Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
The RV-10 first flew in 2003 as Van's first four-seat design in the established RV range. Its low wing, fixed tricycle gear and enclosed cabin are supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗A winter flight begins the journey to a new owner
Hirschman met the RV-10 on a clear winter morning in Saskatchewan, pushing it outside over crunching snow. He had brought a heated jacket for the flight, but the cabin heater soon left him too warm. After the owner flew the departure, Hirschman took the controls for slow flight, stalls and steep turns, getting acquainted with the aircraft before its journey south.
AOPA Flight Training · September 2019. Flying the Canadian RV-10 acquired for AOPA’s sweepstakes; the subsequent journey to Maryland benefited from a tailwind.
AOPA Flight Training · Read more ↗Printed mode labels do not prove the autopilot is engaged
The manual says TRK and ALT remain visible on the LCD even when their modes are off. AP couples or disables the autopilot; EXT is not modelled.
Vans Aircraft RV-10 · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12
Laminar Research · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Randy Vanstory · 3 min ·
RV 10 N783V Video Tour of Plane HD 1080p
An RV-10 builder gives a detailed tour of his completed aircraft.
Real aircraft · Vans Aircraft RV-10
Watch on YouTube ↗
YouTube AOPA: Your Freedom to Fly · 4 min ·
Fly-off: Cirrus SR22 vs. Vans RV-10
AOPA compares the RV-10 and Cirrus SR22 through a flying contest.
Comparison · Van’s RV-10 and Cirrus SR22
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Vans Aircraft RV-10
The RV-10 first flew in 2003 as Van's first four-seat design in the established RV range. Its low wing, fixed tricycle gear and enclosed cabin are supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
Builders can choose different engines, avionics and interiors. Laminar's X-Plane model represents the cockpit, avionics and trim controls documented in its manual.
Vans Aircraft RV-10
Van’s Aircraft → · Explore the family →
Vans Aircraft RV-10
Wikipedia contributors · Van's Aircraft RV-10 ↗Laminar Research · X-Plane 12 →Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
Van’s tests the four-seat market
Chief engineer Ken Krueger recalled that a four-seat RV was a significant new direction for Van’s. The company investigated the market before committing to the design; Cook’s retrospective dates the RV-10’s initial offering to 2003.
KITPLANES · Flight Review: Seven Into Ten ↗Development recollection published in 2010
Development milestones
Designer: Richard VanGrunsven
First flight: 29 May 2003
Developed from: Van's Aircraft RV-7
Wikipedia contributors · Van's Aircraft RV-10 ↗Van's Aircraft RV-10 · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1317728107
Pilot accounts
A winter flight begins the journey to a new owner
Hirschman met the RV-10 on a clear winter morning in Saskatchewan, pushing it outside over crunching snow. He had brought a heated jacket for the flight, but the cabin heater soon left him too warm. After the owner flew the departure, Hirschman took the controls for slow flight, stalls and steep turns, getting acquainted with the aircraft before its journey south.
The next day they flew to Maryland through Minot, with a helpful wind shortening the trip. At Frederick, the farewell was personal: the owner patted the cowling and thanked the aircraft for the family journeys and flying experience it had given him.
AOPA Flight Training · September 2019. Flying the Canadian RV-10 acquired for AOPA’s sweepstakes; the subsequent journey to Maryland benefited from a tailwind.
Read the full account · AOPA Flight Training ↗Ten years of trips become a record of shared experiences
Nelson’s ten-year review of his RV-10 is full of people and destinations. The aircraft had carried family and friends, introduced young passengers to flying, and made repeated journeys to Mexico with the Flying Samaritans. His logbook recorded those volunteer trips alongside camping visits to Oshkosh and flights to watch two solar eclipses.
It also changed the scale of ordinary travel between Mesa and the Mogollon Airpark, turning a long drive into a much shorter flight. Nelson had mechanical problems to deal with during the decade, so the retrospective is also an ownership record.
KITPLANES · September 2024. Nelson looks back on the decade following N24EV’s first flight on 14 May 2014.
Read the full account · KITPLANES ↗The larger RV asks for a different touch
Cook arrived with experience of smaller RVs and initially expected the four-seater to respond in much the same way. During takeoff, the pitch force caught him out: it needed a more deliberate pull than the RV-9A he knew. Hickman’s glance from the other seat made the moment mildly embarrassing, but Cook soon adjusted and began to appreciate the larger aircraft’s balance and stability.
His first landing followed a straight-in GPS approach, leaving little opportunity to become familiar with the circuit beforehand. It was soft, although farther along the runway than he intended. Small cockpit details, including the flap control’s lack of position markings, also attracted his attention.
KITPLANES · April 2010. Flight in Rob Hickman’s RV-10, used for family travel and Advanced Flight Systems equipment evaluation.
Read the full account · KITPLANES ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →X-Plane 12Vans Aircraft RV-10
Laminar Research · Released
Vans Aircraft RV-10
Laminar Research · Released
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Van's RV-10
SimWorks Studios · Released
Van's RV-10
SimWorks Studios · Released
X-Plane 12 Enhancement Vans RV-10 EFM
X-Aerodynamics · Released
Vans RV-10 EFM
X-Aerodynamics · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 24 ft 5 in (7.44 m) |
| Wingspan | 31 ft 9 in (9.68 m) |
| Height | 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) |
| Wing area | 148 sq ft (13.7 m² ) |
| Empty weight | 1,630 lb (739 kg) |
| Gross weight | 2,700 lb (1,225 kg) |
| Powerplant | 1 × Lycoming O-540 six-cylinder, air-cooled aircraft engine , 260 hp (190 kW) |
| Propellers | 2-bladed constant speed Hartzell Propeller |
| Maximum speed | 208 mph (335 km/h, 181 kn) |
| Cruise speed | 197 mph (317 km/h, 171 kn) 75% power at 8,000 ft (2,438 m) |
| Stall speed | 63 mph (101 km/h, 55 kn) |
| Range | 825 mi (1,328 km, 717 nmi) 75% power at 8,000 ft (2,438 m) |
| Service ceiling | 20,000 ft (6,100 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,450 ft/min (7.4 m/s) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
Printed mode labels do not prove the autopilot is engagedVans Aircraft RV-10 · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12
The manual says TRK and ALT remain visible on the LCD even when their modes are off. AP couples or disables the autopilot; EXT is not modelled.
Laminar RV-10 manual, PDF pp.25–26
Laminar Research · Read the source ↗A G1000-equipped homebuilt in X-PlaneVans Aircraft RV-10 · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12
Laminar's RV-10 guide documents stick controls, electric pitch-trim commands and a G1000/autopilot panel. That avionics choice identifies the represented homebuilt aircraft. A later special livery does not, by itself, establish a new control interface or different underlying aircraft systems.
Archived simulator manual; installed package revision not observed · PDF pp.11,17,21
Laminar Research · Read the source ↗Overhead lights can be aimed and recolouredVans Aircraft RV-10 · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12
The overhead buttons select white, red, green or blue light. Each LED can be repositioned by clicking and dragging.
Laminar RV-10 manual, PDF p.18
Laminar Research · Read the source ↗The backup display has a separate electrical supplyVans Aircraft RV-10 · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12
The backup PFD operates independently of the avionics electrical bus. The main X1000 arrangement places the PFD left and MFD right.
Laminar RV-10 manual, PDF pp.22–24
Laminar Research · Read the source ↗The parking brake has a documented limitVans Aircraft RV-10 · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12
Pulling the lever sets the parking brake and pushing releases it. The manual warns that it will not hold the simulated aircraft above idle throttle.
Laminar RV-10 manual, PDF p.20; simulator-specific documentation
Laminar Research · Read the source ↗Pilot account
A winter flight begins the journey to a new ownerAOPA Flight Training · September 2019. Flying the Canadian RV-10 acquired for AOPA’s sweepstakes; the subsequent journey to Maryland benefited from a tailwind.
Hirschman met the RV-10 on a clear winter morning in Saskatchewan, pushing it outside over crunching snow. He had brought a heated jacket for the flight, but the cabin heater soon left him too warm. After the owner flew the departure, Hirschman took the controls for slow flight, stalls and steep turns, getting acquainted with the aircraft before its journey south. The next day they flew to Maryland through Minot, with a helpful wind shortening the trip.
Dave Hirschman
AOPA Flight Training · Read the source ↗Ten years of trips become a record of shared experiencesKITPLANES · September 2024. Nelson looks back on the decade following N24EV’s first flight on 14 May 2014.
Nelson’s ten-year review of his RV-10 is full of people and destinations. The aircraft had carried family and friends, introduced young passengers to flying, and made repeated journeys to Mexico with the Flying Samaritans. His logbook recorded those volunteer trips alongside camping visits to Oshkosh and flights to watch two solar eclipses. It also changed the scale of ordinary travel between Mesa and the Mogollon Airpark, turning a long drive into a much shorter flight.
Myron Nelson
KITPLANES · Read the source ↗Developer documentation
Van's RV-10 — product listingVan's RV-10 · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue
Contrail · Read the source ↗Van's RV-10 — product listingVan's RV-10 · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue
iniBuilds Store · Read the source ↗Vans RV-10 EFM — product listingVans RV-10 EFM · X-Plane 12
Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue
X-Plane.org authorized store · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
Van’s Aircraft RV-10 POHLaminar Research X-Plane 12 Desktop ManualLaminar Research X-Plane aircraft and avionics manualsLaminar ResearchAircraft background
Van's Aircraft RV-10Wikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1317728107 · retrieved 2026-09-12Type designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Product
Van's RV-10 MSFS by SimWorks Studios | Contrail ShopContrail · Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue SimWorks Studios Van's Aircraft RV-10 for MSFS-2020 – iniBuilds StoreiniBuilds Store · Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue Laminar VANs RV-10 Enhanced Flight Model exact product classificationX-Plane.org authorized store · Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogueBuilt-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 6 profile choices
SimWorks Studios RV-10
SimWorks Studios · Free and Pro · Revision 4 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
SimWorks Studios RV-10: The chosen response supplies the kit-aircraft control resistance.
X-Aerodynamics RV-10 EFM Continental IO-360 210hp
X-Aerodynamics · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
X-Aerodynamics RV-10 EFM Continental IO-360 210hp: The chosen response supplies the kit-aircraft control resistance.
X-Aerodynamics RV-10 EFM IO-540 260hp
X-Aerodynamics · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
X-Aerodynamics RV-10 EFM IO-540 260hp: The chosen response supplies the kit-aircraft control resistance.
X-Aerodynamics RV-10 EFM IO-540 300hp
X-Aerodynamics · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
X-Aerodynamics RV-10 EFM IO-540 300hp: The chosen response supplies the kit-aircraft control resistance.
X-Aerodynamics RV-10 EFM Subaru Turbo 275hp
X-Aerodynamics · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
X-Aerodynamics RV-10 EFM Subaru Turbo 275hp: The chosen response supplies the kit-aircraft control resistance.
Vans Aircraft RV-10
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
X-Plane 12
Vans Aircraft RV-10: The chosen response supplies the kit-aircraft control resistance.
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