If you’re in the market for a Vans RV3, you’re in luck. The RV3 was the first from-scratch design by Vans Aircraft founder Richard Van Grunsven that actually flew, and it launched the company’s successful line of kit planes. The RV3 is a single-seat plane that’s good at everything – sporty, fast, comfortable, and with a baggage compartment that puts many two-seaters to shame.

Despite being the lightest RV, the RV3 is a legend in the aviation community. It’s won awards for its aerodynamic detailing and is known for its total performance capabilities. With a demand that’s lighter than other Vans models, the RV3 is available in kit form, but lead times can be longer than average. In this article, we’ll dive into the history, design, and performance of the RV3, as well as its availability and power and fuel consumption.

Key Takeaways

  • The RV3 was the first from-scratch design by Vans Aircraft founder Richard Van Grunsven that actually flew and launched the company’s successful line of kit planes.
  • The RV3 is a single-seat plane that’s good at everything – sporty, fast, comfortable, and with a baggage compartment that puts many two-seaters to shame.
  • Despite being the lightest RV, the RV3 is a legend in the aviation community, known for its total performance capabilities and available in kit form with longer lead times.

History of Vans Aircraft and RV3

The RV3 was the first aircraft designed from scratch by Richard Van Grunsven, the founder of Vans Aircraft, that actually flew. It was designed to be a sporty, fast, comfortable, long-legged and fun plane with a baggage compartment that would put a lot of two-seaters to shame. The RV3 is the lightest RV, even later than the RV-12 LSA, with a maximum takeoff weight of 1100 pounds, making it fit into the LSA weight category. However, it’s in the light sport category and not the light rocket ship category. LSAs aren’t allowed to fly faster than 120 knots straight in level, but the RV3 will exceed 120 knots by the time it gets to the end of the runway.

The RV3 is the only single-seat kit that Vans ever sold. Not as many people are interested in a single-seat airplane, and the price reflects that. You can still buy an RV3 kit and build it, but demand is light, and they don’t produce the kits very often. Lead times are longer than the average bear.

Of the 300 plus RV3s completed, most were built early on before Vans’ menu was so large. Over that time, many RV3s found their way into the top end of the horsepower range. 160 or more horsepower is not uncommon. That means a few things, first and foremost are rip-roaring good time. It also means a bit higher fuel burn and overhaul cost. Despite that, costs remain tame overall. The lower hull value offsets the experimental tailwheel insurance. Fuel burn at cruise is in the seven and eight-gallon range. Fuel burn in the horse and around category can get up over 10.

The RV3 was a slam dunk, with it Van set out to design a plane that was good at everything. The market agreed, and sales took off as a result. The RV3 was an improvement on the RV1 in every category. It launched the most successful line of kit planes ever. In 1972, the year it debuted at Oshkosh, it was awarded the best aerodynamic detailing. That’s actually true. In addition to all that, Richard Van Grunsven, the most successful kit plane designer of all time, started out with a vision of the ultimate total performance personal aircraft, and that plane was the RV3. Every Vans plane since then has been a variation of it.

The RV3 is a Legends Legend. If the RV10 is the Chevy Suburban and the RV14 is a Camaro, then the RV3 is the Ducati.

RV3 Design and Performance

If you’re looking for a sporty, fast, comfortable, and fun plane with long legs and a baggage compartment that would put many two-seaters to shame, the Vans RV3 might be the perfect choice for you. The RV3 is the lightest RV, weighing in at just 1100 pounds maximum takeoff weight, making it fit in the LSA weight category. However, it’s important to note that it falls under the light sport category and not the light rocket ship category. LSAs aren’t allowed to fly faster than 120 knots straight and level, but the RV3 will exceed 120 knots by the time it gets to the end of the runway.

The RV3 is the only single-seat kit that Vans ever sold, making it a unique option for those who prefer to fly solo. While not as many people are interested in a single-seat airplane, the price reflects that. You can still buy an RV3 kit and build it, but demand is light, and they don’t produce the kits very often. Lead times are longer than the average bear, and of the 300 plus RV3s completed, most were built early on before Vans’ menu became so large.

Over that time, many RV3s found their way into the top end of the horsepower range. 160 or more horsepower is not uncommon, which means a few things. First and foremost, it’s a rip-roaring good time. It also means a bit higher fuel burn and overhaul cost, but despite that, costs remain tame overall. The lower hull value offsets the experimental tailwheel insurance, and fuel burn at cruise is in the seven and eight-gallon range. Fuel burn in the horse and around category can get up over ten.

The RV3 was Richard van Grunsven’s first from-scratch design that actually flew, and it was an improvement on the RV1 in every category. The market agreed, and sales took off as a result. The RV3 was a slam dunk, and with it, Van set out to design a plane that was good at everything. It was awarded the best aerodynamic detailing in 1972, the year it debuted at Oshkosh. Since then, every Vans plane has been a variation of it.

In conclusion, the RV3 is a legendary plane that launched the most successful line of kit planes ever. It’s a sporty, fast, comfortable, and fun plane with long legs and a baggage compartment that would put many two-seaters to shame. If you’re looking for a single-seat plane that’s good at everything and a rip-roaring good time, the RV3 might be the perfect choice for you.

Comparison with Other Vans Models

The RV3 is a unique aircraft that stands out from other Vans models. It is the only single-seat kit that Vans ever sold. While it may not be as popular as some of the other Vans models, it has its own set of advantages.

Compared to the RV1 and RV2, which were never completed or flown, the RV3 was a huge success. It was a from-scratch design that Richard van Grunsven created to be sporty, fast, comfortable, and fun. It was also designed with a baggage compartment that puts many two-seaters to shame.

Compared to the RV10 and RV14, the RV3 is much lighter and smaller. It weighs only 1100 pounds at maximum takeoff weight, which puts it in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) weight category. However, it is not a “light rocket ship” LSA, which means it is not allowed to fly faster than 120 knots straight and level. But, the RV3 can exceed 120 knots by the time it gets to the end of the runway.

If the RV10 is the Chevy Suburban and the RV14 is a Camaro, then the RV3 is the Ducati. It is a sleek and sporty aircraft that is perfect for those who want a high-performance flying experience.

Despite being a single-seat aircraft, the RV3 has a lot of power. Many RV3s have been built with 160 or more horsepower, which makes them very fast. However, this also means that the fuel burn and overhaul costs are higher than some other Vans models.

Overall, the RV3 is a legend in the kit plane community. It launched the most successful line of kit planes ever and was awarded the best aerodynamic detailing in 1972. If you’re looking for a high-performance aircraft that is fun to fly, the RV3 is definitely worth considering.

Single Seat and Kit Availability

If you’re in the market for a Vans RV3, you should know that it’s the only single-seat kit that Vans Aircraft has ever sold. This is because not as many people are interested in a single-seat airplane, and the price reflects that. However, you can still buy an RV3 kit and build it yourself. Just keep in mind that demand is light and they don’t produce the kits very often, so lead times are longer than average.

Out of the 300+ RV3s completed, most were built early on before Vans’ menu became so large. Over that time, many RV3s found their way into the top end of the horsepower range. It’s not uncommon to see RV3s with 160 or more horsepower, which means a few things. First and foremost, it’s a rip-roaring good time. It’s also important to note that despite higher fuel burn and overhaul costs, the costs remain tame overall. The lower hull value offsets the experimental tail wheel insurance, and fuel burn at cruise is in the seven and eight-gallon range. Fuel burn in the horse and around category can get up over 10.

In terms of weight, the RV3 is the lightest RV even later than the RV-12 LSA, with a maximum takeoff weight of 1100 pounds. This means it fits in the LSA weight category, but it’s in the light sport category and not the light rocket ship category. LSAs aren’t allowed to fly faster than 120 knots straight in level, but the RV3 will exceed 120 knots by the time it gets to the end of the runway.

If you’re looking for a plane that’s good at everything – sporty, fast, comfortable, long-legged, and fun – the RV3 is the one for you. It even has a baggage compartment that would put a lot of two-seaters to shame. While the RV10 is the Chevy Suburban and the RV14 is a Camaro, the RV3 is the Ducati. It’s a Legends Legend, and it launched the most successful line of kit planes ever. In fact, it was awarded the best aerodynamic detailing in 1972, the year it debuted at Oshkosh. Richard Van Grunson, the most successful kit plane designer of all time, started out with a vision of the ultimate total performance personal aircraft, and that plane was the RV3. Every Vans plane since then has been a variation of it.

Power and Fuel Consumption

The Vans RV3 is a high-performance personal aircraft that is sporty, fast, comfortable, and has long legs. It is a single-seat kit plane that is good at everything and has a baggage compartment that puts many two-seaters to shame. The RV3 is the lightest RV, even lighter than the RV-12 LSA, with a maximum takeoff weight of 1100 pounds, making it fit into the LSA weight category.

Despite being in the LSA category, the RV3 is not limited to flying straight and level below 120 knots. In fact, the RV3 will exceed 120 knots by the time it gets to the end of the runway. The RV3 is the only single-seat kit that Vans has ever sold, and it is priced accordingly.

Most of the 300 plus RV3s completed were built early on before Vans’ menu became so large. Over that time, many RV3s found their way into the top end of the horsepower range, with 160 or more horsepower not being uncommon. This means a rip-roaring good time, but also a bit higher fuel burn and overhaul cost.

Despite the higher fuel burn, overhaul cost, and insurance for experimental tail wheel, the costs remain tame overall. Cruise fuel burn is in the seven and eight-gallon range, while fuel burn in the horse and around category can get up over 10.

The RV3 is a legend in the world of kit planes. It launched the most successful line of kit planes ever and was awarded the best aerodynamic detailing in 1972, the year it debuted at Oshkosh. Richard Van Grunson, the most successful kit plane designer of all time, started out with a vision of the ultimate total performance personal aircraft, and that plane was the RV3. Every Vans plane since then has been a variation of it.

RV3 as a Legend

The RV3 is a legendary plane that launched Van’s Aircraft, the most successful line of kit planes ever. It was the first from-scratch design of Richard Van Grunsven, the founder of Van’s Aircraft, that actually flew. The RV3 was designed to be sporty, fast, comfortable, with long legs and fun. It was also the lightest RV, fitting in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) weight category at 1100 pounds maximum takeoff weight.

Despite being a single-seat airplane, the RV3 is good at everything and has a baggage compartment that puts many two-seaters to shame. It is the only single-seat kit that Van’s Aircraft ever sold. Although demand is light, you can still buy an RV3 kit and build it. However, lead times are longer than the average bear.

The RV3 is a Ducati compared to the Chevy Suburban-like RV10 and the Camaro-like RV14. It is considered a Legends Legend, not only because it launched Van’s Aircraft and won the best aerodynamic detailing award in 1972, but also because it was the ultimate total performance personal aircraft that Richard Van Grunsven envisioned. Every Van’s plane since then has been a variation of the RV3.

Over the years, many RV3s found their way into the top end of the horsepower range, with 160 or more horsepower not uncommon. This means a rip-roaring good time, but also a bit higher fuel burn and overhaul cost. Despite that, costs remain tame overall, and the lower hull value offsets the experimental tail wheel insurance. Fuel burn at cruise is in the seven and eight gallon range, but can get up over 10 in the horse and around category.

In conclusion, the RV3 is a legendary plane that is still highly regarded today. Its design has influenced every Van’s plane since its creation, and its performance and handling capabilities continue to impress.

Conclusion

In summary, the Vans RV3 is a remarkable aircraft that was designed by the founder of Vans Aircraft, Richard Van Grunsven. The RV3 was the first design that flew and launched Vans Aircraft. It is a sporty, fast, comfortable, and long-legged airplane that is also fun to fly. With a baggage compartment that is larger than most two-seaters, the RV3 is a great choice for pilots who want to travel with their luggage.

The RV3 is the lightest RV and fits in the LSA weight category. It is the only single-seat kit that Vans ever sold, and it is still available as a kit. However, demand is light, and they don’t produce the kits very often. Most of the 300 plus RV3s completed were built early on, and many found their way into the top end of the horsepower range.

The RV3 is a Legends Legend and launched the most successful line of kit planes ever. It was awarded the best aerodynamic detailing in 1972, the year it debuted at Oshkosh. Richard Van Grunsven, the most successful kit plane designer of all time, started out with a vision of the ultimate total performance personal aircraft, and that plane was the RV3. Every Vans plane since then has been a variation of it.

Despite the higher fuel burn and overhaul cost of the RV3 with over 160 horsepower, the costs remain tame overall. The lower hull value offsets the experimental tail wheel insurance, and the fuel burn at cruise is in the seven and eight-gallon range.

In conclusion, the Vans RV3 is an excellent choice for pilots who want a sporty, fast, comfortable, and long-legged airplane that is also fun to fly. It is a Legends Legend that launched the most successful line of kit planes ever and is still available as a kit.

My name is Sean Walsh, and I'm the founder and writer of this website. For as far back as I can remember, I've always been interested in flying. A few years ago, I passed my check ride and got my PPL certificate! I'm now a private pilot with over 500 hours of flying time. Read more about me here.