statute, so be careful if you're betting much money.
After a few years of looking around, a few weeks ago I finally bought an already flying RV-4. After completing my transition training yesterday in an RV-7, I finally flew it today! Great airplane, although I must admit that I was nervous about flying it since I do not have much tailwheel time. It is serial number 377, started in the early 1980s. It sat untouched from 1993 until about 2008, when Scott Hess bought it and finished the project July 2010. I found out about this airplane right here on VAF, saw it, and fell in love with it. It has a 160hp engine, fuel injected, and a fixed pitch sensenich prop, and only had 71 hours total time when I bought it. Looking forward to many hours of fun with this airplane.
Since I don't know how to post pictures yet, attached is a link to the pictures I took today after my first flight.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108201...lightAugust62011?authkey=Gv1sRgCMCfm96_uuuJEw
Many thanks to the many VAF members (you know who you are) who have helped and encouraged me throughout this process, which took a few years. Could not have done it without them.
Thanks,
[ed. Added one of the pics for you! dr]