250 Are Being Built Around The World

On July 21, the FAA issued a Special Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA) certification to Van's Aircraft Inc for their newest design, the RV-12.  The little pink piece of paper they left with Van's represents the culmination of three years of design, testing, and attention to the details of complying with all the requirements of the Light Sport Aircraft category.

The next day, Van's East Coast representative Mitchell Lock flew his first Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (E-LSA) version.  Built in Mitch's Maryland shop, "New Blue" is the first RV-12 built outside Van's factory.  The test flight was successful and Mitch taxied in with the traditional "RV Grin." (See Below)

According to Mitch, "'New Blue' flew exactly like the factory prototype I flew last year.  Getting it into the air so quickly is the result of both an excellent kit and help from Ed Johnson, who was indispensable in helping me with the final assembly, setup and checkout of the airplane.  James Robert "Bobby" Thomas, the local AB-DAR inspected the airplane and went to the wall to get all the paperwork complete and inspect the aircraft prior to the AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh.  Without the help of these two, it would have been many more weeks before "New Blue" took to the air."

The easily removable wings, simple construction and traditional "RV" handling qualities of the RV-12 have made the airplane a favorite with Light Sport aircraft builders.  250 RV-12s are under construction in several different countries.

FMI: www.vansaircraft.com