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  • Van's Aircraft RV-9A

Comparison

AttributeVan's Aircraft RV-9AThese figures describe a typical build. Each aircraft of this design was built by its owner, and the one you are looking at may differ.
What it is
Seats2
Landing geartricycle
Engines—
EngineLycoming O-320 (118-160 hp approved)
Horsepower160 hp
Fuel—
Certification basisamateur-built
Production start—
Production end—
Endorsements required—
Performance
Cruise speed162 KTAS
Range608 nm
Service ceiling18,500 ft
Climb rate1,400 ft/min
Stall speed (Vso)43 KCAS
Takeoff over 50 ft—
Landing over 50 ft—
Load and fuel
Seats2
Useful load675 lb
Full-fuel payload—
Max takeoff weight1,750 lb
Empty weight1,075 lb
Usable fuel36 gal
Fuel burn at cruise—
Cost of ownership
Price, low$53,300
Price, high$77,700
Prices as of2026
Engine TBO—
Overhaul cost, low—
Overhaul cost, high—
The fleet and its record
Registered, all time814
Active fleet733
Median year built2010.0
NTSB events, last 10 years16
Fatal events, last 10 years5
Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years121.83
Personal-flying events per 1,000 active219.1
Ownership transfers, last 24 months138
Transfers per 100 active318.83
Airworthiness directives11
Directives, last 5 years0
Rate confidenceok
Peer scores
Peer classFixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats
Accident record46.8 of 10
Severity51.2 of 10
Access66.7 of 10
Support79.2 of 10
Liquidity84.4 of 10
Overall (sum of the categories shown)928.3 out of 50
  1. Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 733 active.
  2. Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 733 active.
  3. Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 733 active.
  4. Accident record: class median 31.56 · 197 models in class.
  5. Severity: class median 10.
  6. Access: class median 1,000.75.
  7. Support: class median 89.
  8. Liquidity: class median 19.74.
  9. Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories. When accident record and severity cannot be scored because the model has too few records, the other three give a partial score out of 30, labelled as such; it is never set against a full score.
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