Van's RV-3
The Van’s RV-3 was the first design created by Richard VanGrunsven and established the lightweight, responsive formula behind the entire RV kit-aircraft family. It is a single-seat low-wing aircraft built by amateurs rather than on a factory line. Its compact dimensions and strong aerobatic capability made it popular with pilots who wanted performance from a modest piston engine. Later RV models became more numerous, leaving the original RV-3 comparatively rare.
Did you know?
The RV-3 was Van's first design, a single-seat prototype that established the low-wing formula behind the entire RV kit-aircraft family.
Specifications
| Length | 5.3 m (17 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Height | 1.5 m (5 ft) |
| Persons on board | 1 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 0.5 t |
| Range | 500 NM (926 km) |
| Maximum speed | 175 kt (324 km/h) |
| Stall speed | 44 kt (81 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 18,000 ft (5,486 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 13,000 ft (3,962 m) |
| Rate of climb | 2,050 ft/min (10.4 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 100 m (328 ft) |
| Landing distance | 110 m (361 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 110 l |
| Engines | 1x Lycoming O-320 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Van's RV-3 starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Van's, the RV-3 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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