The RV-9 market this morning
What does a used RV-9 ask right now?
With 10 for sale this morning, the Van's RV-9 is the 41st most-listed piston type on Barnstormers and second to the Van's RV-6 among Van's types. 4 were listed in the last 30 days and 10 came down, about the same churn as the rest of the class. 2 of them are in WA.
Asking prices run from $17,000 to $175,000, and half of the 10 priced listings sit between $104,000 and $137,500. The median is $119,500, close to the experimental and kit median of $119,500; 3 of the 7 Van's types here ask more. Age matters: 2000s airframes ask a median of $110,000 against $138,500 for the 2010s.
3 sellers cut price in the last 30 days, 30% of the live fleet against 27% across every type we track; the average cut took 4% off the ask.
Set against every other type, the RV-9 also appears in our note on which models get their price cut most often, with the sample behind each figure.
Written from this morning's figures and how they compare with the other types on the site. It changes as the market does.
Asking price distribution
Asking prices as typed by the seller. "Call" and "make offer" are counted as unpriced.
Median asking by decade
| Built | Seen | Median ask | Cut rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9 | $110,000 | 22% |
| 2010s | 6 | $138,500 | 33% |
Year is read from the seller's title, so 51% of RV-9 listings don't have one. They count everywhere else on this page but not in this table.
Be first to the next RV-9 that lists or drops
One Telegram message the morning a RV-9 appears in your budget, and another the day a seller cuts, with days listed and where the ask sits against these 10. Free during beta.
Buyer's notes
About the Van's RV-9
What it is
The RV-9 is the gentle RV. It is a side-by-side two-seat, low-wing aluminum airplane introduced in the late 1990s, and it shares its fuselage with the RV-7 but carries a longer wing with a different airfoil and large slotted flaps. The design goal was a cross-country two-seater for lower horsepower: a Lycoming O-235 of about 118 hp at the bottom, an O-320 of 160 hp at the top. The RV-9A tricycle version outnumbers the taildragger by a wide margin. It is not an aerobatic airplane, and the factory has always said so.
What you get for giving up aerobatics is an airplane that climbs well on less power, stalls slower, glides farther and rides bumps more smoothly than its stablemates. Roll is still quick by certified standards, just not as quick as an RV-7. Owners note that it is the easiest RV to step into from a Cessna or a Cherokee. Its reputation is as the sensible one.
Variants that matter for price
Sellers write RV-9 or RV-9A and the A is what most buyers are looking for. Engine choice is the main lever: a 160 hp O-320 with a constant-speed prop is the strong end, a 150 hp O-320 on a fixed-pitch prop is the common middle, and an O-235 airplane is the economy build that a subset of buyers seek for the fuel burn. The factory never approved the O-360 for the RV-9, so an airplane with one is flying outside the design and buyers should treat it that way. The panel makes a big spread on a type bought for travel: an EFIS with an autopilot and an IFR navigator is what people expect, and a steam-gauge panel takes a lot off.
What buyers check
On a 9A, the nose gear leg and fork come first. The factory revised both after nose-over accidents on soft or rough ground, and the airplane should have the later parts and no play at the leg socket. On either version, inspect the fuel tanks for weeping at the rivet lines, the long wing's attach area and center section, and the flap hinges and actuator, which work hard because the flaps are big. Ask for the builder's log with photos and the Phase I sign-off. Check the factory service bulletin list against the logs. Engine care is standard Lycoming. Damage history is usually a nose-over on a 9A or a ground loop on a 9, so look at the gear towers, the wingtips, the prop and the firewall. A good prebuy spends its time on wiring and the fuel system, where builders improvise.
Who it suits
The RV-9 fits a pilot who wants a fast, efficient two-seater for trips and local flying, does not care about aerobatics, and would rather have a smooth ride and a slow landing than a high roll rate. It is not a load hauler and the baggage bay is small. Buyers cross-shop it against the RV-7 for the aerobatic option, the RV-12 for lower cost and sport-pilot eligibility, and a Grumman Tiger or a Diamond DA20 on the certified side.
How much does a used Van's RV-9 cost?
Asking prices on Barnstormers this morning run from $17,000 to $175,000, and the median is $119,500. The middle half of the 10 priced listings sit between $104,000 and $137,500. These are asking prices, not sale prices.
How many Van's RV-9s are for sale right now?
10 on Barnstormers as of Oct 18, 2026. 4 were listed in the last 30 days and 10 came down. PlaneSnipe has tracked 35 since Jul 19, 2026.
How long does a Van's RV-9 take to sell?
Not enough RV-9 listings have both appeared and closed yet to say. The survivor rate appears here once the cohort is large enough.
How often do Van's RV-9 sellers cut the price?
3 price cuts in the last 30 days against 10 live listings, averaging 4% off the previous ask. Cuts are logged when the asking price drops between two consecutive mornings.
Last 30 days
Which RV-9 sellers cut their price in the last 30 days?
| Aircraft | Where | Listed | Asking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Vans RV9 300 Hrs TotalOct 2 | LA | 91 d | $169,000$159,000−6% |
| RV9ASep 30 | IN | 88 d | $145,900$139,900−4% |
| Sold!-vans RV-9A -2005- NDH!Sep 21 | MI | 65 d | $104,500$104,000−0% |
For sale now
Which RV-9s are for sale right now?
Newest first. Days listed is counted from the morning we first saw the ad; listings that predate Jul 19, 2026 show the day we started watching.
| Aircraft | Where | Listed | Cuts | Asking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Van’s RV-9A (slider) | CA | 2 d | – | $154,900 |
| 2014 Vans RV-9A | GA | 10 d | – | $137,500 |
| RV-9A Project Sale (chapter 34 | TX | 15 d | – | $17,000 |
| Vans RV-9A 2011 Project | IL | 40 d | – | $109,000 |
| Van's RV-9A | AZ | 54 d | 1 | $84,500 |
| Vans RV9A | WA | 63 d | – | $175,000 |
| Sold!-vans RV-9A -2005- NDH! | MI | 65 d | 1 | $104,000 |
| Vans RV-9A Slider | WA | 91 d | 1 | $119,000 |
| 2018 Vans RV9 300 Hrs Total | LA | 91 d | 2 | $159,000 |
| 2010 Vans RV-9A | ME | 91 d | 1 | $120,000 |
Cross-shop
What else does a RV-9 buyer look at?
Other Van's types with a page here, then the same class at a similar asking price.
Geography and method
Where are the RV-9s, and how are they counted?
Where they are
How we count
Barnstormers piston categories are read once a day. A listing is "delisted" after it is missing on two consecutive mornings. Days listed starts the morning we first saw the ad, so listings that predate Jul 19, 2026 are excluded from time-on-market figures. Prices are asking prices as typed by the seller. Nothing here is an appraisal. Full methodology.