Laminar Research Van's RV-10 User manual

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X-Plane 12
Van’s RV-10
Pilot’s Operating Manual
Author: Julian Lockwood ([email protected]m)
Copyright: Laminar Research 2021
Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is for simulation use only, within the X-Plane flight simulator. This document is not
subject to revision and has not been checked for accuracy. This document is intended for entertainment only and may not to be
used in situations involving real-life aircraft, or real-life aviation.
Distribution
This document may be copied and distributed by Laminar Research customers and developers, for entertainment. It may also be
distributed with third-party content developed for X-Plane 11.

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Contents
The Van’s RV-10............................................................................................................................................5
Van’s RV-10 Specifications........................................................................................................................6
The X-Plane RV-10.........................................................................................................................................7
Views and Controls .......................................................................................................................................8
Creating “Quick Look” views.....................................................................................................................9
Operating the controls............................................................................................................................13
Assigning peripheral devices...................................................................................................................15
A Tour of the Cockpit ..................................................................................................................................18
Overhead.................................................................................................................................................18
Battery and Electrical Panel....................................................................................................................19
Engine Starter Button .............................................................................................................................19
External Lighting Panel............................................................................................................................20
Parking Brake ..........................................................................................................................................20
Primary Flight Controls ...........................................................................................................................21
Control Stick............................................................................................................................................21
Rudder Pedals .........................................................................................................................................21
Rudder Toe Brakes..................................................................................................................................21
Flap Lever................................................................................................................................................21
G1000 Avionics Panels............................................................................................................................22
Primary Flight Display (PFD)................................................................................................................22
Multi-Function Display (MFD).............................................................................................................23
Audio Panel.........................................................................................................................................23
Backup Primary Flight Display (PFD)...................................................................................................24
Autopilot .................................................................................................................................................25
Center Console and Throttle Quadrant ..................................................................................................27
Throttle Lever......................................................................................................................................27
Propeller Lever....................................................................................................................................27
Mixture Lever......................................................................................................................................28
Cockpit Lighting Controls ....................................................................................................................28
PFD Controls & Features.............................................................................................................................29
NAV Audio Squelch .................................................................................................................................29
Active & Stand-by NAV1 and NAV2 Frequencies....................................................................................29

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Attitude Indicator....................................................................................................................................30
Next Waypoint........................................................................................................................................30
Active & Stand-by COM1 and COM Frequencies....................................................................................30
COM Frequency Toggle...........................................................................................................................30
COM Audio Squelch ................................................................................................................................30
COM Rotary.............................................................................................................................................30
CRS/BARO Rotary....................................................................................................................................31
Altimeter.................................................................................................................................................31
Joystick....................................................................................................................................................31
Flight Plan Key Group..............................................................................................................................31
FMS Rotary..............................................................................................................................................32
Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)........................................................................................................32
Soft Keys..................................................................................................................................................32
ALT Rotary...............................................................................................................................................32
Autopilot Key Group ...............................................................................................................................32
HDG Rotary .............................................................................................................................................32
Airspeed Indicator...................................................................................................................................33
NAV Rotary..............................................................................................................................................33
NAV Frequency Toggle............................................................................................................................33
MFD Controls & Features............................................................................................................................34
NAV Audio Squelch .................................................................................................................................34
Active & Stand-by NAV1 and NAV2 Frequencies....................................................................................34
Navigation Map.......................................................................................................................................35
Data Fields...............................................................................................................................................35
Active & Stand-by COM1 and COM Frequencies....................................................................................35
COM Frequency Toggle...........................................................................................................................35
COM Audio Squelch ................................................................................................................................35
COM Rotary.............................................................................................................................................35
CRS/BARO Control...................................................................................................................................35
Joystick....................................................................................................................................................36
Flight Plan Key Group..............................................................................................................................36
FMS Rotary..............................................................................................................................................36
Soft Keys..................................................................................................................................................36

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ALT Rotary...............................................................................................................................................37
Autopilot Key Group ...............................................................................................................................37
HDG Rotary .............................................................................................................................................37
NAV Rotary..............................................................................................................................................37
NAV Frequency Toggle............................................................................................................................37
Engine Indication System (EIS)................................................................................................................37
Weight & Balance........................................................................................................................................38
Checklists ....................................................................................................................................................39
Pre-Flight Exterior Inspection .................................................................................................................39
Cold and Dark to Engine Start.................................................................................................................41
Before Taxi ..............................................................................................................................................45
Before Takeoff.........................................................................................................................................47
After Takeoff...........................................................................................................................................49
Cruise ......................................................................................................................................................50
Before Landing........................................................................................................................................51
Landing....................................................................................................................................................53
After Landing...........................................................................................................................................54
Parking ....................................................................................................................................................55
Operating-Speeds .......................................................................................................................................57

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The Van’s RV-10
The Van’s RV-10 is a single-engined four-seater home-built General Aviation aircraft that is currently the world’s most popular four-
seat kit airplane. The RV-10 offers budget-minded pilots similar capability to the benchmark Cirrus SR-22, for a much lower price.
The prototype aircraft first flew in May 2003 and delivery of kit parts to customers followed in September of the same year.
Approximately 1,000 aircraft have been sold to date.
Van’s Aircraft Inc. was founded in 1972 by Richard VanGrunsven. The company was initially located in Reedville, Oregon, and
started selling plans (and some parts) for their RV-3 aircraft. This later grew to the manufacture of complete aircraft kits, and the
company moved first to North Plains, and later to Aurora, Oregon, from which it currently manufactures several hundred kits per
year. In total, over 10,00 kits have been sold, comprising the RV-3, RV-4, RV-6, RV-7, RV-8, RV-9, RV-10, and RV-12 models.
The RV-10 is available with fixed tricycle landing gear only but has a number of powerplant options. These range from 210 to 260
hp. The most popular is the Lycoming IO-540 which develops between 235 and 260 hp, depending on the variant.
The aircraft accommodates four full-sized adults, 100 lbs. of baggage and 60 gallons of fuel - enough for four hours at cruise speed,
or five hours at economy cruise.
Construction is mostly from aluminum, with the exception of the gull-winged doors that are made from composite materials, and the
landing gear that is tubular steel. The nosewheel is free-castering, and the aircraft is steered on the ground with differential braking.
A ballistic parachute option is available from a third-party. The parachute occupies part of the baggage compartment.
According to the company, the average build-time for an RV-10 kit is 2,000 hours. At time of publication, prices began around $US
50,000 for the airframe - excepting engine and avionics.

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Van’s RV-10 Specifications
Engines:
Model
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1 × Lycoming IO-540 piston-engine
Power
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260 hp (194 kW)
Fuel:
Capacity
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60 U.S. gallons (227 Liters)
Type
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Avgas
Burn (cruise)*
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11 US gallons (42 liters) per hour
Weights and Capacities:
Max. Takeoff Weight
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2,700 lbs. / 1225 kg.
Basic Empty Weight
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1,520 lbs. / 689 kg.
Useful Payload
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1,050 lbs. / 476 kg.
Maximum Persons
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Performance:
Max. Cruise Speed
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175 KTAS
Stall Speed
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55 KCAS (full flap)
Never Exceed Speed
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200 KTS
Service Ceiling
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20,000 ft. / 6,096 m
Rate of Climb
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1,450 ft. per min / 442 m per min
Range
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750 nm
Dimensions:
Wingspan
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32 ft. / 9.75 m
Length
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24.5 ft. / 7.5 m
Height
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8.75 ft. / 2.7 m
•Representative value depending on conditions

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The X-Plane RV-10
Unlike other flight simulators, X-Plane employs a technique called “Blade Element Theory”. This utilizes the actual shape of the
aircraft (as modeled in the simulator) and breaks down the forces on each part separately. The force of the “air” acting on each
component of the model is individually calculated, and combined, to produce extremely realistic flight.
When you “fly” an airplane in X-Plane, there are no artificial rules in place to govern how the aircraft behaves. Your control inputs
move the control surfaces of the aircraft, and these interact with the virtual flow of air around it. As such, you may consider that you
are really flying the aircraft.
Due to the use of “Blade Element Theory” in X-Plane, an aircraft must be modeled with great accuracy, in order that it behaves like
its real-life counterpart. This means the fuselage, wings and tail surfaces must be the right size and shape, the center of lift and
center of gravity must be in the right places, and the engine(s) must develop the right amount of power. In fact, there are a great
many properties that must be modeled correctly to achieve a high-fidelity flight model.
The RV-10 featured in X-Plane-11 has been modeled by our design team with a degree of accuracy that ensures its flight
characteristics are similar to the real aircraft. However, despite this, some differences will be apparent, because even the smallest
factor plays into the ultimate behavior of the aircraft in reality, and in X-Plane. The systems modeling of this aircraft involves some
compromise too, because of the degree of complexity present in a real aircraft. However, in many cases, the actual RV-10
procedures could be followed when operating the X-Plane version. Checklists are presented later in this document (with
modifications to suit this specific simulation platform and model). It is recommended that X-Plane pilots follow those procedures
when operating the aircraft.

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Views and Controls
The X-Plane RV-10 features a detailed 3-D cockpit with many of the primary controls and systems modeled, including: Flight
controls (control sticks, rudder pedals, throttle, prop, and mixture), electrical systems, pneumatic systems, navigation aids, radios,
interior and exterior lighting, and fuel systems.

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Creating “Quick Look” views
Before discussing the controls, we suggest that the pilot establish a series of “Quick Look” views that will be helpful later when
interacting with this particular aircraft. If you are not familiar with this technique, more information is available in the X-Plane Desktop
Manual.
The following “Quick Look” views are recommended for the RV-10, where the pilot is not using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, or a
head tracking device. To some degree, these correspond (on the keyboard Number Pad) with their physical locations in the cockpit -
and are therefore logical and easy to recall later.
Parking Brake
Left Door Handle

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Throttle
Quadrant
25
Right Door
Handle
Pilot View
Forward