Vans RV-3 (oz10692)

About this Plan

Vans RV-3. Radio control scale model for .60 power.

Quote: "Fabulous scale project for the well-known homebuilt of the same name - it may look as though it could compete with the best of the Pylon racers. Outstanding sport fan pattern flying capability! Vans RV-3, by Glenn Carter.

Now there is a good looking, well-proportioned homebuilt that will make a great R/C project - I said to myself as I unfolded the Nov '73 Air Progress and stared at the cover picture showing Richard Vangrunsven tooling along in his immaculate little yellow and white creation! The Astonishingly Efficient RV-3, the caption read. Inside, the article continued; calling it 'The Clean Machine' and a 'Total Performance Homebuilt.'

A flight evaluation and the RV's performance statistics clearly proved it to be the best of a new breed of homebuilt aircraft. Top speed is 195 mph on only 125 hp, and minimum speed (level flight) is 48 mph. Rate of climb is 1900 fpm. It has STOL capabilities requiring only 300 feet for takeoff and landing roll, and is fully aerobatic. The RV-3 won the Pazmany Efficiency Contest in 1973 and 1974 with an all-time high for homebuilts of 11.77. The formula considers weight, horsepower, wing area, top and minimum speeds, in an effort to determine which airplanes make the best use of aerodynamics.

There were seven RV's at Oshkosh last year (1977) including a two-place, side-by-side version. Van is currently working on a tandum two-placer also. Pappy Boyington has an RV, which must be refreshingly economical compared to F4-U operations.

After reading all of the specifications and performance figures, I was tempted to go right to work on the full-scale RV-3, but didn't because of a lack of space and time. The R/C would be perfect if it came close to the prototype. A simple, sport scale, aerobatic, easy-to-fly beauty.

I tried calling Van at his shop in Forest Grove, Oregon, and got no answer, so I called an old buddy, Darryl Usher, a homebuilder who flew R/C and was a top competitor with our local East Bay Radio Controllers before moving to the Portland area. I asked Darryl if he knew Van and would he please ask him to send me some three-views, etc., for the project? Sure, Darryl said. Would you like to talk to him? He's standing right here! Well, Van not only agreed to send me everything I would need, but also planned a stop-over at our local patch on his way back from the Watsonville, Calif, Fly-In which was coming up the following month. Naturally, I was delighted with the opportunity to get a first-hand look at the little bird and take all the pictures I wanted. Van kept his appointment, landing at the Antioch Airport, where I got to examine the plane and chat with him about design engineering and techniques he uses. He now offers fiberglass cowlings, wheel pants, and Hoerner wing tips as well as complete construction drawings and instructions.

My R/C version is scaled 2.8 in to 1 ft, producing a 56 in span, 679 square-inch model which performs well on a stock K&B 61. There is no need for pumps or Schnuerle engines with this popular size. The RV could easily be increased 10 percent in size to a 60 in, quarter-scale model which would meet the 800 square-inch requirements of the '78-'79 TOC. It is ideally suited for Sport Scale and IMAC Monoplane competition which emphasizes Aristi aerobatic sequences for realistic plane. Another plus factor is its excellent sport and pattern flying capabilities.

Construction is reasonably conventional and will not require much detailing. The wing is semi-symmetrical and constant chord which is perfectly suited to foam core construction, or the built-up method. Skin is 3/32 sheet which produces the all-metal look very well. The Hoerner tips are formed easily by fairing to the contour of the upper and lower surfaces with soft sheet over the shaped foam..."

Vans RV-3, MAN, March 1979.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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