Van's RV-12
.jpg) Van's RV-12. Photo: Aeroprints.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Van's Aircraft |
|---|---|
| Model | Van's RV-12 |
| Type | Light-sport aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | November 9, 2006 |
| Built | 2008–present (kits), 2012–present (complete aircraft) |
| Status | Kits and complete aircraft both in production (2021) |
| Number built | 792 (July 2023) |
| Registered in the US | 935 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one pilot, one passenger |
| Engine | Rotax 912iS, 100 hp |
| Cruise speed | 117 kn (RV-12is) |
| Service ceiling | 19,200 ft (RV-12is) |
| Max weight | 1,320 lb (RV-12is)
|
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Van's RV-12 is a two-seat, single-engine, low-wing airplane from Van's Aircraft of Aurora, Oregon, sold as a kit and as a complete ready-to-fly airplane, and eligible for the U.S. E-LSA (experimental light-sport) category.[1] In the U.S. there are 935 with a valid registration: 566 RV-12s and 369 of the newer RV-12iS.[2]
History
The RV-12 first flew on November 9, 2006. Deliveries of partial kits began in April 2008, and as of July 2023, 792 had been completed and flown.[1]
Richard VanGrunsven, designer of the whole RV line, set clear goals for it: flying qualities at least as good as the RV-9A; a 550 lb payload to carry two 190 lb people, 20 gallons of fuel and 50 lb of baggage; a 750 lb empty weight; a 43-inch-wide cabin; and a low parts count to cut kit cost and building time, using as much aluminum and as little composite as possible.[1]
Students of the airline Emirates built an RV-12 for hands-on training; painted in Emirates colors, it is shown at the Emirates Engineering Centre at Dubai International Airport.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 935 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-12 | 566 |
| RV-12IS | 369 |
Specifications (RV-12is)
| Item | RV-12is |
|---|---|
| Crew | one pilot |
| Passengers / capacity | one passenger |
| Length | 19 ft 11 in |
| Wingspan | 26 ft 9 in |
| Height | 8 ft 4 in |
| Wing area | 127 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 755 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,320 lb |
| Engine | Rotax 912iS, 100 hp (with a Sensenich composite ground-adjustable propeller) |
| Maximum speed | 135 mph |
| Cruise speed | 117 kn |
| Stall speed | 47 mph |
| Never-exceed speed | 156 mph |
| Range | 893 km |
| Service ceiling | 19,200 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,000 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Van Aircraft RV-12 (N412RV). Photo: TimothyMN (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 -
RV-12 with Jabiru. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Van's RV-12
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Van's Aircraft RV-12", 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.