What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Any suggestions?

nohoflyer

Well Known Member
Patron
It looks like there is not much discussion going on here lately. I’m ready to order my fuselage and need some pros and cons.

Thx.
 
Fuselage Pros & Cons....

It looks like there is not much discussion going on here lately. I’m ready to order my fuselage and need some pros and cons.
Thx.

Pros---Fuselage is a great place to attach wings, empennage, and engine.
It also provides a convenient place to ride.

Cons---It's pretty expensive, and in most cases, it doesn't provide much lift.

Sorry...Couldn't resist.
 
Nice one Mel !!

It's all about looks ... tippers look cooler from the inside AND the outside.

Let the debates begin in earnest! :D
 

Attachments

  • 20211119_120200.jpg
    20211119_120200.jpg
    307.3 KB · Views: 129
In what world is this true? Anyone would rather slide than tip over! 😁

Nope.

You, Sir, are incorrect.

I flew 2069 hours (no more, no less) in the back seat of F-4G Phantom Wild Weasels. The forward visibility from the "pit" was so bad that pilots, taking their instrument checkrides (by reg) HAD to be chased by the evaluator. It was a mandatory 2-ship. No evaluator in the back seat could possibly evaluate whether it was a landable ILS or PAR.

So when I flew my Mothership demo in the tip-up RV-7A with Joe Blank (RIP), that did it for me. ABSOLUTELY UNOBSTRUCTED FORWARD VIEW OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!!

Heaven.

Popcorn popped.
 
I have ~150 hours in a slider RV-6 and one hour in a tip-up -7A. I'm building a slider RV-7.

I found the tip-up to be difficult to get into as there aren't convenient hand-holds like the roll bar and brace on the slider. The forward visibility on the tip-up is a little better, but I've never had an issue with the rollbar on the slider (and it's convenient sometimes, if you can put the sun right behind it).

And living in the deep south, I really appreciate being able to pop open the canopy all the way when I'm on the ground.

It probably really just comes down to personal preference. Try to find examples of both and try them out...

From a building standpoint I have no idea what a tip-up is like, but the slider sure is a pain in some ways. It's making behind-the panel access harder to figure out and the canopy frame is a cast-iron *****. I'm basically ready to do it, but I keep putting off the Sika step because I enjoy wiring much more than canopy work...
 
well done! Since you're at it, order the Flyboys Supertracks. The only way to load my electric scooter, or my folding bike, or luggage, easily whilst standing on the ground.

Maybe still time to change and drop the "A" for a perfect aircraft? :)
 

Attachments

  • ST.jpg
    ST.jpg
    119.8 KB · Views: 145
Last edited:
Had a tip up on my -6, and now a slider on my --7. Tipper has awesome visibility, limited ground ventilation, somewhat flimsy in open position and they leak. Slider has reduced visibility, great ground ventilation and with Supertracks allows easier baggage access. Additionally I feel the slider affords superior bird strike protection with a more rigid front windscreen. The roll bar brace is also a nice hand hold in turbulence. If I had to do it again I would choose slider.
 
Last edited:
I see that the op has already made a decision, but just in case anybody else comes across this in their research, I'll add my thought process.

I've never flown a tip up RV, but I've flown Diamonds and the view out the front can't be beat.

Having said that, when I really think about the way that I get ready to go fly, it always has me accessing the cockpit 2-3 times before I actually get in.

I live primarily in KS where anything less that 10g15 kts should officially be classified as "balmy" so the idea of leaving a tip up canopy open seemed like a recipe for disaster, but having to open and close it again every time I wanted to flip the master on to check the lights or grab a forgotten fuel strainer or whatever seemed like a huge hassle.

Based on that, I went with a slider, but I will say that making that slider frame fit was a real hassle and I was regretting that decision about 1/2 way through all the bending and tweaking.
 
Wait! You didn’t even consider the “tip-over” !! ;)

It’s hard to beat the unobstructed visibility forward from the tip-up (our RV-6) or the tip-over (RV-3. Then again, last week I flew down to Tucson from northern Nevada in the morning in my RV-8, and was able to put the low winter sun right behind the HUD projector mounted in front of the roll bar - three hours with the sun directly in my face would have reminded me that roll bars have their place as well…..

Paul
 
An hour spent roasting in the conga line departing Oshkosh in late July as a passenger in a friend's tip-up convinced me to build a slider.
 
Cons---It's pretty expensive, and in most cases, it doesn't provide much lift.

Maybe this is a place for a new modification idea. As I recall, the space shuttle didn't have a lot of lift for a glider given the tiny wings, but the fuselage provided a decent portion of it. Same for the F-117.

I heard someplace that when the wings were swept for the F-14, the fuselage provided 70% of the lift. That seems really high to me, but it is hard to argue that the body shape helped.

I think I saw a video on YouTube of an F-15 landing with one wing.

Done right, maybe you can modify the fuselage to be a lifting body, too. Elevator controls pitch. Rudder and P-factor control roll. No need for wings.
 
Last edited:
Maybe this is a place for a new modification idea. As I recall, the space shuttle didn't have a lot of lift for a glider, but the fuselage provided a decent portion of it.
I heard someplace that when the wings were swept for the F-14, the fuselage provided 70% of the lift. That seems really high to me, but it is hard to argue that the body shape helped.
I think I saw a video on YouTube of an F-15 landing with one wing.
Done right, maybe you can modify the fuselage to be a lifting body, too. Elevator controls pitch. Rudder and P-factor control roll. No need for wings.

One good example of fuselage lift is the HiperBipe.
 
Slider for me for all the reason's given already. at sacrifice of fwd vis on tipper.

I would add building they are similar but fit and finish is more tricky to get perfect on a slider.

Last aerobatics and emergency egress with tip up with jettison option, but you can do similar "eject" pins in slider. Which reminds me has ANYONE EVER intentionally jettisoned RV6/7 canopy and bailed out?
 
Last edited:
Slider with SuperTrax

I have been in both but definitely prefer the slider. And you must get the SuperTrax canopy extension for a slider. It makes everything about my 7A better. It was installed, after mine was already built, by Base Leg Aviation..Vic & Nick Syracuse. Base Leg does excellent work!

Anyone still in the building stage should really consider this mod.
 
The inflight visibility is marginally better in the tipper, but let’s face is, it’s pretty good in the slider as well. With the slider, you not only ARE cool, you definitely LOOK cool taxiing in or out. And God forbid, if I ever have to make an off field landing, I would prefer a slider canopy over the tipper.
 
Pick either one. You'll be happy with the finished result.

And then you'll go on to proselytize why your choice is the best. ;-)
 
I have had both. I really like my slider with the canopy (super tracks) extension!!! I drowned some avionics with the tip up, plus opening into a tail wind is a recipe for replacement!

DAR Gary
 
Back
Top