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Just bought an RV-6!!!

Hey everyone!

Been on the forum for about 8 or 9 months now, reading and learning. I finally found an RV-6 that met my requirements: 180 hp, CS prop, tail dragger, mid time airframe and engine, reasonable price (at least I thought so).

Next week I'm going to get the required 3 hours (or more) for insurance purposes with a great CFI. After that fly her home.

My question for anyone is, does anyone have an ECI Titan IO-360 that could share a manual or at least some charts. Specifically charts for setting cruise power. The POH made by the builder says 24 sq'd for the climb and 22 sq'd for cruise.... And that's it. I don't know what percent of power that is at different altitudes nor do I know what a higher or lower power setting would be and at what RPM's etc.

Way back when I was flying piston singles and twins the POH always had a chart you could reference. Unfortunately I'm in a different state than the airplane right now and I'm not sure if those charts even exist.

Thanks in advance,
Dan
 
Can't help with the manual, but I can point you to an app, for iPad only, that will help you know your power settings at altitude, temp, RPM and MAP at any given time. Check out AircraftPower in the App Store, I use it on every flight once in cruise to set my % of power. You can adjust any variable to get this info. Great app and it's free.
 
hey Dan (from yet another one...), congrats!
Your -6 is similarly configured to mine... you'll love her, I guarantee :D

The AircraftPower app (runs only on iPad), as pointed out by jneves (yes, I'm one of the rare species here reading previous posts ;)) is free, and works perfect.

I have a 3 bladed MT on mine, and along that a similar restrictions to Mile High Relic of max 5' in the 2050-2300 range.

No problemo, I like it quiet, and usually cruise at 2000. One thing to remember, Lycoming (and probably it's clones as well) allows up to 4" oversquare. This means you could be cruising pretty fast at those settings, though being retired and enjoying the matter of flight itself, my MP is usually around 19-20.

Enjoy your -6 :cool:
 
Dan do you have a pics of her? I had a 6A slider and loved her. I would have never sold her if she had a 180hp and a CS. She was fuel injected and had a spread of about 0.1 - 0.2 gph

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Does anyone know how to flip a pic right side up?
 

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Relic, I don't have the logs as they are with the airplane. However I have a photo of the pertinent page but it seems I can't attach it here. So, I'll just give the pertinent info:
Engine: ECI 10X360. The POH describes it as IO-360-A1A
Prop: HC-2CYR-1BFP/F7496-2/SM8

I have no idea if this combo is restricted as you say. I have to assume at this point that the original builder would not have put 22 sq'd in the POH as an appropriate cruise setting if it was restricted. Where can I find that info just to satisfy my curiosity?

Thanks,
Dan
 
Thanks Dan57! Where can I find that info about 4" over sq'd? No offense but I like to "trust but verify". Seeing it in writing from the manufacturer would add to my comfort. I'm still looking to find the restriction from 2000-2250. But if you have a 3 blade prop, maybe that's the difference. This is a 2 blade Hartzell.
 
Relic, I don't have the logs as they are with the airplane. However I have a photo of the pertinent page but it seems I can't attach it here. So, I'll just give the pertinent info:
Engine: ECI 10X360. The POH describes it as IO-360-A1A
Prop: HC-2CYR-1BFP/F7496-2/SM8

I have no idea if this combo is restricted as you say. I have to assume at this point that the original builder would not have put 22 sq'd in the POH as an appropriate cruise setting if it was restricted. Where can I find that info just to satisfy my curiosity?

Thanks,
Dan

I'm a buyer, just like you, and I'm sure some of the builders are for more versed on how and where to look. I hope someone else chimes in with a more confident answer.

DanH posted this link last year w/ regards to Hartzell. It appears it might depend on the ignition. Dual magnetos, maybe you are good to go. Not dual magnetos, I'm not sure. I don't see the F7496 listed except in volume 1 where for a Lycoming it says "Do not operate above 22 inches manifold pressure below 2350 RPM. Operation above 2600 RPM limited to takeoff only." It looks like there is no limits on a dual magneto Superior engine.

https://hartzellprop.com/information-for-experimental-aircraft-manual-193/

I'd say that what previous owners have done isn't really that reliable. My POH for an O-360 says to pump prime before cranking. After being told why this was a bad idea, I don't ever do this, especially since reading Ironflights kitplane article on why you shouldn't.
 
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Thanks Dan57! Where can I find that info about 4" over sq'd? No offense but I like to "trust but verify". Seeing it in writing from the manufacturer would add to my comfort. I'm still looking to find the restriction from 2000-2250. But if you have a 3 blade prop, maybe that's the difference. This is a 2 blade Hartzell.

“Square” is an obsolete concept, unless you are operating an old radial engine from the last World War era. In fact, “square” is really just an accident of units - we happen to measure rotation per minute and manifold pressure in inches of mercury…if we used rotations per second and millibars, the numbers wouldn’t even be close. Folks that preach the magic of 2400/24, 2300/23, 2200/22 haven’t really studied anything - they are just listening to what others have told them.

Certainly, “lugging” an engine, such as driving a car up a steep hill in fifth gear isn’t good for the thing. But within reasonable conditions, you;’re not going to get into trouble with your Lycoming.

Heck, with the advent of EFIS’s that computer and show “percent power”, I have no idea what MAP I am using - I set the RPM to stay within limits (or where I want it for smooth operation), and set % power with the throttle. I run LOP any time I am below 75%. And my engines are happy…..

Paul
 
Dan, there‘s, amongst many others I’m sure, an Operator‘s Manual Lycoming… looking at the attached table, e.g. for my carbed 360, there are different ways to achieve a certain BHP, or % power. Which in turn leads to O‘square ops, lest you fancy that 2‘700 RPM drone :)
 

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Bob T,

Help me understand what that document is saying. "do not operate above 22" below 2350 rpm". So the original builder had it all wrong? I really think I need to call continental and their Titan division.
 
Bob T,

Help me understand what that document is saying. "do not operate above 22" below 2350 rpm". So the original builder had it all wrong? I really think I need to call continental and their Titan division.

That info would be from the prop manufacturers documents. The generalized, square or over square stuff is non-sense (old stuff from turbo/super charged, radial era) for normally aspirated Lyc's, but the restrictions dictated by the prop manufacturers are very real. Some say no activity below X RPM and some say no MAP above Y", when below X RPM. Restrictions for use ABOVE certain RPMs also exist. That is all about undesirable harmonics in the prop and are dictated by the prop guys who test for them.

VERY few normally aspirated engines (i.e. not a turbo) have any restrictions like this from the manufacturer. An exception would be the max continuous MAP line on the power charts. But breaking that in the real world (i.e. outside of a dyno) is tough if you are flying like most of us fly (using higher RPMs when demanding high loads). I suspect very few people fly around at 500' MSL with 2100 RPM and 29" of MAP.

Superior mostly makes clone engines and rely upon the original (Lyc) documentation.

Larry
 
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Dave, that was an excellent article. Everything that Mike Busch said at the beginning was exactly how I was taught- "Never go over square". And then I started flying turbocharged engines but I wasn't smart enough to realize that the engines are the same it's juts the intake air that was different and higher in pressure. The only question I still have is in regards to the prop resonance region of 2000-2250. I think I'm just going to have to call both Continental about the Titan and Hartzell about the prop for an answer. I would certainly prefer lower rpm's in cruise. The chart I have on the IPAD (thanks Johnny!) says an IO-360-A will produce 62.5% power at 23"/2000 rpm and stay in the chart approved for continuous operation. I'll hopefully verify that with some phone calls, but that's VERY different from the way I learned back in the day. Thanks again!
 
Thanks Paul, It'll take some research but I'll find the answer. From Mike Busch's article, us folks who were trained way back in the day were told "Square is the limit". Seems that we've learned since then.
 
Got the airplane home!

Hey Everyone! I got the airplane home from AZ this week. Only a few squawks to deal with in the near future. I have a question for the forum though: I haven't landed it on my grass strip yet. Still working on my landings since I haven't flown a tailwheel in such a long time. But.... I think I'd like to upgrade the tires from 500x5 to 600's or the equivalent. Is anyone out there that is running larger tires than stock for an RV-6? Difficult to figure out tire sizes, plus there appears to be no such thing as a 600x5. It looks like I'll have to replace the wheels as well.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!
 
Hey Everyone! I got the airplane home from AZ this week. Only a few squawks to deal with in the near future. I have a question for the forum though: I haven't landed it on my grass strip yet. Still working on my landings since I haven't flown a tailwheel in such a long time. But.... I think I'd like to upgrade the tires from 500x5 to 600's or the equivalent. Is anyone out there that is running larger tires than stock for an RV-6? Difficult to figure out tire sizes, plus there appears to be no such thing as a 600x5. It looks like I'll have to replace the wheels as well.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!


Congrats!
Some people run 380-150 x 5 tires on the 5 inch rims, this is what I'll be putting on my -6A for use on a grass strip. The width and diameter is bigger than 5.00x5 but still uses same wheels and brakes and should fit wheel pants with minor mods, depending on how installed.
 
…..(snip)….Difficult to figure out tire sizes, plus there appears to be no such thing as a 600x5. It looks like I'll have to replace the wheels as well.

I think the easiest/most cost effective way accomplish your goal is by going with a set of 380x150-5 tires. It’ll still probably require some wheel pants modifications, but I think this is the best way to get a larger tire on your airplane without having reinvent the wheel….pun intended. 😁
 
Thank for the tire info

To Both Mark and Paul,

Thanks! That's exactly the info I was looking for. For some reason it seems to me there is no Rhyme or Reason to how aviation tires are designated! I'll take a close look at the 380-150x5 tires.
 
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