First of all, The introduction to "The Weav" was huge. Anyone in a situation like mine, interested in the Rans s7, and not being able to find someone NEARBY w/one, should talk to this guy. He walks the walk. Great guy, knows these planes inside and out, and knows how to fly them.

And a huge thanks to emflys for letting us use his beautiful rans s7

Will it out perform a Supercub? I don't know, we didn't fly with one. A lot of people think so, so even if not, it will come close.

And I don't want to start a pissin match w/the cub owners, I THINK THE ARE GREAT, it's just that they are what all other planes for this type of flying are compared to. If I could afford one, I would have one. I would say that the Rans is ATLEAST, the poor man's SUPERCUB.

Does it perform well, ABSOLUTELTY

Rock solid in the air, and on the water

Is it cheaper to own. Purchase price is roughly 1/2. Prices seem to be all over on both these planes, but you can buy a really nice Rans for $60-70K, and a really nice Super cub is probably over 100K.

I got an insurance quote for around 1200./year.

Fuel burn=Autogas at around 4gal/hr. X $3.00/gal= $12/hr. @100+ mph. A LOT cheaper than what I have been paying/hr.

Well built. Looked great to me'

Comfortable, We flew around for about 5 hours. Complete comfort. I am around 6' and 205#'s. We would probably still be flying if it hadn't got dark. And my buddy the Weav was gettin thirsty He does seem to like an occasional adult beverage. Fine w/me.

Easily modified to have a respectable baggage area.

Great slow flight(50mph) characteristic/manuevering ability, almost change directions like a jet ski, in fact I think it will.

For me, and where I will me doing most of my flying, I would like to be able to carry more gas, and I am sure that I will find a solution to this. After all it is experimental, so there is a lot that you can do to make it fit your needs.

The models that I am interested in are 2000 and newer, so pretty new compared to what I have been flying.

Still learning, but this past weekend was huge, and I like the plane ALOT, thanks to all those involved.

I am still having a problem coming to grips w/selling 'ol Buzzard Bait, and I don't know that I can afford 2 planes, but I will probably try, and just see where it goes. I have this old saying, from a buddy of mine "God hates a coward". So here we go.

Gary

Hey Gary, I looked the Rans up on their web site, because I was curious if they had wing spars or tubes, and I couldn't tell. Do you know?

Glad you guys had fun Gary. Weav is a great guy to fly with. Courierguy has some fuel solutions I think. OR we could get Joel to make us that belly pod he has been talking about for a while.

BTW, Weav is pushin' 235. He'll kill me for saying that, but then he would lose a hangar tenant so I think I am safe.

Coyote - If I understand your question, the wing is a leading edge spar "tube", traling edge spar "tube" , with a series of compression tubes, and ribs.

Wing construction photos from that crazy Ohio Bush Planes guy...

http://www.gregswingle.com/photos/S7/S7-Pages/Image4.html
http://www.gregswingle.com/photos/S7/S7-Pages/Image4.html

S7 (and other topics) know it all. Most of it anyay

I have corresponded with Weav and a couple of other guys on an S7 I have been looking at for several months. Weav is definitely a straight shooter and full of info on the Rans.
I am currently TRYING to work a deal with a guy that wants to sell his S7. It is an older 'short tail" model with very little time and hasn't been flown since 2002. The reason I say "trying" is because the owner can't make up his mind what he wants for it. There are also some issue with it that need tending to since it has sat unflown for so many years. I really like the Rans and may sell my Champ if I can get this Rans.
He is also bad at returning calls.
WW

hunter,

You had better concentrate on filling your deer tag, you got too many planes anyhow.

Deer? What the heck is that? I don't think there is such a thing!!!

WW

As you know, I have been looking into this pretty hard. The info I get says that the longtail is built much stronger.

You've probably seen this, but others maybe intersted.

http://www.pipcom.com/~cowcam/RANS%20mo ... ements.htm

Gary

Gary,
Yes I had seen that in my research. The one I am looking at is a 1996 model completed in 1998 and only has 144 hrs. Total time on it. It was very nicely built and a sharp looking plane. It has the 80HP 912 with the "95 HP High compression kit" installed in it. The current owner bought it after the original builder flew off the required time. He didn't fly it long before he had a hard landing which bent the landing gear, broke a prop tip and I think it scared him. Gear and prop were fixed and he never flew it again. I had read the the long tail was the most desirable but was also told the short tail was a nice craft and a little "livelier" flying....ie...more responsive.
I am a little hesitant on purchasing it the more I look at it. Of course the brake are in need of rebuild, tires flat, old fuel in the tanks, and I noticed the throtle lever is rusted or something because it will not even move.

There have been a few on Barnstormers for sale for very reasonable prices lately but they are both short tails also. two of them are on floats.

WW

Do you think they are warm enough for you up there in the winter?

Gary

Funny you should ask!!! That is one of the issues I was wondering about with this particular RANS. Kind of a tiny little outlet for a heater in this particular plane. It was one of the things I would definitely change. With noting but the fabric on the plane to keep the "chill" out I would thing a guy might want to really bundle up in the winter.
Keith

you know shortfielder, if i was shopping for a diff bird right now, i would ck out, as i have been, a completely re-done 170B, with a 180 hp and cs prop. much more usable, and they are such deals right now.....

my ex-hangar partner has a rans s-7 and he likes it, but it is almost TOO lite...inside temp usually is about like outside temps, and it seems only comfortable for short little hops...lots of rpm out of that little rotax, seems to be ok though...you have a great a/c right now...

there are days, i know, that like you i would like lighter than my 182, but after a look back at the 1000+ lbs mine will haul with great ease, my mind changes back fast....good luck!

A 170/180/csp is a great plane. I had one('52), and preferred it over a early stock 180. But not over the 180 I have now. And I wouldn't take it to the places that I want to go.

I think lighter is important going to these places. I can wear more clothes.

Gary

I beg of all of you. Please do not buy or build an S7.

Your life will be rocked, wrecked, and over as you know it. You will not be able to hold a conversation with anyone as long as there is daylight. You'll stop working, eating, sleeping and sleeping around. All you will think about is what tires to get, and what hillsides you can land on. If you can sleep you'll never actually hit REM because you'll be spotting powerlines and worshiping some stout, beer bellied guy with a big smile under his mustache who can tell you all the speeds and feeds for your style of flying.
You'll have to listen to everyone worry about your valves b/c you're not ever buying 100L, explain how there is antifreeze in your rig that you can use to heat the cabin if you're so inclined.
You'll also find out there is a giant club of guys with airplanes from the 1950s with 180hp engines, and they all hate you even though you didn't do anything wrong.
It's a crazy, big world with lots of options. I just don't want to see anyone make the same mistake I made. Get a scooter, build a canoe. Do both. Just don't get an S7.

PS Mr. Ugly, here's a better image of the wings:
http://www.gregswingle.com/photos/S7/wingribs.html

good point greg, an S7 is like a scooter, or maybe a crf 50 in the airplane world...!

Swingle wrote:I beg of all of you. Please do not buy or build an S7.

Your life will be rocked, wrecked, and over as you know it. You will not be able to hold a conversation with anyone as long as there is daylight. You'll stop working, eating, sleeping and sleeping around. All you will think about is what tires to get, and what hillsides you can land on. If you can sleep you'll never actually hit REM because you'll be spotting powerlines and worshiping some stout, beer bellied guy with a big smile under his mustache who can tell you all the speeds and feeds for your style of flying.
You'll have to listen to everyone worry about your valves b/c you're not ever buying 100L, explain how there is antifreeze in your rig that you can use to heat the cabin if you're so inclined.
You'll also find out there is a giant club of guys with airplanes from the 1950s with 180hp engines, and they all hate you even though you didn't do anything wrong.
It's a crazy, big world with lots of options. I just don't want to see anyone make the same mistake I made. Get a scooter, build a canoe. Do both. Just don't get an S7.

PS Mr. Ugly, here's a better image of the wings:
http://www.gregswingle.com/photos/S7/wingribs.html

Ha... Ya almost got me talked into one... hey, that was a cool progression of photos..

Swingle,
Yeah, I find myself driving around in my crane on the way to a job, and eyeballing places to land out of habit, today it was the grocery store parking lot, piece of cake except for the cars and the legalities, the light poles would just add a little challenge, but definitely doable! I have a couple rural area crane jobs coming up "I need to check on", when I mention to the contractors I may "try and stop by" I guess they figure I'll be driving....I figure it gives me the go ahead to fly over and find a place to land, I mean I TOLD them I'd be stopping by.

A couple of "sexy" pictures, a lot of curves anyway.

Hey, ole man Simko, i wanna fly with you someday if i can make it out there again. I flew briefly with Tim in WY, who owns your old S7 Subaru. We were close to the same performance. Would u do a Subaru again?