Van\u2019s “Total Performance” concept means that all RVs do many, many things quite well. And while they’re all fun to fly and perform quite well, each model has its own uniquely-appealing set of mission capabilities. This may pose a bit of a dilemma when a new builder is trying to decide, \u201cWhich RV is best for me? \u201d<\/p>\n
No worries. We’re here to help!<\/p>\n
Through much experience we’ve found it most useful to think — at least initially — about the mission rather than about the airplane itself. Instead of asking “Which airplane?” ask\u00a0 “What exactly do I want my airplane to do?” Many factors come into play here. Your personality, stage of life, size and age of the family, budget… All of these things contribute to your mission definition. The more completely and honestly your mission is defined, the easier and better your choice of airplane will be. Defining your RV’s mission requires making decisions, not avoiding them. It requires introspection and some decisive honesty.<\/p>\n
Remember this: An airplane knows nothing about dreams. It simply does what it can do.\u00a0It\u2019s the builder\u2019s job to make sure that — after analysis — the airplane’s capabilities and what the builder wants coincide.<\/p>\n
So, let’s look at a typical “decision-tree.”<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve been renting a Cessna 172. Renting is inconvenient and expensive, and the Cessna is slow, marginal on performance, and unexciting. Some sort of RV looks like just the thing for you\u2026 but which one?<\/p>\n
Really? Note that the question is \u201cneed,\u201d<\/strong> not \u201cwant\u201d or \u201cwould be kind of nice.\u201d If you have a family, or often travel with another couple, then the answer may well be yes. If so, there\u2019s only one option in the RV world to meet that requirement, albeit a great option \u2013 You\u2019ll be looking at an RV-10<\/a>.<\/p>\n But suppose the honest answer is no. You\u2019ve thought back over the last couple of years of flying time and realize that it\u2019s very rare to have anybody in the back seat of the Cessna. For the vast majority of your flying, two seats would be sufficient. That means that there would be little point in spending the extra money and time that goes into building the RV-10, but that also opens up several new possibilities: the RV-7\/7A<\/a>, RV-8\/8A<\/a>, RV-9\/9A<\/a>,\u00a0RV-12 <\/a> and RV-14\/14A<\/a>.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt that sitting on the centerline is a cool, cool thing. You can see equally out of both sides of the airplane \u2013 the seating and the big bubble canopy make it hard for the Focke-Wulfs to sneak up on you. However, the tandem concept does not put both occupants on the same footing. The RV-8\/8A<\/a> is very much a pilot-plus-passenger airplane. The person sitting in the back seat is the passenger. They can be provided rudimentary controls, but they can\u2019t see forward as well, don\u2019t have access to anything on the instrument panel and will sit with their legs straddling the pilot’s seat. Total baggage space is much the same as in the side-by-side airplanes, but the space is divided between two smaller compartments – one in front and one in back – so bigger items like folding bikes or golf bags won\u2019t fit. The side-by-side RV-7\/7A<\/a>, RV-9\/9A<\/a>, RV-12<\/a> and RV-14\/14A<\/a> on the other hand, have large baggage bays spanning the fuselage and both occupants have the same forward view and access to the controls and panel. Consult your \u201cother half\u201d when defining this part of the mission profile. You may find their views essential to making this decision.<\/p>\n This question often requires a bit of soul-searching \u2013 sure, we\u2019d all like to fly like Bob Hoover — but it\u2019s an important one to really determine. Remember that honest answers are imperative in mission-building. If you are really, truly interested in sport aerobatics and one of the reasons to have an airplane is to rotate freely in three dimensions, the RV-7\/7A<\/a>, RV-8\/8A<\/a> and RV-14\/14A<\/a> will fit the mission quite well. The RV-9\/9A, RV-10 and RV-12 are not aerobatic airplanes.<\/p>\n If you are not inclined toward aerobatics, but your mission statement does include economic long-distance cross-country flying you can take advantage of the longer, high-aspect-ratio wings on the RV-9\/9A<\/a> and RV-10<\/a>. Although any RV is quite capable of long-distance trips, these two airplanes are particularly suited for the role. They are quite fast, even on moderate power. They operate happily at altitudes where true airspeeds are high and fuel consumption is low. The more \u201crelaxed\u201d handling qualities mean that even long legs can be hand-flown without fatigue.<\/p>\n Any RV can be flown in this manner, of course, but the RV-12iS<\/a> may make the most sense if your real goal is simply to “go flying.” The Rotax engine burns five gallons of fuel or less an hour and prefers auto fuel to avgas. The wings can be removed easily, so the airplane can be stored in for the winter in a single-bay suburban garage. The RV-12 is also the only RV that can be flown by a Light Sport Pilot.<\/p>\n Once the best airplane for your personal mission has become apparent, you can use the same technique to choose between configurations (most of our two-seat designs can be built in tailwheel or nosewheel versions) and equipment (you may not need the most expensive propeller). The goal is always the same: an airplane that does the job you want it to do.<\/p>\n Although RVs can do many things, they won\u2019t do everything. If you want to hurtle through the upper atmosphere at jet-like speeds, compete in unlimited aerobatics or haul large dead animals out of remote hunting places, you’ll need something else. We can recommend some of our friendly competitors.<\/p>\n But, during the last 40 years and for thousands of pilots our experience is that one RV or another has proved the best answer to the question: \u201cWhat do I want an airplane to do?\u201d<\/p>\n How many seats do you need?<\/strong> Do you need aerobatic capability?<\/strong> What kind of seating arrangement do you prefer?<\/strong> Taildragger or Tricycle?<\/strong> Are you flying as a Private Pilot or a Sport Pilot?<\/strong> Want or need removable wings?<\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Do you want side-by-side or tandem seating?<\/h3>\n
The next question \u2013 do you intend to fly aerobatics?<\/h3>\n
Are you primarily a cross-country traveler?<\/h3>\n
Perhaps you\u2019re more interested in local fair-weather weekend flying and an occasional longer trip in the summer.<\/h3>\n
After picking the model, choose your configuration<\/h3>\n
DEFINE THE MISSION \/ DEFINE THE MODEL:<\/h3>\n
\nTwo seats \u2026 RV-7\/7A<\/a>, –8\/8A<\/a>, –9\/9A<\/a>, -12iS<\/a>, –14\/14A<\/a>
\nFour seats \u2026 RV-10<\/a><\/p>\n
\nYes, aero capable \u2026 RV-7\/7A,<\/a> -8\/8A<\/a>, 14\/14A<\/a>
\nNo thanks \u2026\u00a0RV-9\/9A<\/a>, -10,<\/a> -12iS<\/a><\/p>\n
\nTandem\/Centerline \u2026RV-8\/8A<\/a>
\nSide-by-Side \u2026\u00a0\u00a0RV-7\/7A<\/a>, -9\/9A,<\/a> -10<\/a>, 12iS,<\/a> 14\/14A<\/a><\/p>\n
\nTaildragger \u2026 RV-7<\/a>, -8,<\/a> -9<\/a>, –14<\/a>
\nTricycle \u2026 RV-7A<\/a>, -8A,<\/a> -9A,<\/a> -10<\/a>, 12iS<\/a>, –14A<\/a><\/p>\n
\nPrivate \u2026 All RV Models
\nLight Sport (currently) \u2026 RV-12iS<\/a>
\nLight Sport (under MOSAIC, effective 10\/22\/2025) … RV-7\/7A<\/a>, –8\/8A<\/a>, –9\/9A<\/a>, -12iS<\/a><\/p>\n
\nRV-12iS<\/a><\/p>\n