Soon after the single-seat RV-3 was introduced,
it became obvious that a lot of people wanted to share their RV with
a friend. Van realized that he wasn’t going to be able to talk them
into building two RV-3s. He set out to design a two-place airplane
that performed and handled as much like the RV-3 as possible. This
was not as easy as just "stretching the RV-3."
The RV-4 was an entirely new design. A poll of
prospective customers, taken in the early 1970s, showed a strong
preference for tandem seating. This suited Van as well, putting the
pilot on the centreline and keeping frontal area to a minimum. He
knew that a bigger, heavier airplane could never perform and handle
quite as well as a small, light one, but when the RV-4 first flew in
August, 1979, the results were better than he’d dared dream. The top
speed was only 10 mph less than the speedy RV-3, and the handling
qualities, so difficult to define, were virtually identical.
The RV-4 holds two people and their baggage. The
seating is compact, but still comfortable. It is flown from the
front seat only, but the kit includes a stick for the rear seater so
he or she can share the fun. It is designed for engines of 150-160
horsepower, although engines as small as 125 hp and as large as 180
are approved and commonly installed.
The all-around capabilities of the RV-4 are
impressive. It is capable of excellent "sport" aerobatics, and
several RV-4 pilots have successfully competed in organized
aerobatic competitions, scoring well against specialty aerobatic
airplanes.
Others have used their RV-4s for sport of a
different kind, flying regularly into backcountry strips for the
fishing and recreation. More than one SuperCub pilot has been
startled to land at a out of the way mountain strip and find an RV-4
already there.
The RV-4 is also an excellent cross-country
machine. Many couples routinely use the airplane as a long distance
"time machine." The ability to land at any small airport means they
can get where they really want to go, not just to the nearest
big-city airport. The RV-4 takes them to fly-ins, to reunions, to
vacations, and to visit the kids and grandkids. Distance is not a
problem. An RV-4 is capable of crossing half of North America in a
day.