Air and Space: How the RV-8 Became One of the Most Popular Kitplanes of All Time

Air and Space: How the RV-8 Became One of the Most Popular Kitplanes of All Time

By Ken Scott

    Richard "Van" VanGrunsven has one of the most successful kit airplane companies. Since 1972, he has sold about 4 planes every week, with a total of 10,700 planes build by people all over the world. And the RV-8 is one of the most popular. One of the company's earliest designs, the RV-4, was popular up to the 1990s when complaints about its tight quarters caused sales dips. So, the company switched to a side-by-side seating design in the RV-6, which sold very well, so well that many called for the RV-4 to be ended. However, VanGrunsven wasn't ready to let go of tandem seating.

    He designed the RV-8 with tandem seating and a sleek design with higher horsepower. Now, for years many people have bought and built this kit plane. All of them have come out with smiles on their faces, and some professional pilots have endorsed it as well. Making it even better for hobbyists is its rugged landing gear, allowing grass landings. It also has a higher total seat width than the RV-6.