RV-12 PERFORMANCE

The numbers below are from Van's brochure given at OSH

RV-12 PERFORMANCE (at gross weight, statute miles)

TOP SPEED 135 mph

CRUISE SPEED 131 mph
(7500' @ 5500 rpm)

CRUISE SPEED 114 mph
(7500' @ 5000 rpm)

STALL SPEED 47 mph

TAKEOFF DISTANCE 600 ft

LANDING DISTANCE 420 ft

RATE OF CLIMB 906 fpm

CEILING 13,000 ft

RANGE 555 miles
(7500' @ 5500 rpm)

RANGE 620 miles
(7500' @ 5000 rpm)

EXCELLENT!

Been looking for those... Thanks for posting. Not bad numbers. (for an LSA)

DJ

Anybody got a scan of the info page Van's handed out at Osh they can email me PM me please? I see it is not on their website yet.

Thanks in advance,
Rudi

Cruise speed

LSA max cruise is 138 MPH (as you all know, I'm sure). This number is at sea level. The 12 did not hit the mark, in my opinion. Too bad. The easily removeable wing feature is a plus. I guess it's the Sonex after all. The cockpit is a bit tighter, but my wife and I fit just fine. It qualifies as a light sport and with the Jabiru 3300 it's cruise at altitiude is a great deal higher.

Wow, going with a different design/manufacturer over 3 knots?

I have not followed the -12 that much, but I did spend some time looking at the Sonex and Zenith kits early on in my hunt.

I would be interested in understanding what other factors (because nobody buys an LSA for speed ) influenced the move away from the -12.

Dirtbos said:

... I guess it's the Sonex after all...

Click to expand...

I hope you go and fly one before you buy. A friend built one and the thing has neutral stability, meaning that you have to fly it all the time. He can't even unfold a chart w/o the thing wondering off up or down, left or right. That and they have no baggage compartment. There is a hole behind the seats that some builders hang a bag from but you had better hope nothing falls down and jams your controls. Because of the W&B issues with that plane, you don't want to close it off either.

Like I said, go and fly one before you write the check.

RV-12 has advantages

One of Van's representatives at OSH told me that the RV-12 would have the same speed at sea level as it has at 7500'. I do not know if that is true or not. I always heard that planes go faster higher up because there is less drag. On the other hand, there is less power available. Van's intends to offer wheel pants in the future. Even if they do not, once your E-LSA is registered and the time flown off, you are allowed to make modifications. Adding wheel pants and landing gear fairings should increase the speed up to 138 mph. The RV-12 has advantages over other designs:
1. Van's aircraft have a higher resale value.
2. After you sell, a new owner of a RV-12 E-LSA is allowed to perform the annual inspections after taking 16 hour course. Only Van's sells an E-LSA that I know of.
3. The wings come off in 5 minutes.
4. You only have to assemble the aircraft once because the holes are already drilled to size and deburred. Most other kits require one to assemble the plane with clecos, drill the holes, take the plane apart, deburr, then assemble it again with rivets.
5. You do not have to step on the seat to get in.
6. There is better visibility looking down in front of the wing.
7. It will fly like an RV.
The RV-12 has disadvantages too:
1. You must build it EXACTLY as Van's specifies.
2. The gas tank takes up room in the baggage compartment.
3. It costs twice as much as a Sonex.
Joe

Other figs?

Wonder what the vfe (velocity_flaperons_extended) is
Also Vne?
C of G options?
- max pax, no baggage, no fuel
- min pax, full baggage (is this still 50 lbs?), full fuel

Cheers...Keith_empty_garage_and_wings_20 feet_above_Atlantic

Sonex is my choice because (brief overview)

BrentHumphreys said:

Wow, going with a different design/manufacturer over 3 knots?

I have not followed the -12 that much, but I did spend some time looking at the Sonex and Zenith kits early on in my hunt.

I would be interested in understanding what other factors (because nobody buys an LSA for speed ) influenced the move away from the -12.

Click to expand...

If the cruise is "131 mph at 7500 ft." then I would assume a cruise at sea level would be in the 120-123 mph range (just a guess). The max continuous power setting on the 3300 (per Jabiru) is 2750 rpm, yet it will spin at 2950 all day long (albeit the fuel consumption is higher). Sonex claims a 170 mph cruise at altitude based on this situation. In conversation with Sonex owners, a 160-165 average is more realistic. They tell me it flies like a "little fighter plane". The fun factor is one of the reasons I like it. It fits my "mission profile". I am buying this one "for speed".

Just my opinion. Too each his own, as they say.

My wife and I just got back from Torrance airport an few minutes ago where we sat in a Waiex (same fuselage and cockpit). Very comfortable. More than enough room for us.

I guess it's just more my style (especially after seeing the 12's numbers).

I was hoping for performance ratings that were on the edge of LSA for the 12. Just a bit disappointed.

Maybe they will "slick it up" but it seems that it would take a great deal of mods to get it where (in my opinion) it needs to be.

Slow RV-12

BrentHumphreys said:

Wow, going with a different design/manufacturer over 3 knots?

Click to expand...

For what it's worth, the Sonex w/Jab 3300 is advertised at ~50 mph faster than the RV-12. Several publications have confirmed Sonex cruise speeds. I think Mr. Humphreys is opining that Van's missed the mark by not designing the RV-12 to cruise well above 150 mph at altitude.

If the RV-12 could be built as an experimental amateur-built, speed mods like pants and fairings might give the desired performance.

SL/ISA cruise of 131 is at 5500 RPM, which is max continuous. I would recommend cruising at 5200 RPM, which lowers fuel consumption by about 1 gph and gives up little speed.

You'll find that getting the most from the Rotax means fiddling with the prop frequently. We see changes in max RPM summer to winter. We pitch for about 5400 wot cruise. That winds up being well in compliance with the 120kt limit and also giving plenty of RPM on climb. You can overspeed the engine in a decent that way - the Rotax is speced for 5500 continuous, 5800 for 5 mins, but we treat 5500 as a hard redline for more engine life. Those last 300 rpm put on a lot of extra wear.

100kt (114 mph) at 5000 RPM sounds about right - I'd predict 4.5 gph at that setting.

TODR