The RV-1 is a

Stits Playboy The Stits SA-3A Playboy (also called the Stitts SA-3A Playboy) is a single seat, strut-braced low-wing monoplane that was designed by Ray Stits for amateur construction. The aircraft was designed and the prototype was completed in a three-month p ...

that was constructed with modifications by Richard VanGrunsven. The aircraft was the first of a series of Van's aircraft that became the most popular

homebuilt aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...

produced.

Design and development

The first RV-1 was a Stits SA-3A completed on 3 October 1965. The Playboy is a single-place,

strut-braced In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

, low-wing aircraft with

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

. The aircraft engine was upgraded from the normally-fitted powerplant to a Lycoming O-290G. The resulting aircraft had good performance, but a high landing speed. On 16 August 1965, the aircraft was registered as an RV-1. Modifications included a new

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

wing with flaps, Horner wing tips, and a bubble canopy. The

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...

uses welded steel tube construction in contrast to the RV series that followed which uses all-aluminum fuselage construction. The flaps reduced the stall speed to . A second series of modifications included a streamlined cowling, wheel pants and modified horizontal tail surfaces.

Operational history

The organization ''Friends of the RV-1'' was formed to restore the prototype RV-1. It was flown across the United States and Canada in 2012 to various airshows and events. On 23 July 2012, the prototype RV-1 will be showcased at the

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In), or just Oshkosh, is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport and adjacent Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin ...

, prior to donation to the EAA AirVenture Museum. The Spirit of Flight Center air museum located in Erie, Colorado has an RV-1 which is airworthy. The Spirit of Flight RV-1 is displayed at the museum and at airshows and events.

Variants

* Van's Aircraft RV-3 - The next design by VanGrunsven, based on the RV-1.

Specifications (RV-1)

References

External links

AVweb video about the RV-1Friends of the RV-1
{{VansAircraft Homebuilt aircraft RV-01 Low-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft