Van's RV-7
 Van's RV-7. Photo: Arpingstone, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Van's Aircraft |
|---|---|
| Model | Van's RV-7 |
| Type | RV-7 |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 2001
|
| Number built | 1910 (December 2022) |
| Registered in the US | 1,459 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one pilot, one passenger |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320, Lycoming O-360 or Lycoming IO-390, 160 to 215. hp |
| Cruise speed | 207 mph (RV-7) |
| Service ceiling | 22,500 ft (RV-7) |
| Max weight | 1,800 lb (RV-7) |
| Developed from | Van's Aircraft RV-6 |
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Van's RV-7 and RV-7A are two-seat, side-by-side, single-engine, low-wing homebuilt airplanes sold as kits by Van's Aircraft; the RV-7 has a tailwheel and the RV-7A a nosewheel. It replaced the RV-6 in 2001, looking much the same but with longer wings, bigger fuel tanks and a larger rudder for better spin recovery.[1] As of November 2022, 1,909 RV-7s and RV-7As had been completed and flown.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,459 with a valid registration, counted by model name because homebuilts are registered under their builders' names.[2]
Design
The RV-7 draws on lessons from more than 2,000 RV-6 kits. It takes larger engines, up to the 215 hp Lycoming IO-390, and has more wingspan and wing area, more headroom and legroom, more useful load, and 42 US gallons of fuel instead of 38. It shares many parts with the RV-8 and RV-9 to keep costs down.[1]
Computer-aided design and pre-punched rivet holes keep building time to about 1,500 hours for an average builder. The RV-7A's nosewheel casters freely, and the airplane is steered with the toe brakes, or the rudder at higher taxi speeds.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,459 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-7A | 418 |
| RV-7 | 361 |
| VANS RV-7A | 200 |
| VANS RV-7 | 182 |
| RV7A | 99 |
| RV7 | 77 |
| VANS RV7A | 74 |
| VANS RV7 | 48 |
Specifications (RV-7)
| Item | RV-7 |
|---|---|
| Crew | one pilot |
| Passengers / capacity | one passenger |
| Length | 20 ft 4 in |
| Wingspan | 25 ft |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Wing area | 121 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 1,114 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,800 lb |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320, Lycoming O-360 or Lycoming IO-390, 160 to 215. hp (constant speed or fixed pitch) |
| Maximum speed | 217 mph |
| Cruise speed | 207 mph |
| Stall speed | 51 mph |
| Never-exceed speed | 230 mph |
| Service ceiling | 22,500 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,900 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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An RV-7 (N477RV) on display at Sun n Fun 2004. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
2007 Johnson Daniel H Iii VANS RV-7 C/N 72630. Photo: Paul Nelhams, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
G-DMPL Vans RV-7A @ Sywell 02/09/2017. Photo: Mike Burdett from CROMER, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
G-RDAR - Van's RV-7 taxiing at Dunkeswell Aerodrome. Photo: Georgiearl47, CC BY-SA 4.0
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Van's RV-7
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Van's Aircraft RV-7", 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.