Originally Posted by
RetroAcro
Frank, you can win in Sportsman with your non-inverted system RV-4 as is. But it will take lots of practice and critiquing to get to this level. Even if you bought a Pitts or Laser, it would take the same amount of effort to learn to fly the figures at this level. The Pitts or Laser will simply allow for the potential to move a couple categories higher than Sportsman should you really get hooked. My advice would be to to hold onto the RV for the moment...which is maybe the best all-around flying sport plane period. Work on flying it at a level that would score well in Sportsman (whether you actually want to fly a contest or not). This will give you a great foundation. It sounds like you're getting a little "bored" with RV aerobatics. Competition precision will give you quite a bit to work on until your skills truly outgrow the airplane. The brief negative G exposure during Sportsman maneuvers won't hurt anything. Just be wary of (and monitor) potential oil loss during long practice sessions if you do this.
And it doesn't have to be about competition. I used to fly an RV-3, and got to the point where you are now. I ended up buying a Pitts, not specifically to compete, but partly because I wanted more capability...but mostly because I've wanted a Pitts my whole life. I will admit that in the 5 years I flew aerobatics in the RV, I did not actually get to the point of being "better" than the airplane, even though lots of folks told me I was "good". Looking back, I would not consider my skills that "good" at the time. The thing is, that the better you get, the higher the level you compare yourself to, and you might not ever consider yourself truly "good"...at least I don't. When I win a world title, I might say differently. :-)
If you do "upgrade", to a Pitts or Laser type, I would suggest do so because it's simply what you want, without consideration to possible competition aspirations. Think of competition as possibly something you also "get" to do with your airplane, rather than the sole focus of your aerobatic flying. Not many people (even in the competition community) are that hardcore. Most don't fly more than a couple contests a year. You've gotta enjoy your airplane the other 50 weeks out of the year. :-)