Available Fully Assembled or as a Kit Unlike the flock of internationally designed Special Light-Sport Aircraft, RANS is a familiar name to Americans. Even closer to home, ultralight enthusiasts know the brand very well; ultralight aviation is the arena that gave designer Randy Schlitter his start. I first recall seeing the brand at Sun 'n Fun around 1984. And each year subsequently, it seemed, Randy showed up with something new. Not long into this profusion of new designs came the S-7. "The design of the S-7 originated out of the need to train [single-place] Coyote I pilots," Randy explains, "so the cockpit was set up the same with throttle on the left, and stick in the middle." Randy adds that he named the Courier in honor of one of his favorite planes, the STOLperforming Helio Courier. The S-7 Courier was the first 2-seater produced by RANS, dating to 1985 when the first prototype flew, succeeding the S-4/5 single-seater that kick-started the aviation business of the nowwell- known airplane manufacturer. The S-7 has grown over the years. Originally, empty weight on the Courier was a then-common, now-absurdly-light-sounding 390 pounds with a Rotax 503. The tandem 2-seater flew well on that low horsepower, but Randy notes they soon fitted it with the 65-hp Rotax 532 (which later become the Rotax 582 we know today). While developed extensively for two different certification systems, the simple S-7 Courier stayed true to form, a light, simple plane with traditional construction. In '02 the S-7C was introduced. This much-refined version was certified under FAA's then-new Primary category. It took RANS seven years of work to obtain the Type Certificate. A couple of years after the S-7C reached the market, the Kansas company introduced the S-7S, which they call "the kit form of the 'C.'" Because it falls within the weight, speed, and other parameters the S-7S can be flown with a Sport Pilot certificate or by a higher-rated pilot exercising the privileges of Sport Pilot. Since the SP/LSA legislation was introduced and after RANS declared compliance, the company can offer a fully built, ASTM-compliant version of the S- 7S designated the S-7LS. "This form of a ready-to-fly Courier is in production with deliveries being made all over the USA and beyond," says the company. For $89,000 you can purchase a fully equipped S- 7LS, with a Garmin GPS with moving map, and com radio plus transponder. So equipped, the S-7LS becomes a practical plane that also happens to be a fun sport plane. Have it Your Way Regardless of the value this $89,000 airplane represents, that's still too much dough for some people. Though offering a ready-to-fly SLSA version, RANS continues to offer and support a 51% kit version (more properly known as Experimental Amateur Built or EAB). If the Courier is for your own use, this is a fine choice, but you can't use it to train for hire nor may you rent it for compensation. At this time, RANS has no plans for an ELSA kit because they have concerns about people making unauthorized changes while officials still hold RANS responsible. A 51%-rule S-7 kit sells for $21,000 or $25,000 with the motor mount kit for a Rotax 912. The Quick-Build option adds $8,000 and will produce a kit with prebuilt wings with fuel tanks installed, and wings already covered in dope and fabric; prebuilt tail pieces with dope and fabric completed; prebuilt fuselage with covering complete plus installation of any parts that must be assembled prior to covering; and predrilled gear legs. Add an engine (a 100-hp Rotax 912S is currently about $19,000) and you'd be at $52,000. Including paint by RANS - for about $7,000 - an S-7 kit runs close to $60,000 before avionics, which makes the $89,000 SLSA ready-to-fly model look like a fair value, especially as you can use it for paid instruction, rental, or leaseback, things you can't do with a kit S-7. On the question of finishing a project you might start, RANS reports, "More than 95% of RANS kits are completed by the original buyer." Is a kit S-7 at $60,000 to $65,000 still too much for you? A base-priced S-7 kit with an 81-hp Rotax 912 costs less than $44,000, but it won't be painted or have any instruments. If this is still more than you can spend, RANS feels your pain. Ultralight enthusiasts can still select an S-12 Airaile with the perfectly workable Rotax 503 and motor mount for a significantly more modest $21,350. The trouble is, one flight in an S-7 Courier could spoil you; another airplane, even another RANS model, may not do the job. Courier Love Except for the RV-like S-16 Shekari, I think I've flown every model RANS has put in production. Ironically, the S-7 Courier was the last one I flew. I say ironically because after an hour and a half with Randy flying out of Peter O. Knight airport south of downtown Tampa, Florida, I think I found my favorite RANS model. I've enjoyed them all, for different reasons, but the Courier is a sweet flying machine. In a nutshell, the S-7 performed better then I expected (a surprisingly low sink rate, for example), handled more crisply than I expected, was easier to enter than I expected, and offered a better viewing platform than many airplanes. In flight, the S-7LS revealed a low instrument panel line, providing a generous overthe- nose view. Side windows that are a full 5 feet wide combine with a long skylight to greatly open the view and light the cockpit. Superior visibility makes aerial sightseeing a thing of genuine joy. Simple, comfortable seats (another RANS trademark) adjust fore and aft. Randy reports, "We [recently] improved seat comfort immensely by adding a sheet backing to the upper seat. This forces the cushions to rest on top of the frame, presenting much more foam against the back." Equipped with aileron spades that cut forces at the joystick in half, reduce adverse yaw, and increase roll rate, the Courier handles beautifully. Cranking and banking is as fun as whirling about in a jet ski on water. Yet the spades seem to offer plenty of feedback and pressure to assure good airborne manners. Although RANS' entry to the LSA race was a bit delayed, people who wondered if Randy Schlitter would produce an LSA don't know the designer well. No mere survivor, Schlitter is one of light aviation's leading veterans, a seasoned aviation businessman who competitors don't underestimate. The S-7LS - as we now know the ready-to-fly SLSA version - won its certificate on October 24, 2005. Only two weeks after this benchmark date I had the pleasure to fly the S-7LS with Randy in the aft seat. The Courier's outside door handle is also used as a holdup swinging inside a rod that hangs down from the underside of the wing in just the right place. Randy advised that I enter the front seat by starting in front of the wing strut, then simply sit down in the seat and lift one knee and leg up and over the joystick. RANS Courier is frequently compared to one of the Cub remakes, but it's really a different aircraft in many ways. For one, the S-7 Courier will better accommodate large pilots as well as those less flexible. Gaping 60-inch-wide (fore to aft) doors on each side facilitate entry like few other high-wing aircraft. RANS has produced more than 450 S-7 Courier models in all forms, making it the third most popular RANS model after the S-6 series and the S-12/14 Airaile models. By the end of summer '08, RANS reports they will have delivered more than 4,500 aircraft, a level reached by few airplane producers, especially telling since nearly all of these were kits. Clearly, RANS is one of light aviation's success stories. Visibility from the S-7 surprised me. From the outside, the Courier does not appear to have the openness I experienced when seated inside. The extensive skylight gives a good upward view and adds visibility in turns. Through large, side windows I could see aft, forward, and laterally better than from most airplanes I've flown. The flap lever was a little challenging Randy said they haven't quite figured out the right place to put it. Some similar designs put the flap lever on the left side since no door is provided in that location. But since the S-7LS opens on both sides, RANS engineers didn't have that option. So for now the lever is a long reach, especially when the flap lever is in the low position. I found it best to reach the flap handle by reaching around my left leg. Since my flight, RANS has continued refining the aircraft. Randy reports, "We have solved the flap lever reach problem. The SLSA version how has an inertia reel on the shoulder strap, and is an option for the kits and rear seats, too." The S-7LS flaps offer two deployed positions. Randy says the lever uses the two-detent positions in the lever to address what the FAA inspector expected to see, so it could not be an infinite adjusting control. The fuel selector value is down just to the left of the flap handle. You always check this before takeoff, of course. Courier STOL Thanks to precise, authoritative tailwheel steering, taxiing the S-7 was easy and visibility was reasonably good for a taildragger. Before we launched for the first time, I asked about the proper rotation speed and Randy said, "Ah, don't worry about it. Just leave the stick at neutral and it will fly itself off the ground." I've flown with the designers of many aircraft and often they are rather nervous about a reporter trying things to evaluate an aircraft. Contrarily, Randy appeared utterly relaxed, acting as though nothing I might do would upset him or the airplane. We'd flown a few of his designs together so I was prepared for his casual attitude. Also from experience, I knew he was keeping a sharp eye on things. On both of my takeoffs, I probably was holding a little toe brake. I found the takeoff slightly more challenging than the landings when considering rudder applications. Both seats have rudder with toe brakes. The toe brake control is a loop of steel positioned on top of the rudder pedal. My landings were on the firm side because I tended to flare too deeply. Randy's advice was not to rush the landing and let it down gently. Most times that I've flown with Randy, he's told me I was "trying too hard." While he may be right with that advice, I push to get all I can out of the hour and a half I spend on a flight evaluation. Consequently, I overflared the aircraft instead of relaxing and letting the aircraft settle. While you hardly let it land itself, the taildragging S-7LS is quite cooperative in a phase of flight often considered difficult by tricycle-gear pilots. If you have a fear of taildraggers, go up with someone used to teaching in taildraggers and you may find your concerns are unfounded. One of the most impressive aspects of the S-7 is the design's energy retention, which can assist in landings. The Courier displays an ability to hang in the sky even while dragging full flaps. Randy observed that an airplane that retains energy well and glides well will generally do other things well. Therefore, he and his development staff worked hard to improve energy retention. The S-7 uses the same wing profile as some of RANS' other designs. Slipping to landings also proved very effective. I had to use slips on the first landing as I had only set one notch of flaps and the S-7 simply wasn't descending as quickly as I'd planned. You approach at 50 mph. I didn't observe speed at touchdown, but when doing stalls, buffeting started at about 40 mph so you won't want to slow much below 50 mph until you are experienced with the S-7LS. Dutch rolls in the S-7LS went well. I used the stick more than the rudder, as the rudder is a very powerful control. Despite this, Randy says most pilots overuse the stick and under-use the rudder. It only takes a touch of rudder pedal to keep things coordinated so I can understand why some pilots ignore the pedals altogether. Steep turns in the S-7 also went very well. This tried-andtrue model held altitude and bank very easily. However, turns to the right required quite a bit more rudder during the turn. At his suggestion, I turned the controls over to Randy and with the master's hand manipulating the joystick, barrel rolls and loops went beautifully. Randy says the high-lift airfoil helps it perform loops. I noted that we entered the maneuver at 110 mph. In keeping with my normal search for the least noise and vibration while aloft, I settled on cruising at 5,100 rpm, which produced about 90 mph. Randy stated that at higher cruising altitudes he sees about 100 mph and will burn about 4 gallons an hour. He liked my power setting for reasons of economy but in typical Schlitter style, he added, "If daylight is more expensive than fuel, you can set power at 5,500 rpm." At the higher power setting, Randy says you can achieve 110 mph if you are lightly loaded. When more heavily loaded, you may pay a 10-mph penalty. Once again, this proves the value of keeping an airplane as light as possible. As with Dutch rolls, I always perform a full series of stalls: power-on, power-off, and accelerated, with each done mildly at first and then more aggressively. The S-7LS rolled level in accelerated stalls, a most satisfying response. Modest power-on and very mild power-off stall recoveries showed RANS has worked all the bugs out of this 20-yearold design. All S-7 models provide 9 gallons of fuel per side for a total of 18 gallons, or around 3 hours of endurance equating to about 350 miles of range. Fuel tank sight gauges are mounted on each wing root to help you easily keep an eye on remaining fuel quantity. Courier Purchase? Given all the pricing choices - kit, Quick-Build kit, or SLSA - you may be thinking you could afford one of these great-flying Light-Sport Aircraft. A few more details could firm up your decision. Courier seats are upholstered and adjustable with 4-point lap and shoulder belts just like all RANS models. A baggage compartment will hold 50 pounds of gear. This is an airplane for local fun flying but also for longer cross-country trips. Both seats have dual controls including throttle, control stick, rudder pedals, and brakes with a park brake feature plus carburetor and cabin heat. Electric elevator trim is provided as standard on the forward control stick, and a fire extinguisher is also standard. On the panel, the S-7LS is well configured with a GPS-COM. Buyers are given a choice of either a King KLX 135A, or Garmin GNC 250XL. You also get a transponder with encoder in a choice of either King KT-74A or Garmin GTX 320A, a PS Engineering intercom, and an ELT with test controls on panel. Basic panel instruments include airspeed, altimeter, a VSI, tachometer, engine hourmeter, compass, slip indicator, CHT, an outside air temperature gauge, oil temperature and oil pressure gauges, and a voltmeter. RANS delivers all this equipment for $89,000, including the 100-hp Rotax 912S engine. Compared with many European designs testing or exceeding $125,000, an S-7LS looks like a solid bargain. Finance programs are available to allow payments to make the purchase more tolerable to some buyers. Randy comments, "The S-7LS is a charmer, a well-loved plane with outstanding STOL performance." He added that it manages a 100-knot cruise with about 500 pounds useful load, making it a practical plane that can also handle lots of landing surface and crosswinds. Given an easy entry and exit with broad visibility, good manners, and pleasant handling, the S-7LS is an airplane with considerable appeal. In every way this plane retains the nostalgic fun flying of the past with the advantage of advances in aerodynamics, engines, materials, and manufacturing processes. Easy or not, the Courier is a taildragger and some buyers will have to overcome their apprehension about that. Insurance for taildraggers is not particularly challenging to obtain, at least not for those with logged taildragger time. For tricycle- gear pilots making the transition, you may need to acquire 25 hours or so with an instructor before an insurance company will accept the risk. Several schools exist to provide such training, but you may have to travel further than your local airport to find such instruction. If you can't justify spending $89,000 for a ready-to-fly aircraft, you may elect one of the kit versions discussed in this article. You could save $20,000 or more by going the kit route and RANS has long experience at supporting kit builders. Given how much you may like the flight qualities of the S-7 Courier, investing some build time in a S-7 kit may help you possess your own Made-in-America Light-Sport Aircraft.