RANS has officially named its S-19 model the Venterra. “Sales of the kit have been exciting, and we now have over 100 planes under construction around the world. We should see several flying in the next few months,” said CEO Randy Schlitter, noting the kit has been in production since late 2008. RANS originally decided […]
Aircraft
RANS introduces LSA
RANS has unveiled the Coyote II S-6ELS. Based on the S-6ES, the new sport plane is available in either trike or tailwheel configurations. With the standard 80-hp Rotax — or optional 100 hp — the plane offers short field performance, 550 pound useful load, 95 knots cruising speed, easy entry cabin, and a proven service […]
Glorious grassroots at Copperstate Fly-In
The Copperstate Fly-In was held in Casa Grande, Arizona this weekend. The event kicked off Thursday at 11 am and ran through Saturday at 5 pm. At the awards banquet on Saturday night it was reported that ticket sales were up more than 25% over 2008 (on 1.5 fewer days). Weather was glorious and the […]
Maid of the Seas: An ocean-inspired RV
You probably wouldn’t think of a Van’s RV as a seaplane, unless you saw the one owned by Mike Rossum of Longwood, Fla. Rossum, a retired Pan American World Airways pilot, describes his RV-7A as part flying aquarium, part history lesson. “I wanted a fun airplane after I retired,” he explains. The airplane made its […]
A Cessna 140A’s mini-me
There is something inherently cute about babies, even if the “little one” is a pedal-powered airplane. During this summer’s AirVenture, the Cessna 140A owned by Ken Morris of Poplar Grove, Ill., was kept company by a kiddie pedal plane version of the same design. Both airplanes, which were tied down in front of the Vintage […]
The Bowers ‘Namu II’ returns to Seattle
Most people remember the late Peter M. Bowers as the designer of experimental aircraft, an eminent aviation historian and the writer of “Of Wings & Things” in General Aviation News. He is perhaps best remembered for the single-place FlyBaby, but did you know that he also created a two-place mid-wing design in the 1970s? The […]
AvTek’s Pulsar receives STC approval
AvTek‘s pulsing-landing light system, Pulsar MosFet, received STC approval for the general aviation aircraft fleet on September 18. All MosFet Pulsar’s come with “Speed/Select”. The system is owner installable in 30-45 minutes, with no wires to cut, change or altered. Prices start at $295. Upgrades just $195 for current Pulsar customers, and trade-in any old […]
First customer completed RV-12 flies
Brad Stiefvater of Salem, S.D. became the first customer to complete and fly a Van’s Aircraft RV-12 kit. The September 19 flight took place in Madison, S.D. Brad reports the empty weight of his painted airplane is 727 pounds. Reported cost to build was $60,000. The RV-12 is Van’s entry into the Light Sport Aircraft […]
Flying ‘Songbird III’
If you are of a certain vintage, you probably remember this sentence: “Out of the clear blue of the western sky it’s Sky King!” The words were followed by majestic music that introduced the popular adventure serial from the 1940s and 1950s. The show, which first aired on radio then went to television, depicted the […]