In 1995, Van’s decided to re-visit the tandem concept. Even though the side-by-side RV-6/6A had become the most popular homebuilt design ever, there was still a significant percentage of pilots who really wanted centerline seating. The consensus seemed to be that a new tandem airplane, optimized for cross-country flying, would be popular.

The "concept airplane" was dubbed the RV-8. A one-of-a-kind demonstrator was built in 1995 and introduced at Oshkosh. The cockpit was several inches wider than the RV-4, so space both front and rear was greatly improved. Really big people (high on the "bubba scale") who could not fit in earlier RVs now had an airplane they could fly. A front baggage compartment almost doubled the available baggage capacity…and along with the usual compartment behind the rear seat, actually gave slightly more space than the RV-6/6A. With compartments both forward and aft, keeping the loaded airplane in the allowable CG envelope was easier than ever. An upright seating position under a big bubble canopy continued the RV tradition of unparalleled visibility. Fuel capacity was increased again and the engine compartment was designed to accept engines from 150-200 horsepower.

Although the wing looked and flew exactly like the RV-4 wing, it was actually much simpler to build. Advances in manufacturing and design capability, including the acquisition of computer controlled machine tools, meant that the entire kit could be simpler, more precise and much more pre-fabricated than ever before.

Performance was typically RV. With the same power, the RV-8 flew and handled very much like earlier RVs, but with the bigger engines, the numbers were even more impressive. It was now possible to maintain cruise speeds over 200 mph and climb rates over 2500’/minute.