> > Has anyone, or IS anyone building these type mounts for an  RV-7?
(Not
an

> "A")?
> I'm trying to not re-invent all the wheels, just finish before I
can't

fly

> anymore.
> Thomas Phy
>
> Nothing flying yet. Doc is building a 9.
> I also think the fire wall hard points are all pretty much the
> same from A to non A.
>
> I think the RV7, 8, and 9, are all pretty much similar firewall
forward.
> I have stuff for the 8 and 9. Minor variations.
>
> Does this look familiar?
>
> Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

I am building an RV9-A. Presently working on the fuselage -  fitting the
wings. Also working on 13B engine parts.

The RV6s, 7s and 9s all share the same firewall, including the A models
(I
think, as I have not seen the plans for a tail wheel aircraft). My  9-A
firewall has a part number indicating it is for a 6 model. Many of  the

parts

for the 9-A have 6 and 7 part numbers.

The 9 and 9-A have very different engine mounts. The 9s have the  gear
legs
positioned aft of the firewall, I think - not sure; I looked at a  7
tail
wheel aircraft that flew in at Copperstate, but the pix didn't  turn
out.

(As

a result I bought a Panasonic FZ-50.) The 9-As have the main gear leg
supports attached to the firewall. The 9-As have that spider web  of
tubing
forward of the firewall to support the nose gear strut. And of  course
the

9s

have no provision for a nose wheel. My guess is that the 9s and 7s
share a
good deal of design and parts, both tail wheel and nose wheel models.

I am in the process of building a jig to make 13B engine mounts  that
will
fit the A model 6s, 7s, and 9s.

My long term goal is to provide a firewall forward package for the
RV6-A,
7-A and 9-A aircraft. I would like to include the tail wheel  versions,
but
have no source of information. If you could provide that  information,
we
could collaborate.

Thomas, if you would like to collaborate with Paul and me, I would be
willing to modify the jig and build an engine mount to Paul's design,

should

he be willing to do that.

As part of the program, I intend to offer a cowling per Paul's  design.
Let
me know what you decide.

Doc Custer
Retired Software Engineer and sometime Audiologist

Sure Doc. We need a good firewall forward package.

Hey how about a retractable nose gear if we mount it on
the Schertz beam? :) There is an outfit here in SZP making
replacement Questair nose struts NC milled out of billet.

Paul Lamar

The main landing gear for the -7, fits into sockets built into the
engine
mount.
I think I remember what the cowling looked like, similar to a turbine
cowling?
That's the look I was hoping for. If you build them, I'll buy it!
Again, I'm not trying to re-invent too many wheels, and a firewall
forward
package would speed things up quite a bit.
Thomas Phy

 Thomas,  I can build the s-beam/rear beam engine mount for any
aircraft (with Paul's drawings it needs to be added.)      Jerry

Paul, Doc, and Thomas

Just a cautionary note on an engine mount for an RV-9.  My recollection of
when Van's first  talked about building a -9, either in the RVator or other
source, the indication was that it would require a different engine mount
and gear legs because of the different main gear wheel placements with the
9/9A wing. Although my RV-9A uses an RV-6A nose gear leg, both the main gear
mounts ( because of the different spar ), and the gear legs themselves are
specific to the RV-9A.  My aircraft would also use an RV-6A engine mount
were I not installing a 13B rotary. Doc, I suspect that your RV-9 drawings
call out a specific RV-9 engine mount P/N and specific RV-9 main gear leg
P/N's as well. My guess would be that the gear leg sockets are set at a
somewhat different angle that those for an RV-6 or -7.

Dean Van Winkle
RV-9A  Fus/Finish/FWF   "89 13B, RD-1B, EC2, EM2, Mistral Intake
Manifold, James Rotary Cowl

I just took some pictures of the RV9A main gear sockets.
I think they can be rotated for a tail dragger and use the
same gear legs.

Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

Dean is right - the gear leg supports have a 9xxx part designation,
indicating they are specific to the 9. I have been in Denver Friday and
Saturday, just got back. I will look at the plans tomorrow and report on the
difference between the 9 and 9-A main gear support structure.

And it is time for confession. In the posting above I said the main gear
support structures were attached to the firewall. WRONG! The main gear
support structure is attached to the forward side of the center section spar
and the longerons.  Must have been tired when I wrote that. :) The gear
sockets are angled backwards. The statement about the nose gear support
being attached to the engine mount and thus the firewall is correct.

As for the angle the 6/7 -A main gear leg sockets are set at, I have no
clue. But since they are well behind the firewall (I think), it seems to me
that it is of no consideration for a firewall forward package. When
installing a 13B, we have to keep the balance intact, or as close as
possible. So the position of the main gear should remain the same. Or is my
logic faulty?

My understanding is that there are two major differences between the 6/7 and
9. 1) The wing is different: the 9 has a high efficiency wing with different
dimensions. 2) the 6/7 is stressed for aerobatics and the 9 is not. As a
result the 6/7 is heavier which I suppose leads to a stronger (main) landing
gear. Van's told me that the 7 is a heavy airplane compared to the 9. A 7
builder told me there was only about 10 lbs. difference. I don't know which
is right. Maybe they both are. :)

Doc Custer
Retired Software Engineer and sometime Audiologist

Keep reading. I posted some pictures of the RV9A main gear leg sockets.