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RV-12 Number sold and number flying?

Bill_H

Well Known Member
I searched - most other VAF model-forums have a standing thread to put in your serial number (shows number of kits sold) and what Vans tells you for your flying number. (ALWAYS tell Van's about your first flight if you have not!!!)

So in April 2012, s/n 412 was the 156th RV12 flying.

Are we up to 800 sold yet? Should be close...

There was a big bunch of flying completions after Skyview came out.

Some of the posts in the "1st Flight Photo thread" give the serial number but not the flying position.
The Vans website is showing 282 RV12s flying as of 11-25-13.
Thats over 6 per month new flying since April 2012!
 
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Yes over 800. I placed my order last week. I can proudly say my serial number is 806.
 
RV-12's sold

My first order was in Mar. 2011 and was No. 506. That's 300 in 2.75 years or about 110 per year. Not bad.



r
 
I remember Van saying that selling 500 kits was the magic number for recouping engineering and R&D. After that the model becomes profitable. Nice to see a successful business model. :D
 
This isn't worth anything, except it does make me smile. With nine now flying or being built, Eagle's Nest can say we account for over one percent of all the 12s sold. We hope to make it 3% within two years

Bob
 
(Possibly) interesting trivia

With complete kits only being available for ~ 4 years, the # of RV-12s flying now exceeds the number of RV-3's flying.
 
In a quest for trivia

. . . "With complete kits only being available for ~ 4 years, the # of RV-12s flying now exceeds the number of RV-3's flying." . . .

So how many RV-12 kits have been sold so far?
How many RV-12's are known to be certified and flying so far?

Thank you in advance, for your answer. :)
 
Van's has been notified of 284 RV-12 first flights (you can track it yourself HERE)

I don't know how many complete RV-12 kits have been sold, but I think the 700 mark for kit starts has been passed. There has been about 450 Avionics Kits produced, so there is potentially another 120 under construction RV-12's that are very close to first flight.
 
Van's has been notified of 284 RV-12 first flights (you can track it yourself HERE)

I don't know how many complete RV-12 kits have been sold, but I think the 700 mark for kit starts has been passed. There has been about 450 Avionics Kits produced, so there is potentially another 120 under construction RV-12's that are very close to first flight.

If the page listed above for tracking first flights is the only source for the tally of 284 RV-12 flying then it is an underestimation. To start I did not know this page existed and I never reported my first flight there and I also know a few builders in the same situation. I was under the belief that first flights were tracked in the VAF Forum sticky going by the same name which is where I reported my first flight.

Additional Data: After consulting the FAA registry I found:
272 RV-12 registered as Light Sport with VANs as the manufacturer
35 RV-12 registered as EAB with the builder as manufacturer
For a total of 307 RV-12 registered in the US only.
I noticed one RV registered as EAB whose owner I know and who thinks it is E-LSA. I would not be surprised that more are in this case given the lack of understanding of the E-LSA Type Certification during the initial years.
To get the actual number of RV-12 flying in the US you need to check the existence of an Airworthiness certificate which is possible in the FAA database but time consuming. I hope it's the way VANs is keeping it's tally. You would have then to add the number of foreign own RV-12 flying to get an accurate total.
 
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You would have then to add the number of foreign own RV-12 flying to get an accurate total.

Add another 10 flying in Australia that I know of, plus those in NZ, the UK, SA and Europe, and the total is probably around 325-330 (although being listed on a register does not necessarily mean it has flown).
 
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Not sure just how mine would show up, or others that have tried to remove the RV12 from the registration out of fairness to Vans.
 
If the page listed above for tracking first flights is the only source for the tally of 284 RV-12 flying then it is an underestimation. To start I did not know this page existed and I never reported my first flight there and I also know a few builders in the same situation. I was under the belief that first flights were tracked in the VAF Forum sticky going by the same name which is where I reported my first flight.

First flights only get counted by Van's if you tell someone at Van's (or fill out the form). It is always considered a conservative number. Lots of people don't/haven't reported first flights.
 
I have registered but not flying. I should be done with the wings/flapperons/lighting in a couple of weeks and on to the fwd fuse!

Bob
 
RV-12: 880 kits underway (assigned serial numbers based on at least 1 sub-kit sold) and 353 flying in November 2014!
 
RV-12: 880 kits underway (assigned serial numbers based on at least 1 sub-kit sold) and 353 flying in November 2014!

Is this including S-LSAs?
Anyway the 1000th kit and 500th RV-12 flying celebrations are getting closer, all this feels good!
 
It sure does all feel good. My RV 12 was the first customer built 12 to get airworthied and fly(September 2009). Since that time I have 600 hours on the plane and still love it like the first year. I really had no idea back then that they would be this popular. Being first at anything is always a little risky ,but I have no regrets. It just a very good design and I love it. It has done a great job all 600 hours operation off my 1400ft grass strip at the farm.


Brad Stiefvater
Salem SD 124BJ
 
The published # of RV-12 currently flying (that Van's knows of, there are surely more that have not been reported) does include the S-LSA's that are built and flying.
The 880 assigned serial #'s does not include the S-LSA's already built or under construction (they fall under a different serial numbering system).
To adjust that number you should add about 50 more, so that puts the total right about 930.

At the current delivery rate average of about 8 kits per month, we should hit the 1000 mark somewhere around OSH 2015.
The 500 flying mark could easily be right around the same time.
 
As a reference, here is the tally of S-LSAs flying from Dan Johnson as of end of 2013:

1887_2.jpg
 
As a reference, here is the tally of S-LSAs flying from Dan Johnson as of end of 2013:

1887_2.jpg

Has always been interesting to me that Dan Johnson keeps a blind eye to the experimental volume of LSA's registered and flying. Nothing new, he has supported the certified LSA industry since inception and promotes them through a blog/website that requires a financial membership. (who would pay to read about LSA aircraft?)

353 flying RV12's (including some 50 certified) makes you wonder if Dan lives in a cave or simply waits at home for manufacturers to feed him numbers. All that said, his charts and graphs are pretty much worthless. Too bad. The LSA side of aviation needs quality reporting that includes ALL available aircraft.

Certainly OSH, Sebring and Mt Vernon do a great job. Now if we just had someone to publish what they find for those unable to visit each and every event.
 
I am Kit 880

Ordered kit #880 empennage end of Oct 2014. Bill of lading date 10/29. Picked up the crate at ABF terminal (no way they are getting down my road). Inventoried, on shelves, have started, have drilled first hole in finger (non dominant hand, #40). Still buying more tools...don't tell my wife. This is clearly gonna take a while... Just thought I'd share. Probably more sold since then.
 
Ordered kit #880 empennage end of Oct 2014. Bill of lading date 10/29. Picked up the crate at ABF terminal (no way they are getting down my road). Inventoried, on shelves, have started, have drilled first hole in finger (non dominant hand, #40). Still buying more tools...don't tell my wife. This is clearly gonna take a while... Just thought I'd share. Probably more sold since then.

Gerald, your sense of humor bodes well for a successful build. Believe me, you will be testing your kit sooner than you think.
Want a proof? look at what I did only one month after starting my project:

100_1967.JPG


But don't be discouraged by nay sayers: one guy in my EAA chapter said after looking at the picture: Your headset is not connected!
 
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Impressive kit completion ratio.

Already at 40% but I estimate about 50% of the 1,000 or so kits have been started within the last 4-5 years (based on my own builder number 532, started in 2011) so the ultimate RV-12 completion rate will likely be a lot higher. The Synergy manufactured S-LSAs will disproportionately boost this rate vs. just E-LSAs/ABs over time.
 
Approx. 700 avionics kits have been delivered for those 1000 RV-12 kits under construction, so there is high probability (even without the help from S-LSA completions) that the completion rate for RV-12's will be quite high.
 
We are RV12 no. 862 and started our first kit july 11, 2014. We should be ready to fly sometime in Sept. We'll send pics. N number N412SB.

Bob
 
Another 412 N Number! How come?
Mine is because I was kit number 412. Coincidentally the plane was finished in April 2012 and the first flight was 4-12-12.
 
The Rong Brothers project started with an order on 30 Dec 14 and began cutting metal, according to my somewhat dodgy log, on 24 Jan 15.

Kit is # 120893. N number N603NH is reserved; 603 is the area code historically associated with our state, New Hampshire.

The Other Rong Brother says he believes approximately 70 kits have been sold since he ordered this one, which would put van's in the 960s. We should see Number 121000 by year end at this rate.

We are in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire and we have an open door for any Van's builders. Our build sessions are customarily 9-11 PM (or until we fade) most weekdays. But we'll open up and talk RV any time.

ETA: actually, we don't care what you build or fly, we enjoy meeting you anyway.
 
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Curious how many finishing kits have been sold

If there have been 1000 kits started I wonder how many have made it to the finishing stage so a count of finishing kits might give an indication of how many may get completed. We are resurrecting the build of kit 203 which was sold in 2009 and made it to around half of the finishing stage and had two previous owners. Anyhow it is obvious that Van's is a success story in the experimental world and dominates what flys into Oshkosh each year.
 
That would make more sense

That would make more sense but the first builder of the kit we have sold off the avionics boxes but we have quite a bit of the wiring left to figure out. I think the wiring we might have is for the Dynon but my brother is leaning toward the Garmin. Anyhow we will still need a avionics kit.
 
Celebration!!

I just picked up my empennage kit last week and the factory/office folks at Van's helped me celebrate..I have the 1,000th RV12 kit purchased...they all came out and signed the shipping crate..I will save that portion of shipping crate forever...Dick (olderthandirt)
 
Purchased 1,000th kit

I purchased and took delivery of 1,000th RV12 kit, I now have empennage completed and anxiously waiting delivery of rest of kits....Dick Bangsund, Lopez Island Wa.
 
I purchased and took delivery of 1,000th RV12 kit, I now have empennage completed and anxiously waiting delivery of rest of kits....Dick Bangsund, Lopez Island Wa.

Yep saw your post on another thread, congratulations. I posted my emp number merely for reference for those who like to try to figure out how many RV-12 kits Vans is selling per month. :D

BTW, outstanding work on completing your emp already, finished in less than 2 months, a goal I aspire to reach.
 
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