Range Map
Origin: → · two fingers to move map
Payload vs. Range
Fuel on board
Cargo
nm
Range
Trip Preview
Name a destination in the map header above and this becomes your trip: time en route, what you burn, what it costs, and whether you get there without stopping — at the load you have set.
→
Over max payload by . At this load it cannot lift a single occupant. Please adjust your payload inputs.
We do not have a cruise speed on file for this aircraft, so there is no honest time or cost to give you for this leg.
En route
Fuel burned
Direct cost
Fuel cost
Tanks run dry about past before at this burn.
Mission Profile
_taxiing_at_Wagga_Wagga_Airport_(2).jpg)
Estimated Ownership Costs
Create a free account to view or request ownership cost data.
About the Van's RV-12
Overview
The Van’s RV-12 is a two-seat, low-wing light-sport kit aircraft from Van’s Aircraft of Aurora, Oregon, the company’s first design aimed squarely at the Light Sport category and the only Rotax-powered model in the RV line. Powered by a 100 hp Rotax 912 (the fuel-injected 912 iS on the current RV-12iS), it cruises about 117 knots true on roughly 4.5 gallons an hour of mogas, stalls clean at about 45 knots, and has removable wings for trailering or compact storage. It first flew in 2006 and is sold as an E-LSA kit, and was previously offered as a factory-built S-LSA.
The RV-12 is the entry point to the RV family and a different animal from the rest of it: where the aerobatic RV-14 and four-seat RV-10 chase speed and performance, the RV-12 is a docile, economical trainer and recreational flyer built to the light-sport rules. It competes with factory LSAs and other kit two-seaters on running cost and ease of ownership, and its low stall keeps it sport-pilot eligible. Choose the RV-12 when you want an affordable, easy-to-fly, sport-pilot-eligible two-seater for training or local flying, value the option to build and self-maintain, and do not need the speed of the bigger RVs.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- Sport-pilot eligible. A clean 45-knot stall and 1,320 lb gross keep the RV-12 inside the light-sport and MOSAIC limits, flyable on a sport-pilot certificate.
- Rotax mogas economy. The 100 hp Rotax 912 burns about 4.5 gph of auto fuel, holding direct operating cost near $34 an hour.
- Removable wings. The wings come off without disconnecting the control or fuel systems, so the airplane can be trailered or stored in a fraction of a hangar.
- Build it or buy it. Offered as an E-LSA kit a builder can finish and self-maintain, and previously as a factory-built S-LSA, an unusually wide range of ownership paths.
Trade-offs
- Two seats, light payload. A roughly 545 lb useful load and 20-gallon fuel make it a two-up local and training airplane, not a loaded tourer.
- Modest speed and range. At 117 KTAS and under 500 nm of range it trades the bigger RVs’ performance for economy and simplicity.
- Light-sport rules. As an E-LSA the operating and maintenance regime differs from a certified trainer, and resale tracks build quality.
- Rotax ecosystem. Mogas-friendly with a 2,000-hour TBO, but with calendar-driven rubber-replacement service and a need for Rotax-literate maintenance.
See Also
- Van’s RV-14 – the two-seat aerobatic RV a long step up in power and performance. Compare
- Sling 2 – another Rotax-powered, low-wing E-AB two-seater, a direct kit cross-shop. Compare
- Pipistrel Alpha Trainer – a factory-built light-sport two-seater on the same Rotax power, for buyers weighing a kit against a finished airplane. Compare
- Tecnam P2002 – a factory-built low-wing LSA two-seater. Compare
Featured in our buying guides
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 8 ft
- Length
- 20 ft
- Parking area (ft²2)
- 926 ft²
- Max Takeoff Weight
- 1,320 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- 1,320 lbs
- Useful Load
- 545 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- 20 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- 121 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: third-party reference 136 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- 58 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- 45 KIAS
- Range
- 472 NM
- Service Ceiling
- 13,800 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 900 fpm
Engine
Log in to view or request powerplant data.
Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Van's RV-12 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
Similar to the Van's RV-12
Similar PistonsAero Commander 200
Aviat A-1 Husky
Beechcraft Bonanza 33
Compare the Van's RV-12 to other aircraft