Van's Aircraft Factory Tour

Van's Aircraft, in Aurora, Oregon, is the leading aircraft kit manufacturer for a reason. The company retains its dedication to total performance--from the aircraft, to the kit itself to customer service. KITPLANES editor Marc Cook recently visited the factory and here's his report.

• Category

  Autos & Vehicles

[PDZ1122]

Ah, the opinion of an uneducated, uninformed idiot. Let's see your engineering qualifications.

Also, I am going to take a lot of a lot more care riveting and gluing parts together than some bored guy on an assembly line somewhere.

30,000 registered homebuilts flying in this country. Most flying rings around "certified" production stuff.

[audioentertainment]

- To lump "kit" planes into un unsafe category as a whole is not only unfair- it is inaccurate. If you have specific fact to back up you claim - please present them. All Kit/Experimental/homebuilt aircraft must meet the same standards of airworthiness as a certificated/manufactured plane, and are inspected by FAA approved (in the US) inspectors before an airworthiness certificate can be issued. There are more of VAN's airplanes flying than there are Citation Jets! Bring Facts!

[CapRoth]

Yeah, they should shut down Boeing for the terrible accidents they've had!!! Or Ford for the freeway accidents!! All those dangerous vehicles with small vapor engines!! Ohhh!!! I forgot they are no longer vapor, perhaps they are Rotax....

Lucky for us EXPERIMENTAL aircraft enthusiasts our airplanes are as safe as we build them. So my advice drumdude is you build and fly one and hopefully you'll be right in yours. Van's planes are as good or better than factory ones and I'M RIGHT

[drumdude46]

exactly right "rrd199". and.....glad you noticed i 'wasn't invited". hey, pretty observant fellow you are. lol! look, ok, i'm sure perhaps this company builds a solid frame. i suppose my original rant was 'out of the box' and based on knowledge of "Sooooo many" horrible accidents by dudes building these Kit planes, and taking to the sky, only to end up casualties. i maintain that. if your devotion to such things as this is enough to offer such Defense, have at it!

[Addie Alber]

my step dad is in that vid.! hes in the black and tan swet shirt! with a hat, hes at the video still when u click on the video 2 see it

[airbikebuilder]

Why do they assemble the quickbuild kit components overseas? Doesn't seem like there is that much work in it such that it would be worth it for cheaper labor.

[Lynn Hall]

Van's is the best!