The RB-4 is Robert (Bob) Barney's 4th airplane. His first was a stock Starduster SA-100. Then he built another Starduster with slightly larger flying surfaces, and an enlarged cockpit. This plane has been sold several times, and each seller regrets selling it, including Bob! Bob's 3rd airplane was an RV-4, which has also been sold. The RB-4 was designed out of Bob's desire for an all metal two-seater that would be easy to get in and out of, have good flying characteristics, and excellent performance. He started building an RV-8, and completed the tail kit, but became disillusioned when he couldn't get the wing kit by the promised delivery dates. Then when the prototype experienced an in-flight structural failure, Bob decided to design his own airplane around the RV-8 tail and a Cessna 206 windshield that had been given to him. Bob has been working on the RB-4 for about three years. The fuselage and tail are complete and on the RV-4 gear legs, and an Aviation Products tailwheel. The left wing is nearly complete, and has been removed from its jig. The right wing is now being assembled in the jig, and Bob expects to have the airframe complete by the end of this year. The wing uses the same airfoil and chord as the RV series. The wing span is 25', with 118 square feet of wing area. Wings will be strut braced, and will each hold about 24 gallons of fuel. Power will be a Lycoming 0-360 of 180hp, and a fixed-pitch prop. The cockpit is very wide and roomy, and sports a center-mount control stick, and a throttle on each side of the panel. The seats adjust through a range of 12", and with the wide door opening, will make ingress/egress very easy. Bob hopes to have the airframe complete by the end of this year, with a possible completion date of sometime in the summer or fall of 2001.

PROGRESS REPORT BOB BARNEY'S RB-4
Bob Barney has been making some great progress lately. The ailerons proved 
to be a challenge, but recently Bob got some professional help, and had both 
ailerons done in short time. The fuel tanks need final sealing, and then the 
wings can be mounted on the fuselage permanently. With wings installed the 
plane can be weighed to determine engine mount length, and the mount and 
cowling can be built.
The instrument panels are already complete, and need only to be installed 
permanently and wired. Doors need to be made, plumbing done, and an 
inspection made by the FAA. Bob is really close, and could be flying this 
fall.
The engine in the pictures is not the one Bob will be using. That one 
belongs on Danny Sorensen's BF9-2. It just looks cool in front of Bob's 
plane. We'd call it the MetalCoupe.

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10-11-2005 First flight

First and other flight photos

Bob Barney's RB-4 & Danny Sorensen's BF9-2