Low-time, glass-panel, single-owner — this Van's RV-12 checks the three boxes most buyers are actually searching for. It's a genuinely tidy example of one of the most trusted names in modern Light Sport Aircraft, and it's ready to fly home today.

The Van's RV-12 was designed from the outset as an all-metal, side-by-side two-seater built to the ASTM Light Sport Aircraft standard, and it comes from Van's Aircraft — the same Oregon-based company responsible for more amateur-built aircraft flying today than any other manufacturer on earth.

Quick Facts: This 2023 Van's RV-12

Unlike many of its tandem-seat RV siblings, the RV-12 places both occupants ahead of the wing spar, which means a genuinely roomy cabin and unobstructed visibility in every direction.

• Cabin layout: Side-by-side two-seat, both occupants seated ahead of the main wing spar

• Construction: All-metal, riveted aluminum airframe

• Landing gear: Fixed tricycle (nosewheel) gear

• Removable wings: Using quick-release methods borrowed from decades of high-performance sailplane design, two people can pull both wings in under five minutes — ideal for trailer transport or off-airport storage

• Fleet size: More than 600 RV-12s are flying worldwide, backed by an active builder and owner community

What makes the Van's RV-12 different from other Light Sport Aircraft?

Most of the answer comes down to practicality. The Van's RV-12's quick-removable wings mean an owner can trailer the airplane home, store it in a smaller hangar bay, or keep it off-airport entirely — something very few metal LSAs offer. Combined with a cabin designed around visibility and elbow room rather than shoehorned around a wing spar, it's a general aviation aircraft engineered for the way owners actually use it.

This particular airframe adds real trust factors on top of the design itself: one owner since new, always hangared, no damage history, all Airworthiness Directives complied with, and an ARC valid to September 2027. It's the kind of paper trail that matters as much as the logbook hours.

2. Powerplant, Systems & Technical Highlights

The Van's RV-12 is powered by the engine that effectively built the modern LSA category — and this example's engine has been looked after with a level of documentation that's genuinely reassuring for a buyer.

• Engine: Rotax 912 ULS, 100 hp — the worldwide standard powerplant for Light Sport Aircraft

• Engine serial number: 9574396

• Engine time: 200 hours since new

• TBO: 2,000 hours — with 1,800 hours remaining

• Fuel: Mogas capable and recommended; also runs on 100LL

• Reduction drive: Integrated gearbox keeps the propeller in its most efficient RPM range

• Recent work: Airframe and engine just passed the 200-hour inspection and maintenance

• Oil program: Cylinders regularly boroscoped and oil sent for analysis to Blackstone Labs — all reported in perfect condition

• Propeller: Sensenich 2-blade, ground-adjustable composite — light, smooth, and inexpensive to maintain

• Cosmetic note: Some dents on the propeller from operation off a dirt strip (visible in photos) — a minor, honestly disclosed cosmetic item, not a performance concern

Weight and useful load are where the RV-12 design really shines for a two-seat LSA:

• Empty weight: approx. 340 kg

• Max gross weight: 599 kg

• Typical useful load: two 85 kg occupants, a full 76-liter fuel tank, plus 22 kg of baggage

How does the Rotax 912 ULS compare to a traditional GA engine?

This aircraft's avionics stack is thoroughly modern for a tube-and-fabric-era-descended design category built entirely in metal:

• Dynon SkyView HDX 10" touch display

• Dynon two-axis autopilot (SV32) with NAV capability — accepts flight plans from SkyDemon, flies horizontal and vertical navigation

• SV-ADAHRS-200 attitude reference module

• SV-XPNDR-261 Mode S transponder with ADS-B Out

• SV-GPS-250 GPS receiver

• SV-BAT-320 backup battery

• SV-EMS-220 engine instrumentation module with probes

• SV-SYNVIS-280 synthetic vision module

• SV-MAP-270 moving map software

• Garmin GTR-225A comm radio (8.33 kHz spacing)

• PS Engineering PM3000 stereo intercom

• Backup Winter airspeed indicator and vertical-reading compass

• RAM mount support for iPad/tablet with USB power

3. Exterior & Cockpit

Exterior:

• Clean, all-metal riveted airframe with the quick-removable wing panels that make the Van's RV-12 so trailer-friendly

• Ground-adjustable Sensenich composite propeller — light and purposeful looking on the nose

• Lightweight Bruce canopy cover included for outdoor/hangar protection

• Always kept in a hangar, with no damage history on record

• Van's upgraded nose fork fitted

Cockpit:

• Side-by-side two-seat cabin, both seats positioned ahead of the wing spar for a genuinely open, airy feel

• Full Van's-supplied upholstery: carpets, sidewalls, side pockets, and baggage-area trim

• 5-point harnesses

• Complete lighting system: adjustable cockpit red light, LED landing, nav, and strobe lights

• Cabin heat plus an adjustable fresh-air ventilation system

• Hydraulic differential disc brakes on both the pilot and copilot sides

• Electric elevator trim

• Map box and Van's panel glareshield

• Interior Koger sunshade for the canopy

• Van's upgraded canopy latch design, allowing the canopy to be cracked open while taxiing — a small but well-loved comfort feature

• Tow bar/gust lock included

Climb in, and the Van's RV-12 feels less like a basic trainer and more like a scaled-down touring aircraft — glass panel glowing, cabin heat within reach, and sightlines that open up the whole sky ahead of the wing.

4. The Perfect Airplane For

Who is this Van's RV-12 best suited for?

This particular Van's RV-12 suits a buyer who wants modern capability without modern complexity — and who values a paper trail as clean as the airframe itself.

• Light Sport pilots and student pilots who want a proven, all-metal LSA with a genuinely modern glass panel

• Budget-conscious owners who want lower fuel burn and Rotax reliability instead of a heavier, thirstier traditional GA engine

• Buyers who want flexible storage or trailer transport, thanks to the quick-removable wing system

• Cross-country VFR flyers who want autopilot, synthetic vision, and ADS-B situational awareness in a light, economical airframe

• First-time aircraft owners moving up from renting, looking for straightforward Rotax maintenance and worldwide parts support

• Buyers who prioritize documentation — this example offers one-owner history, Blackstone Labs oil analysis, and full AD compliance

Pilot licensing rules for Light Sport-category aircraft vary by country and regulatory authority, so buyers should confirm requirements with their local aviation authority before purchase.

With a 200-hour airframe, a freshly completed 200-hour inspection, and a documented single-owner history, this Van's RV-12 is about as low-risk an entry into modern Light Sport flying as the market offers right now.