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The Rans S-7 Courier is an American single-engined,
GINFO Search Results
retrieved 1 October 2013
;S-7
:Initial version, standard engine 
;S-7C
:Refined version introduced in 2001, certified under the US primary category. Certification in the category took seven years of effort by the manufacturer and was not a commercial success as the primary aircraft category was not widely adopted.
;S-7S
:Kit version of the S-7C, introduced in 2003. Qualifies as a US Experimental light-sport aircraft (ELSA). Standard engine is the
The Rans S-7 Courier is an American single-engined, tractor configuration
In aviation, the term tractor configuration refers to an aircraft constructed in the standard configuration with its engine mounted with the propeller in front of it so that the aircraft is "pulled" through the air. Oppositely, the pusher co ...
, two-seats in tandem
Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction.
The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...
, high-wing monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
designed by Randy Schlitter and manufactured by Rans Inc. The Courier is available in kit form for amateur construction or as a completed light-sport aircraft.Downey, Julia: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 65. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 69. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 239. BAI Communications. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 157. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485XTaylor, John (ed): ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1986-1987'', pages 701-702. Jane's Publishing Company, 1986. Taylor, John (ed): ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1987-1988'', pages 698-699. Jane's Publishing Company, 1987. Taylor, John (ed): ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-1989'', pages 592-594. Jane's Publishing Company, 1988. Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 68. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 72. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
Design and development
The S-7 was originally conceived of as a trainer for the single seat S-4 Coyote. First flown in November 1985 the Courier was named for an aircraft that Schlitter admired, the Helio Courier. The S-7 features a welded 4130 steel tube cockpit, with a boltedaluminum
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...
tube rear fuselage, wing and tail surfaces all covered in dope and fabric. The reported construction times for the Courier are 500-700 man-hours.
The Courier is available only with conventional landing gear
Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...
but can be equipped with floats and ski
A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...
s. The original basic engine was the Rotax 503
The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995.
As of 2011 the Rot ...
of , with the Rotax 582
The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operating ...
of being available as an option. Today the standard engine is the Rotax 912ULS
The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, later ...
. At least one S7 has been fitted with a Jabiru 2200
The Jabiru 2200 is a lightweight naturally aspirated, pushrod four-stroke, flat four, air-cooled aircraft engine produced by Jabiru Aircraft.
Design and development
The conventional direct-drive engine is fitted with an alternator, silencers, ...
flat-four, four-stroke direct-drive engine. Civil Aviation AuthorityGINFO Search Results
retrieved 1 October 2013
Operational history
325 examples of the Courier had been completed by December 2007. In November 2010 74 were on the registers of European countries west of Russia. Reviewer Marino Boric said in a 2015 review, that, "this refined little fun flyer...continues to prove itself deservedly popular."Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 76. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. In a extensive review in December 2020, AVweb writer Dave Prizio praised the design's ergonomics and economics, "a nice feature of the S-7 is its ample 30-inch-wide cabin. Even for large people, there is no need to squeeze into an S-7 the way you might into a Cub. It will pretty much do the same thing as a Super Cub at a lower operating cost."Variants
;S-7
:Initial version, standard engine Rotax 503
The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995.
As of 2011 the Rot ...
, Rotax 582
The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operating ...
engine optional.
;S-7C
:Refined version introduced in 2001, certified under the US primary category. Certification in the category took seven years of effort by the manufacturer and was not a commercial success as the primary aircraft category was not widely adopted.
;S-7S
:Kit version of the S-7C, introduced in 2003. Qualifies as a US Experimental light-sport aircraft (ELSA). Standard engine is the Rotax 912ULS
The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, later ...
.
;S-7LS
:Sold as a factory-assembled ready-to-fly US Special light-sport aircraft, the S-7LS is a factory-assembled version of the S-7S. Standard engine is the Rotax 912ULS
The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, later ...
.
Specifications (S-7S)
See also
References
External links
* {{Rans aircraft 1980s United States civil utility aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Light-sport aircraft S-007 Courier High-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1985