Van's Aircraft is modernizing its RV-12

The RV-12 is available as a factory built S-LSA and a kitbuilt E-LSA, although most of the roughly 500 flying in the United States are built from kits.

The carbureted Rotax 912 ULS used to be the engine of choice for the RV-12, but that engine has been pushed aside by the iS version, which reduces fuel consumption by about 20 percent. Both engines are rated at 100 horsepower, and Van’s Aircraft officials said aircraft performance is largely unchanged.

“We’ll likely make the first flight of the updated airplane next week,” said Mitch Lock, president of Oregon-based Van’s Aircraft. “We’ll take it to AirVenture and display it at our booth.”

EAA AirVenture, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, runs July 24 through 30.

Behind the scenes, Van’s Aircraft is making RV-12 kits easier to build by performing more of the skilled sheet metal tasks such as precisely bending metal components. The company also is offering bench-tested wiring harnesses for RV-12 instrument panels to simplify avionics installation.

Van’s Aircraft introduced the RV-12 in 2008, and it’s one of the most popular aircraft in the LSA category.