VanGrunsven RV-5
Van's Aircraft · United States · first flew 1976 · light aircraft
The RV-5 is a one-off proof-of-concept prototype aeroplane designed by Richard VanGrunsven. It was never intended as a production aircraft but as a project for him and fellow members of his EAA chapter.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.07 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat aircraft with a shoulder-mounted straight, untapered wing
- Full-span flaperons
- Fixed conventional landing gear and an all-metal structure
A small all-metal single-seater whose "scissor-wing" can be pivoted 90 degrees about a bolt on the rear spar for storage, with its flat-bottomed NACA 4414 wing sitting on the shoulder.
Specifications
- The VanGrunsven RV-5 has a length of 5.07 m (17 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.1 m (20 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed in light of the 1970s energy crisis, to explore how much performance an engine with very low fuel burn could give. It was built by EAA Chapter 105 from 1975 to 1976 and originally flew in the summer of 1976 with a 30 hp half-VW engine.
Variants
Only one was built. It was later re-engined with a 41 hp Rotax 447.
Where you'll see it
In 1984 Richard's brother Jerry VanGrunsven borrowed the aeroplane and took it to his airpark near Seattle, where he and his two sons flew most of its later hours. It was restored from 2017 to 2019 and displayed at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
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