Up Close with the Van’s RV-15 at Oshkosh 2022

The video that Van's released in letting said cat out of said bag was revealing. The plane looked big enough to accommodate four seat,s and it sported big tires. The sound of the engine was sweet and powerful, too.

But it wasn't until the plane showed up here at KOSH that we got our first good look at it. Here are some of the observations we made about this plane, which, it is clear, is so much more than just the first high-wing model from the world's most successful kit plane maker

When we were first able to even see the RV-15 through the throngs, it was already Day Three at Oshkosh AirVenture. It's safe to say that the plane is the most anticipated new kit at OSH in a decade, at least. 

Everybody's first impression is that the plane is bigger than they thought it would be, which in part is probably because people know Van's other more modesty sized planes so well. 

With a substantial wingspan and high-lift tips, the RV-15 will most likely be a terrific slow-speed performer. 

The big, squared off tail is reminiscent of some Cessna we all know and love. With the fairly substantial fuselage side and the big tail, the '15 should be a stable flyer and then some, which is exactly what it looked like in the video of it flying that Van's released last shortly before AirVenture began.

The reps from Van's were patient answering what questions they could about the new model, which, after all, is a prototype. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, it changes in the final version. 

One needs to remember that this is a plane intended to be built by the buyer. The inclusion of a pre-built, composite cowling is a welcome sight. 

With very conventional looking wing structure, including beefy looking lift struts, large span flaps and a continuous leading edge, the RV-15 looks very much like classic Cessna taildraggers of yore. 

While it's clearly a prototype, there are a few takeaways, including the use of control sticks, a choice that will be cheered by Van's aficionados and backcountry traditionalists alike. The front seating area also looks very roomy.  

The big displays from Dynon sister brand Advanced Flight Systems looks right at home in the expansive panel of the RV-15. 

Much of the RV-15's construction, including the fuselage structure, will be quite familiar to prior builders of Van's kit planes. 

The baggage door looks medium sized, but remember, in many aircraft like this, you can always load bulkier items from the back seats. 

Probably to avoid having to answer the question a thousand times a day, someone at Van's used a Sharpie to write the engine model right on the aluminum just rear of the firewall. The answer is, it's a Lycoming 390-EXP-119, the same 215-hp engine that Van's has been offering on its RV-14 since 2020. 

High-wing design is different in many respects from low-wing design, and one of the most critical areas is in the way the doors are designed and built, and Van's has never built anything like this before. That all said, these doors look totally conventional, and when it comes to doors, tried and true is a very good thing. 

For some inexplicable reason, the data plate on the '15 says it's an RV-8! It really isn't in so many ways! 

We're not sure we've ever seen a new kit plane at Oshkosh where so many of the gawkers looked like they were ready to whip out their checkbooks right now!