Van's Aircraft RV-9
These figures describe a typical build. Each aircraft of this design was built by its owner, and the one you are looking at may differ.
The RV-9 is the touring member of Van's two-seat line, first flown in 1997 with a longer 28 ft wing on a Roncz aerofoil and lower approved power (118-160 hp): 1,057 lb empty, 1,750 lb gross, and at 160 hp Van's quotes 189 mph cruise, a 44 mph stall and a 19,000 ft ceiling. This row is the tailwheel version; the RV-9A is the tricycle.
The RV-9 trades the RV-7's aerobatics and 180-200 hp for a wing that stalls slower, climbs better on less power and burns less fuel, which makes it the RV for a pilot who wants to go places on 7 gallons an hour and does not need to roll. It is not approved for aerobatics and the approved engine range tops out at 160 hp, so an RV-9 with a bigger engine is outside Van's design envelope. As a matched-hole kit the airframes are consistent, but engine, prop, panel and finish are the builder's and the empty weight ranges widely; the aircraft's weight-and-balance gives the useful load. Tailwheel insurance and training apply. Van's supports the type and kits remain in production; the owner may maintain it and the condition inspection needs an A&P or the repairman certificate.
Variants of the Van's RV-9 / RV-9A
- RV-9 · 1997 · 101 active · this page
- RV-9A · 737 active
Also consider
TAILFAX SCORE
Partial: 9 out of 30 (safety not scored, too few records)
Among 1–2 seat pistons (321 models)
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What it is
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tailwheel |
| Engines | — |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320 (118-160 hp approved) |
| Horsepower | 160 hp |
| Fuel | — |
| Certification basis | amateur-built |
| Production start | 1997 |
| Production end | — |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 164 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 617 nm |
| Service ceiling | 19,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,400 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 38 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 693 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | — |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,750 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,057 lb |
| Usable fuel | — |
| Fuel burn at cruise | — |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | — |
|---|---|
| Price, high | — |
| Prices as of | — |
| Engine TBO | — |
| Overhaul cost, low | — |
| Overhaul cost, high | — |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 111 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 101 |
| Median year built | 2012 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 2 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 19.81 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 19.82 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 16 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 15.843 |
| Airworthiness directives | 4 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 101 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 101 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 101 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | —1 |
| Severity | —2 |
| Access | 0 of 103 |
| Support | 5.9 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 3.1 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | Partial: 9 out of 30 (safety not scored, too few records)6 |
- Accident record: class median 36.69 · 321 models in class.
- Severity: class median 13.04.
- Access: class median 1,000.
- Support: class median 77.5.
- Liquidity: class median 20.
- 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.
Data as of: FAA registry Sep 28 · NTSB Oct 2 · ADs Oct 6 · scores Sep 30