Flew exactly as expected, raised a few eyebrows on the spotters group as the portable ADS-B was programmed as an [Airbus] A320!

The post Steve Wakeham & Payman Nayeri’s RV-7 appeared first on Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes.

After a 5 year and 4 days build RV-14 serial number 140800 was launched for its first flight from the Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport on 10/11/25.

All went as expected and proved that 5 years of effort was well worth every hour and dollars spent. Looking forward to many years of enjoyment in my new ride.

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I completed the first flight of my RV-10, N238MJ, and I’m happy to report it was entirely uneventful, with everything going exactly as planned. The aircraft performed perfectly in all phases of flight and flew true right out of the gate, making for a smooth and confidence-inspiring first flight.

Special thanks to Matt Potter for his invaluable build-assist support throughout the project, and to Mujahid Abdulrahim for his excellent test pilot skills that helped make the first flight such a success.

The post Matthew Rivard’s RV-10 appeared first on Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes.

After 5 long years of building and a few months of waiting on the FAA, I was able to obtain my airworthiness certificate and hold the first flight a couple days later. I had to wait from some ceilings to open up but was eventually cleared for takeoff. A couple of extra throttle response checks during ground roll all passed and it was time to continue the takeoff. I was able to climb above the blanket of fog that has plagued the central valley of California for several weeks now for some beautiful shots.

First flight videos on Instagram and Facebook.

The post Greg Hartt’s RV-10 appeared first on Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes.

At Oshkosh in 1992 Jerry VanGrunsven took me up for a “free” ride in Van’s demonstrator. Shortly after I purchased the plans for RV-6A #22320. The empennage kit was shipped, by sea, in December 1992. In March 1993 I started the hands-on work.

Building a plane has been a lifelong dream and a total DIY project for me (as a first-time builder). When starting on the project in my naive youth, I was undaunted by tasks like riveting the wing spars with a dumpy hammer on the garage floor and planned to have the whole build done within three years.

All of the construction, wiring, engine installation, instrumentation, painting and upholstery (by my wife) has been done in-house, so it really is a “home built” aeroplane. Overall, it has been an extremely rewarding project, even though it took so long to complete (“life got in the way”) and has honestly been the most difficult challenge I’ve ever had.

The first flight took place this morning from our 2000-foot-long farm strip. We got up early to beat the heat and the Australian flies. The flight was uneventful, and it took about 20 minutes to confirm that everything was working as expected, before landing. I’m looking forward to celebrating tonight. Next will be flying the rest of the Phase 1 tests, followed by adventures wherever she takes us.

Thank you, Van, for a great design and kit and all of the education and entertainment that it generated in my workshop, as well as the much-anticipated monthly RVator in the early days and the many supportive people who I’ve met!

The post Paul van Sandwyk’s RV-6A appeared first on Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes.

Flew straight and true, stall performance as expected. Very fun to fly!

The post Thomas Davidson’s RV-9A appeared first on Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes.

In 2002, I decided to take the plunge and build an RV-6A. I had already started the work on a Dragonfly, but the RV was always at the top of my list. Thinking I might save some time and money, I found a wing kit that someone had finished and a tail kit that another had started. Wrong move! I saved neither time nor money because after digging in I found mistakes made requiring me to remove the wing skins make corrections and reskin this time with a single piece skin.

Somewhere I realized I was building and not flying, so I went looking for something inexpensive to fly while I was building. I found a ‘46 Cessna140. Bought it and later found it needed some major repair. Another project! It took about two years to tear it down and completely restore it. Back to building and no flying! Finally got it finished and flew it to Oshkosh 2006.

Back to the RV and make a long story short, life tends to get in the way! I built three houses, started a business and sold it, lost some good friends and family along the way, but I finally finished up and did the first flight in April, 2025. As of this writing, I have nearly completed the “Task Based” flight testing. “Pucker Factor” was quite high on that first flight but I was very pleased in how it handled. It had a little right wing heaviness but the aileron squeeze trick fixed that. It flys hands off now and required no trim tabs to do so. Yep, I landed with the RV grin!

Winter has now set into the Midwest and not getting in much flying right now but ready to get back at it as soon as the weather breaks and hope to fly it to Oshkosh 2026. If interested, there is a YouTube video showing stall tests and my first landing at: https://youtu.be/7SHMfTclxrU?si=JiZ2qAUpxq16BM-1

The post Ron Ingram’s RV-6A appeared first on Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes.

I began my RV-9A build when I first retired in 2018, with the full support of my loving wife Denise. This was my retirement project, which also included flight training and earning my PPL in 2022.
It’s hard to explain the years of fun, dreaming, learning, sometimes frustration, family and friends being involved, planning, and more that go into a project like this, and the almost “sadness” of seeing the project completed knowing that the “building” part of the journey is coming to an end.
Yet, knowing that a new journey is about to begin.

On November 3rd, 2025, With my good friend and very experienced pilot, “Captain Mary Verry” at the controls. N748WM took to the skies for the first time. Taking off from Dry Creek Airpark (OG21) and landing at Prineville airport (S39) about an hour later. The flight was uneventful, and the airplane handled and flew exactly “as advertised”.

Many thanks to everyone involved in my retirement dream. With special thanks to………..

Terry Bodle, my rivet bucking partner and “shop buddy”
Tom Wrolstad and Wayne Schoor, my “flight instructors”
Mike and Charla Dehate, for allowing me to do the final assembly in their hanger.
Jim Verry, (A&P) for his expertise and technical help.
Mary Verry. (CFI), Flight and Transition training, “First Flight Pilot,” and phase 1 “addition pilot program.”
And most of all, my wife Denise. For her endless support, construction help, and many many hours of sitting around the shop heater at the end of the day.

I’ve been a total “Do it yourself” kind of guy my entire life and have built many different projects in my life. Nothing compares to building your own airplane!

The post Michael Truett’s RV-9A appeared first on Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes.

After just over three years of slow building, another -14A joins the list of flying aircraft. My sincere gratitude to all my assistants and the good folks at Van’s who produced a stunning kit.

The post Richard Raymond appeared first on Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes.

I started building in January of 1998, three months after getting married, and not coincidentally four months after getting a ride in an F-104 Starfighter. I’ve raised 2 kids and lived at seven different addresses over the years. When I finally moved it to KLWM a few years ago, I swore it wouldn’t leave that airport except by air.

On November 20, we make good on that promise. Lots of people helped along the way. My wife was very supportive. She bucked rivets inside the upside down fuselage when she was nine months pregnant. My kids helped with various parts along the way, including cleaning parts after they’d been sitting untouched for years. I’ve thrown away obsolete avionics with no flint time on them and changed the tires with no landings on them.

Thanks to Ed for helping build, Aaron for helping move the plane and put the wings on, Mark for helping move the plane Jim for preparation and ground support on the first flight, Bob Dimeo for technical counseling and flight advising and Bryan Jones for transition training.

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