Welcome to Revolution Aviation, Inc. and the RAI-1 and RAI-6
Our Motto is “Build Fast, Fly Faster”. Our kits are designed around simplified construction of parts and assemblies to “build fast”. The airframe is all composite construction and everything is designed for speed, to “Fly Faster”.
Our History. Revolution Aviation Inc., (RAI), designed and marketed our first two all composite aircraft while doing business as Team Tango. Several years ago, we dropped the name Team Tango and formalized the name to Revolution Aviation, Inc. although we’ll still answer to both.
The RAI-1 TANGO has been in production for years. It is our 2 seat high performance aircraft that is unbeaten in the industry for ease of build, performance and cost.
The RAI-6 Foxtrot is in production and is marketed as such. It evolved from the original kit known as the FOXTROT 4, which was fine for people under six feet tall, but many people needed more headroom. The RAI-6 has a taller, wider, and longer cabin with room for four adults. The wing and aft fuselage remain the same. Even though the fuselage is somewhat bigger, the cruise speed remains the same.
Our Aircraft are second to none for both performance and quality. If you are looking for a 2-seat or a 4-seat best in class cross country cruiser, we have a fast efficient machine to meet your needs. Both designs can Cruise at 180 knots, or over 200 mph!
We employ modern fiberglass technology in high quality custom tailored kits. We gel coat most of our molds before laying up a part. This largely eliminates the dreaded pinholes found in composite parts that are not gel coated. This in turn eliminates many hours of filling and sanding, and more filling and sanding to prep for painting. Following the gel coat, we lay up the actual part, using vacuum bagging and resin infusion where practical. These steps yield lighter, stronger parts and are common in the composite construction industry.
Our are kits are very complete and manufactured to be built in 1000 to 1500 hours, which is a very fast build for a full size composite aircraft kit. In recent years we began a program to reduce the need for precision measuring and fitting. For instance, anywhere we can, we use a jig to pre drill holes to save you time and eliminate errors. Also, we never miss a chance to “Simplify and add lightness”. We now offer these fast build kits and even faster build kits by using a custom faster build program. Our goal is to get you into a superior product, as fast as possible, within your budget. This philosophy is captured in our motto; “Build Fast, Fly Faster”.
The 2023 KITPLANES, Homebuilt Aircraft Directory, December 2022, lists over 1,200 homebuilt airplanes. They range from a set of plans, to complete kits that include everything you need to make it fly. There are designs to do just about anything you might want to do with an airplane, but you can’t do them all in one airplane. If you want to have fun, go fast, and go far, you are now in the right place. But of course you should shop around. Go to kitplanes.com/resources/aircraft buyers guide. Enter 150-250 mph cruise speed and the list gets much shorter. Also, check to see if the kit is still in production, and if the website is current. Compare!
Note that the KITPLANES directory lists speed and range in mph and statute miles. We, and many other manufactures, list speeds and range in knots and nautical miles. To make comparisons easier, we have included both sets of numbers. Also, you will not always be flying with full tanks, since the full wet wing (XR) is now standard, with no price increase. Accordingly, two sets of performance numbers are listed, the first for full tanks (gross weight), and the second for half tanks, which is what you will likely use for most local flying.
We know you are probably wondering, “What was between the RAI-1 and the RAI-6?
The RAI-2 was the original Foxtrot 4 and is no longer available as a kit. We have built several airplanes for overseas customers, usually one or two at a time. For marketing reasons, the planes received different names. The RAI-3 Tiluchi was a slightly modified RAI-1 for a South American customer. The RAI-4 Gavilan and the RAI-5 Rapier were based on the RAI-2 and are not currently in production.
Contact us and let us help you build the best possible aircraft for your situation.