Dick VanGrunsven, aka Van, has become one of the most successful aircraft designers in American aviation. Today, around 11,500 RV builders have reported their first flights to Van’s Aircraft (and there are no doubt hundreds more flying who haven’t sent in their “baby pictures”) and new airplanes take to the air on the average of once a day!
There are several reasons for this success. Primary among them was Van’s philosophy of “Total Performance.” His idea of a good airplane was one that did as many things well as possiblewith an emphasis on excellent handling qualities, visibility and fuel efficiency. Van never had a “hot-rod” mentality, so his designs were not characterized by big engines. He achieved speed and climb rates more gracefully, designing light airframes with low drag and moderate power. How well he met those goals–and how well they resonated with others—is measured by the number of RVs gracing the skies and the enthusiastic fervor of the pilots who fly them.
The ultimate expression of a fuel efficient, low drag airplane is the modern sailplane… so it’s no surprise that Van is an avid and skilled sailplane pilot. High performance sailplanes are rather specialized and expensive, and there are relatively few pilots who want one. Realizing that, Van turned his thoughts toward a simple, light and efficient powered airplane with performance that fell in the range that most private pilots found useful. A new generation of aircraft engines was on the horizon, promising very light weights while still producing useful amounts of power. By using one, he could seat the occupants well forward of the wing, giving them excellent visibility in all directions including almost directly down. By working hard to keep the airplane small, clean and light, the smaller engines could generate speeds at least as good (and probably better) than that of common production airplanes and do it on significantly less fuel.
He worked out his ideas on a small scale model, hand-carved from a piece of firewood. The result was a slightly pug-nosed side-by-side airplane with a “cab-forward” design, a simple constant-chord wing and tricycle landing gear. Painted a hideous tennis-ball green, the model adorned his desk/drafting board for several years.
Finally, a confluence of events pushed him to go ahead with the development of the new idea now labeled (in a fit of originality) the RV-12.
One of those events was FAA approval of the Light Sport Aircraft category (LSA), allowing aircraft that met certain performance and weight specifications to be certified with less effort and expense. These aircraft could be flown by Sport Pilots and existing Private Pilots who elected to not continue carrying an FAA medical. The goal was to create lightweight, simple, easy-to-construct aircraft that would fill the role of much older, much harder to maintain legacy aircraft like the Cessna 150 and Ercoupe (among many others).
The new rules fit the RV-12 like a glove.
At the same time, aircraft engines like the Rotax 912 had matured into mainstream powerplants and were proven in widespread use around the world. Finally, a light, reliable, powerful small engine met the airframe that could make the most of it.
A proof-of-concept RV-12 prototype aircraft was constructed and test-flown extensively. It did its job, exposing both the good and bad points of ideas incorporated into it: pilots liked the Rotax engine and loved the visibility. Nobody liked the single hand-brake. Refinements and changes were made during an extensive test flight program.
When the RV-12 appeared in its final form, it was marketed as a very, very complete kit. The package included the engine, propeller, and avionics. Wiring harnesses, hoses and every other part were supplied. Besides making the airplane extremely easy for the homebuilder, this level of prefabrication helped achieve another aim–a finished, fly-away RV-12.
The same things that made the kit RV-12 so popular–a standardized airframe with inexpensive parts, easy construction–would help keep the price of the finished product affordable. The airplane would appeal to individuals who were not interested in building and flight schools that needed to operate certified airplanes. Van also envisioned the RV-12 as the backbone of flying clubs—affordable to buy, economical to operate, fun to fly. It should be easy to find partners for an airplane like that!
In time, Rotax introduced the 912iS, a fully computer controlled engine based on 912ULS architecture that would make this engine even more fuel efficient and easy to fly. Van’s took the opportunity of the engine change to significantly update the RV-12, increasing strength in key areas based, in part, on feedback from flight schools who put any aircraft through a demanding use cycle. Every day. All day.
What resulted is the current RV-12iS, adapted for the training environment and refined for durability and repairability, supported by a large percentage of domestic content. It has found a home in flight schools big and small, but still supports the individual sport pilot with a fantastic handling, fuel efficient, easy-to-maintain aircraft.
