TIPS, TRICKS AND IDEAS

With this page, I hope to show some different ideas, tips, and tricks that I have actually seen and photographed or that someone has sent me some information about.  Just because it's on this page does not necessarily mean I'll use it or that it's the first and best example of  an idea.  I'd like to have this page be a working document where visitors can submit thoughts, pictures, or web links that will benefit other RV builders.  With so many RV's flying it's getting tougher to find unique ways of doing things.  Tougher but not impossible.  As we say in business, "creative, unique ideas are nice.....but don't hesitate to steal shamelessly". 

RV List member, Warren Gretz, has several products that can benefit the RV Builder.  Since I will be equipping my RV6 as an IFR plane, the little steel tube that is used as a pitot and (I think) comes in the kit, just won't cut it.  A heated pitot tube with built in static port ought to do just nicely, thank you!  It's chrome plated, heated and will save me the trouble of running a separate static port line.

Warren also sells a kit that relocates the electric servo on the elevator (for electric trim) to the rear fuselage deck.  This will keep the weight of the servo off the elevator.  I might not be able to notice the difference while flying but then again I might.  For $51.00 it's worth a try. 

The last item from Warren Gretz that I am considering is a GPS antenna.   This full size picture is probably larger than your monitor, but I wanted you to be able to read the detail specs.  My goal with all my antenna is to have them out of the air stream.  Not so much because of any aerodynamic value, but because I don't think having little metal things sticking out all over the place looks that great.  Now, everyone out there should know, I'm no electronics expert and how I plan on achieving this goal has not yet been determined.  I plan to use the wingtips and VS tip as antenna mounting points.  Keep in mind, this page is about ideas and ideas should not necessarily be discarded just because they are a little different.  

I plan on using the RMD landing lights in the wing tips.  I like the look of enclosed navigation and landing lights and I don't want to cut the leading edge of the wings.  RMD has two different types of bulbs in their kit.  One is the same bulb used on Cessna's and the other is a halogen bulb available at the local auto parts store.  I plan on using a combination strobe/nav light in the tips and using a combination strobe/white light in the rudder.  This will satisfy my lighting requirements and make me legal for night flight and IFR (if there is such a lighting requirement for IFR flight).  Installing the RMD Landing Light Kit with antennas in the wing tips may be a problem.  This kit will take up a fair amount of space in the tips so I'm not sure yet what my priority will be.  If the only thing keeping me from getting all my antennas hidden out of sight, then I may have to go with the leading edge landing light.  If, however, I can not use the enclosed navigation light and strobe then I may have antennas poking out all over the place.  I really don't want my navigation and strobes hanging off the tips.  Why?  Hell, I don't know, I just think it looks better.  Here is an example of the RMD lights on an RV4 from the Greenbay, WI area that was taken at a recent RV Picnic in Hampshire, IL (1999).  This example does not use strobes inside the RMD tips, instead, you will notice the strobe mounted on the VS.

 Around the end of September 1999, there was a flyin at Whitside (SQI) airport about 80 miles west of Chicago.  I followed Don Mack out in his beautiful Ercoupe.  Even though I was in a 172, at 2300rpm Don and I just hummed along in a "loose" (very) formation.  We arrived at SQI about the same time as the "poker run" contestants got back so it was a little confusing entering the pattern what with Mooney drivers jumping to the head of the line.  There were lots of RV's there including Lyle Heffel's gorgeous RV-8.  Lyle's plane looked familiar but "how could that be", he just finished it less than six months ago?  I got home that night and went through some Oshkosh '96 pictures, and there it was, the same plane but disguised as an RV6!  Anyway, this page is about Tips, Tricks and Ideas and one of them was this cool looking and unobtrusive rudder gust lock on an RV6A.  I'm sure the same concept could be used on a -6, -4 etc.  The device is nothing more than (what looks like) a bent piece of stainless steel 1/16" or 1/8" rod, stuck in two holes.  One hole is in the rudder horn R405 (I think) and the rudder horn stop.  The only thing I would do is tie a "Remove Before Flight" thingy on the rod and I'd be all set.  I definitely think I'll use something like that on my -6.  It's easy and quick to install/remove and stows away nicely.  I didn't get the tail number or  the name of the planes owner but I thank him anyway for the idea.

Vertical Stabilizer Strobe/Antenna Installation
	This is a nice example of a combination NAV antenna and strobe light installation on a vertical stabilizer on an RV6.
Home Made Static Port
	These pictures are not very good but it's the best I could get my camera to take.  These are a couple of pictures that I took of my home made static port.  I took a 3/16" rivet and turn some barbs on the shaft (about 3/4" long).  I then drilled a 1/16" hole to let the static air in.   There are two problems here that I need to work out. 1.  How do I secure it to the fuselage?  2.  Is the 1/16" hole the right size?  I'll figure both those out later.