Van's RV-15 Production Pushed to Late 2025

The high-wing, two-seat backcountry airplane is currently undergoing flight testing.

Marc Cook

Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 10:01 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Van’s Aircraft RV-15 [Credit: Matt Beaubien]

Key Takeaways:

Van's Aircraft expects the high-wing RV-15 bushplane to move toward production by late next year, with flight testing actively continuing.
Current development focuses on testing different configurations, including a smaller wing (160 sq ft) to optimize the balance between low-speed capabilities and cruise speed.
Planned design updates include a new fuselage with the wing moved aft, a more raked windshield for a sleeker profile, and refinements to the tail and instrument panel, while maintaining the Lycoming IO-390 powerplant.

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OSHKOSH, Wisconsin—As part of its presentation Tuesday morning at EAA AirVenture, Van’s Aircraft offered an update on the high-wing RV-15, which is now expected to move toward production by late next year.

The bushplane was not at AirVenture in part because the flight testing is still ongoing. Van’s engineering staff, which was recently split into development and quality-assurance arms, has focused on other projects but has been back to flying the engineering prototype RV-15 since April. The aircraft is expected to get the team’s full attention this summer.