N941WR
Legacy Member
The Van?s dinner at SnF was interesting, mostly because it gave us some insight into the company and their direction.
Here is what I picked up at the dinner and talking to him the next day in their tent.
- They have sold a bunch of RV-8?s (Sorry, I can?t remember the number)
- RV-7 kits sold ~ 3,000
- RV-9 kits sold ~ 1,500
- RV-10 kits sold ~ 500
- They also mentioned the number of -3 and -4 kits but I was mostly interested in the later models.
Van?s is very happy with the sales numbers and the quantity of -10 kits sold has surprised them.
RV-9 sales have been a bit of a disappointment to Van, if only because he appreciates low powered, efficient aircraft and doesn?t really understand the desire for more HP. I guess that is the engineer in him coming out.
When you look at those numbers and realize that the -7 is older than the -9 and the completion rate of 288 for the -7 is 10% and 206 for the -9 or 14%. What?s up with that? It is not like the -9 is any easier to build. Van?s did not elaborate on this. In fact, they didn?t even mention percentages. We were just talking about them on the ride home.
When asked if the -9 sales were a disappointment he said yes. When asked why people buy the -7 over the -9, he thought about it and replied that the -7 is just as easy to fly as the -9 and the owner can do acrobatics, if they wish.
I have paraphrased Van's replies, so please don?t use them as an exact quote.
Here is what I picked up at the dinner and talking to him the next day in their tent.
- They have sold a bunch of RV-8?s (Sorry, I can?t remember the number)
- RV-7 kits sold ~ 3,000
- RV-9 kits sold ~ 1,500
- RV-10 kits sold ~ 500
- They also mentioned the number of -3 and -4 kits but I was mostly interested in the later models.
Van?s is very happy with the sales numbers and the quantity of -10 kits sold has surprised them.
RV-9 sales have been a bit of a disappointment to Van, if only because he appreciates low powered, efficient aircraft and doesn?t really understand the desire for more HP. I guess that is the engineer in him coming out.
When you look at those numbers and realize that the -7 is older than the -9 and the completion rate of 288 for the -7 is 10% and 206 for the -9 or 14%. What?s up with that? It is not like the -9 is any easier to build. Van?s did not elaborate on this. In fact, they didn?t even mention percentages. We were just talking about them on the ride home.
When asked if the -9 sales were a disappointment he said yes. When asked why people buy the -7 over the -9, he thought about it and replied that the -7 is just as easy to fly as the -9 and the owner can do acrobatics, if they wish.
I have paraphrased Van's replies, so please don?t use them as an exact quote.
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