Van's RV-6
 Van's RV-6. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Van's Aircraft |
|---|---|
| Model | Van's RV-6 |
| Type | Kit aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 1985 |
| Status | No longer sold |
| Number built | 2706 (November 2022) |
| Registered in the US | 1,590 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, one passenger |
| Engine | Lycoming O-360, 180 hp |
| Cruise speed | 199 mph (RV-6 180 hp) |
| Range | 720 mi (RV-6 180 hp) |
| Service ceiling | 25,700 ft (RV-6 180 hp) |
| Max weight | 1,600 lb (RV-6 180 hp) |
| Developed from | Van's Aircraft RV-4 |
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Van's RV-6 and RV-6A are two-seat, single-engine, low-wing homebuilt airplanes sold as kits by Van's Aircraft. The RV-6 has a tailwheel and the RV-6A a nosewheel. It was the first airplane in the popular RV series with side-by-side seats and the first with a nosewheel option, and it first flew in 1985. More than 2,700 have been finished and flown.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,590 with a valid registration; like all homebuilts, they are registered under their builders' names, so this count goes by model name.[2]
History
Designer Richard VanGrunsven built the RV-6 as a side-by-side development of the tandem RV-4, itself grown from the single-seat RV-3. Many owners, and especially their spouses, did not like the RV-4's tandem seats, which leave the passenger alone in the back. VanGrunsven gave the RV-6 a roomy 43-inch cockpit without giving up the RV-4's handling, short-field ability and speed: the prototype cruised only 3 mph slower than the RV-4 on the same engine.[1]
The RV-6 and RV-6A were replaced in 2001 by the similar but improved RV-7. Parts are still sold so builders can finish RV-6s already under construction, but no new complete kits are available.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,590 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| RV-6 | 499 |
| RV-6A | 360 |
| RV6A | 175 |
| VANS RV-6 | 152 |
| VANS RV-6A | 135 |
| RV6 | 130 |
| VANS RV6A | 74 |
| VANS RV6 | 55 |
| VAN RV-6 | 5 |
| VAN RV-6A | 3 |
| VAN RV6A | 2 |
Specifications (RV-6 180 hp)
| Item | RV-6 180 hp |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | one passenger |
| Length | 20 ft 2 in |
| Wingspan | 23 ft |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in |
| Wing area | 110 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 965 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,600 lb |
| Fuel | 38 u.s.gal |
| Engine | Lycoming O-360, 180 hp (four cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled, horizontally-opposed aircraft engine) |
| Maximum speed | 210 mph |
| Cruise speed | 199 mph |
| Stall speed | 49 mph |
| Range | 720 mi |
| Service ceiling | 25,700 ft |
| Rate of climb | 2,275 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
-
An RV-6 instrument panel. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
An RV-6A (C-GLRV) – the nose wheel equipped version of the RV-6. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Vans RV-6A landing. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Vans RV-6A Takeoff. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
A Vans RV-6 slider with a tasteful Vans Air Force paint scheme. Photo: Tspooncl65, CC BY-SA 4.0
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Van's RV-6
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wikipedia, "Van's Aircraft RV-6", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.