Van's Aircraft RV-4

Last updated

RV-4
VansRV-4C-GDBH.jpg
RoleRV-4
National originUnited States
Manufacturer Van's Aircraft
Designer Richard VanGrunsven
First flightAugust 1979
Introduction1980
Number built1446 (November 2022) [1]
Developed from Van's Aircraft RV-3

The Van's RV-4 is an American light homebuilt aircraft supplied in kit form by Van's Aircraft of Aurora, Oregon. It seats two people in a tandem seating configuration with the pilot accommodated in the front seat. [2]

Contents

The Van's RV series has become the most popular kit-built aircraft in the world. [3] As of April 2019, the RV-4 is the fourth most popular RV model. [1]

As of November 2022, 1446 RV-4s had been completed and flown worldwide. [1]

Development

Van's Aircraft RV-4 at Kemble Airfield, England. Genav.vansrv4.arp.750pix.jpg
Van's Aircraft RV-4 at Kemble Airfield, England.
Van's Aircraft RV-4 Vans.rv-4.g-marx.arp.jpg
Van's Aircraft RV-4
Harmon Rocket II Harmon Rocket II AN0260131.jpg
Harmon Rocket II

Richard VanGrunsven designed the RV-4 in the mid 1970s as a two-seat development of the single-seat RV-3. The RV-4 prototype first flew in August 1979.

The RV-4 is a new design based upon the concepts proven in the RV-3 and is not merely a stretched RV-3. The RV-4 airframe will accept a range of engines up to 180 hp (134 kW), including the Lycoming O-360. The RV-4 has a new wing, with increased wingspan and wing area over the RV-3. The RV-4 is designed for sport aerobatics.

The RV-4 has proven to be a capable cross country aircraft in service, able to carry two modest sized people and baggage on longer trips. RV-4s have been flown around the world, notably by an Australian, Jon Johanson, who completed world-girdling RV-4 flights on two occasions.

Many larger people find the RV-4 cockpit design physically constraining, and as a result VanGrunsven has designed an entire family of derivative designs. The RV-6 was designed to allow side-by-side seating, and the RV-8 was created as an enlarged aircraft that follows the RV-4's philosophy and offers tandem seating in a bigger aircraft.

Unlike most later RV series designs, RV-4 kits are only available with conventional landing gear, although some may have been constructed in tricycle configuration by builders. At least two RV-4s have also been built with retractable landing gear (mostly for the engineering challenge, as the performance gains were modest).

Variants

RV-4
Basic version
Harmon Rocket II
Higher performance derivative of the RV4, with clipped wings, a 300 hp (224 kW) Lycoming IO-540 engine and a razorback turtledeck. [4]

Specifications (Typical RV-4)

Cockpit of an RV-4 in 2006. Vans rv-4 g-rviv cockpit arp.jpg
Cockpit of an RV-4 in 2006.

Data from manufacturer [5]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Vans Aircraft (November 2022). "First Flights" . Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  2. ↑ Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 74. Belvoir Publications. ISSN   0891-1851
  3. ↑ "Homebuilt Airplanes & Van's RV - EAA Museum". www.eaa.org. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Harmonrocket". Harmonrocket. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  5. ↑ Van's Aircraft. "RV-4". www.vansaircraft.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
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