Matronics Email Lists :: View topic - Considering 640 Input Needed

Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists

Get Email Distribution Too! FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register

Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in

Considering 640 Input Needed

Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> Zenith640-List

View previous topic :: View next topic

Author Message

KUB

Joined: 06 Nov 2009
Posts: 3
Location: West Texas

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:07 pm Post subject: Considering 640 Input Needed

Hey everyone,



I just joined the forum and am interested in building a 640. My interests in build a plane is mostly for the challenge and enjoyment of building one. I would like to build from plans, no kit, if possible. My intended use for the plane will be cross country travel and I would also like a four seat.



 The only planes I have found on the kit market that seem to fit are the 640 and the RV10; was anyone considering anything else when deciding on the 640? From what I can tell these two planes are very similar with the 640 costing less but having less interior room and performance. Also no plans seem to be available for the RV. Are these assumptions correct?



For those of you who have sat in or flown one how is the leg room in the pilot’s seats? I am 6’ 5” tall will I be too cramped in this plane?



Finally does anyone have an update zodiac640.com? I would love to see some details about Christian Tremblay build.



Thanks



Brandon

- The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List

Scott Stewart

Joined: 29 Jul 2008
Posts: 30
Location: Windsor, California

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:17 pm Post subject: Re: Considering 640 Input Needed

Hi Brandon,



Welcome to the list.  I am also building my CH640 from plans.  Like you, I wanted a plane for cross country travel which had a high useful load.  I  was frustrated that I could not put four people into my C-172 with all of our luggage.



I also considered the RV10, along with the various composite kits.  In the end, I chose to build an all-metal airplane.  And having more time than money, I chose to build from plans.  I asked Van's, and they confirmed that the RV10 can not be built from plans.  They also confirmed that the performance would be similar to a 640 if the RV10 had an O-360.



From what I found, the 640 is the best 4-place, all-metal, plans-built plane on the market.  I was a little concerned that the baggage space would be insufficient, but I am at the point in the build where I can see that I can customize the baggage space to fit my needs (always being careful of W&B).



I never sat in a 640 until I built mine.  It is now far enough along that I can sit in it, and the leg room is fine.  Also, the front seats have a lot of room for adjustment.



I do not have a web site with my build details, like Christian has.  (No time to invest in setting up a site.)  But if you would like to see any information on my build, just let me know.  I can email back to you off line.

- The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List

_________________
Scott Stewart
CH-640 built from plans
Flying since August 2014

KUB

Joined: 06 Nov 2009
Posts: 3
Location: West Texas

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: Considering 640 Input Needed

Scott,



Thanks for the quick reply I appreciate it. I’m really just starting our with my research but hope to start building something next fall. I am sure I will have many questions and will be taking you up on your offer to see the details of your build.



I probably should have also mentioned that I am only looking into metal planes.



Brandon

- The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List

Christian Tremblay

Joined: 22 Aug 2008
Posts: 25
Location: Montreal

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:29 am Post subject: Re: Considering 640 Input Needed

Hi Brandon

Welcome to our CH640 builder group forum.



Concerning RV10, no plans are available for any RV models. This is not in the initial intend and the philosopy of Van's conceptor, who design the RV planes. 



Secondo, these planes included many complex pieces in metal,  named "compound form". This mean piece are made by complex bending like banana curves (two opposite curves or bends), who cannot be done with simple metal brake, but with expensive machines. Pieces like this are the bulk head of the fuselage, the canopy or the cooling covers. I suspect wing includes also additional kind of curving forms (sure, ribs contain compound forms, like in 640).



For my website, sorry my web site is currently offline, I got some problem not solved yet with the internet provider (very bad support). I work on this, I will advise you and the gang when it will be online again.



Good luck, and go head, it is an amazing experience to build from plan.



Christian

- The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List

_________________
Christian Tremblay - Montreal, Qc
A guy who build a CH640 from plan - SN0059
www.zodiac640.com

KUB

Joined: 06 Nov 2009
Posts: 3
Location: West Texas

Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:15 am Post subject: Re: Considering 640 Input Needed

Christian,



Thanks for the responses. Hopefully you will get everything worked out with your provider. I am looking forward to seeing your site up and seeing the progress on the plane.



Brandon

- The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List

pilot4pay

Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 171
Location: Louisville, KY

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:13 pm Post subject: Re: Considering 640 Input Needed

Brandon, the CH-640 offers a lot of capability, but asks for a serious commitment of your time. True of any home built aircraft. We have all weathered the recent economic tumult, some have made it, others have struggled. Be clear that your commitment will cost you money and time.

If you can budget the expenses and workload on paper then proceed! Don't waste money if you can't budget the project all the way to completion. Money has been my major constraint, not technical skill.

- The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List

_________________
Craig Smith
CH640 builder
SN: 0078

"Just think how stupid the average person is,
and then realize that half of them are even stupider!"
--George Carlin

SteveCH640

Joined: 20 Jul 2008
Posts: 4
Location: San Diego, CA

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 7:58 pm Post subject: Re: Considering 640 Input Needed

I have flown the RV 10 at Vans Aircraft and I have flown a Alrus 2000 as a flight school rental.  The 2000 is a 2 seat version of the CH640.  I have sat in the original Zenith owned CH 640 prototype.



So here are my opinions;

If time and money were no object I would go with the RV 10.

Very roomy even in the back seat. 

Very crisp but docile flying.  If you push it the RV 10 becomes very powerful and can do some minor aerobatics. If you don't push it, it is very well behaved and easy to fly. You can make it change it's personality depending on how you fly it.

The flying experience is best described as wow! that is one nice plane!

Now the bad;

Driven rivets not pulled. Very expensive kit and engine.

Long time building.

If you fly the RV 10 at Zenith CH 640 speeds it gets 11 gallons per hour.

If you push the RV10 to about 190 it gets 22 gallons per hour.

But boy, it is a nice plane.  



The CH2000

Fun and crisp flying. It was nicer to fly than a C152. Kind of like an English sports car. Small, fun, cheap and not too powerful. I would chose it over a Cessna 152.  Very easy and sooth and forgiving landings.  



The CH 640 prototype.

Just sat in it. Not flying.

Front seat area and control feel identical to the CH 2000. The back seat was a joke. It is not a seat that is useful by anyone over 5 years old. The new plans have it moved back about 4 inches.  With this improvement one adult could sit slightly sideways and towards the center.

The plus points are simple construction and pulled rivets.

The bad is, their support and quality is now almost non-existant as they headed for the light sport market gold rush.  It is not listed even on some of their web sites. I stopped building after my rudder. Their rudder kit had too many quality problem. Now about 2 years later I am hoping Zenith might care more and support  this plane again.

- The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List

steveadams

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 191

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:01 am Post subject: Re: Considering 640 Input Needed

I'll throw in my 2 cents worth since I have over 700 hours flying the 640. While both the 640 and the RV-10 are both all metal 4 place aircraft, they are really not in the same class. The RV-10 is bigger, faster, more difficult to build, and much more expensive to build and maintain. With that said, if you understand the 640's limitations and have realistic expectations, the 640 is a wonderful aircraft. It has great performance off the runway, is extremely stable and easy to fly(great for IFR), has decent performance numbers in cruise, and has been easy and inexpensive to maintain. The controls are a bit heavy at cruise speed, but very responsive and balanced. It has a great useful load, but does suffer from a cramped rear cabin area. If I could make one change to the plane, I wish they would have stretched the fuselage a bit to open up the rear cabin. As it is, I still fly with my 3 kids (ages 15, 11, and 11) fairly comfortably. At 6'5" you will need to have the front seat pretty far back which will effectively make it a 3 seater. Since I built from a quickbuilt kit, I can't comment on the difficulty of building from plans. While there were a few glitches with the kit, overall there was good support from the factory and the plans and documentation were very good in my opinion.

- The Matronics Zenith640-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith640-List

Display posts from previous:

	Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> Zenith640-List	All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Jump to:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum