If you have the opportunity to visit EAA AirVenture (July 21-27), make sure to head to the experimental aircraft display and marvel at the multiple rows of Van’s RV aircraft.
The low-wing, all-aluminum homebuilt aircraft with the P-51 Mustang-esque tail are favorites in the experimental community. One of the most popular versions, the Van’s RV-8, celebrates 30 years of flight this year.
The Van’s Line
The RV-8 was released in 1995, the eighth design of Richard VanGrunsven. According to VanGrunsven, the RV-8 began as a refinement of the Van’s RV-4, which was a refinement of the single-place RV-3. The RV-4 and the RV-8 feature tandem seating.
“We made the fuselage of the RV-8 a little longer and the cabin area a little wider and deeper than the RV-4 to provide a little more comfort for the people,” VanGrunsven said.
Tandem seating, as opposed to side by side, is often preferred when the pilot intends to perform aerobatics—something that many RV owners aspire to.
According to VanGrunsven, RV-8 pilots appreciate the cockpit ambiance and the over-the-nose view—himself included.
“I find it an enjoyable pilot experience,” he said. “You’re not riding along with an autopilot on. I am talking about flying.”
He said what makes Van’s Aircraft designs so popular is that every model is a refinement of the ones that came before. “Popular” is a good word for it, as an estimated one-third of the experimental aircraft “in the wild” are Van’s designs.
