When will the first kit be delivered?

I wondered if any of the long term RV builders had an opinion on the probable time til we see the first kit sent out - based on the time it has taken in the past between a previous RV first flight and launch.

A few things have to happen before this kit is put into production:

- It has to perform as expected during test flying
- The POC aircraft has to generate sufficient market interest to justify production

My guess is (subject to test flying going well without major changes) that Van's will "announce" kits at Sun-n-Fun. I wouldn't expect to see them until summer '07. That suggests AirVenture. Since the aircraft doesn't share any other components with the other RV aircraft, there will be quite a bit of tooling required to put this into production.

It's an enormous undertaking

The Van's RV-12 placard at Oshkosh 2006 said "We hope to fly this prototype in September or October. When we are satisfied with performance and handling characteristics, we will begin kit production. If all goes well, kits should begin shipping in late 2007."

Judging by the actual date of their first flight ("October 40th"), and extrapolating similar time delays into the kit production phase (completely understandable in new model development), I would think an actual shipping date of early 2008 is a little more realistic.

I'll let you know.
Robert Ruggles
Surprise AZ