Just wondering if there are any posters here that fly the short tailed S7. I know there are a couple of guys here with the newer longer tailed version that post here regularly but would like to here of any experience with the shorter tailed S7.
Thanks,
WW

courierguy has 1500 hrs in a short tail S7 powered by a Soob.

I wonder which Soob convertion he has?

Throttle Pusher wrote:I wonder which Soob convertion he has?

Pretty sure courierguy has a long tail now with a 912, so he should have good perspective on the different configurations.

This site has a ton of info on the various iterations of the S-7 over the years:
http://www.pipcom.com/~cowcam/ransmodels.htm

I'm not really the guy to do a fair comparasion of the two, as my short tail with the Soob conversion was heavier and draggier (though reliable). So, when I went to a cleaner (the engine ALL inside the cowl, my short tail was like a J-3 with all kinds of parts hanging out there, it sure cooled well though) airframe with the same power it of course flies better then my short tail.

Having said that, the short tail flies fine, the long tail flies finerer.... like any design that is sucessfull enough to be around for decades, the S-7 has undergone steady improvements. Some prefer the short tail over the long, but that may be because that (shortail) is what they are flying! If you got the scratch to buy a new long tail, do so, if you get a good deal on a short tail used, do that. Either get the job done.

Courierguy;
I'm looking at possibly buying an S-7 that I think might be your old one with the Soob. It belongs to a guy named Tim. If it is your old plane I would like to get some input from you on what to expect. Also, I am a fairly low time taildragger pilot. What are your thoughts on a short tail for a TD newbie? I have nearly 1000 hours in light sports and ultralights and sailplanes but only about 10 hours in taildraggers.
Would I be better off finding a long tail?

S-12Flyer wrote:Courierguy;
I'm looking at possibly buying an S-7 that I think might be your old one with the Soob. It belongs to a guy named Tim. If it is your old plane I would like to get some input from you on what to expect. Also, I am a fairly low time taildragger pilot. What are your thoughts on a short tail for a TD newbie? I have nearly 1000 hours in light sports and ultralights and sailplanes but only about 10 hours in taildraggers.
Would I be better off finding a long tail?

PM me. short answer, if you are a big guy you and the Soob all forward of the CG, will add up. I was barely 140 lbs when I was flying, and that helped.

Did you get your short tail? I bought a 1994 kit this summer with an 80 horse rotax. I have about 40 hours on it now. It is an easy taildragger to land and takeoff. The forward cg does show on landings but it actually makes wheel landings easier. My short tail weighs only 640 lbs empty, so performance is very similar to the newer, heavier long tail S-7. The guys at rans said that the short tail is a little lighter in pitch, but it isn't twitchy at all. I love my s-7 and I love landing shorter and cruising faster than a 100k cub on half the fuel!

I fly a '97 factory-built short-tail. It has the 80hp 912 but I have added the 912 Extra pistons so in theory I'm actually at about 94hp. I put the following on it:
- 26" Airstreaks;
- VGs
- the new Rans gear legs (prudent with the Airstreaks)
- Kiev prop

This thing is magical. If I'm not concerned about fuel consumption, my IAS is pegged at 100 mph. I climb at about 1200-1300 fpm by myself. I can land it in a postage stamp and get out of just about anywhere.

I've never flown the long-tail. Anything that Tom Simko suggests (courierguy) is based on loads of experience and should be taken at face value. Peter Cowan is the same, but he is driven by a some sort of compulsive obsessive need to improve and innovate...as a consequence, he knows these planes in engineering detail that is awe-inspiring and, at least for me, a bit intimidating.

I have about 225 hours in total, perhaps 120 of which is in my S7. I've never come close to ground-looping it, but it's certainly possible that I did and was just too naive to notice. Crosswinds are a breeze, but as with any ultralight/LSA gusts can be a pain in the neck.

With the airstreaks I try hard to ensure that I land on grass; they're undoubtedly durable as hell, but grass has to be easier on them and it's a nicer surface to on which to land. Departing I'm less fussy.

I had some finicky issues with my Rotax, but sent it back to the Rotax distributor in BC and they had it purring in perhaps ten days. My only complaint is that it tends to run cold. On an average summer day my
CHT and oil temps are barely into the green. In the winter time, I seal it up as tight as possible and still have to make an effort to get it properly heated up.
If I win the lottery (a longshot as I never buy tickets), I'll buy a new S7 with the 914. I don't ever need to go faster, and most sensible people won't fly with me so most of the time the rear stick and rear seat are out or unused.

Good luck.

gt-401,
Not sure who you are asking, "Did you get your shorttail?" bu if it was me...yes. I bought a 1996-7 model that had been sitting for 11+ years. It had 144 hrs. TT and was very well built. Had a couple guys tell me the plane was 'squirrely' but I didn't find it to be that way at all. I think it all comes down to what type of planes a guy has previously flown.
I have had to fix a few things on it. I replaced the gear as the previous owner had a bad landing and that is why the plane had been sitting. He bent the gear legs and I think the plane scared him so he put it in the hangar and never flew it after his incident. The engine needed both carbs pulled and cleaned along with re-synching. I also replaced the wheels, brakes and tires. I put better Matco brakes along with 26" AkBushwheels. Replaced the tailwheel with an 8" one. Installed VG's. This plane also has the "Extra Performance" piston upgrade for more HP over the stock 80 hp.
Pretty much what pitfield stated is exactly my sentiments on the S-7. I had issues also with the engine running at its peak. Took quite a bit of tinkering to get it where it is supposed to be running. I am sure a lot of it was from the long term inactivity as far as running goes.

Great little plane but it can be a little rough riding when the winds get gusty. To me the plane feels almost 'toy like' compared to the other planes I fly. Even the Champ feels like a much bigger plane even tough it isn't that much bigger.

Keith

I thought I had a bunch of video of that Soob S7 but I can't find it. It's around 4:25 flying. You can even hear the motor real quick at 5:55.
It flew as fast as my longtail with a 912ULS. I probably have the same amount of drag in the form of rubber. http://vimeo.com/5228514

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I have some rotax questions and this seems to be a good place to start.

My oil temps are on the hot side. Are your cowling setups stock?

Can you hand prop a rotax? What do you do in the bush with a dead battery?

How do you set the mixture? I have no egt and no way to tell if it is rich or lean. My home strip is at 3600 ft, so if it was jetted for sea level it probably needs to be leaned out some.

GT - Oil Temps in climb are usually the climb-limiting factor with some of the earlier Rotax. The later models use a larger "Earls" oil cooler which might help.

Becasue of the gear box, it's doubtful you will ever handprop. The compression on the 912S is too high anyway. join the S7 group on Yahoo groups and do some searches there - its been discussed quite a bit. A strong battery is a good idea. I and many others run the Odyssey PC680. It fits the stock battery box, has more cranking power (which the Rotax likes), and has been bulletproof for me and others http://odysseybatteries.com/battery/pc680.htm

You also might consider joining the Rotax-owner.com site. Its a private site (not a factory site) and is paid ($29/yr), but has videos on all things rotax - jetting, carb synch, maint., reviews of products. It also has for free a lot of resources - manuals, location of qualified techs in your area, I think its money well spent.

And yes, jetting is the only way to control mixture. I have never touched mine, so not experience, but not hard to do. I think the rotax owner has a video on it I think.

Hijack it! I've heard from wacky Highlander guys you can hand prop the 80 horse. Seems like a wicked endeavor with those little speed demons. The 100 has too much compression. I wouldn't fly into the bush with a dead battery. Emsfly has the battery of your dreams right. If you want to double hijack it tell me if you've figured out that lithium battery voltage controller thing yet. -Save another 10lbs.

You short tails are soon to be even a smaller percentage of the Rans world. Six months out and there will be another long tail headed north.
http://vimeo.com/31465330

Classic.