Rear opportunity to own a legendary aircraft RV-4 with set of drawings and tail kit which is valued $2600 at the time of publication More than 40 years of successful production 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, as it places the pilot on the centerline and keeps the frontal area to a minimum. He knew that a bigger, heavier airplane could never perform and handle quite as well as small, light one, but when the RV-4 first flew in August 1979 the results were even 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 all-around capabilities of the RV-4 are impressive. Fast, agile and fun, pilots of the RV-4 find it’s glove-like fit to feel like a natural extension of their bodies. The RV-4 has taken part in a variety of performance competitions over the years, from the National Championship Air Races to a variety of aerobatic competitions. In the photo on the right, Axel Alvarez pilots his fast RV-4 around the pylons at the air races in Reno. Several RV-4 pilots have also successfully competed in organized aerobatic competitions, scoring well against specialty aerobatic airplanes.