I think that the aircraft will be around for a while in all the forms that you have seen.
In terms of construction there are a few problems, the nose leg is weak and the factory are addressing this issue, the crack that I saw went around 60% of the nose leg tube, the new leg supplied by the factory was of much stronger construction! If you have the "old" leg change it now or have a shock load.
Other areas of the construction are also very "light", the steps and parts of the rear cockpit roof are examples of this so I would expect that in the hands of a private owner this would not be a problem........... in flying club use it would be another matter.
To fly the aircraft it very light in pitch, this might give a low time pilot who has only flown the C152 or PA28 a bit of a problem at the start so an hour or two with an instructor is the order of the day, the pitch issue is not a problem........just different and once the low timer has adjusted his flying he will have no more trouble with it.
The roll rate is a bit slow so when you put the high pitch rate in to the picture you dont have the classic feel of say the DHC-1 or even the DR400 but it is safe enough just not as pleasing to fly but it is a lot cheaper.
On the whole I think it is probably the best aircraft at this end of the market and is likely to have a long production run.
Having said all that I would take the RV in a heartbeat rather than a sport cruiser.
Last edited by A and C; 5th Oct 2010 at 16:02.