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William II (Bill)s Web site
In May 2003, Van’s flew the new RV-10 and ushered in a new generation of RV aircraft. The RV-10 is the first four-seat RV. The performance, handling and cost of the RV-10 make it the obvious choice in the four-seat experimental field…and make it a viable alternative to four-seat production airplanes as well. General Description The RV-10 is a low wing airplane with a fixed tricycle landing gear (no tailwheel or retractable options are planned). It uses slotted flaps and mass-balanced control surfaces. The primary structure is aluminum with a composite cabin top and doors. Engines the RV-10 is designed to accept The six cylinder (I)O-540 Lycoming. The prototype has the maximum acceptable 260 hp version. Other engines from 200-260 hp might be adapted, but current kits are designed around the six cylinder Lycoming. Performance Sufficient power and an excellent wing give the RV-10 very good performance. Tests of N410RV, our RV-10 prototype, revealed some impressive numbers. Flown at 2200 lbs, representing a typical two-people-and-three-quarters-fuel weight, it achieved a take-off distance of 360’ and a landing distance of 525’. The climb rate averaged about 1700 fpm. At 75% power and 8000’, true airspeed topped the magic 200 mph mark...actually, it was 201 smph. The Cabin Gull-wing doors let occupants board from both sides. A large baggage door provides access to the aft cabin. Special Oregon Aero impact-absorbing front seats are standard. Controls are ball bearing/pushrod assemblies wiggled by conventional between-the-knees sticks on both sides. Removable rear seatbacks allow two people to travel with lots of baggage. With rear seats installed, the cabin will accommodate four adults, up to 6’4" in the front and about 6’ 2" in the rear. Kits RV-10 Standard Kits will be similar to current two-seat RV kits: a four-kit sequence of Empennage, Wing, Fuselage and Finishing Kit. In the case of the RV-10, the Empennage Kit also includes the fuselage tailcone. Wing kits include all the components for the wing panels, ailerons and flaps. Composite wingtips are molded to accept streamlined lenses around position/strobe lights. The Fuselage Kit contains all the components between the tailcone and the firewall It includes the composite cabin top, molded in one piece from high strength composites and including the necessary recesses for the doors and windows. The door and window components will be part of the Finishing Kit, along with cowlings, landing gear and fairings. Like all current RVs, the aluminum parts are fully "matched-hole." Steel assemblies, like engine mounts and landing gear supports, are all welded, powder-coated and ready to install. QuickBuild Kits will be available in mid-to-late 2004. We project that these will reduce building times by about 35%. Partial QB kits (QB wing, QB fuselage), and some other options are in the planning stages. How much will it cost to build and fly? We expect that a new RV-10 with a mid-time engine should cost less than most used production airplanes of comparable performance — many of which are now 35-40 years old. There is, of course, no fair comparison to new factory airplanes of similar performance – an RV-10 built of entirely new components will cost far less than anything on the market today, but you can’t simply buy one and fly it away. The RV-10 should compare very favorably with any four-place kit airplane on the market, in both performance and cost-to-build. Like other RV models, the finished cost is largely determined by decisions made by the builder. The RV-10 is a different kind of airplane than any previous RV, cost estimates will vary even more than usual. We estimate that an RV-10 built from a standard kit, using a new engine and prop and a VFR panel (in other words, much like our prototype) will cost $90-100,000. The same airplane with a good used engine, used avionics and similar cost-saving measures might cost around $70,000. These are significant amounts of money, but they should be partially offset by other considerations: The simple, traditional construction methods and fixed gear make it affordable to build, maintain and insure. The low drag airframe and moderately sized engine mean economical operation. In addition, the builder receives a Repairman’s Certificate and can sign off his maintenance, inspection and repair work. No airplane is cheap. It’s a question of value more than a question of price. Compare the RV-10 to any airplane you like. We think the value will be apparent.
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