Photograph:
Rans S-20 Raven ZK-MFD (c/n 04140014) at Tapanui, New Zealand in March 2015 (C Miller – NZCIVAIR)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat light sport monoplane
Power Plant:
One 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912ULS four-cylinder horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.23 m (30 ft 3 in)
- Length: 6.4 m (21 ft)
- Height [tailwheel]: 2.04 m (6 ft 7 in)
- Height: [tricycle undercarriage] 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in)
- Wing area: 14.18 m² (152.7 sq ft)
- Never exceed speed: 209 km/h (130 mph)
- Cruising speed: 180 km/h (112 mph)
- Stalling speed clean: 63 km/h (39 mph)
- Stalling speed with flaps: 53 km/h (33 mph)
- Glide ratio: 9.4:1
- Service ceiling: 4,420 m (14,500 ft)
- Rate of climb: 274 m/min (900 ft/min)
- Take-off roll: 91 m (300 ft)
- Landing roll: 104 m (340 ft)
- Range: 937 km (582 miles)
- Endurance: 5.2 hours
- Empty weight: 336 kg (740 lb)
- Useful load: 263 kg (580 lb)
- Loaded weight: 600 kg (1,322 lb)
History:
Unveiled at the EAA event at Oshkosh in Wisconsin, USA in July 2013, the S-20 Raven was the latest of a long line of light aircraft developed by Rans, this model being a development of the S-6S Coyote and designed to replace that model on the market. The Company described the design as taking the wings, tail, fuel system and aero servo ailerons from the S-7S Courier, together with the engine system, control sticks, flap lever, rudder pedals, seats and instrument panel from the S-6S Coyote II with the intent to build a two-seat aircraft with side-by-side seating for bush work.
The S-20 Raven was designed by Randall Schlitter and is produced at its facility at Hays, Kansas, USA. It was expected to be made available in due course in ready-to-fly form in the light sport category in the United States. Engines ranging from 75 kw (100 hp) to 119 kw (160 hp) could be installed, including the 97 kw (130 hp) ULPower UL350iS unit but standard is the Rotax 912ULS driving a Whirlwind three-blade ground-adjustable propeller.
Construction of the aircraft was welded steel fuselage and tail, all welding being completed at the Company’s facility, CNC drilled spars eliminating all critical drilling and location of holes, one-piece stamped ribs punched with final hole sizes, and parts anodized. It stated the builder only needed to supply the engine, propeller, paint, avionics and fluids. Part of the design was the ability to switch from a tricycle configuration to tailwheel in a matter of hours, the undercarriage being of 7075 aluminium alloy. The aircraft has a large baggage area for camping equipment, folding bikes etc and a metal liner prevents the cargo moving forward. The steel doors feature gas lift struts and a double latch system.
First example of the series seen in this region was imported to New Zealand late in 2014, becoming ZK-MFD (c/n 04140014) on 3 March 2015 registered to Moa Flat Downs Ltd of Tapanui.