G44 wrote:How is the visibility out of it? So many airplanes feel like you are sitting in a tunnel. T-Craft, Murphy are a couple examples I can think of. S-20 looks like a very nice airplane but since I have never sat in one I was wondering.

Kurt

Good comparison.

You cannot see either main landing gear. A set of clear doors would be a good upgrade. It's no biggie I guess, just not used to it. It's a long way over the nose also.

UH-60andC-180 wrote:
Now I've got a couple tasks to complete. Most important is to convince my wife that this is a safe process. She thinks this is like covering a bathtub with a bedsheet and pushing it off the roof. She's not that far off, however EAA would rather I sell her on how scientific and safe this is. We'll see.

Brett

Well you went with the metal main wing, so no bedsheet there. Rans is good quality, PLUS I hear their designs are very easy to follow.

Safe is a relative term. When I think of how dangerous driving is, I realize I would rather fly anything... including a bathtub with bedsheet wings.

Glad to hear about the purchase. Eager to see your progress. I look forward to building the S-21 if I can ever get the money saved up.

I love it Brett, doing the rock/scissors thing is as good a way as any to choose! Good on ya for pulling the trigger.

gbflyer wrote:

G44 wrote:How is the visibility out of it? So many airplanes feel like you are sitting in a tunnel. T-Craft, Murphy are a couple examples I can think of. S-20 looks like a very nice airplane but since I have never sat in one I was wondering.

Kurt

Good comparison.

You cannot see either main landing gear. A set of clear doors would be a good upgrade. It's no biggie I guess, just not used to it. It's a long way over the nose also.

On my last side by side, a Kitfox 1 back in '88, I went with full glass on the passenger side only, as having it on the pilot's side won't help the pilot at all as he can just use the exiting window. Lexan or plexi is much heavier then fabric, and I didn't much care about the sideways viz for my passengers I guess, they were just lucky to get a ride. Sure it looks a bit symmetrical, but I'd do the same if building a 20. Nothing I've been in beats the viz of a 7, sideways and over the snout. Anytime I hear about putting in a Lycoming or other bigger engine, I always think about how that viz would suffer. The T cart and Murphy are fine examples of poor viz, and they would drive me crazy after what I'm used to in my 7, I hand't had a 7 yet when I had my Tcart, the 7 beats it both in sideways (a lot) and over the snout.

I plan on channeling my inner scout with doors off most of the time (that’s for you Cam).


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UH-60andC-180 wrote:I plan on channeling my inner scout with doors off most of the time (that’s for you Cam).


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If you ain’t CAV, ...



I loved your account of the the decision process, haha!

It’s going to be great!

That reminds me, I need to remember to do a little doors off ski flying this winter. Summer doors off flying is great, for the pilot, any passengers get swirled around pretty good. It would sure beat the winter flying I used to do in totally exposed ultralights. The main thing is to really secure things in back, or just remove them. The S-7 anyway flies fine, just doesn't slip as well

Link to Pictures:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w7b7j7b5vptb ... 6ZELa?dl=0


I did the QB option. I took me 11 months to complete. Been flying it for a year now. 200 hours on the Hobbs meter. Lots of fun to fly. Many great trips this summer. Fill it up with full(5.5 hours) two people, 80+ lbs of bags and head out. Amazing wing, climbs great, Rotax 912 sips gas. I use pump gas with ethanol. Hard to believe it is a light sport aircraft.

Rotax 912ULS, 8.50 tires 10 inch tailwheel, Dual puck Matco brakes, Dynon Skyview ADSB in/out, Sat weather. Vg's.
Still dealing with a few teething issues. High oil temp on hot days, Tailwheel shimmy. Still very happy with the aircraft.



Best, Jim

UH-60andC-180 wrote:
Now I've got a couple tasks to complete. Most important is to convince my wife that this is a safe process. She thinks this is like covering a bathtub with a bedsheet and pushing it off the roof. She's not that far off, however EAA would rather I sell her on how scientific and safe this is. We'll see.

Brett

I had no problem convincing my wife, and she likes flying with me in it. She would rather go in the RANS than the big aluminum tube.
Build it to specs and it will be every bit as safe ( probable stronger) than your Cessna.
Some of the safety factor comes with the slow landing speed and short runway ability. That is one reason I sold my spam can and went light sport. I felt that the benefits of landing it anywhere at such a slow speed surrounded by a steel trussed cage out weighed landing much faster in what amounts to a beer can.
Pete

pouellette wrote:I had no problem convincing my wife, and she likes flying with me in it.

You’re a lucky guy then! My wife isn’t as much of a fan of flying as she thought she would be and is still at the point in her life where the destination is WAY more important than the journey. We aluminum tube and drive down the highway way more often than I’d prefer.

Hopefully this changes with time. Until then I’ll continue to fly solo on the weekends and wish I was flying over highway traffic on our travels.

romaja wrote:I did the QB option. I took me 11 months to complete. Been flying it for a year now. 200 hours on the Hobbs meter. Lots of fun to fly. Many great trips this summer. Fill it up with full(5.5 hours) two people, 80+ lbs of bags and head out. Amazing wing, climbs great, Rotax 912 sips gas. I use pump gas with ethanol. Hard to believe it is a light sport aircraft.

Rotax 912ULS, 8.50 tires 10 inch tailwheel, Dual puck Matco brakes, Dynon Skyview ADSB in/out, Sat weather. Vg's.
Still dealing with a few teething issues. High oil temp on hot days, Tailwheel shimmy. Still very happy with the aircraft.

Link to Pictures:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w7b7j7b5vptb ... 6ZELa?dl=0

Best, Jim

That's the way it should be, get it, build it in a reasonable amount of time, then fly the hell out of it! You sure you're not a paid shill for RANS?! Kidding of course. I too have no fear of burning (burning, not storing it long term) E-10 when on a XC, the Rotax doesn't care. My 300 gallon bulk tank just ran out that I will go to the trouble of getting pure gas for, but as I'm at 4500'+ min. and have the BigBore mod, I buy low octane/regular pure gas, saving about .50 to .75 a gallon over premium, every little bit helps.

courierguy wrote:

romaja wrote:I did the QB option. I took me 11 months to complete. Been flying it for a year now. 200 hours on the Hobbs meter. Lots of fun to fly. Many great trips this summer. Fill it up with full(5.5 hours) two people, 80+ lbs of bags and head out. Amazing wing, climbs great, Rotax 912 sips gas. I use pump gas with ethanol. Hard to believe it is a light sport aircraft.

Rotax 912ULS, 8.50 tires 10 inch tailwheel, Dual puck Matco brakes, Dynon Skyview ADSB in/out, Sat weather. Vg's.
Still dealing with a few teething issues. High oil temp on hot days, Tailwheel shimmy. Still very happy with the aircraft.

Link to Pictures:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w7b7j7b5vptb ... 6ZELa?dl=0

Best, Jim

That's the way it should be, get it, build it in a reasonable amount of time, then fly the hell out of it! You sure you're not a paid shill for RANS?! Kidding of course. I too have no fear of burning (burning, not storing it long term) E-10 when on a XC, the Rotax doesn't care. My 300 gallon bulk tank just ran out that I will go to the trouble of getting pure gas for, but as I'm at 4500'+ min. and have the BigBore mod, I buy low octane/regular pure gas, saving about .50 to .75 a gallon over premium, every little bit helps.

Truly amazing how inexpensive it is to operate. I have purchased a couple of the Bush wheel fuel bags and buy Top Tier fuel at local gas stations. Fuel cost is between $11 to $12 an hour.
I have seen some of your ridge top landings videos and dead stick soaring videos. Impressive.

UH-60andC-180 wrote:My adventure won't be nearly as interesting as the other builds and projects in the community (like Whee's Bearhawk, which is very impressive), but I will keep a kit log and update the site from time to time. I'll also add GBFlyer on speed dial. In Hawaii last month, Ted raved at how polished your build was. If anyone is in the Tampa/St. Pete area, drop in. I'll always have the beer fridge stocked and could surely use folks' false hope that I could actually do this.

Brett

Brett, really glad we had time to talk in Hawaii! GBflyer completed a conditional inspection on his and a neighbor's Rans while I was at Glacier Bay this July. Gave me a chance to see how fine an aircraft it is! As good as certified (and in many respects, much better than certified) from what I saw! GBflyer flys the real BCP scene and knowns Alaska very well.

Congratulations on your choice. Sorry I had to jam out to LA so fast! Next time we will go outer Island Brah!

Here's a picture Mary snapped of GB's:


Ted

With the Craft/Punisher logo!