Van's RV-8
Piston single engine • Low Wing • Fixed gear
Range Map
• nm at current load
• click map to move • two fingers to move map
Payload vs. Range
Configure weights
Default: 190 lbs
Default: 30 lbs
gal
Fuel on board
lbs
Extra weight
nm
Range
Mission Profile
Estimated Ownership Costs
About the Van's RV-8
Overview
The Van’s RV-8 is a two-seat, tandem, low-wing Experimental Amateur-Built kit aircraft from Van’s Aircraft of Aurora, Oregon, first flown in 1995 as the larger, more powerful successor to the RV-4. Built with a 180 to 200 hp Lycoming O-360 or IO-360 and a constant-speed propeller, it cruises about 184 knots true, climbs around 1,900 fpm, and is fully aerobatic with a +6/-3 g envelope. Its front-and-back seating puts the pilot near the centerline for a fighter-like view, and the type is a favorite for formation and aerobatic flying; more than 1,600 are flying.
The RV-8 is the tandem member of Van’s two-seat line, sharing the Total Performance mission of the side-by-side RV-7 but with a single-file cockpit and a roomier cabin than the RV-4 it replaced. Buyers cross-shop it against the RV-7, where the choice comes down to tandem versus side-by-side seating, and against certified aerobatic singles it badly undercuts on cost. Choose the Van’s RV-8 when you want a fast, aerobatic, centerline-seating taildragger you build yourself, and you prefer the fighter-style tandem layout to sitting side by side.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- Fighter-style tandem cockpit. Near-centerline seating gives an exceptional all-around view and a single-file layout pilots prize for formation and aerobatics.
- Fast and fully aerobatic. About 184 KTAS cruise and a +6/-3 g envelope on 180 to 200 hp Lycoming power.
- Roomier than the RV-4. More cabin width, headroom, legroom, and useful load than the tandem RV-4 it replaced.
- Large, well-supported fleet. Over 1,600 flying, with Van’s deep builder network, strong parts support, and good resale.
Trade-offs
- Tandem, not side-by-side. A passenger sits behind, not alongside; builders who want to sit together choose the RV-7.
- Two seats only. No family hauling; that mission belongs to the four-seat RV-10.
- Sport-pilot eligibility unconfirmed. Clean stall sits in the borderline band against the MOSAIC 59 KCAS limit, so eligibility is not established without a calibrated stall figure.
- Tailwheel, constant-speed prop, aerobatic airframe. All reward proficiency, and insurers expect transition training.
See Also
- Van’s RV-7 – the side-by-side sibling on the same mission, for pilots who prefer sitting alongside a passenger. Compare
- Van’s RV-4 – the smaller tandem predecessor the RV-8 replaced. Compare
- Van’s RV-14 – the larger, more refined side-by-side two-seater. Compare
- Van’s RV-10 – the four-seat Van’s, for builders who need to carry a family. Compare
- Sling TSi – a glass-panel four-seat kit tourer, for builders weighing aerobatics against seats. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 5.58 ft
- Length
- 21.0 ft
- Parking area (ft2)
- 858.0 ft2
- Max Takeoff Weight
- 1,800 lbs
- Useful Load
- 680 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- 42 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- Source: manufacturer figure 184 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: manufacturer figure 200 KIAS
- Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
- Source: manufacturer figure 168 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- 70 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- Source: manufacturer figure 56 KIAS
- Range
- 678 NM
- Service Ceiling
- 22,500 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 1900 fpm
Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Van's RV-8 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
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Van's Aircraft -- Airspeed Indicator Markings chart (Rev 1, 2023-12-05), RV-8/8A column; red line is true and indicated, statute mph www.vansaircraft.com
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