Bob Collins’s RV-12iS | Woodbury, MN RV-12iS #121026

Bob Collins’s RV-12iS flew for the first time. Here’s more:

The first flight of the second RV I’ve built was a quick ferry flight to a nearby airport as my home airport does not allow experimentals to return under they’re out of Phase I. Flight testing was relatively uneventful with adjustments quickly made. This is one of the first RV-12iS kits. The emp and wings are the original version as the new model came out just as I was ordering the fuselage kit. I still need to install the now-standard rudder trim. There many challenges along the way. Tony Kirk, when he was at Van’s was a tremendous help; even more so after he retired. So when it came time to choose a DAR, Tony was my choice.

In one of the early test flights, I was sure the fuel flow indicator was wrong. 2.8 gph in cruise? Are you kidding me. But, no, it was working perfectly. I love the Rotax 912iS!

A lot of water has gone under the bridge during my long construction of the plane, but the plane remains a consistent and steady testament to the designers at Van’s.