Oregon Aero has reached a milestone that underscores its cooperative relationship with Van’s Aircraft: The company recently shipped out the 1,500th seat for builders of the RV-10 kit plane. In fact, due to the popularity of the RV-10, Oregon Aero officials estimate they will have shipped nearly 2,000 seats by the end of Oshkosh.
Oregon Aero will commemorate this achievement by presenting a plaque of appreciation to Van’s Aircraft during their banquet for RV aircraft owners and builders during AirVenture. Van’s 2011 Oshkosh Banquet will be held July 26 in the EAA Nature Center Pavilion, with dinner beginning at 7 p.m.
When the RV-10 was introduced in 2003, Van’s Aircraft founder Richard VanGrunsven predicted, “We feel that the combination of Oregon Aero’s attention to safety and the company’s strong reputation for seating comfort will add great value to the RV-10.” Eight years later, he says, “We’re very pleased with our decision to go with Oregon Aero. The seats in our company RV-10 have proved to be positively relaxing on long trips, and we’re happy knowing we’re providing our customers with an excellent combination of comfort and safety.”
The RV-10 is a single-engine, low-wing homebuilt kit airplane — the first four-seater in the RV series, with the cabin interior designed around a pair of Oregon Aero High-G front seats, which come standard with each kit.
The introduction of the RV-10 marked the first time Van’s offered a seat and cushion package as standard equipment for its kit aircraft. As of July 1, 2011, 359 RV-10 aircraft had been built and flown. Van’s has sold more than 1,200 RV-10s to date, so hundreds of kits are currently under construction, awaiting installation of Oregon Aero seats as one of the final steps before completion.
While many customers are private pilots in the USA, primary purchasers of the RV-10 include three companies from Brazil which build the kits and sell the completed RV-10s to Brazilian customers. With both domestic and international appeal for the RV-10 growing, Oregon Aero’s seat department has orders booked deep into the calendar year, with this year’s sales to surpass previous benchmarks.
Developed and patented by Oregon Aero, the OEM High-G Seat features a modular design that permits custom applications to meet the specific needs of airframe manufacturers. The seat provides maximum comfort over extended periods of time, as well as durability, reliability and functionality. The RV-10 High-G Seat tilts forward for rear access and reclines to accommodate pilot preference for position. The lumbar cushion is pilot-adjustable, too.
The High-G Seat, which includes the frame, seat pan, assembly, cushion system, and operating mechanisms, underwent years of engineering design and experimentation before Oregon Aero began manufacturing it. The seat meets FAA Part 23 regulations, including dynamic testing.
Seat cushions from Oregon Aero are available for all of Van’s RV-series aircraft. Customers may order the standard cushions available for the RV-4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, or Oregon Aero will customize them.
