I think that a
TANDEM LSA either RV-4 styled or even
OPEN COCKPIT would be phenomenal. Do it pulled rivet, with engineering and instructions comparable to the RV-12 and you'd have another 'best seller' on your hands!
DJ
Now there's something new. A tandem LSA with a bubble canopy would be interesting indeed.
As for the motorglider idea, I see three problems:
#1 - don't we have enough of them already? HK36 Katana motorgliders can be found, and Grob 109Bs are available too. Self-launching sailplanes are really a different breed and offer much better soaring performance than a traditional "motorglider" layout. The Stemme S-10 was an attempt at compromise, and it's really expensive and complex. Motorgliders aren't all that common because they are poor sailplanes. A $20k used Discus or Libelle 201 will outperfom any motorglider when soaring is concerned.
#2 - Van's knows aluminum. I can't think of a recent medium or high performance self-launching sailplane or motorglider design that is all metal. This either means that it would be heavy and draggy when compared to a glass ship, or it would be a new material for Van's to start working with; neither sounds good to me.
#3 - What would a Van's design bring to the table? The whole idea of the RV, to me anyway, is that it offers something that you can't get with a "factory" airplane. The "total performance" of the -3/4/6/7/8, the "relaxed performance" of the -9/12 or the "fun traveling machine" of the -12. We already have factory-built self-launching gliders and motorgliders.
I suppose if Van's can make a motorglider with a 35:1 L/D, min sink of 1.3kt and a cruise speed of 110kt, all for less than $125,000, that'd be something new. But otherwise, I don't think it's worth of the Van's name.
My vote would be for a revamp / prepunched version of the -3B and -4, along with better assembly drawings / manuals for all of the older models. A ~75% complete -12 would also be interesting, which is allowed under the E-LSA rules. Upgrading the -10 for a turbo-normalized engine, perhaps? A Van's version of the T-6 II (basically a turboprop -8) would be interesting, but the powerplane would cost A LOT.
TODR