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Vans dimishing the RV6/6A???

Radioflyer

Radioflyer

Well Known Member
Is it my imagination or is Vans Aircraft dis-owning the RV6/6A? I ask because going to the website, one no longer finds the model in the line-up, nor its specs. It is glaringly skipped. Only the service bulletins are still there, which is a good thing. I know the RV7/7A have replaced the 6s, but still, it seems wrong that the 6s are not being identified as part of the breed.
 
Dan 57 said:
Kyle, that's been replaced by the -8 tail... well, about 20 years ago :)

PS
Yes, for the -6 :D
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Point is, they have not offered the RV-6 as a "new start" kit in >20 years. The RV-7 was announced <literally> a week after the first flight of my -6.
 
PaulvS said:
The specs are there, navigate via the RV-7 page:
https://www.vansaircraft.com/rv-6/
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Correct
And the reason for that is that it hasn't been dis-owned... it was replaced by the RV-7.
The RV-7 project was to update the RV-6 kit to the modernized style kit of the RV-8 and RV-9 (which both actually came before the RV-7). The design changes that were incorporated during that process were extensive enough, that it was given its own model #.

The RV-6 no longer shows up directly on the web site so as to avoid confusion because as already mentioned, no new kit starts for RV-6's have been taken since the RV-7 was introduced, but projects under way can still purchase sub kits, just can't purchase the empenage kit.

BTW, an RV-8 Emp. kit would not work to start an RV-6 project. The RV-6 kit never switched to using the RV-8 Emp. kit, just portions of it (primarily the vertical stab and rudder).
 
Radioflyer said:
Is it my imagination or is Vans Aircraft dis-owning the RV6/6A? I ask because going to the website, one no longer finds the model in the line-up, nor its specs. It is glaringly skipped. Only the service bulletins are still there, which is a good thing. I know the RV7/7A have replaced the 6s, but still, it seems wrong that the 6s are not being identified as part of the breed.
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Dis-owning is an awfully strong word.
I built a pre prepunched kit from 1997. I have never felt dis-owned or abandoned by Vans in the 25 years since. Everything I have ever needed to support my 6A has always been available including two years ago rebuilding my rudder with a new skin. There are quite a bit more 6/6As flying than any other model so unlikely they will stop supporting them. That would not fit Vans business style.
You go to a Ford website you can no long find last years model advertised but they still are supporting it with spare parts and service. Not quite an apples to apples analogy but you get the picture.
 
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Going to the website, there remain some embedded sections acknowledging the -6s, but no direct way to navigate to the specs page. Ok, "diminishing" or "dis-owning" might be too strong words. Maybe "minimizing" might be better.
At any rate, I still think the -6s should remain in the aircraft line-up on that page. Put it in parenthesis, perhaps, and link to a legacy page. Removal from the line-up seems not nice especially since it is the single most popular and best seller of the RV line-up, even if updated and replaced by the -7. Just my opinion, apparently.
 
Radioflyer said:
Going to the website, there remain some embedded sections acknowledging the -6s, but no direct way to navigate to the specs page. Ok, "diminishing" or "dis-owning" might be too strong words. Maybe "minimizing" might be better.
At any rate, I still think the -6s should remain in the aircraft line-up on that page. Put it in parenthesis, perhaps, and link to a legacy page. Removal from the line-up seems not nice especially since it is the single most popular and best seller of the RV line-up, even if updated and replaced by the -7. Just my opinion, apparently.
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Scroll to the bottom of this page:

https://www.vansaircraft.com/rv-6/

Aircraft specs and performance details are there.
 
Guessing Chevrolet doesn't reference the Nova nor Ford the Pinto on their main webpages.

Sorry - probably not helping... ;)
 
On the Vans "Prices and Lead times" page, the RV6 specific parts are still listed.
 

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The models for which you can buy a kit start (or in the case of the RV-15 prototype, for which you will eventually be able to) are listed in the navigation at the top of each web page. The main purpose of the website is to inform people about kits they can acquire and build. The RV-6 has not been listed as a model in the website's main navigation for years.

At the bottom of every web page on the Van's website, the RV-6 page link is included in the menu, to help people find and access the info. It's also included in Google's site indexing.

On the Order a Kit page, an order form is available that still allows the purchase of RV-6/6A fuselage and finishing kits. We maintain these options for people on the slow-build journey because it's important to us that people have a way to finish, even though we don't sell the RV-6 actively anymore.

Yes, it's your imagination. :)
 
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