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Rocket Baggage?

Grum.man

Member
I have been kicking around which RV I want to build and am having a hard time deciding. Doing some reading on the Harmon Rocket it seems as if the baggage compartment is different than the standard RV-4. Is this true, if so in what way? Does anyone have any pictures of their baggage area empty or loaded? Any rocket owners have baggage space remorse?

I like the tandem seating, looks, and performance of the tandem rockets and RV's, but am worried the baggage space will not be enough.
 
Space is not the issue, CG is the issue... Some Rockets (including mine) have an extended baggage compartment that goes back one more bulkhead. That said, the standard area is pretty large. I can easily get two big duffel bags, a soft sided cooler (full, BTW) a backpack, a sizable makeup bag, and tools in the standard compartment. I use the extended portion for light, bulky stuff like canopy covers and extra pillows. It's certainly more CG critical than the RV-8 which allows you to distribute the load better, but IMHO, plenty for a weekend traveling machine for two. It certainly helps if your GIB is less than 130, as well.
 
8A7 pirep RV-4,RV-8,F1 Rocket

Come look at bagage in my -4,an -8,and an F1 Rocket at Twin Lakes(8A7) in Advance NC only 30 min. from Statesville...there is a Grumman driver from Statesville based here too.
 
You can haul just about anything in an F1 Rocket, mindful of CG of course.

IM000290.jpg
 
You can haul just about anything in an F1 Rocket, mindful of CG of course.

IM000290.jpg


Here's another photo of the baggage area, with the bellcrank cover removed.

elt%20antenna.jpg
 
You can haul just about anything in an F1 Rocket, mindful of CG of course.

IM000290.jpg


Here's another photo of the baggage area, with the bellcrank cover removed.

elt%20antenna.jpg

This helps a lot! Thanks! It would be nice to be able to carry a tent and fishing gear. I guess the rear seat could be removed for even longer items if I am up solo.
 
I have the extended baggage on my rocket and find it very usefull for carrying lighter odd shaped things like folding chairs, sleeping bags and or the canopy cover. It leaves plenty of room in the front portion for your normal baggage. ( of course always check your CG)

With all that said if a rocket is your first project you will have your hands full. You will be working off two sets of plans, and it's a lot to take in for a first time builder. Not saying it can't be done, because it can. Just something to consider.
BTW I love my rocket.
Ryan
 
I put my LiFePO4 batteries up front in the tunnel, ELT on the elevator shelf. The CG calc worked out where the shift forward was negligible without the heavy battery and cables aft. So the forward part of the baggage compartment can be made larger with a box enclosing the elevator bellcrank.

If I were building an HR2 I would strongly suggest locating the bellcrank aft of the bulkhead. A floor rib would be necessary but a good thing since the belly skin is loose back there anyway without it.
 
Interesting Bob...

My battery is to the rear of the bellcrank and bulkhead, and my baggage compartment essentially butts right up against the bellcrank. I get about 4 inches more room than shown in post #5.

Couldn't figure out how you get the basic CG right with no battery in back, but the ELT back at the stab is probably the key.
 
Interesting Bob...

My battery is to the rear of the bellcrank and bulkhead, and my baggage compartment essentially butts right up against the bellcrank. I get about 4 inches more room than shown in post #5.

Couldn't figure out how you get the basic CG right with no battery in back, but the ELT back at the stab is probably the key.

Smoke/aux fuel tanks in the wings help aft of CG. I don't have the calcs anymore but recall the change was minor just on the battery shift alone. We're talking about two PC680's (28lbs) to 5 lbs of Shorai batteries, and eliminating about 10lbs of battery cable.

Then you factor light weight avionics and things start to work out.

Water jugs will fix any forward CG problems...
 
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Like you Bob I tried to figure a way to lighten things up a bit and have the battery forward. I also mounted my ELT on the fuselage shelf between the spars on the horizontal stab. I had my ELT on my RV4 mounted behind the baggage pit and found it to be a total PITA to service and decided I would find a way to keep any thing I could out of that area.
My battery is a PC 680 mounted just forward of the main spar in the tunnel. So far everything works great. Eventually I may convert to the Lithium but I think I will let them be tested for awhile. All said and done my CG is on the forward end of the envelope but my 6 gallon smoke tank or any passenger takes care of that.
Ryan
 
Yep working back there is a total PITA. That was my main motivation!

My #1 rule...make the airplane easy to work on.
 
Since we're on the CG bandwagon -

I'm planning an extreme makeover in the next year or so which will include among other things a fuselage mounted aux fuel tank, FWD of the instrument panel. (like the early RV-3). The flat displays of the new avionics will allow a 15 gallon tank in this space pretty easily which will up the overall capacity to a more reasonable level.

I'm attempting to replicate some of the loading flexibility of the -8 by using fuel as "useful ballast" if I happen to take a trip really loaded up with bags. My thinking is to use the center tank fuel last, thereby offsetting a bunch of junk in the back. I expect to land with at least 5 gallons remaining anyway... might as well put it to good use. If it all goes completely to heck and I run all tanks dry, then I'll manage the aft CG issue then. But that would be an extreme case.
 
I have the extended baggage on my rocket and find it very usefull for carrying lighter odd shaped things like folding chairs, sleeping bags and or the canopy cover. It leaves plenty of room in the front portion for your normal baggage. ( of course always check your CG)

With all that said if a rocket is your first project you will have your hands full. You will be working off two sets of plans, and it's a lot to take in for a first time builder. Not saying it can't be done, because it can. Just something to consider.
BTW I love my rocket.
Ryan

Thanks for the warning. I feel I have enough resources around me to get me through the tough spots. My father built a Questair Venture back in 98 and I am a mechanical engineer and pretty mechanically inclined. Plus there are several RV's being built at the airport where my Grumman is and even a completed Rocket that I hope to see soon.
 
Rockets rule but luggage size and capacity are not why you own one. I have flown them continuously for almost 17 years and have travelled with my wife coast to coast but they do not carry the gear that other aircraft will.
You would love owning and flying a rocket, but if carrying baggage is the most important criteria in aircraft selection, then you should get a RV14, a RV10 or a Cessna 182, or maybe a DC3.
 
Rock-It...

I have been kicking around which RV I want to build and am having a hard time deciding. Doing some reading on the Harmon Rocket it seems as if the baggage compartment is different than the standard RV-4. Is this true, if so in what way? Does anyone have any pictures of their baggage area empty or loaded? Any rocket owners have baggage space remorse?

I like the tandem seating, looks, and performance of the tandem rockets and RV's, but am worried the baggage space will not be enough.

John,
Yes and no. The Rocket is not an RV. What Tom said above is dead on!

I was blessed to build an RV4 and rebuild an HR2. My Harmon Rocket's baggage area was twice my RV4 due to the Rocket fwd CG (IO-540) allows you to "shelve" the rear longerons back the the 4th bulkhead, close it off and stow light bulky stuff back there (sleeping bags, clothes etc). My RV4 had a similar setup except I used a nylon mesh net, zip tied to the rear longerons and hinged my rear baggage door to allow access. I limited that to very light items only. Like Tom said, don't build a Rocket for baggage, build it because you want a Rocket. They're not for everybody, but I loved mine.

Before you start one, ask yourself three questions:
1. Do I have a solid background in tailwheel airplanes (100+ hours) with poor over the nose visibility on the ground?
2. Have I flown a very light, clean airplane with 250-300HP or more? Extra 300, Pitts S2B, Glasair 3...F-16 :)
3. Can I get insured in a Rocket? (Make a phone call or two...)

Questions? Email me offline: [email protected]
Smokey

History: First, the Rocket depending on which model you choose, isn't an RV. Van never condoned the Harmon Rocket even though John Harmon was one of his early, very prolific builders with the 2nd RV3 (and many more) and 2nd RV4 to his credit. John's wife felt cramped in the back of his RV4 (one of the first built) and decided to build a modified RV4. Hence the first HR2 was born. www.harmonrocket.com
The Harmon was basically (and still is) an add on kit to the standard RV4 kit, rumored to be one of the reasons Van's still makes RV4 kits. The F-1 Rocket is the result of much hard work by an early HR2 builder (Mark Frederick) to build a full-up better Rocket kit in the Czech Republic. He succeeded big time and his F-1 Rocket kits far surpassed anything available at the time.

After careful study of the HR2 at a fly-in, Van started penning the initial design of the RV8. The RV8 does have some nice improvements over the RV4 (forward baggage, spring steel gear, more room) but the Rocket and Four both fly better IMHO.

 
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Jury is out

Grumman is based at an RV saturated airport (8A7)and got some hands on RV-4 vs. F1 Rocket vs. RV-8 differences tonight...flights to follow. I can see the grin developing. :D
 
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