RV-12iS SLSA Trainer - Van's Aircraft Total Performance RV Kit Planes (2024)

More info: The SLSA RV-12iS
Technically Advanced TrainerFind an RV-12iS Flight Schools

Overview

The RV-12iS a two-seat all-metal side-by-side airplane with a large cabin that seats the occupants ahead of the wing spar for maximum room and superb visibility.

The RV-12iS SLSA trainer is a private, instrument, and commercial training aircraft built on our proven and popular light-sport design. Configured and built to meet the performance demands and business needs of busy flight schools and training organizations The RV-12iS meets the certification standards of the Light Sport Aircraft category. This ready-to-fly model is licensed in the Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA) category and as such can be used in a commercial FBO and flight school environment. We build the aircraft and perform all of the acceptance and new aircraft flight test tasks, then you pick it up and fly it home to put it on the line – ready to rent and train students!

You can find out even more about our factory-built RV-12iS and RV-12iST SLSAtrainer models at our dedicated web site, http://flyrv12.com.

About the RV-12iS

Van’s Aircraft strives to continuallyimprove what many consider to be the finest aircraft designs and home-built kits in the industry.

The “original” RV-12 took the Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (ELSA) market by storm in 2008. A few years later we added the Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA) option, enabling flight schools and individual owners to purchase completely finished airplanes that they can pick up and fly home from the factory. There are a lot of RV-12’s gracing the skies. Around 800 RV-12s are being flown worldwide by student pilots, sport pilots, private pilots, and more!

And now you can have the latest model — the RV-12iS

The RV-12iS is powered the modern, fuel-injected Rotax 912 iS Sport. These rugged little engines didn’t become the worldwide standard in Light Sport Aircraft by accident. Extensive real-world experience has proven it to be durable, reliable, and economical in all sorts of conditions, including the flight school environment. The 912 iS Sport fuel-injected engine is computer-controlled for maximum efficiency and delivers greater torque (and even better performance) than its carburetor-fed predecessor. A gearbox reduction drive allows the prop top operate in the most efficient rpm range. Maintenance and service is available worldwide, and the aircraft can be powered with either unleaded autogas (mogas) or 100LL aviation fuel.

The RV-12iS is equipped with a ground-adjustable Sensenich composite propeller — light, smooth and affordable. The airplane’s light empty weight allows a generous useful load: two 185 lb people, a full tank holding 20 gallons of fuel, plus 50 lbs of baggage. And things just get better when you experience the RV-12iS’ terrific performance at max gross weight.All of this is a rarity in the Light Sport Category, where most other aircraft tend to leave their owners wishing for more in terms of both useful load and performance.

Benefits of Rotax’s 912 iS Sport powerplant

• Improved fuel economy – awesome fuel burn numbers mean efficient and cost-effective operations
• Easier maintenance – computerized error diagnostics and no carburetor balancing
• More power and torque – great climb rate and fast, efficient cruise speed
• Improved electrical power output allows new lighting and electronics options – great news for flight schools and others who want more capability in their panel

Features

Glass Panel

The RV-12 panel may be configured from a selection of available avionics packages, in VFR or IFR-capable configurations. These include the Dynon Skyview HDX touch-screen avionics system and the Garmin G3X Touch avionics system.

For both manufacturers, VFR panel configurations are available that leverage a GTR-200 radio/intercom (European customers can select the GTR-225 with 8.33kHz frequency spacing), and include an ADS-B-out equipped transponder and 406 MHz ELT. Pre-built switch and fuse panels combined with complete wiring harnesses make the sophisticated panels truly “plug-and-play.”

A map box (available in conjunction with the ULS engine only) can occupy the right-side panel, or that space may be filled with a second EFIS display. Both manufacturers’ avionics systems can control an optional two-axis autopilot and can display ADS-B traffic and weather (USA only).

Owners who choose the Garmin G3X Touch system may choose to install our RV-12iS IFR avionics suite, which includes dual screens, a GTN 650 navigator, two-axis autopilot, and other necessary components. This configuration enables IFR training and more advanced avionics learning opportunities while piloting the RV-12iST technically-advanced trainer airplane.

Testing and Certifying the RV-12iS

Extensive, thorough testing of the RV-12iS has demonstrated compliance with ASTM LSA performance and structural requirements. This means that the RV-12iS may very well be the best-understood LSA on the market.

Our landing gear structural evaluation tests, shown in the video below, illustrate the level and detail of testing we performed on the aircraft during development.