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.
"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/
"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/
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