I am also waiting on the RV15 if the kit is available as a TW. I built a Carbon Cub last year to replace my Highlander. The Highlander was fun but the Carbon Cub EX3 is in another league. The kit was very complete and really an easy build. You'll spend more time covering and painting than anything else. The good news is it fits in a 40x40 hangar on PK Floats with my 10.There are several modern Cubs on the market today. I'm particularly in love with the Zlin Savage, which uses a 100hp Rotax 912.
But I think Vans values aluminum construction, and we may never get the chance to see a Van's Cub.
Your going to love it
I went and did the TacAero back country course (using their FX3) ... so much fun ... now if it would stop raining for 5 minutes here maybe I could finish flying off my 40, only 8 hours to go!
Just curious - did you have the option of completing the task cards (25 hours) as opposed to the straight 40 hours ?
From your signature, I see you built your Javron Cub. How is it? I have an RV-3B and was looking at building one of these or the Bearhawk Patrol.
I will say that I can't believe the speed of the Rans. One year at the Gila back country fly-in I kept seeing two targets on the ADS-B "in" display and they were catching the Cessna 180's and 182's in cruise and spankin' the Super Cub and it's modern competitive designs. I found the N-numbers on the flight line and they were both Rans S-21's. One with a Continental Titan X340 engine and one with a Rotax. That being said I really don't like the height of the horizontal stab in tailwheel configuration. The stab is down in the rocks and bushes compared to other tailwheel bush planes. So a trike gear might be a more appropriate setup in rough terrain with the caveat that the propeller tip clearance will be reduced. Also, the fuel system is a bit funky with the plastic wing tanks gravity feeding a plastic header tank under and behind the pilot's seat which in turn has an electric fuel pump that feeds the engine. Whether carbureted or injected engine. Lots of plastic and tubing and one electric fuel pump needing to go "whirr" at all times to keep the propeller from windmilling. Also since the design was done completely based on a Rotax when they caved and provided a Lycoming mount the engine has to be mounted right against he firewall so no room for magnetos, Pmags or other conventionally-placed equivalent so the engine must be fitted with a Lightspeed electronic crank-triggered ignition. I just mention that for the magneto luddites amongst us. But I have to say I am impressed with that performance that Randy gets out of this design. I have a hangar neighbor who has an S-21 and he loves it. For his mission profile of a 60 mile round trip every week it suits him better than the RV-6 he had before. He loved his RV-6 too it was just too fast to enjoy his short commute.
Blindrvtr,
My hangar neighbour has the Titan engine on his recently completed S-21 and it has dual P-mags. Runs great!
That's great news. I wonder why Rans told us Pmags wouldn't fit.
