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RV-6 - Center Throttle/Mixture/Carb Heat Conversion

W

WalkerBo

I'm New Here
Good Evening Everyone,

Purchased an RV-6 about 8 months ago and its been an absolute dream. My first aircraft and first exposure to tailwheel time. All other time comes from military time so this has been an absolute pleasure to learn and grow as an aviator.
It has got me thinking however, I have what I understand to be the standard throttle quadrant and body in the center of the panel between the two seats. I fly from the left seat so that ends with my left hand on the stick and my right hand on the throttle, While I can and have been doing this for the past few months, I was curious if anyone hand any experience converting to a left throttle body and how that conversion went. If the conversion was worth it, and any lasting effects or pains that have occurred due to the modification.
I would love to keep my professional and personal flying consistent in terms of hands, and hand on throttle is way more enticing when its in a more natural body position for me.

Thanks in advance!
Walker N366R
 
There have been a few ways to add a left-side throttle to the side-by-side RV's. The simplest is to move the main throttle over there, but then your passenger won't be able to reach it if they want to (or need to) fly. Various linkages and dual-cable setups are possible to get dual throttles.

Is flying from the right seat an option for you?
 
If you have the center vertically mounted support, there are some advantages to moving controls to the panel or onto a smaller panel extension. Lots of posts if you use the search function I bet you can find all the info you need.
I fly right/left on the 6 and left/right on the Bucker, jump into other airplanes in either configuration and don’t even think about it. Both seem natural to me and I bet in time you will adjust and get comfortable with it.
However, it’s your airplane and your preference. Do a search of the forums.
Here’s one -

Left side throttle?

I have a buddy who flys helos in the Marines (CH-46). Initially he wanted to fly with the right hand in fixed wing too, but has since found flying from the left with the left hand just as easy.
vansairforce.net vansairforce.net
 
When you're considering which hand does what, don't forget radio tuning in the middle of the panel and all that.

I had to adjust to left hand stick and it took a few flights, but now it's a complete so what. I've been enthusiastically on both sides of the which hand what argument over the years, and now tend towards center of the airplane gets the free hand. And don't forget that power knobs are always left to right, throttle prop mixture -- check out any WWII fighter.

Fortuitously, at the bottom center of my panel are throttle, prop, mixture, carb heat, boost pump, and flaps. The G3X Touch notifies me with every four gallons of fuel burned, so the fuel selector only appears on the before engine start checklist. (See other discussion!) So what this means is that my main inflight checklist has all the elements gathered together, and my right hand is free to do all that tuning / situational awareness stuff with the avionics.
 
I have a left hand throttle in the RV-6 and a right hand throttle in the -10. The nice thing about having the LHT in the -6 is it gives me a touch more leg/hip/elbow room with a passenger since I'm not competing with him/her for the space where my throttle arm needs to be. Also, with the armrest on the -6, I have a convenient place to rest my arm to handle the throttle.
 
I get your desire but it is a LOT of work for little gain. I fly Airlines, left and right seat. I fly as CFI in GA in right seat and left seat in ny RV-7 when solo. I'm ambidextrous, had to adapt. RV4 or RV8 like throttle left hand stick right, ala fighter pilot, but those are tandems.

Two and a half Solutions:
Fly from RIGHT SEAT of your RV-6 (add right side brakes if needed)
Sell your RV-6 and buy an RV-4 or RV-8 (left throttle, stick right hand)
Fly with right hand once power is set (not practical or safe during t/o & landing).

Three (Edit Four) reasons NOT to do it:
You are making it NON STANDARD & not per drawing, You may/will affect resale.
A CFI can not give checkouts, training in plane (at least I will not). Again utility affected.
If your left hand is on yoke (stick) & right and on thrust levers you're the Captain at airlines.
( This is a MAJOR MOD*, requires IMHO to be legal, contact with FAA FSDO and put aircraft back into Phase 1 - flight test. Doable but ppw. Cost for parts, time...)

* Major modification is any change that affects a major system, flight controls, flight characteristics or safety of flight. EAB's are in Phase II and only so if as tested in Phase 1. We can debate what major is or if FAA needs to be involved, but you get my point this is not a minor mod like a RAM mount for your iPad. Changing how your throttle, prop, mixture, Carb Heat installed to a new off-set routing I consider major. What if throttle jams or becomes disconnected? Of the afore mentioned items, throttle, mixture, carb heat / alternate air, they typically terminate at carb/throttle body and air box, more or less all a/c center-line bottom of engine. Prop governor is typically on back engine, high, near firewall. Routing will have less distance and may (or may not) be a challenge routing. As is,. stock, per plans, the route of engine control cables is straight forward (pun intended). Can you move throttle quadrant on side by side RV from center to left or right side of cockpit? Yes possible. It's been done. I discourage this notion. Go spend that $600-$800 and 100 hrs labor on fuel and flying instead. If it's ain't broke don't fix it. Up to you.
 
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My -6 had a left hand throttle quadrant and I miss it, however, it used a complicated linkage which tied the quadrant under the panel to a normal throttle push pull cable. Ultimately i removed it, the linkage was getting in the way of panel upgrades and the feel of the throttle was really really bad due to all the extra complications in the throttle. we went to a mcfarlane throttle which is butter smooth and can dial the exact rpm in easily.
 
Yeah, I agree it would be a lot of work for little gain. A lot. I would venture to say that almost all of us drive a car with either hand on the wheel and never think about it. Of course, do what makes you happy. Just recognize you'll spend much more time than you might think making the modification--not to mention the cost of new cables, pass-throughs, etc.
 
I made and installed a LH throttle quadrant in my 6A when I built it (2000) at the request of my dad (Air Force). I also installed the typical center throttle, with the two cables meeting up at the carb. this has worked well for 24 years.
 
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