LONDONDERRY, N.H. — When high school students in New Hampshire began building planes, they didn’t expect the aircraft’s designer to be available for questions.
But that’s what will happen when Richard VanGrunsven, legendary founder of Van’s Aircraft Co., travels to the Granite State next month to visit student plane-building workshops in Manchester, Lebanon, and Farmington.
VanGrunsven will also be the featured speaker at the Aviation Museum of N.H.’s annual fundraising gala, which takes place Oct. 10, 2025.
VanGrunsven, 85, designed the Van’s RV-12iS, the two-seat all-metal airplane used in the New Hampshire plane-building programs, as well as all of the other airplanes produced by Van’s Aircraft of Aurora, Oregon. He continues to be actively involved in the company he founded in 1973.
“He’s literally the RV in the RV-12iS airplane, which is used in all three of our high-school student plane-building programs,” said Jeff Rapsis, executive director of the Aviation Museum of N.H.
Under his leadership, Van’s Aircraft has grown into the world’s leading manufacturer of kit aircraft, with more than 11,000 flying around the world. On average, 10 Van’s airplanes are completed every week by aircraft enthusiasts around the globe.
The Aviation Museum, a non-profit based at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, launched student plane-building programs in partnership with local school districts and Tango Flight, a non-profit that facilitates student plane-builds around the nation.
Proceeds from the gala will support the building programs, which the Aviation Museum has been funding at no direct cost to local taxpayers.
Students from all three plane-building programs will be in attendance, as well as adult volunteer mentors and school faculty. An RV-12iS completed by Manchester students will also be on display.
The event is open to the public. Tickets are $125 per person; tables of 8 are $800. Tickets may be purchased online at AviationMuseumOfNH.org or by calling 603-669-4877.
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