Friends,
At our EAA meeting the other night, during a discussion of medical exams, the topic of Sport Pilot came up.
Question: Can an RV-9A be built Sport Pilot Legal?
Supporting the idea that the answer is "yes", I present the following comparison between the RV-9A and another homebuilt aircraft that is Sport Pilot legal (the Zodiac 601 XL). This is straight off their respective websites Vans RV-9A and Zenith.
RV-9A Engine...................O-235
Zodiac XL Engine..............O-235
RV-9A Vne......................170 mph
Zodiac XL Vne.................180 mph
RV-9A Stall....................48 mph
Zodiac XL Stall...............44 mph
RV-9A T/O Distance.............525 ft
Zodiac XL T/O Distance........500 ft
RV-9A Landing Distance.........375 ft
Zodiac XL Landing Distance....500 ft
RV-9A Climb Rate...............950 fpm
Zodiac XL Climb Rate..........930 fpm
RV-9A Span.....................28 ft
Zodiac XL Span................27 ft
RV-9A Length...................20 ft 5 in
Zodiac XL Length..............20 ft
RV-9A Fuel Capacity............36 US gal
Zodiac XL Fuel Capacity.......24 US gal
RV-9A Empty Wt.................1028 lbs
Zodiac XL Empty Wt............800 lbs
RV-9A Gross Wt.................1600 lbs
Zodiac XL Gross Wt............1320 lbs
So, given that these two aircraft are very similar, how is it that one of them is Sport Pilot legal, and one is not?
Granted that the RV-9A is heavier at gross, but when accounting for the difference in fuel weight plus that the RV is a tad bit bigger - there doesn't appear to be whole lot of difference.
I figure a lot of us will only be able to build one plane in this lifetime, and we'd like to fly it for as long as we can (as opposed to as long as some AME thinks we should).
So, can the RV-9A be made Sport Pilot legal...?
Given the data presented above, I believe that it can be done if attention is paid to gross weight.
Thoughts...?
- Patrick
At our EAA meeting the other night, during a discussion of medical exams, the topic of Sport Pilot came up.
Question: Can an RV-9A be built Sport Pilot Legal?
Supporting the idea that the answer is "yes", I present the following comparison between the RV-9A and another homebuilt aircraft that is Sport Pilot legal (the Zodiac 601 XL). This is straight off their respective websites Vans RV-9A and Zenith.
RV-9A Engine...................O-235
Zodiac XL Engine..............O-235
RV-9A Vne......................170 mph
Zodiac XL Vne.................180 mph
RV-9A Stall....................48 mph
Zodiac XL Stall...............44 mph
RV-9A T/O Distance.............525 ft
Zodiac XL T/O Distance........500 ft
RV-9A Landing Distance.........375 ft
Zodiac XL Landing Distance....500 ft
RV-9A Climb Rate...............950 fpm
Zodiac XL Climb Rate..........930 fpm
RV-9A Span.....................28 ft
Zodiac XL Span................27 ft
RV-9A Length...................20 ft 5 in
Zodiac XL Length..............20 ft
RV-9A Fuel Capacity............36 US gal
Zodiac XL Fuel Capacity.......24 US gal
RV-9A Empty Wt.................1028 lbs
Zodiac XL Empty Wt............800 lbs
RV-9A Gross Wt.................1600 lbs
Zodiac XL Gross Wt............1320 lbs
So, given that these two aircraft are very similar, how is it that one of them is Sport Pilot legal, and one is not?
Granted that the RV-9A is heavier at gross, but when accounting for the difference in fuel weight plus that the RV is a tad bit bigger - there doesn't appear to be whole lot of difference.
I figure a lot of us will only be able to build one plane in this lifetime, and we'd like to fly it for as long as we can (as opposed to as long as some AME thinks we should).
So, can the RV-9A be made Sport Pilot legal...?
Given the data presented above, I believe that it can be done if attention is paid to gross weight.
Thoughts...?
- Patrick