engine. Photo courtesy of RANS Design, Inc.
RANS Design Inc. has brought their new S-20 LSM to AirVenture. It is much like the more familiar S-20 that came out some four years ago (see KITPLANES July 2014), but the LSM features the metal wings of the new S-21 Outbound. This plane can be powered by either the Rotax 912 ULS 100 hp engine from the original S-20 Raven or a new 180 hp engine package featuring a Titan (Continental) IO-340 engine. Both versions are designed to comply with Light Sport rules but boast strength capabilities well beyond 1320 pounds gross weight for builders who wish to go that way.
The S-20 LSM is available as a fully completed, ready-to-fly S-LSA or as a kit intended for Experimental amateur-built status. No E-LSA version is being offered or planned.
As for pros and cons of the metal wings versus the fabric wings of the original S-20, the new version is a bit heavier and stalls at a slightly higher speed but is a bit faster in cruise. The big advantage is build time. Both metal wings can be assembled in about 50 hours, which is a fraction of the time required for fabric wings. Because of the short build time of the new S-20 LSM there is no quick build option available.
The complete kit for the S-20 LSM is available from RANS for $29,200, less firewall forward and electronics.
