Why an RV-12?

So why an RV-12?  Well, it's a two-seater, which is all I can afford until I win the lottery, and because the wings come off.   And that's the kind of plane you want if you're going to be building in your garage.  Most homebuilt aircraft wings come off with quite a bit of effort (since that's where the gas tanks are), but Van's designed these to be light (80-something lbs or so each) and come on and off quickly and easily.  Check out their YouTube video:

Other things it has going for it is Van's reputation, their relatively close location in Oregon (should I ever need to drive to their factory and shake my fist at somebody), the large # of RV's out there flying (not that many -12's yet, but give it a few more years), and it's an LSA.  Specifically an E-LSA (that's Experimental Light Sport Aircraft for you land-lubbers).  'Case you didn't know, the FAA adopted regs making it easier to fly LSA's than other types of aircraft.  If you're the builder, you can also do your own maintenance, once you take a 2-day course, which is another cost saver.