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RV-3 ranked in top 30 airplanes of all time

GalinHdz

Well Known Member
FWIW: I don't know if this was already posted but Esquire magazine has the RV-3 as one of the 30 most important airplanes of all time. I don't agree with some of the selections but it is still an interesting and very select group of airplanes.

1441130482-planes-_0023_rv-3.jpg


"By quitting his day job to build an airplane of his own design in the garage behind his house, Richard VanGrunsven quietly began the most successful aircraft kit-building company in history.

His first attempt at aircraft design was a modified Sitts Playboy which he affectionately label RV-1. Hitting a plateau on performance, he tried a clean sheet design, but the RV-2 never reached completion. Still yearning for a fast and affordable aerobatic platform that could operate from very short runways, he headed back to the drawing board and created the RV-3. Able to reach 200 mph with only 150 horsepower, the single-seat taildragger was an instant success.

VanGrunsven continued to build a line of successful kit aircraft based on this original RV-3 for four decades, and the business eventually outgrew two facilities. Now, each year the number of aircraft built that were designed by VanGrunsven outnumbers the combined production of all commercial general aviation companies. More than 8,500 DIYers have completed and flown their RVs, with many more to come."


http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/g2359/the-30-most-important-airplanes-of-all-time/

:cool:
 
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FWIW: I don't know if this was already posted but Esquire magazine has the RV-3 as one of the 30 most important airplanes of all time. I don't agree with some of the selections but it is still an interesting and very select group of airplanes.

"By quitting his day job to build an airplane of his own design in the garage behind his house, Richard VanGrunsven quietly began the most successful aircraft kit-building company in history.

His first attempt at aircraft design was a modified Sitts Playboy which he affectionately label RV-1. Hitting a plateau on performance, he tried a clean sheet design, but the RV-2 never reached completion. Still yearning for a fast and affordable aerobatic platform that could operate from very short runways, he headed back to the drawing board and created the RV-3. Able to reach 200 mph with only 150 horsepower, the single-seat taildragger was an instant success.

VanGrunsven continued to build a line of successful kit aircraft based on this original RV-3 for four decades, and the business eventually outgrew two facilities. Now, each year the number of aircraft built that were designed by VanGrunsven outnumbers the combined production of all commercial general aviation companies. More than 8,500 DIYers have completed and flown their RVs, with many more to come."


http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/g2359/the-30-most-important-airplanes-of-all-time/

:cool:

"outnumbers the combined production of all commercial general aviation companies. "
clearly not true. 43k cessna 172's have been built. Am I wrong or is the cessna not a commercial built GA aircraft?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_172
 
And there's an untouched RV-3B kit for sale in the Classifieds that has a great price.

(Not mine, but the sister ship to it.)

Dave
 
"outnumbers the combined production of all commercial general aviation companies. "
clearly not true. 43k cessna 172's have been built. Am I wrong or is the cessna not a commercial built GA aircraft?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_172

You forgot the first part of the statement which reads: "Now, each year the number of aircraft built that were designed by VanGrunsven outnumbers the combined production of all commercial general aviation companies." And this has been true for the past few years.

The all time most built aircraft is also on the top 30 list to which they state: "More Cessna 172 Skyhawks have been sold than any other aircraft, period."

:cool:
 
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Cessna 172

First production year for Cessna 172 was 1956.Derived from Cessna 170 first built in 1948.
 
Odd....the "Airbus A320" they show is actually a 737 variant (-800?). And to keep the thread relevant, isn't the RV-3 "the plane that launched 9,243 backyard builders (to date)"? Well, much more than that really, since some aren't completed...
 
Surely this list must have been compiled by an RV builder. :)

Having the RV3 on this list (only 283 have ever flown) is quite laughable when you consider that the Concorde and the Space Shuttle aren't even on the list. The Concorde was the first supersonic airliner and the Space shuttle took the Hubble Telescope into space and opened up the universe for us.

I mean, we all love our RVs but let's get this into a bit of perspective.
 
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Surely this list must have been compiled by an RV builder. :)

Having the RV3 on this list (only 283 have ever flown) is quite laughable when you consider that the Concorde and the Space Shuttle aren't even on the list. The Concorde was the first supersonic airliner and the Space shuttle took the Hubble Telescope into space and opened up the universe for us.

I mean, we all love our RVs but let's get this into a bit of perspective.

Whichever airplane started the worldwide homebuilt experimental market expansion aviation is experiencing today is worthy of being in the top 30. Otherwise GA, as we know it, would have probably died out already. The RV3 basically started the EAB market we currently enjoy.

FWIW: I currently do not fly an RV but still agree the RV3 is worthy of the top 30 ranking.

:cool:
 
The RV3 basically started the EAB market we currently enjoy.

:cool:

I suspect that builders of Thorp T-18's, Midget Mustangs, Mustang II's, Whitman Tailwinds, etc etc would probably disagree with that statement, but yes, the -3 probably deserves to be on many top 30 lists.

;-)

Charlie
 
I suspect that builders of Thorp T-18's, Midget Mustangs, Mustang II's, Whitman Tailwinds, etc etc would probably disagree with that statement, but yes, the -3 probably deserves to be on many top 30 lists.

;-)

Charlie

True but none of those made the same impact on the worldwide EAB market, as we know it today, like the RV3 did. Just like the Concorde was a technological wonder but it made no significant impact on todays commercial aviation. IMHO that is what makes it a top 30 airplane.

:cool:
 
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Odd....the "Airbus A320" they show is actually a 737 variant (-800?). And to keep the thread relevant, isn't the RV-3 "the plane that launched 9,243 backyard builders (to date)"? Well, much more than that really, since some aren't completed...

Not the only inaccuracy in the list. At least several more factual errors plus hard to have a plane on the list that still has not proven anything.
It is just good to see several GA aircraft on the list and 4 of the 30 were built in a garage.
 
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The picture of the Piper J-3 Cub wasn't a picture of Piper J-3. I believe it was a Carbon Cub.
 
The list has zero credibility. And if any RV model deserved to be on a top 30 aircraft list (and none of them do) it would probably be the RV4 which was the model that really put Vans on the map. Choosing the RV3 because it preceded the RV4 is like choosing the Douglas DC2 because it preceded the DC3.
 
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