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RV-15

Engineering Test Prototype

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High Wing
A first from Van's Aircraft. Believe it or not. And yes, it's true.
Back Country
Go to new places, do new things. And, take stuff with you and back home again.
Coming... But When?
When the kit is ready we will start making it available to builders. We're primarily focused on getting it right, rather than "right now."

Overview

It’s true. The RV-15 prototype is flying. It’s a high-wing airplane. Back-country mission capable. And (of course) Total Performance.

We can’t tell you exactly when, yet. The way we work around here is like this: We fly the prototype, make changes, and adjust until it’s just right. That’s our top priority.

All good things come to those who wait. Rest assured that we will update you periodically, and this spot right here will be the place to find the latest information.

Our Latest RV-15 Engineering Prototype Videos:

 

RV-15
Coming first. With the little wheel (it's all relative) mounted on the back.
RV-15A
Trike backcountry? Sure, at some point. Timeframe TBD.

Highlights

Wing on top, looks amazing, great handling, and some awesome features …

The aircraft you see on these pages is the RV-15 Engineering Test Prototype. It is not the final design. What we are learning from the prototype aircraft will be incorporated into the final kit design.

What we’ve shared publicly thus far:

  • High-wing
  • Backcountry capable
  • All-metal
  • Control sticks
  • Tailwheel aircraft planned first, tricycle to follow
  • An all-new gear and suspension system for the main and tail gear
  • Planned as a 2+2 type configuration (two real people and lots of “stuff” options)
  • Yes, we hope to offer a float-plane option at some point

The design is meant to accommodate four-cylinder Lycoming engines from 180HP to 220HP. The engineering test prototype has a four-cylinder Lycoming IO-390 EXP-119 engine that outputs around 220HP and drives an 80-inch composite Hartzell Trailblazer propeller. While we have not yet determined the actual speeds or useful load for the final design, we have established design targets of 140kts and at least 900 pounds, with the room to load two full-size mountain bikes in the baggage area without having to completely disassemble them (just remove the front wheel like you would when mounting to a car or truck bike rack).

An airplane that will get you there reasonably quickly, get down and stopped and then back off the ground in short distances, while letting you carry all the stuff you need to answer the question, “Okay so we’re here, what are we gonna do?” Fish, bike, camp, hunt, whatever you can think of. You choose.

That’s what the RV-15 is about. We’re excited to share more with you soon.

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