Light · ICAO RV4

Van's RV-4

The Van’s RV-4 is a two-seat tandem kit aircraft that combines the RV family’s light controls with cross-country capability. It was designed for builders who wanted aerobatic performance without giving up the option to carry a passenger. The RV-4’s low wing, bubble canopy, and tailwheel give it a distinctly fighter-like silhouette. Thousands of RV kits have been completed, but the RV-4 is less common than later side-by-side RV models.

Van's RV-4, example photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jules Verne Times Two · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know?

The RV-4 seats two in tandem under a bubble canopy, giving it a fighter-like silhouette rare among the side-by-side RV models.

Specifications

Length6.3 m (21 ft)
Wingspan7 m (23 ft)
Height1.5 m (5 ft)
Maximum passengers1
Persons on board2
Crew2
Maximum take-off weight0.7 t
Range800 NM (1,482 km)
Maximum speed185 kt (343 km/h)
Stall speed45 kt (83 km/h)
Service ceiling18,000 ft (5,486 m)
Optimum ceiling13,000 ft (3,962 m)
Rate of climb1,650 ft/min (8.4 m/s)
Take-off distance137 m (449 ft)
Landing distance130 m (427 ft)
Fuel capacity110 l
Engines1x Lycoming O-360

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-4 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-4 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.

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