“RANS is back!”
said many ultralight enthusiasts when the company offered their production version of the S-17 Stinger in September, 1999. Now the Kansas company has reaffirmed their commitment to the ultralight community by offering an enlarged S-17 with an added, tandem seat. Welcome to the S-18 Stinger II.
Of course this isn’t the first ultralight trainer from RANS. They continue to sell their S-12XL Airaile 2-seater. Others may observe that the S-6 Coyote 2-place can be built to operate within the limits of the Part 103 training exemption.
But when RANS first talked about their single-place Stinger – the prototype model that was never marketed – the company had been going in another direction. In those days the apparent darling of the company was the S-16 Shekari that is more accurately described as competition for Van’s RV series than as an ultralight. RANS president Randy Schlitter was able to see that ultralights didn’t simply grow up and become “light aircraft.” And, since Schlitter wants a share of the ultralight community, the S-17 single-place Stinger was his 1999 entry to entice ultralight flyers to the RANS brand name.
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New Ultralights at Sun ‘n Fun
New ultralights and light aircraft were featured at Sun ‘n Fun
As flying season begins, Florida’s popular Sun ’n Fun airshow brings a focus on new aircraft of all types. Aviation writers review the new machines revealed at the event. Yet many machines are often overlooked in the rush to place the most attention-getting aircraft onto magazine covers and into survey articles. This month, we cover a few ultralights and light aircraft you should find interesting.
While aircraft like Titan’s T-51 Mustang, Just Aircraft’s Escapade, Airborne’s XT and Sabre’s Wildcat garnered lots of attention, designers of other ultralights have also been working hard.
Ramphos
One machine no one had seen before was the Ramphos amphibious trike. Though the amphibious trike concept has been used by numerous other companies, the Ramphos has features the others have lacked such as its counter-rotating propeller.
A prior model required a small vertical tail and distinguished itself by a composite hoop surrounding the propeller arc.
Bautek Twister
When most Americans think of a large foreign glider manufacturer, they may be quick to name Moyes, Airwave, Aeros or even La Mouette. But most would fail to mention Bautek, Germany’s main manufacturer. This oversight may be understandable since Bautek has spent little effort marketing in the U.S. They have been content to serve the large European market which has historically been of greater volume than we could claim, despite our larger population.
All that is changing. Bautek has a new competitive topless glider aptly named (as we shall see) the Twister. Its performance is good and some special engineering renders it most desirable in terms of safety. In addition, the strong dollar in relation to European currency makes the price attractive enough to interest those pilots looking for a top performing, safe topless glider.
I took delivery of the Twister at Monte Cucco, Italy where I flew it in the Pre-World meet.
How-to-Buy a Lightplane — Part 3 of 3
In the previous two installments, we’ve discussed you, the pilot, and the many types of aircraft choices you have. As we wrap up this series, we’ll put it all together and try to help you narrow your choices to a few models.
Notice the word “try.” It is important that you understand that it is not possible to direct you to the one-and-only best choice of aircraft. Novice buyers often seek assistance but even experienced pilots can become swayed and end up purchasing the wrong aircraft for their needs and desires. Because aircraft purchases are commonly emotional decisions, it is helpful to gain a “second opinion” to help make a more rational choice.
Many years ago, at the beginning of my career writing articles in light aviation, I made a similar attempt to help hang glider pilots choose the right glider. I compared nine contemporary models to an idealized “perfect” glider and through a series of questions much like those below, tried to steer pilots to the one right glider for them.
How-to-Buy a Lightplane — Part 2 of 3
FACING THE BUYING DECISION, PART II
Last time we discussed the pilot (you!); this time we discuss the many types of aircraft choices you have. In the last installment, we’ll put these together and help you narrow your choices to a few models.
What Kind of Pilot Are You?
Let’s just say you actually know yourself. While this sounds like a comment that deserves a “Duh!” response, don’t be too quick to judge. If every pilot or buyer of aircraft knew what they needed or wanted, my job would be easier. But it isn’t so. Most pilots know something about what they want, but many don’t have enough information to make the best decision.
Some readers are “experts.” A good many ultralight or light plane enthusiasts have been around long enough and owned enough variety of ultralights to know what they like.
These veteran sport aviators represent a lot of combined experience.
How-to-Buy a Lightplane — Part 1 of 3
WANT TO BUY A LIGHTPLANE?
Task Can Be Daunting, Yet Rewarding
I’m one lucky pilot. I love airplanes and get to fly more of them than the average sky jockey. Writing pilot reports for several magazines has given me the opportunity to fly about 250 different aircraft in the last 23 years.
This makes me a “Master of None” type of pilot (except in my own planes) but does give me a feel for the huge variety of light airplanes you can buy.
The choices are fantastic. Counting the whole world of sport aircraft, you can have just about anything you want| and that’s the problem. What to buy?
TRYING TO HELP
At every airshow I attend, and through phone calls between airshow, pilots often make a request: “You’ve flown all these lightplanes, which one should I buy?”
Frankly, the question makes me uncomfortable.
While I appreciate the feeling of confidence some pilots place in my experience, telling someone what to buy is a sure way to be considered wrong eventually.
The First Two Ultralights with the New HKS Engine
It isn’t often I can do “scouting party” duty on engines. Powerplants aren’t normally my focus. They
are a necessity for flight, but they aren’t my main attraction. A great many pilots I’ve met appear to be just the reverse: They are extremely interested in engines.
I enjoyed the chance to fly behind the first European and first American installations of the new 60-hp HKS 700E 4-stroke from Japan’s HKS Company Ltd. With that in mind, this pilot’s report is rather different. We’ll look at this new engine on two different aircraft.
As all Ultralight Flying! readers know, Rotax has enjoyed great success for more than a decade as an ultralight engine supplier. After dominating the 2-stroke market, Rotax introduced the 81-hp Rotax 912 4-stroke, which has become a popular powerplant choice for sport aviation aircraft.
Is a 4-Stroke Better?
All 4-stroke engine manufacturers trumpet their advantages over 2-strokes: lower fuel consumption, quieter operation, longer time between overhaul, and reliability.
ASAP — Chinook Plus 2
Long one of Canada’s best loved ultralights, the Chinook – formerly designed and built by Birdman – is another of the country’s designs saved by the Holomis family when they went acquiring ultralight aircraft companies to complement their successful machining enterprise in British Columbia.
A simple design with lines unlike any other ultralight I’ve flown, the aircraft has pleasing characteristics that most pilot will enjoy. Larger aviators especially will like the enormous cabin of the Chinook. And like other Canadian designs, the Chinook’s sturdy triangulated construction allows it to operate as a bush plane from almost any open space. Consequently, ASAP likes to show Chinooks with tundra tires or floats, both of which add to the rugged good looks.
The wide open cabin is surrounded by well supported clear Lexan giving you a panoramic view from either seat. Tandem aircraft often cramp the aft seat and don’t give it the best visibility, but Chinook sets a new standard.
Getting Up On A Breese
A M-Squared solidifies its position in the ultralight industry, the company rounds out its line of models with a pair of single-seaters to complement two 2-seaters already completed.
Welcome to fresh Mississippi Breeses.
M-Squared was born of a collaboration of 17-year Quicksilver veteran Paul Mather, and South Mississippi Light Aircraft (SMLA) owner Ronnie Smith. Mather started and solely owns M-Squared, but the two men have established a complementary working relationship.
Ronnie Smith and his wife built their SMLA operation into a regional powerhouse, selling Quicksilvers and other models through a chain of subdealers. Smith also established the southern enterprise as one of the few official American Rotax sales and service outlets and is also a supplier of many ultralight accessory items.
Mather conceived how Smith’s presence in the business might be combined with his own depth of experience and M-Squared rose as powerfully as the early 80-hp Rotax 912-equipped aircraft he debuted in the spring of 1997.
King and Kolbra
The King and Kolbra
The New Kolb Aircraft Company didn’t make a new model. They made two. But don’t judge by the photos accompanying this sidebar.
The red Kolbra was built by Lite Speed Aviation, a group based only an hour away from The New Kolb Aircraft Company. The distinctive orange-and-blue Kolbra is the factory creation. Finished off as professionally, I found some irony in that the newest model was not the factory one.
The Lite Speed model is the ultralight trainer version, and that’s precisely how Lite Speed plans to use it. New Kolb’s factory edition is an example of the King Kolbra, which will require FAA registration and an FAA pilot’s certificate.
In truth, besides the beefy Australian 80-hp Jabiru engine (versus the Austrian Rotax), the main differences between the two examples relate to the nose jobs. From the front seat aft (ignoring the engine), the two planes are all but identical except for paint and upholstery.
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