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RV-12 Q&A

Manchu16

Active Member
Well the green suit was finally hung up for the last time. So now to focus on getting back to civilian life. So pretty much decided that I am going to buy vs build for my first RV. I keep coming back to the RV12. So if you know of a good deal out there...:D

I am going to be moving back to the Ocala, Tampa or Orlando area. Still working on the details. After the past 25 years, my wife gets to pick as opposed to Uncle Sam.

How well does the landing like work? Should I treat it like a taxi light or does it really light up the touchdown point? Is it something you would use to drop on to a poorly lit runway? I am thinking Tampa North for the Florida folks.

Grass field ops? Could I reliability fly in and out of a grass field? Seems to be easier to find a hangar on some of the grass fields as opposed to the paved ones like Tampa Exec. Then there is the price, ugh.

Speaking of hangar, how do the 12s handle rain? If this becomes a ramp queen am I going to find puddles in the plane? How about in flight, are the aluminum seams pretty tight? Many of the places that I have called have long wait lists for hangar space.

Any recommendations on finding information on the purchase process for an experimental? AOPA was helpful but I feel they are better suited to buying a new cirrus or a TBM.

Finally, if anyone thinks this soldier is crazy for going with a 12 or asking any of these questions please message me. I am in uncharted airspace here but trying to keep aviation in my life. The amount of really smart people on this site is amazing and a big part of why I keep coming back to Vans.

'Keep up the Fire'
 
I routinely operate from a grass strip with no problem. Keep the nose wheel wheel off the ground as much as possible and do not let the nose fork dig in.
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The landing light should not be a deciding factor. If you do not like it, replace it or add another one to the other wing.
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Ask EAA headquarters for advice on buying an experimental plane.

Consider the new Rotax iS version. Not only is the engine better, but the airplane has lots of improvements like increased electrical capacity and increased baggage capacity (75 pounds). Perhaps you could sponsor a school project where students build your plane. There are a few schools across the country that have programs set up already.
 
Check out Spruce Creek. If lucky, you could find a home with attached hangar. And there are lots of pilots and builders to offer advice and help with a project.
Spruce Creek
Port Orange, FL 32128
29.080134, -81.046851
 
The landing light should not be a deciding factor. If you do not like it, replace it or add another one to the other wing.

Not really a deciding factor for the aircraft, but will help with the decision on the home field choice.
 
Check out Spruce Creek. If lucky, you could find a home with attached hangar. And there are lots of pilots and builders to offer advice and help with a project.
Spruce Creek
Port Orange, FL 32128
29.080134, -81.046851

Spruce Creek is a nice place, but pretty far from family which is where we are trying to get back near.
 
Well the green suit was finally hung up for the last time. So now to focus on getting back to civilian life. So pretty much decided that I am going to buy vs build for my first RV. I keep coming back to the RV12. So if you know of a good deal out there...:D

The Green Lantern is retiring? Does the Justice League know about this? Holy Caped Crusader!

Seriously, a heartfelt "thank you" for your service!
 
There is a guy named Charles Walter on Beechtalk selling a very nice hangar home in Ocala. Looks like he Is about to list it at higher price. Current price is quite attractive.

Link: https://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=135374&view=unread#unread

We drove through Leeward last weekend on our way to Lakeland. There are some nice places for sale there. It is definitely on our short list. We are going to be up there next week to look more seriously. Just concerned about the Villages sprawl. I had to check the map to make sure I was still in Florida with all of the NY license plates.
 
The Green Lantern is retiring? Does the Justice League know about this? Holy Caped Crusader!

Seriously, a heartfelt "thank you" for your service!

Yep the cape is in a shipping container somewhere in Alabama. Or I should say, I hope my goods are still in a shipping container.

My wife asked me why I care about landing lights. She commented don't you just use your night vision devices when it is dark out. This civilian transition is going to be fun.
 
Yep the cape is in a shipping container somewhere in Alabama. Or I should say, I hope my goods are still in a shipping container.

My wife asked me why I care about landing lights. She commented don't you just use your night vision devices when it is dark out. This civilian transition is going to be fun.

Hey, you just gave me a great idea for that ?extra something? to add to my already bloated RV-12 - NVG?s!

Welcome to CIVPAC, or with you being in Florida, CIVLANT.
 
Rv-12 Add

Following is my opinion - but you asked for opinion and here is mine.

In my opinion, the improvements that Van's has made to the 'new' RV-12 are magnificent. I bought my 12 kit in 2009 and didn't start it for seven years. I will be happy to own and fly it next year.

Having said that, if I were buying another 12 kit at this time, I'd go for the newer Rotax engine - it is superior in every way in my opinion.

Van's has upgraded the 12 kit wonderfully. The primary changes as I see it are the up grading of the whole fuselage front half and the available newer fuel injected Rotax engine. The newer fuselage will be easier to build and, in my opinion, the mechanics have been improved greatly - ie, if you build the 'newer' 12, the fuel lines and the electric wires are no longer 'crammed' into the same area at the bottom center of the fuselage. And I like the new fuel tank and increased baggage limit. There are changes to the cockpit area that I like very much. And dual landing lights and more.

The engine up grade is significant. Fuel injection is clearly an improvement but, as I see it, the chief advantage of using the newer Rotax engine is that that engine has an electrical generating device that makes 30 amps or more - I don't recall exactly how much. The 912-ULS that I will be using has a measly 18 amps available for lights, a second display, avionics auto pilot servos, etc, which means that I probably won't be able to run all of my electrical 'stuff' at the same time.

It is unrealistic to think that the generation/regulation system should be run at or neat its maximum allowed output.

Apparently, the voltage regulator that is sold with my older 12 kit generally doesn't handle an amperage load when loaded up with all of the options. Some 12 owners have experienced voltage regulator failures relatively soon after beginning to fly - 50-200 hours, etc. Some 12 owners however have had no problems with the voltage regulator. It is pretty clear to me that if you run your twelve electrical system near to or at peak capacity, you can expect a relatively short VR life time (when compared to the lifetime of auto voltage regulators or other airplanes).

If you can't afford the newer Rotax then don't buy the 12 kit - when I paid 27K for the Van's RV-12 firewall forward kit, I got everything needed to install the engine - engine mount, prop, spinner, wires, controls, fluid tubes, etc. I hear that the 'new' RV-12 firewall forward kit will be about 5-6K more.

That is a lot of money, I know but I think that you will enjoy your RV-12 more if you buy the better engine. Bottom line is that the 'new' RV-12 will likely have a higher re-sale value with the newer Rotax.

I suggest that you buy the improved RV-12 kit with the improved Rotax. Enjoy.
 
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Following is my opinion - but you asked for opinion and here is mine.

In my opinion, the improvements that Van's has made to the 'new' RV-12 are magnificent. I bought my 12 kit in 2009 and didn't start it for seven years. I will be happy to own and fly it next year.

Having said that, if I were buying another 12 kit at this time, I'd go for the newer Rotax engine - it is superior in every way in my opinion.

Van's has upgraded the 12 kit wonderfully. The primary changes as I see it are the up grading of the whole fuselage front half and the available newer fuel injected Rotax engine. The newer fuselage will be easier to build and, in my opinion, the mechanics have been improved greatly - ie, if you build the 'newer' 12, the fuel lines and the electric wires are no longer 'crammed' into the same area at the bottom center of the fuselage. And I like the new fuel tank and increased baggage limit. There are changes to the cockpit area that I like very much. And dual landing lights and more.

The engine up grade is significant. Fuel injection is clearly an improvement but, as I see it, the chief advantage of using the newer Rotax engine is that that engine has an electrical generating device that makes 30 amps or more - I don't recall exactly how much. The 912-ULS that I will be using has a measly 18 amps available for lights, a second display, avionics auto pilot servos, etc, which means that I probably won't be able to run all of my electrical 'stuff' at the same time.

It is unrealistic to think that the generation/regulation system should be run at or neat its maximum allowed output.

Apparently, the voltage regulator that is sold with my older 12 kit generally doesn't handle an amperage load when loaded up with all of the options. Some 12 owners have experienced voltage regulator failures relatively soon after beginning to fly - 50-200 hours, etc. Some 12 owners however have had no problems with the voltage regulator. It is pretty clear to me that if you run your twelve electrical system near to or at peak capacity, you can expect a relatively short VR life time (when compared to the lifetime of auto voltage regulators or other airplanes).

If you can't afford the newer Rotax then don't buy the 12 kit - when I paid 27K for the Van's RV-12 firewall forward kit, I got everything needed to install the engine - engine mount, prop, spinner, wires, controls, fluid tubes, etc. I hear that the 'new' RV-12 firewall forward kit will be about 5-6K more.

That is a lot of money, I know but I think that you will enjoy your RV-12 more if you buy the better engine. Bottom line is that the 'new' RV-12 will likely have a higher re-sale value with the newer Rotax.

I suggest that you buy the improved RV-12 kit with the improved Rotax. Enjoy.


If you install a Silent Henkie (sp) voltage regulator...problem resolved. No doubt the new 912si is cool, but absolutely nothing wrong with the original version.
 
All the improvements on the 12si are great! What I can not understand is why with all the fuselage improvements, Vans did not engineer all the landing gear fuselage reinforcements to the interior of the fuselage rather than the retrofit exterior reinforcement plates solution. It would eliminate all the crazy cutting to fit the bottom wing skins to match the contours of the add on plates.

Another improvement would have been to eliminate the "L" cut in the lower cowl. You could keep the shelf but just add a vertical rib and extend the fuselage side skin for a straight cut for the lower cowl.
 
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