Sport Pilot Talk

Anyone have any experience with the Vashon Ranger?

https://vashonaircraft.com/ranger-r7-specs.php

It has a dry 'useful' load of 445#, it carries 28 gallons of fuel = 168#, leaving 277# for pilot, passenger and luggage.... or ONE of my chubby self wearing very light clothing - LOL

chicagorandy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 24, 2021 4:18 pm https://vashonaircraft.com/ranger-r7-specs.php

It has a dry 'useful' load of 445#, it carries 28 gallons of fuel = 168#, leaving 277# for pilot, passenger and luggage.... or ONE of my chubby self wearing very light clothing - LOL

Sounds worse than the 162

When one is built for traction, not for speed (LOL) the world of the LSA or even ultralights is a very small one indeed. I suspect it is one of the reasons so many were hoping the FAA would quickly allow LSAs flown be Sport Pilots to have a higher load limit, which does not seem likely at this point?.

Looks like they sold about 50 of them so far .. some people do find it useable.

I'm thinking about one for instructing. I like the dirt simple O200 engine. I wouldn't have to fill it with 28 gallons of fuel, 16 would be plenty for a lesson and I'm not a really big guy myself (168 lbs). My 150 only holds 22 gallons, and it'll outlast my bladder by at least an hour. I'm going to study it pretty hard at OSH. I actually know, and have met Ken Kruger.

malexander wrote: ↑Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:43 pm I'm thinking about one for instructing. I like the dirt simple O200 engine. I wouldn't have to fill it with 28 gallons of fuel, 16 would be plenty for a lesson and I'm not a really big guy myself (168 lbs). My 150 only holds 22 gallons, and it'll outlast my bladder by at least an hour. I'm going to study it pretty hard at OSH. I actually know, and have met Ken Kruger.

One thing for sure, their pricing is very , very competitive when compared to wildly overpriced toys like Bristell or Tecnam ( or even my own Sting )

Warmi wrote: ↑Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:57 pm

malexander wrote: ↑Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:43 pm I'm thinking about one for instructing. I like the dirt simple O200 engine. I wouldn't have to fill it with 28 gallons of fuel, 16 would be plenty for a lesson and I'm not a really big guy myself (168 lbs). My 150 only holds 22 gallons, and it'll outlast my bladder by at least an hour. I'm going to study it pretty hard at OSH. I actually know, and have met Ken Kruger.

One thing for sure, their pricing is very , very competitive when compared to wildly overpriced toys like Bristell or Tecnam ( or even my own Sting )

That's what makes it look so attractive to me. AND, the fact it was designed/engineered by Ken Kruger and built in the USA makes it more appealing.

malexander wrote: ↑Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:43 pm I'm thinking about one for instructing. I like the dirt simple O200 engine. I wouldn't have to fill it with 28 gallons of fuel, 16 would be plenty for a lesson and I'm not a really big guy myself (168 lbs). My 150 only holds 22 gallons, and it'll outlast my bladder by at least an hour. I'm going to study it pretty hard at OSH. I actually know, and have met Ken Kruger.

FYI, one of the flight schools at Denton (In the Pattern @ KDTO) just added a Vashon Ranger to their fleet, if you want to fly down and check it out in person before OSH. Looks nice in their pictures!

FYI, one of the flight schools at Denton (In the Pattern @ KDTO) just added a Vashon Ranger to their fleet, if you want to fly down and check it out in person before OSH. Looks nice in their pictures!
[/quote]


Thanks Jim:
There's actually a guy up here at Wiley Post that has one. We're going to meet up Sunday afternoon and look it over, and probably fly it some.

Well, my brother and I, and my student went to KPWA Sunday afternoon and got to look at the Ranger. That's a NICE airplane. Kathryn isn't very tall, but with some cushions that I took along (she uses them in the S6) she fit just fine and could reach the rudder pedals just fine.

Yeah, I really like the looks of it, and it seems to be built really well... I just wish they had used a Rotax so it had more useful load! For me, it's a single-person airplane, like so many other "heavy" Light Sport Aircraft...

JimParker256 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 8:28 am Yeah, I really like the looks of it, and it seems to be built really well... I just wish they had used a Rotax so it had more useful load! For me, it's a single-person airplane, like so many other "heavy" Light Sport Aircraft...

Well, for me and a student, we can just adjust the amount of fuel we put in it.

malexander wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 11:00 am Well, for me and a student, we can just adjust the amount of fuel we put in it.

LOL - It's definitely a "me" problem. At my size, my options are much more limited. But I'm working on it, big time. I'm down 82 lbs over the last 18 months or so, and I just got back from doing 14.3 miles on my bike before breakfast...

LOL - It's definitely a "me" problem. At my size, my options are much more limited. But I'm working on it, big time. I'm down 82 lbs over the last 18 months or so, and I just got back from doing 14.3 miles on my bike before breakfast...
[/quote]


Hang in there Jim. At 62 yo, I can see how easy the pounds could add up. I weighed 160 lbs when I graduated high school, I'm up to 175 now, I feel the best at 165-168. I'm right at 6' tall. I have to really watch how I eat now, because I pay very close attention to what I DON'T want to look like later on. I think it's easier to keep the weight off, than to try to take it off.