Williard,
You will, no doubt get a lot of messages in response to your post
regarding the LSA rules, the availability of factory built, sLSA
certified aircraft and so forth.

I will apply good common sense and assume that you will not be buying
one of these airplanes until they are available (whenever that is, two
months or 10 months) and answer the question that you actually asked.

I have experience with RANS and Kitfox aircraft. I have personally
built 5 RANS kitplanes and I have known Randy Schlitter since 1988. The
airplanes are top notch, customer support and service are second to
none. RANS has a production certificate in hand and can build S-7
Couriers today. To my knowledge, this is the only LSA legal, new
airplane that is certified right now. The RANS S-6 Coyote is a great
airplane and is very easy to build. As a matter of fact, I would
encourage you to buy a RANS S-6 kit with Quickbuild option and put it
together yourself. You can license it under Experimental/Amateur Built
and fly it with a no-medical Sport Pilot license. By building it
yourself, you can do your own annual condition inspections and repairs.

One of the S-6's that I built was assembled in 48 days of part time
work. That was before the quickbuild option was available.

In regard to the Kitfox, it is a very nice airplane with good handling
qualities. I have test flown one and ferried one for the owner when it
was sold. I do not have any first hand knowledge of what the Kitfox is
like to build or the company's customer service.

Blue Skies!

Rick Pellicciotti


Willard wrote:

I am planning to buy a factory-built LSA within a few months. All the
aircraft I am considering will be built by companies with a history of
selling kits - e.g., Rans, Kolb, Kitfox, etc. Any homebuilders out
there have any opinions about any of these companies and their
products?

Thanks