Totally Impressed...

[bamajenk]

I'm just getting back from vacation, which included one airshow in Olympia, two air museums (McMinnville and Tillamook), and a visit to Vans. While it was pretty cool to see some of the great planes of the past (the P-38 at Tillamook was awesome!), I was totally floored by the great plane of the future...the RV-12!

I was totally impressed with the folks at Vans. Despite just dropping by, Joe gave me a quick tour of the factory and then spent a lot of time looking at the -12...it's a very comfortable fit, even for a guy my size. My 6-year old thought very highly of it too.

We'll take it for a test flight at the Arlington Fly-In...even my wife is willing to try on the RV grin.

I came away from Vans with tons of respect for the people designing and building the kit, and from what I've read here on VAF I know the support will continue throughout my build. Being a new kit, I realize they will be changing (read: improving) the kit as we go, but I know that nothing is being left to chance.

I'll be ordering my Emp kit in the next month, with not a concern about the plane...my only concern is if my work can live up to the quality that Vans is supplying.

 

[Flyer68]

totally impressed

No reason for concern. If you have the proper tools and read the instructions, you should not have any problems. When stuck, ask someone who has done it or call Van's. DON"T do anything that you are not told to do in the instructions no matter how obvious it looks. Watch out for notes that tell you to leave rivets out! They sometimes are in the instructions, but mostly on the little dwgs.
My advice FWIW.
flyer68

 

[Ted RV8]

My kind of vacation!

Two museums and a factory tour for vacation, that's great. Nice to have your whole family interested like that.

Many years ago, when my children were young, we did a family vacation of touring air museums in northern California. To this day they still fondly remember it.

I agree with your comments on the P-38 at Tillamook, especially knowing that it still flies!

Ted

 

[AEA]

.....spent a lot of time looking at the -12...it's a very comfortable fit, even for a guy my size....

Nice write-up. Would you mind giving us your size? height,inseam and weight so we can better visualize how we might fit also.....thanks

 

[bamajenk]

size...

I'm more of a 2XL shirt size. 5'11"...240 pounds.

I'm doing my flight training now in a Jabiru 250...and my comment to Joe was the RV-12 feels waaay wider than the Jabiru.

Perhaps it's the canopy, giving an open sense to the ride.