As promised in a July news update when the RV-15 went into production, Van’s Aircraft delivered the first two production RV-15 wing kits.
Reno racer Kevin Eldredge, who secured the first deposit slot at EAA AirVenture 2025, arrived at the factory to pick up the kits. Eldredge will be building the first kit in Spokane, Washington, with plans to begin construction immediately after Christmas. The second kit, originally purchased by Eldredge for his wife, has been transferred to builder Spanky Melton.
During the factory visit, Eldredge and Melton were given a sendoff by Van’s founder Richard VanGrunsven and CEO Mikael Via. The delivery ceremony concluded with Van’s employees signing the top of the first crate before loading it onto a flatbed trailer.
Van’s intends to accelerate wing kit deliveries in January.
RV-15 builders are the first to receive the new “RV Tackle Box” hardware organization. Moving away from the standard method of commingled kit parts, the new system organizes kit components into segmented, stackable plastic boxes. These are accompanied by a “placemat” guide featuring a photo of the part, the part number, and a QR code linking directly to the Van’s web store for reordering. This system is designed to streamline the inventory process and speed up the build, and it’s something Mikael Via is familiar with; the tackle (or Plano) box system was used with GlaStar and Sportsman kits when Via was CEO at Glasair Aviation, but the addition of QR codes brings the system into the modern age.
Good to see Van’s back in production mode. It will be interesting to see what changes are made in the next couple years based on owner builds and flights. I bet the RV-15 will be a huge moneymaker for Van’s, lots of pilots prefer the high wings over the low. It may well depend on the kit price and how quickly it escalates.
Let’s be honest it’s a $250k aircraft. Which puts it right in Carbon Cub territory.