The RV-15 Build: The Decision

When I first retired about 12 years ago and moved back home to my beloved Western U.S., I wanted to build and fly a plane into the backcountry. I studied the possible kits and explored the options at AirVenture, but nothing seemed to meet my criteria: a competent, kitbuilt backcountry plane large enough to carry two people, camping gear, and two large-ish dogs. Most of the options didn’t have the capacity I sought. Two companies turned me off by pretty much ignoring me. I suspect they dismissed me as a serious, potential customer. Bearhawk and Murphy had possible candidate designs, but they weren’t readily available at the time … and they were very expensive. Ultimately, we helped complete, fly Phase I, and bought half-interest in a Dream Tundra, which seemed to meet my criteria as it is very similar to a Cessna 170. We have flown it over 600 hours and I completed a mountain-flying course in Idaho in it, but the plane hasn’t been as robust as we hoped. We still fly it, but we kept looking. Finally, this year, Van’s Aircraft announced the release of the RV-15 high-wing backcountry plane kit. Well, initially just the wing kit. I was there at their tent that first day ordering my wing kit.

The rollout of the RV-15 is unquestionably different from previous Van’s releases. Even today, the company doesn’t have a true RV-15 “prototype.” They brought a “test vehicle” to AirVenture in 2024 and 2025, but they have made significant changes to the empennage and fuselage since last July. The wing design was “fixed” last summer and the rest of the plane is being designed and refined around the wings. Two things I understand about starting an RV-15 build: 1) It takes a leap of faith, and 2) Currently, builders are beta testers. I understand that about half of the over 100 people who ordered wing kits at Oshkosh last summer are repeat offenders who have built an RV or three in the past. Some of the others have likely built other kitbuilt planes. There are those who are venturing into the homebuilt world for the first time. Thankfully for them, a robust user community including www.vansairforce.net is active.

But, there are reasonable questions about my decision. “Why would you buy an RV-15 (subkit) on their release day? The company (Van’s Aircraft) is still recovering from bankruptcy. Why risk it?” I am not normally one to be an early adopter or beta tester, especially if it involves my own money, and these are fair questions. Frankly, at another time in my life, or with another company, I would not have done it. But the light at the end of my personal PIC-opportunity tunnel is rapidly growing closer, and being BIC (builder-in-command) on a plane that I ultimately will fly is on my bucket list. If the RV-15 is the plane that I want to build, I need to do it sooner rather than later. My insurance broker tells me that I already might not be insurable in a new model airplane, despite a spotless record and active flying. Such is the reality of being in the second half of one’s eighth decade (when the build is complete), and I accept that possibility. This may be a plane I build but not fly, not just because of insurance issues. I see such acceptance as part of growing old gracefully. I also know big challenges like this project help slow aging.

As for the company? I followed the bankruptcy challenges and recovery over the last several years. I think I understand more or less how and why it happened. It seems to have been mostly the result of business practices that worked for decades but left the company vulnerable to the challenges of the pandemic. I also understand that they are still digging out of the hole and recovery isn’t over yet. There are still a lot of bumps in their road forward, but I’m willing to throw my lot in with them on this venture. Dick VanGrunsven is still a part of the company’s leadership. I know him and he has earned the benefits of my doubts.

Like all RVs, the RV-15 will not be a one-trick pony. It will not win STOL competitions. I will not be landing it on cobble bars in the middle of Alaskan rivers. It will neither be as fast as the RV-3B that I previously co-built, nor as slow as our Dream Tundra and most backcountry planes, certified or experimental. It is consistent with the Van’s Aircraft model of “total performance,” and that philosophy fits my personal style.