NEAR THE 200 HOUR MARK
Nearly 200 hours of flight time later we are still impressed with the smooth, quiet, and spunky performance and handling of the S-19. And it has not be easy hours, this has been real world testing from flying over the Rockies four times, taking off at above 7000’ density altitudes with max loads, to hundreds of demo flights. The plane has also been subjected to detailed inspections for any signs of stress, cracking, overloads, and continues to pass without major issues. I have personally enjoyed this plane as fast transit for a handful of trips:
July: Oshkosh WI.
August: Stevens Point WI.
September: Rock Mountain Kit Planes Utah, RANS Demo days
October: ASTM flight test completed and passed, Copperstate AZ.
November: Oshkosh WI., Kansas City KS.

PASSED SLSA FLIGHT TESTING

The flight testing for SLSA was especially fun, the plane performed well, and like clockwork we beat through the flight test cards, with the spin testing last on the list. The S-19 was tested to the standard of one turn left and right, and a bit beyond, noting at 1.5 turns recovery is still crisp and within 45 degrees of input. At present we are placarding the plane “spins prohibited”, opening this to allow spins may be considered at a later date.

SLSA COST AND DELIVERY
We are compiling as much costing data as possible to develop a fair pricing structure for the SLSA version of the S-19. At this point in very rough numbers and dates it looks like this: 120K for a glass cockpit, 100HP Rotax equipped plane with full interior kit. We have started building a second demo ship and will keep the process going, with planes available for sale in 9 months or less. The production rate will be small as we tend to ramp up over time, and gain order pressure. Our expectations are to be at 50 to 75 planes in 2 to 3 years.

TAIL KITS SHIPPING
On the kit side of things the first tail kits have been shipped and should have arrived into the hands of the first builders by this posting. We believe they will be thoroughly impressed with the quality, completeness, and neatness of the kit. In other words we think the S-19 kit plane will inherit that ease of build, and complete kit aspect RANS is famous for.

Delivery of total kits should be happening in a matter of months. This is a big order, over 50 some planes and sales are starting to increase since we have entered delivery cycle. We are attacking the problem with the usual grit and vigor and most likely will be adding even more staff and a second shift, and more equipment. The S-19 is causing it’s own little growth spurt for RANS, and not to out done, our other models are selling quite well, especially the S-7S, which seems to be hitting a nice stride in both kits and SLSA planes.

THINNER CANOPY IN FLIGHT TEST
We have tested the thinner windshield and will be installing the thinner side glass soon. There is no difference in cockpit noise level between the two thicknesses. This was a big concern since the plane is unusually quiet.

EMPTY WEIGHT and ENGINE CHOICES

The thinner canopy weight savings has added up to about a 9 pounds ( this far below the 40 pounds I was hoping for!). The estimated all optioned out, fully equipped empty weight is 830. That includes a full interior, and glass cockpit. Other parts have been put on a diet and could result in a slightly lower empty weight. Keep in mind this is a fully equipped plane, and we are combing the airframe for weight reductions. The bottom line however is our hopes of using either the 0-200 or 0-235 and keeping in LSA is fading. In a way this is a good thing, since those engines are shaky, old tech, and use much more fuel. The 912ULS despite the price increase is still the best choice for those wanting a legal LSA that will perform well just about anywhere you can legally fly an LSA in the USA. The other engine choice we intend to explore, or at least provide a mounting kit is the Jabiru.

AUTO PILOT TESTING
We are installing a Tru Trak auto pilot, even though this plane barely needs one, the cross country manners of this plane are that of a big twin, flying on a rail, but yet light and responsive! In other words what a fun plane to take places, but I admit an auto-pilot sounds fun too, especially if it does not gum up the light handling. Many who purchase the SLSA want such and option, so it needs to be explore.

On a fun note, Jim Younkins and his lovely wife Ada came out from Tru Trak and we had a great time flying his RV-10 and the S-19. I really respect Jim’s opinion about sport planes since he has installed auto-pilots in most all brands flying. His remarks about the S-19 “This does not fly like a sport plane, it flies like a plane should, and the way a sport plane should fly. There is nothing out there that even comes close to flying this nice, you have raised the bar to a new standard. Being more specific about my impression of this aircraft, I found myself comparing it with our company RV9, an aircraft which is highly regarded. The aileron response or feel is comparable to the 9. When slow flying at the edge of a stall directional control is positive, and even in the stall it remained so. The large flaps are very effective so as to permit a steep approach withdrawal excessive speed build up. Finally, I was pleased to note that both the brake and a free swivel nose gear were employed. This is much better in cross winds then the combination of a hand brake and steerable nose gear found in most of the LSA aircraft I have flown. Another feature of value in the cross wind situation is that it has sufficient cross control response (slip). To sum it up, I would say I am inclined to compare it more with the RV9 than other LSA aircrafts I have flown. ”

We will continue to strive to provide a quality product, and keep raising the bar. Thanks Jim for that candid impression.

Randy Schlitter
CEO RANS Designs Inc.