RANS S-20LS Raven
By Ian Brown, Editor, Bits and Pieces
April 2016 - You have to give credit to Randy Schlitter of Rans Aircraft for the success he has enjoyed since forming his kit aircraft company. His latest venture is to market completed aircraft, and the FAA recently signed off on his factory-built, ready-to-fly S-20LS Raven. It is targeted at the U.S. light-sport aircraft (LSA) market, but is also available in kit form for the Canadian geography. And the STOL tundra-tired high-wing design looks ideal for the more remote parts of Canada.
The S-20LS Raven
There is perhaps no kit manufacturer more prolific in design variety than Rans, and that goes back to the company origins as a designer of tricycles with sails and land yachts. While many companies focus on refining good designs in a particular basic model, Rans has produced low-, mid-, and high-wing designs, as well as having produced at least 34 pedal-bicycle/tricycle designs, many of which are still in production. The company has sold over 3,000 kits to date, and the Rans S-20 is, you’ve guessed it, his 20th aircraft design.
Awarding the acceptance paperwork. Left to right: Tony Dopita, Assembly Forman; Randy Schlitter, CEO RANS Designs; Derrick Jones, FAA; Ed Schwab, RANS Designs Aircraft Technical Specialist; Sheldyne Brown, RANS Designs Assembly Specialist
They are presently shipping kits for seven of their designs with an emphasis on one- or two-place light-sport aircraft. You can read more by going to www.rans.com
You might think that the name Rans was intended to sound a bit like Van’s, but it’s actually a contraction of Randy S!
