RANS Aircraft, RANS Coyote, S6LS, light sport, experimental aircraft, Randy Schlitter.
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RANS Coyote, S6LS, light sport, experimental aircraft.
As the dawn of the sport pilot rule changes approaches, Kansas-based RANS Inc. is one of the most successful kit aircraft manufacturers in the light aviation industry.Randy Schlitter, RANS’ boss and founder, is now a seasoned veteran of the kit airplane business.
Over his years in business, he has created several popular aircraft designs that have found favor in the United States, Europe, and about 50 other countries around the globe. Of the broad RANS line, the one model that has most revved up buyers is the S-6S Coyote II.
Despite competition from hundreds of other aircraft, the Coyote line has sold an impressive fleet of 1,500 aircraft. The single-place version, S-4/5, first flew 20 years ago and has also sold reasonably well, but it is the Coyote II that has become the single most successful RANS design.
The two-place Coyote II is available in two models—the S6-S and the S-6ES. Both models offer side-by-side seating and a choice of tricycle or tailwheel landing gear, and both will accept engines in the 47- to 110-hp range. The S-6ES II, the second generation S-6, was introduced in April 1990, with an extended wingspan over the original S-6, which was introduced in 1988.
RANS Coyote, S6LS Aircraft Images
The ES model features ultralight-like Dacron covering and comes in three different wingspan options. S-6S II, dubbed the Super Six, was introduced in 1993 and features standard aircraft covering. While more labor intensive and heavier with the added weight of paint, the doped covers promise longer life and offer slicker surfaces than the Dacron (although Dacron treated with Mylar can be very competitive).
It is this aircraft that’s captured the most attention. After two decades in the business, Randy is too savvy an aviation entrepreneur to radically overhaul the Coyote. In the traveling I am privileged to do, I see RANS Coyotes at many airports and airparks in many countries.
I’ve also seen several copies of the design, a sure sign the aircraft is perceived to be what customers want. But, anyone who knows Randy knows he’s constantly refining his aircraft to improve the designs and increase his factory’s productivity. In his refinement of the S-6S, Randy altered the upper tail fuselage deck of the Coyote II. This had been a flat surface that Randy admits gave builders some challenges during assembly, especially in the jig building to ensure a square fit. As part of this modification, RANS also increased the S-6S II’s tail surface area.
RANS also changed the Coyote II’s main aft fuselage so it is now a razorback, resembling its single-seat sibling, the S-4/5, and giving it more flowing lines. Randy indicates this change, along with more pre-drilled junctions, makes it easier to jig accurately. RANS also cleaned up the Coyote II’s belly. The flat area under the cockpit transitions more smoothly to the tail cone, which improves airflow movement across the tail.
Another popular feature for kit buyers is RANS’ folding-wing option. For about $500, an older Coyote II can be retrofit with the new option. The retrofit kit will include several new hardware parts that allow “one person to fold the wings in a matter of minutes,” according to RANS. Buyers of new kits can order folding wings as an optional accessory.
Specifications: Kit Price w/o Engine: ~$25,000 Plans Price: FREE ON CD; ~$100 paper manual Number of Seats: 2 Building Materials: Tube and Fabric Building Time: ~700-1000 HRS Standard Engine: 912UL/912ULS HP Horsepower: 80-100 Wing Span: 30.4 Ft. Wing Area: 137.6 Sq. Ft. Empty Weight: 700 Lbs. Gross Weight: 1320 Lbs. Takeoff Distance: 210-220 Ft. Landing Distance: 260 Ft. Cruise Speed: 110-115 MPH Top Speed: 130 MPH Fuel Capacity: 18 Gal. Range: 440-414 Miles For further information contact RANS: 4600 Highway 183 Alternate • Hays, KS 67601 Phone: (785) 625-6346 • www.rans.com
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