Company Says E-LSA Certification Will Be Sought

by ANN Senior E-Media Producer Paul Plack

In an opening day surprise at Lakeland, Van's Aircraft began officially taking orders for the wing portions of its new RV-12 Light Sport Aircraft kit. The company brought a beautiful, yellow, flying proof-of-concept aircraft to aviation shows in the second half of 2007, but cautioned that neither the 100-HP Rotax 912ULS engine nor the wing design seen in that test aircraft were finalized.

At Lakeland, Van's is displaying a new, red, final-spec RV-12 featuring the Rotax, but a new wing with a redesigned airfoil and more surface area than the first aircraft. Van's Aircraft lead designer and President Dick VanGrunsven said that while the first iteration of the plane flew and handled well, the company wanted an even slower, more docile stall. The new wing provides, and Van's still promises, "all the performance the Light Sport Category permits."

Attendees at Lakeland got to watch a demonstration of how easily the RV-12's wing can be removed for transport or storage. All control mixing for the flaperons is contained within the fuselage, and the wings align with matching control linkage fittings in the center of the plane when inserted from each side. A secure, but simple attachment scheme uses just two fasteners where the wing spars overlap along the floor of the plane, and an interlock system prevents the engine from being started if parts are misaligned or not secured.

For recreational fliers willing to invest the estimated 600-900 hours required for construction, the RV-12 offers exceptional specifications for its class. The new wing is light enough to hold empty weight at 740 pounds, allowing two 200-pound occupants, a full load of 20 US gallons of fuel, and 50 pounds of baggage without bumping up against the LSA maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds -- a relative rarity in the class.

Van's says its matched-hole construction and build manual are patterned after those created for the four-place RV-10, and the company promises you can, "forget the jokes, it really does assemble with simple hand tools."

In fact, the kit is so complete it has left the company in a dilemma regarding how to certificate a completed aircraft. When the RV-12 was being designed, it was assumed it would be offered as an Experimental Amateur-Built kit, the same as other Van's models. But the FAA discontinued its courtesy inspections of kits for addition to the 51 Per Cent List in February, and the RV-12 kit is so complete it may be difficult for builders to document fabrication and assembly of the majority portion of the aircraft.

Van's says it will now, instead, pursue licensing in the Experimental Light Sport Aircraft category. Once approval is obtained for the original aircraft, E-LSA designation will mean builders can build using as little or as much professional help they require. The downside is that since the prototype does not include lights, wheel fairings, autopilot and other typical options, they cannot be included on customer-built aircraft.

Asked if the company plans to sell assembled RV-12s, VanGrunsven will say only that the idea is under evaluation.

"The factory-built airplane concept is going to depend a lot on the market volume or potential," he says. "I think a lot of the light sport airplanes you see now are being manufactured in small quantities in small shops, and that's not conducive to keeping the price down.

"I've felt all along that unless we can see a sufficient volume to tool up and really have an efficient assembly line, it's going to be sort of self-defeating to even try that."

So -- how much? VanGrunsven says the company hasn't set a final price yet, but estimates a nicely equipped, painted RV-12 could be built for about $55,000, including the Rotax 912ULS. Given Van's 35-year reputation for conservative, real-world specifications and overperforming on promises, it seems a reasonable bet those wing kits will sell briskly, even before customers know the final tab for the completed airplane.

An audio interview with Dick VanGrunsven is featured on Wednesday's Aero News Special Feature.

FMI: www.vansaircraft.com