So S-12... what did you end up with???

I ended up with a very nice low hour 2008 Rans S-6ES. I looked at quite a few different aircraft from Cubs to 701's but in the end, the S-6 won out. Has a good combination of STOL abilities, speed(115 cruise) and useful load(almost 600lbs). Dealer built and loaded with all the goodies. Also it is ELSA so I can do my own annuals after I take the repairman course. It was very hard to choose with so many great planes out there. The fact that it was only a couple of hours away factored in too. It has the range to get down your way so I hope to do that this spring sometime.

Criquet Storch



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfzxTuJ85A4

Love that Storch. Hard to find. Would have bought one in a second.

So I guess I should change my name to S-6 Flyer. Got her home today and put a couple of hours on the clock getting to know her. A dozen or so touch and go's and an equal amount of stall practice the punched some holes in the sky. Quite a change from the S-12. The fun meter is pegged and my face hurts from smiling so much.
Many new adventures to come.

I LIKE it!!!

So do I. Managed to get about 4 hours in this weekend between storms. What a fun aircraft.

Someone should buy my Champ : )

Here's the mission and capabilities statement:

I want a sport-STOL with folding wings that will fit into an enclosed trailer to tow to and fly from back-country roads--something like a CH 701 or 750 but I haven't even seen one much less flown one. I've heard that they glide like a rock (10:1?), but I've flown Tri-Pacers, and realize that technique and training matter. I'm a little uneasy about a tricycle gear for rough strip/road/no road landings. I would like to be able to use floats (amphib or straight floats?). Crosswind landings? Stability in ?-knot winds and go-no go conditions? I have flown Champs and Citabrias and love the latter most.

I'm selling my camper and pickup to finance a new (to me) expedition rig and the aircraft, so I'd be in the market at around 30k or less, if that's possible. I haven't flown regularly in a couple of decades, so I'll need to train up. I'll be flying under sport rules.

Open to suggestions and arguments fer and agin the CH 701 and alternatives y'all might suggest, including the longer wing option on those aircraft that I've heard of . . .

I'm leaving tomorrow or the next day for a trip up the CA coast and plan to stop at Santa Ynez where I heard there is a CH 701 and Cloverdale where they build some. I've got an A&P buddy who may help if I build something. Anybody who wants to could leave a message for me at either of those places--otherwise, I will be "dark" while we're on the road (no computers allowed while we're camping. I will read responses when we get back around October 9 or 10.

Thanks to everybody--this is my first post here.

Hello and welcome Twister!

Did you happen to catch this thread. Tom is selling his plane.

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=10921

58Skylane wrote:Hello and welcome Twister!

Did you happen to catch this thread. Tom is selling his plane.

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=10921

Just checked his ad under experimental/savannah, priced right at $29.9K. Doesn't mention whether the wings fold but sounds perfect for your mission.

Model 4 kitfox. Mine takes off in less than 200' cruises at 105mph and stalls at 37mph you can fold the wings in 10 min. couple on Barnstormers now in the $25,000 range. The 701 might get out shorter but cruise is at cub speed.

I'll second Nick's (Foxflyer) suggestion of getting the Kitfox. It is one of the few planes out there that actually has a decent wing-folding capability. Most planes out there that state they can fold their wings are limited in that ability as far as the time and work involved in folding them. They are not designed to be folded on a regular basis whereas the Kitfox is simple and easy.
I rode with Nick in his Kitfox and if I hadn't found the RANS S-7 I bought I would have gotten a Kitfox. Actually I am still thinking of getting one specifically for the reason of its folding wing setup.

My Kitfox 1, (built it in 1987) as long as I didn't have too much fuel in the wing tank, could be off the trailer, unfolded, preflighted and launched 10 minutes after I pulled up. No help needed either. I had the trailer tie downs/attach points optimized, so quick and simple. Folding the wings out while the mains were on the ground but the tail still on the trailer meant the wings were level, so much easier to do then when all wheels are on the ground.

At 465 lbs empty weight (2 stroke) it flew pretty slow, but not as slow as my current 740 lb S-7S, which has a much bigger depth chord wing but it doesn't fold, the folders gotta keep the chord small in order to be road legal width. So they have to go bigger span, it's all a compromise but a light quick and simple folder can be real fun in the field, like riding out thunderstorms when you forgot the tie downs, or pushing it into a gas station you landed near, hangaring it in a "full" hangar, many advantages in addition to just being able to tow it home at the end of the day.

I would love to have the quick fold option on a S-7S, but don't want to give up that wide chord to do it, it would still be real handy even if over width when folded, not for towing home but for the other reasons stated. Yeah go with the Kitfox, can't go wrong.