Congratulations to Igor on the first flight of his new RV -10! He writes to tell us all about it, and about a person without whom it would not have happened: What an amazing performer! The 1st flight went well and lasted 18min. The RV grin came right after lift off 😉 Thank you […]
Congratulations Michael! He writes: On April 21st, 2009 I attended my first Sun -n–Fun and took my first ever flight in an RV. I returned back to the Van’s tent and ordered a tail kit. Fast forward 12 years and 9 months to Jan 7th, 2022. My project was finally complete and I flew […]
Cheers to Bradley on the completion of his RV -7! He writes: I had my first flight today of my RV–7, serial number 74105. It was so worth getting transition training before the flight. Thanks to my wife for putting up with this crazy thing for so long. Here’s my build by the numbers […]
[…] already have great shots to send, cool. If you need to execute some (very safely executed) photo sessions, well then start planning! We typically look for extra -special photos of flying aircraft. Send us what you think is awesome and all will be reviewed and considered. We get a lot of submissions, and we’re […]
[…] year, and what we’re doing about that. Click above to watch this update on YouTube We’ve worked hard to navigate the complex business environment created by the COVID pandemic and to maintain operations as closely as possible to pre -COVID times. While most of our supply chain has remained relatively fluid and stable over […]
[…] STOP. The common reasons are: The rear spar structure that sticks out of the fuselage is comprised of two pieces of 1/8” aluminum bar. One piece ends up on the front side of the wing rear spar stub and one is on the backside (where you can see it). The forward piece OFTEN is […]
[…] demonstrators “shimmy” on occasion. The following is a list of suggestions that may help minimize nose gear vibration. The NOSE wheel tire pressure should be between 25 -35psi. Less is better as it increases the tire drag, which will help damp any shimmy. The MAIN tires should be inflated to between 25 and 35 […]
[…] to be a bit of reasoning involved in the answer. It is simple and yet it is not obvious to the pilot who has just spent 2 -4 years of all of his spare time and energy to complete and fly his brand new airplane. He thinks he built it PERFECT and is dismayed […]
[…] NEW KIT ORDERS – REQUIREMENTS All kit orders must be received on the current version of the applicable kit order form. These order forms are located at www.vansaircraft.com/order -a–kit. Each new RV kit is assigned a Serial Number after the order is received. The serial number is assigned with the first kit ordered and is […]
On December 22nd, 2018, at 7.30 a.m. EDST, the RV9A kit 90711 was transmogrified into a flying RV9A, registered VH -VDG. It was a bit bumpy in the circuit, but plane and pilot survived, and managed a more than passable landing. 15 years in the making, weighed in at 1130 lbs, Lycoming O–320 E3D […]
[…] to drive up from San Antonio one day before the government shutdown to perform the inspection and issue the airworthiness certificate. The airplane is a stock RV -7A with an YO–360–A1A, a Catto 3–bladed fixed pitched prop, and it weighs 1066 lbs empty. The avionics are ‘simple’ with an eye towards getting my IFR […]
Chandler wrote to describe the first flight of his RV -14A in April! What he doesn’t mention (so we will!) is that he’s since started working at Van’s Aircraft in our Aircraft Assembly Division. We’re happy he’s here! Great looking airplane, Chandler – Congrats! “It was a beautiful Friday morning and I had come […]
Congratulations to Mark, who writes to tell us about the first flight of his RV -10: It began as a dream. I took the demo flight at AirVenture 2016 with my wife. She had to approve before we committed to this project. I actually sat in the back so Mike our amazing demo pilot […]
Congratulations to Scott on the first flight of his RV -14! He writes: It finally happened! After two years of building, and another six months of painting, my RV–14 finally flew this week! Four years ago, my wife was wandering around the Van’s display at Oshkosh and snuck over to the -14 demo plane. […]
Congratulations to Danny on his new RV -9! He writes: The flight lasted .9 hrs and was pleasantly uneventful. The chase plane was manned by friends Wayne Bennet and Cary Grey in a Grumman Tiger and it was pretty cool that they couldn’t keep up. I’m sure there’s a lot of people to give […]
Scott wrote in to let us know about the first flight in his RV -8: My RV–8 has fully fledged. I took it for a short flight after a long build. The build was an interesting experience for sure, some frustrations but I learned lots. Looking forward to more flying and learning in phase […]
Congratulations to Reilly, who recently wrote in to tell us about the first flight of his new RV: My RV -12 was built over a 12 year period. During this time I moved to a different house 4 times. Powered by an Aeromomentum AM15 engine. I have learned an unbelievable amount during this build and it has […]
Congratulations to Joe on his new RV -7! He writes: After 14.5 years of build time RV–7 serial #72965 first flight was conducted at my home base of Martinsburg, WV (KMRB). Crazy long build time was due to many factors, including the normal life stuff (young kids, job, moves, etc.). More likely reason was […]
Congratulations to Richard on his new RV -14A and its first flight! He writes: A beautiful, but cold day in southeastern PA for the first flight. N628DF jumped off the runway in less than 600 feet and flew beautifully…straight and level. Only stayed up long enough to make sure all engine indications and flight […]
Congratulations to Nathan! He writes: After 5 years of building my RV -7 took to the sky for the 1st time. It was a great day with a few friends coming out to watch. The plane flew flawlessly and I have now finished the 25hr testing phase. It’s been an awesome experience that has […]
