AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2016 - 34

PILOT BRIEFING
BUDGET BUY

|

VREF VALUE

Most airplane valuation
companies do not provide
values for Experimental aircraft. There's too much
variance between aircraft.
RECENT ADVERTISED PRICES

Listed in Trade-A-Plane at
the time this was written
were eight Van's RV-6/6A
aircraft costing $41,500
(unpainted) to $69,900. Most
were in the 60s and high 50s.
Barnstormers.com had 19 with
some listed as "projects" that
were partially completed and
were advertised for $25,000
to $35,000.

Kitbuilt for two

INSURANCE COSTS

Van's RV-6/6A
B Y A LTO N K . M A R S H

THE RV-6 (TAILWHEEL) and RV-6A (nosewheel) kit has been out of production for 15 years
at Van's Aircraft in Aurora, Oregon, but many are for sale at a budget-buy price. The kit was
produced from 1986 to 2001. It's speedy (155 knots true airspeed, according to one owner),
carries two people side by side, and has room for baggage.
Look for one that represents the designer's (Van's) intent. Builders who add a more powerful engine than recommended, plus heavy leather seats and lots of fancy avionics, find they have
a heavier aircraft with a higher landing speed. If that is the case, you'll especially need the second recommendation: Seek training. Kitbuilt aircraft are different from the factory-built world.
Aircraft value companies don't evaluate homebuilt and Experimental aircraft. The number registered is difficult to determine because model names often include the builder's name.
Weight is only "suggested" by the factory and can vary by 200 pounds. Horsepower can vary,
as can the type of engine. Ask yourself, "What is my mission?"
THE REAL WORLD

Paul A. Rosales is an enthusiastic, high-time RV-6A owner. It took three jobs (two for him,
one for wife Victoria), five years of 12-hour-day weekends, and reduced sleeping hours for the
couple to realize their dream of building an airplane, but now they have flown to most of the
50 states. He also evaluates kitplane pilots for an insurance company. "Since they are custom
built, no two are going to be the same, ever," Rosales said.
When builders decide to use three-quarter-inch rivet spacing instead of one-inch spacing,
they add more rivets and that makes the airplane heavier. Throw in some avionics and leather
seats, and you have an aircraft with a high sink rate. If pilots don't properly manage their energy
on landing, that could be a problem in a kitplane with spring-steel landing gear without shock
absorbers, Rosales said. The spring steel can take a drop from 10 feet to the surface in one second, but no more. When you flare an RV-6A, speed disappears quickly. Do that at 10 feet, as
many non-kit pilots do, and you could be in for a jolt. "[The RV-6A model] just can't take a porpoise," Rosales said. With a 180-horsepower engine in his aircraft, he gets about 156 knots true
airspeed. "Figure out what your budget is first, and then stay within
that budget. Then go out and look at some airplanes. If you're not
WHOM TO CONTACT
knowledgeable, take someone with you who is. Make sure you can
There is no single builder's
club or owner's club. Most
get in and go for a ride. What do you plan to do with it?" he said.
EMAIL alton.marsh@aopa.org

34 | AOPA PILOT April 2016

owners go to www.
vansairforce.net for general
information.

AOPA Insurance Services estimates a $60,000 Van's RV-6
flown by a 150-hour (total
time) pilot will cost $1,500 per
year to insure. The pilot must
obtain 10 hours with a certified
flight instructor and complete
10 hours of solo time before
taking passengers.
HOW MANY IN THE FLEET?

That's a difficult question.
The FAA database shows an
FAA-registered fleet of 2,277
Van's Aircraft RV-6 airplanes if
you search without using the
manufacturer's name. Airpac
PlaneBase shows 1,319 plus 601
more if you search without using the hyphen in RV-6.
FINANCING

AOPA Finance estimates $417
per month for a $60,000 loan
at 5.5 percent with 15 percent
down.
AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

There's no such thing as an
airworthiness directive for
kitbuilt aircraft, a Van's factory rep said. Look for factory service bulletins instead.
There was an RV-6A service
bulletin on the nose gear to
give it more ground clearance
for rough fields.
BIGGEST PLUS

Handling.

BIGGEST MINUS

Small for two "oversize"
people.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Is it overweight?

WHAT ELSE TO CONSIDER

Other Van's models; Rans kits
and ready-to-fly models.


http://www.Barnstormers.com http://www.vansairforce.net http://www.vansairforce.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2016

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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202310
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202305
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202210
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202108
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