Bill's Aviation Log

What did the RVers think of the Natty Boh? I don't know. I'm guessing it may have been the last beer to have been drank, but it did get drank.

I only knew a few people at the RV Social so after talking with them, I headed over to the SOS Brothers tent for dinner. Later, I ended up tying down my plane and setting up my tent, in the dark! I give myself credit for remembering to bring a flashlight.

And there it is: the RV-15. Van's Aircraft first high-wing airplane. This is the engineering prototype. Much work remains to be done before it will be sold as a kit. We were told the kit won't be available for a year and a half. The RV-15 is clearly a bush/short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) plane. Like all Vans airplanes, it's aluminum skin covered.

A baggage door like the RV-10. Makes it easy for the dog to jump in and out.

The RV-15 has a stabilator, as opposed to the traditional horizontal stabilizer and elevator.

Another look at the big, barn door flaps.

An RV-7 with a fabulous paint job.

Notice that this 7 is painted just like the Van's Air Force logo on the wing.

Aft of the cockpit, the paint scheme shows the underlying part numbers of the longerons, J-stiffeners, bulkheads, spars and ribs. How cool is that? I saw an RV-3 painted in the same way many years ago.

Of course, I felt that my plane should have been the RV-7 representative in Boeing Square, but if it couldn't be mine, then I'm OK with this one.

Doug Reeves -- of Vans Air Force fame -- RV-6 was also on hand.

Another RV-14A with futuristic hexagonal paint scheme.

It was reported that eleven half barrels -- 170 gallons -- were consumed by something over 600 guests.

From the RV Social, I walked, sometimes erratically, but feeling no pain, over to the Theater in the Woods to see the tribute to Richard VanGrunsven. Paul Dye was the moderator and the panel consisted of Van, Rian Johnson (Van's Aircraft President and Chief Technology Officer), Greg Hughes (Van's Aircraft Vice President and Chief Operations Officer), Ken Rieder (who flies an RV-8 for Redline Air Shows) and the builder of the 10,000 RV, who I was surprised to learn lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Then the panel went into depth on the RV-15. And the answers I think I heard are: it will have around 140 knots cruise speed, it will carrier 50 gallons of fuel with an option for auxiliary fuel tanks, it will carry 200 pounds of baggage, and a useful load of 900 pounds, it will take 12-18 months to get a kit, the airframe kit will be similar to that of the RV-14, it's a STOL plane, and it is in the Utility class with a +4.5/-2 G range.

Greg Hughes introducing the man of the hour, Van, who told some interesting and funny stories of the early days of Van's Aircraft.

AirVenture 2022 - Vans Aircraft Events
In many ways, the main theme of this years AirVenture 2022 was Vans Aircraft Company and RVs. Not only was it the 50th Year Anniversary of Vans Aircraft Company, but on Monday at the show Vans introduced the engineering prototype of their newest kitplane: the RV-15. I landed at Wittman Field around 5:15pm on Sunday. I wanted to go to the RV social at the Homebuilt Camping pavilion, so after shutting down the engine at my spot, I leaped out of my plane, grabbed my Baltimore beer, and headed over to the pavilion. The idea at the RV social is that everyone brings a six-pack of a quality beer from their area. I brought a six-pack of Guiness Blonde, which is brewed near Baltimore. I also brought a 12-pack of National Bohemian -- better known as "Natty Boh" -- a cheap swill also brewed in Baltimore. The six pack of Guiness Blonde cost more than the 12-pack of Natty Boh which gives you some idea of the difference in quality. Actually, Natty Boh is currently brewed under contract at the Molson Coors brewing facilities in Albany, Georgia and Trenton, Ohio. But nearly 90 percent of Natty Boh sales are in Baltimore.

What did the RVers think of the Natty Boh? I don't know. I'm guessing it may have been the last beer to have been drank, but it did get drank. I only knew a few people at the RV Social so after talking with them, I headed over to the SOS Brothers tent for dinner. Later, I ended up tying down my plane and setting up my tent, in the dark! I give myself credit for remembering to bring a flashlight.

AirVenture 2022 officially started Monday morning. I missed it, but around 10am Vans Aircraft unveiled the RV-15! Mark, Chuck and Brian happened to be there to witness history. They also got this nice picture taken with the man who started it all: Richard VanGrunsven. Left to right: Mark, Chuck, Van, Brian and Unknown.

And there it is: the RV-15. Van's Aircraft first high-wing airplane. This is the engineering prototype. Much work remains to be done before it will be sold as a kit. We were told the kit won't be available for a year and a half. The RV-15 is clearly a bush/short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) plane. Like all Vans airplanes, it's aluminum skin covered.



The RV-15 will be Lycoming-powered in the 180-230 horsepower range. Plenty of power. I'm glad they didn't go with the weak Rotax engine.

Check out those big, clear doors! This plane will have great visibility. The flaps are actuated manually by that flap handle on the overhead. Look at those big barn door flaps! In this prototype, the fuel tank is on the right side, where the co-pilot seat would be. The plane is basically a two-seater although it might turn into a 2 + 2 seating arrangement. If it remains a two-seater, the baggage area is huge, and can handle a full-size bicycle.

A baggage door like the RV-10. Makes it easy for the dog to jump in and out.

A better look at the flap handle, plus the skylights.

The RV-15 has a stabilator, as opposed to the traditional horizontal stabilizer and elevator.

Vans designed a landing gear suspension system so innovative they put a patent on it.

Ditto for the tailwheel.

The RV-15 has a big wing.

Another look at the big, barn door flaps.

That afternoon, in honor of the 50th anniversary, an RV of each type was on static display in Boeing Square. I thought that was really neat. Below is a nice panoramic picture taken by RV-10 driver Charlie Derk.

Cool beans!

A very nice RV-10. I checked out the doors extensively since that is what we are working on back home.

The only plane, RV or otherwise, that I saw this AirVenture with the coveted 4,000 hour sign on the prop. It's an RV-6, owned by Louise Hose.

Which was next to her husband's -- Paul Dye's -- RV-8. It "only" has more than 2,000 hours on it.

An RV-7 with a fabulous paint job.

Notice that this 7 is painted just like the Van's Air Force logo on the wing.

Aft of the cockpit, the paint scheme shows the underlying part numbers of the longerons, J-stiffeners, bulkheads, spars and ribs. How cool is that? I saw an RV-3 painted in the same way many years ago. Of course, I felt that my plane should have been the RV-7 representative in Boeing Square, but if it couldn't be mine, then I'm OK with this one.

A RV-14 in Canadian Aviation Museum livery.

This RV-12 was a "one week wonder" plane; i.e., built in one week at AirVenture.

An RV-3 with nice retro paint scheme.

Doug Reeves -- of Vans Air Force fame -- RV-6 was also on hand.

Big RV-14A with Rosie the Riveter airbrushed tail art.

Another RV-14A with futuristic hexagonal paint scheme.

Looking back at the RVs with Doc, the B-29 SuperFortress in the background, along with a C-17 and F-16.

There is a four-hour airshow every afternoon at AirVenture. Monday's airshow started off with a flyover of 50 RVs!



Check out that Five Zero in the middle.

Towards the end of the airshow, it was time for another RV social, this time in a backyard of a house just outside the show grounds, on Waukau Avenue. This event was hosted by Arthur J. Gallagher Aviation Insurance which has provided the location going on ten years now. (I've been with Gallagher/Nation Air the entire life of my RV, without a claim, so I drank their beer without obligation!) There were other sponsors as well. Cold Spotted Cow beer was on hand in abundance. It tasted pretty darn good after walking around Wittman Field all day.

There were many more people at this event than the one last evening.

It was reported that eleven half barrels -- 170 gallons -- were consumed by something over 600 guests.

From the RV Social, I walked, sometimes erratically, but feeling no pain, over to the Theater in the Woods to see the tribute to Richard VanGrunsven. Paul Dye was the moderator and the panel consisted of Van, Rian Johnson (Van's Aircraft President and Chief Technology Officer), Greg Hughes (Van's Aircraft Vice President and Chief Operations Officer), Ken Rieder (who flies an RV-8 for Redline Air Shows) and the builder of the 10,000 RV, who I was surprised to learn lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

We listened to Van tell the story of Vans Aircraft, from the RV-1 to the lastest RV-15. Each of the panelist gave their thoughts on Van and what he and the airplanes he created has meant to them. It was a very interesting and enjoyable evening.

Afterwards, Van got a standing ovation from the crowd.

The next morning, Tuesday, I went to a forum given by Van's Aircraft, on the company and the new RV-15 in particular. Rian Johnson and Greg Hughes gave the brief, but also on hand were the chief engineers of the RV-15 project plus the test pilot. Sorry, I can't remember their names. I came away thinking how professional and talented the aerospace engineers of Van's Aircraft are. One fact I remember hearing is that of the new single-engine piston airplanes produced in the world last year, almost half were RVs. That's amazing.

Then the panel went into depth on the RV-15. And the answers I think I heard are: it will have around 140 knots cruise speed, it will carrier 50 gallons of fuel with an option for auxiliary fuel tanks, it will carry 200 pounds of baggage, and a useful load of 900 pounds, it will take 12-18 months to get a kit, the airframe kit will be similar to that of the RV-14, it's a STOL plane, and it is in the Utility class with a +4.5/-2 G range.

Wednesday night, Rich, Nhu-An and I went to the Van's Aircraft Banquet which was held in the Nature Center not far from Homebuilt Camping. It was a catered event and I must say, the food was excellent. It was a very popular event, with the tickets selling out in only a few hours.

One of the guest speakers was Doug Reeves, of Vans Air Force fame, who apparently doesn't like to speak in public but in fact gave a very good talk.

Greg Hughes introducing the man of the hour, Van, who told some interesting and funny stories of the early days of Van's Aircraft.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening at the Van's Aircraft banquet.



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AirVenture 2022 - Vans Aircraft Events