Van's RV-10

Van's introduced the RV-10 in 2003 after years of pressure from builders who wanted a four-seat Van's design. The earlier two-seat airplanes had defined the kit market, but most of those builders were aging out of the missions that made a two-seater practical. Families grew. Cross-country missions got longer. The RV-10 was Van's answer.

The brief was practical. Use a known reliable engine (the Lycoming IO-540), a familiar airframe approach (riveted aluminum with composite cowl and tips), and a cabin sized for four adults. Avoid the complexity of pressurization or turbocharging. Target a useful load that would actually work for four people plus bags. The result was an airplane that could compete directly with the Cirrus SR22 on speed and payload at half the acquisition cost in kit form.

Sales were strong from launch and remained strong through the 2010s. The RV-10 also became the first Van's design to attract serious cross-shopping from buyers who would otherwise have bought a Cirrus or Bonanza. As of mid-2026, Van's reports about 1,100 RV-10s flying with another 400 in build. The fleet is younger than any other Van's design, which means used inventory often has modern glass panels and current paint.

The 260 hp Lycoming IO-540 cruises the RV-10 at 165 to 175 KTAS on 11 to 13 gph at 8,000 feet. Lean-of-peak operation with a six-cylinder engine monitor pulls cruise burn down to 10 to 11 gph at long-range power settings. That's directly comparable to a Cirrus SR22 or Bonanza A36 on the same fuel.

Useful load is the RV-10's headline number. A typical IO-540 RV-10 with a Hartzell or MT three-blade composite prop has 1,000 to 1,100 pounds of useful load. Full fuel is 60 gallons (360 pounds), leaving 640 to 740 pounds for four people and bags. That's the same useful load as a Bonanza A36 and meaningfully more than an SR22. Range works out to 850 to 1,050 nm with reserves at long-range cruise.

Cabin width is genuinely four-seat. The RV-10 is about 46 inches wide at the shoulders, which is wider than a Cessna 182 and only an inch or two narrower than a Bonanza. The rear seats are usable by adult passengers on a real trip. Baggage area is 100 pounds with a separate access door, which makes the airplane practical for actual family use.

The Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 (parallel valve, 260 hp) and IO-540-K1G5 (angle valve, 260 to 300 hp) are the standard engines. About 80% of the RV-10 fleet runs an IO-540 in the 260 hp range. A small number of builders have installed Continental IO-550 engines (300 hp), which add performance at the cost of complexity, weight, and warranty considerations.

Lycoming's published TBO for the IO-540 parallel-valve is 2,000 hours per Lycoming Service Instruction 1009 BE, advisory in experimental service. Field overhaul of an IO-540 runs $45,000 to $65,000 in 2026 at a name-brand shop. The high end reflects current Lycoming new-cylinder prices. Owner-assisted overhaul saves 25 to 35 percent on labor.

The Hartzell HC-C3YR three-blade aluminum prop is the most common. MT four-blade composite props are popular on later builds for noise and looks. Both run on a 2,400-hour or six-year overhaul cycle per Hartzell Service Letter HC-SL-61-61Y Rev 12. The Hartzell overhaul runs $4,000 to $7,000 in 2026. The MT is in a similar range but with higher initial cost.

The RV-10 is the most cost-effective four-seat traveling airplane available in 2026. The headline number is that it does what a Cirrus SR22 does at roughly 60% to 70% of the per-hour cost.

If you built it: fuel runs $65 to $90 per hour at $5.50 to $7 per gallon and 11 to 13 gph. Engine reserve is $23 to $33 per hour. Prop reserve is $2 to $3 per hour. Airframe maintenance reserve is $10 to $18 per hour. All-in at 100 hours a year runs $130 to $185 per hour, plus $5,000 to $9,000 in annual fixed costs. That's directly comparable to a Cessna 182 and well below a Cirrus SR22.

If you bought it used: realistic all-in at 100 hours a year is $160 to $220 per hour. Insurance is the biggest variable. A used RV-10 buyer with limited experimental experience typically pays $4,000 to $7,500 in the first year. Cirrus SR22 buyers cross-shopping the RV-10 often find that insurance on the certified airplane is cheaper because the underwriter model is more developed.

Acquisition cost in mid-2026 runs $250,000 to $325,000 for a clean used RV-10 with a glass panel and recent paint, $325,000 to $425,000 for a low-time example with current avionics and a near-new engine. A new build with all current avionics, full IFR equipment, and professional paint typically lands at $350,000 to $475,000 in total cost, with 2,000 to 4,000 hours of builder labor on top. That's $150,000 to $250,000 below a comparable new Cirrus SR22.