AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 70

Size of the fleet

1,245

450 plus
Mustang II

RV–7 : UNMATCHED VERSATILITY

RV–7

Top speed is the simplest and most talked-about measure of aircraft performance—and the least important.
Who among us flies at full throttle, with the prop at
max rpm, the mixture full rich, at low altitude, except
during takeoff and initial climb? Unless you’re racing
Manufacturers, aircraft owners, and pilots make all
at Reno, your typical flight profile probably involves a
kinds of performance claims about the airplanes they
climb, a reduction in prop/engine rpm, and leaning the
build, own, and fly, but there’s nothing quite like a sidemixture. When you do those things, the Mustang II’s
by-side fly off to see how competing designs measure up.
speed advantage over the RV–7 becomes a rounding
These two popular kit airplanes are both built to
error.
Far more meaningful are the criteria that comprise
specifications—and they’re extremely well-made and
what Vans Aircraft Founder Dick VanGrunsven calls
well-cared-for examples. (In fact, Carlo Cilliers, owner
“total performance.” Those considerations include
and builder of the Mustang II, won a
short-field performance, aerobatic
workmanship award for his airplane at
capability, ground handling, control
WINNERS
EAA AirVenture 2012. And RV–7 builder,
harmony, comfort, visibility, and fuel
Top Speed: Mustang II
efficiency. Some of these qualities are
owner, and pilot Bill Cloughley meticuStall Speed: RV–7
hard to quantify, but they add up to
lously followed the Van’s Aircraft plans
Rate of Climb: Draw
versatility, and that’s where the RV
to make his airplane light and straight.)
Range: Mustang II
series shines. No other general aviaTakeoff and Landing
Both airplanes are equipped with
tion aircraft—Experimental or FAAdistance: RV–7
parallel-valve Lycoming IO-360 engines
certified—can match RVs across the
Comfort: RV–7
full performance spectrum.
and constant-speed Hartzell propellers;
And while we’re talking about
Payload: Draw
in addition, their empty weights (1,070
intangibles, here’s the biggest: The RV
Visibility: Draw
pounds for the Mustang and 1,100 pounds
community of builders and pilots is an
Handling qualities: Draw
for the RV–7) are closely matched. With
actual community. Nearly 8,000 RVs
two pilots and about 25 gallons of avgas
have been built and flown around the
world, and the people who own, build, and fly them
in each airplane, it’s a pretty realistic comparison.
are among the most knowledgeable, skillful, friendly,
The two airplanes stay together for about five seccooperative, and active people in aviation. They haponds, but then the Mustang starts pulling away. After
pily share information and provide mutual support.
20 seconds, the Mustang is holding a substantial lead
They also do more actual flying (as opposed to hangar
and nine-knot indicated airspeed advantage over the
flying, coffee drinking, or doughnut eating) than any
other aviation group I know.
RV–7 (155 KIAS to 146, or 174 KTAS to 164) and the
For all these reasons, the RV–7 is the superior airexpanding gap between the two airplanes confirms the
plane in this contest.
ASI readings.
Continued on page 72
—Dave Hirschman
(Owner of an RV–4)

RV–7

Mustang II

25-foot wing span, 121-square foot wing area

19 feet
6 inches

20 feet 4 inches

Mustang II
24-foot, 4-inch wing span,
97.1-square foot wing area

7 feet
10 inches

70 | AOPA PILOT March 2013

5 feet
5 inches

AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013