Van's RV-9
 Van's RV-9. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Van's Aircraft |
|---|---|
| Model | Van's RV-9 |
| Type | Kit aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | December 1997
|
| Number built | 1173 (November 2022) |
| Registered in the US | 695 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, one passenger |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320, 160 hp |
| Cruise speed | 189 mph (RV-9A with Lycoming O-320) |
| Range | 710 mi (RV-9A with Lycoming O-320) |
| Service ceiling | 24,500 ft (RV-9A with Lycoming O-320) |
| Max weight | 1,750 lb (RV-9A with Lycoming O-320)
|
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Van's RV-9 and RV-9A are two-seat, side-by-side, single-engine, low-wing homebuilt airplanes sold as kits by Van's Aircraft; the RV-9 has a tailwheel and the RV-9A a nosewheel. It is built around a new long, narrow wing with a Roncz airfoil, and is about the size and weight of the RV-6 and RV-7.[1] In the U.S. there are 695 with a valid registration, most of them RV-9As, counted by model name because homebuilts are registered under their builders' names.[2]
Design
Earlier RVs, from the single-seat RV-3 on, were designed for light handling, aerobatics, high cruise speed and short-field performance. Richard VanGrunsven designed the RV-9 instead as a touring airplane, giving up aerobatics and light handling for stability and economy. It is designed for 118 to 160 hp, and the prototype flew on a 118 hp Lycoming O-235 to prove it works with low power.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 695 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-9A | 306 |
| VANS RV-9A | 133 |
| RV9A | 107 |
| VANS RV9A | 62 |
| RV-9 | 49 |
| VANS RV-9 | 21 |
| RV9 | 10 |
| VANS RV9 | 4 |
| VAN RV-9A | 2 |
| VAN RV9A | 1 |
Specifications (RV-9A with Lycoming O-320)
| Item | RV-9A with Lycoming O-320 |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | one passenger |
| Length | 20 ft 5 in |
| Wingspan | 28 ft |
| Height | 7 ft 10 in |
| Wing area | 124 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 1,028 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,750 lb |
| Fuel | 36 US gallons (136 litres) |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320, 160 hp |
| Propeller | fixed pitch |
| Maximum speed | 197 mph |
| Cruise speed | 189 mph |
| Stall speed | 44 mph |
| Range | 710 mi |
| Service ceiling | 24,500 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,400 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Van's RV-9. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
G-CCZY is a Vans RV-9A amateur built in 2006, at Popham Aerodrome, England on 27 June 2015. Photo: MilborneOne, 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-9
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wikipedia, "Van's Aircraft RV-9", 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.