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Van’s RV-12iS SLSA: They Build it, You Fly it

No need to pull even one rivet with the fully-assembled light sport model.

A finished RV-12iS SLSA has a final inspection in the Van’s Aircraft Assembly Division (AAD) shop. [Courtesy: Dan Pimentel]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Van's Aircraft offers a factory-assembled Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA) version of its RV-12iS, providing a ready-to-fly option for enthusiasts who admire experimental aircraft but cannot build one themselves.
  • These RV-12iS SLSAs are meticulously built by skilled employees in Van's Aircraft Assembly Division using the exact same parts and adhering to strict ASTM quality standards as their kit-built counterparts.
  • Each factory-built RV-12iS undergoes comprehensive assembly, careful part inspection, and flight testing by Van's pilots before delivery, with strong demand currently resulting in a lead time of approximately 20 months.
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For those of us lucky enough to attend EAA’s annual AirVenture show in Oshkosh each summer, it is hard to miss the acres of beautiful experimental/amateur-built (E/AB) airplanes that seem to go on forever. We know from looking at the workmanship of these airplanes that someone spent thousands of hours in their shop meticulously assembling parts from a kit, or handcrafting the parts from raw materials.

If you’re like me, you walk the rows of these E/ABs and are envious of the builders who possess the skills to complete these airplanes. While being comfortable in saying that I doubt I have the mechanical ability to complete an E/AB airplane project, I know there is still a great way to own one and fly it with confidence.

Dan Pimentel

Dan Pimentel is an instrument-rated private pilot and former airplane owner who has been flying since 1996. As an aviation journalist and photographer, he has covered all aspects of the general and business aviation communities for a long list of major aviation magazines, newspapers and websites. He has never met a flying machine that he didn’t like, and has written about his love of aviation for years on his Airplanista blog. For 10 years until 2019, he hosted the popular ‘Oshbash’ social media meetup events at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

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