Is it as tough as a Cub? Each of these kits makes a good plane, but each has special attributes that will make it better for some builders than for others. Our relationship with the customer only begins when the kit is delivered. Price wise, the Texas Sport is a bit more expensive than the quickbuild version of the Wag Aero, but it comes with more of the work done. The Texas Sport Cub also features doors on both sides to make getting in and out easier, an especially nice feature if you put it on floats. And the front perch isn’t exactly spacious. They all are hard-pressed to fly much faster than 100 mph (except for the Carbon Cub with the big engine), and 90 is more like it. The result is an empty weight of about 100 pounds less than the Cubs. The KR-2 is a two place kit plane that is 14ft 6 inches long with a wingspan of 20 ft 8 inches and sets about 3ft 6 inches high. With those big flaps, flying the Carbon Cub is more like flying a Super Cub than a J-3. When I made my decision, the Carbon Cub was not available in kit form, and the Wag Aero got eliminated for the legroom issues mentioned. Another issue is that the plans are a study in minimalism. The Light Sport Aircraft rules created a market for lightweight airplanes such as the Cub, and streamlining the manufacturing and approval process has made them somewhat affordable. When he isn’t building something, he shares his love of aviation with others by flying Young Eagles or volunteering as an EAA Technical Counselor. Unlike the Wag Aero and Texas Sport Cubs, the Carbon Cub has flaps—nice, big, effective flaps that allow for steeper approaches and some short takeoff and landing rolls in the hands of a crack Cub pilot. I am certainly in no hurry to replace mine. You can avail yourself of the factory builder-assist program, but that further increases the price. The Carbon Cub’s can be open in flight. The best part of this story is that there are a lot of good choices. I looked hard at the RANS S-7S but went with the Texas Sport for the purely emotional reason that it looked more like a Cub. Making the transition from trigear to tailwheels. NEWS: 4/29/2021 ANNOUNCING ALL KITS WILL BE DELIVERED WITH CARBON FIBER, KEVLAR, AND S-GLASS FUSELAGE, FLAPS, AILERONS,HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER. Zenith Aircraft Company also manufactures the kit for the STOL CH 801, a much larger 4-seat utility version of the STOL CH 701, designed for 150 - 200 hp engines, and the new STOL CH 750 two-seat light sport utility kit plane. There is much to praise about the Texas Sport Cub. Stall: 19 kts / 22 mph / 35 kph. With its squared-off rudder and wingtips, it doesn’t look much like a Cub, and its Rotax engine doesn’t sound like a Cub, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth considering. Looks like a Cub because, basically, it is a Cub. It flies like a Cub. For one, it uses the Rotax 912S engine, which is a good 30 pounds lighter than the new lightweight Continental O-200. The Wag Aero Sport Trainer enjoys the longest track record and is the truest to the original J-3 Cub. It has lots of nice color pictures and adequate, if less than detailed, written descriptions of most of the assembly steps, but no extra diagrams or comprehensive parts list. A budget of $75,000 for a complete plane is reasonable if you want all new stuff, all of the quickbuild options, and a panel with a radio and transponder. RANS also has an active and helpful builder support group called the RANS Clan. Since its introduction in 1986, more than 400 short take-off and landing STOL CH 701 aircraft have been successfully built and flown around the world, many being used for light utility purposes. Troy dropping in Troy Woodland lands the SuperStol at the Just Aircraft factory. I thought it might have been a quirk of the one airplane, but since then I have flown another that did the same thing. For this article, I aimed to bring a builder’s perspective to the process, so I paid special attention to building instructions, completeness of the kit, feedback from builders and dealing with the respective factories. It is an Experimental, so you can customize it without worrying about STCs or field approvals. The STOL CH 701 builder is buying more than a box full of aircraft kit parts: We take customer support seriously, and take pride in the reputation we’ve developed over the last twenty years. It flies great but refuses to stall. They may not be the fastest ships in the air, but they sure are a lot of fun to fly, and they’re pretty fun to build, too. Of course, you can really blow the budget with the instrument panel, but there is no need to. STOL DRAG & STOL Competitions. That included paying a professional painter to help with the color coats and lightning bolt. Does that make it the best? Of course, if you opt for the factory assist program, the assembly manual’s shortcomings aren’t an issue. Front legroom for my 6-foot-3 frame was painfully tight to the point of being almost unendurable. Experimental Amateur Built STOL aircraft Dan Johnson at Oshkosh details the SuperStol aircraft.. SuperStol near full stall landing Watch this ultra short landing of the SuperStol at the Just Aircraft factory runway. ! As a professional light aircraft designer and engineer I have done just that … quite a few times. Call (727) 249-6109 to … The STOL class excludes vertical takeoff and landing ( VTOL ) types, rotorcraft , aerostats and most light aircraft . Many of the parts look just like they did 70 years ago when the J-3 Cub was first introduced. Airbike ultralight aircraft light part 103 ultralight aircraft preceptor stol king plans and tail wheel light aircraft db s savannah experimental aircraft kit Hor Stol Aircraft Kit Light Db SB1 Rd Robertson Part103 Ultralight Plans And Information Set For Homebuild Aircraft Simple Build Stol Fly S BuildandflyJust Aircraft S SuperstolChipper Ss Build It Under Part […] The best kit always comes down to a unique balance of practical and emotional wants and needs. The Sportsman STOL wing cuff is a state of the art modification originally designed by Lockheed Skunkworks to increase light plane utility and safety by increasing the wings efficiency and resistance to stalls and spins. It represents flying in its purest form, unencumbered by the trappings of modern life. What I really used to build the plane was the exploded views in the parts catalog.” That is not to say that you can’t build the plane with the plans, but you won’t be spoon fed the information; you’ll have to work for it. Within 3 hours they all need to be on the ground again so that you can get some gas and stretch your legs. For someone who wants to create a brand new Cub that is as true as possible to the original, this is your only real choice outside of restoring an actual J-series. The Texas Sport Cub is not unique in this regard. As you might expect, these four planes share a number of traits. If you want to build a new Cub and you have only $50,000, you will only end up with at most half a Carbon Cub. Winner of the “which one is unlike the others” contest is the RANS S-7S, a high-wing, tandem-seat, LSA-legal utility plane that competes in many ways with modern Cubs. Troy Woodland and Gary Schmitt teamed up 11 years ago to create Just Aircraft and their first plane, the Escapade. If you build it yourself, you can get in for less than $100,000 in most cases. This is an overview of the complete all-metal DIY kit for the Zenith STOL CH 750 light sport utility kitplane. Check out all the remote control products at Horizon Hobby! For example, I built mine for about $82,000, including a new Jabiru engine, a Sensenich composite propeller, and a nice VFR panel with a Dynon FlightDEK-D180, Garmin SL40, Garmin GTX 330 transponder, intercom, and a Garmin GPSMAP 496 in an AirGizmo mount. He has so far completed three—a GlaStar, a Glasair Sportsman, and a Texas Sport Cub—and is helping a friend build an RV-8. If you have built a GlaStar or an RV, you will be taken aback by how little information there is. Kitplanes.com and the Kitplanes logo are protected properties under international copyright law. Australian Aircraft Kits (AAK) Australian Aircraft Kits is proud to present its range of innovative STOL (Short Take-off and Landing) aircraft. Well, there are a few things. The company’s kit division, Texas Sport Aircraft, has sold a much smaller number of kits, but that part of the business is gradually gaining momentum. (But then it’s not LSA legal, but you knew that.) SuperStol Media. It is not difficult to build and not too expensive. Extra large cabin/cargo space. Please don’t start throwing things while yelling, “How affordable is a $100,000 Cub?” That is a lot of money, but it is relatively affordable compared to a quarter-million bucks for a new Cessna 172. All of these planes require judicious use of the brakes when flying solo from the front. Cost wise the S-7S is toward the low end of this group. The first time I slipped, the wind blew right through the cockpit and took my hat and headset off. The Sportsman STOL wing cuff is a state of the art modification designed to increase light plane utility and safety by increasing the wings efficiency and resistance to stalls and spins. It can also be built more cheaply than its competitors if you are willing to do some extra work. At KITPLANES, we maintain a directory that is as broad as we can make it, listing airplane designs that are new and those that are old so that you have the big picture of experimental craft. The Texas Sport Cub has a great combination of Cub qualities with some important improvements. It betters the original Cub and the Wag Aero when it comes to interior room. It is a good plane with a good track record, and that is probably enough to say. Split doors are a Cub trademark. All rights reserved worldwide. N6359N. MTOW: 1320 lbs / 599 kg. CubCrafters also offers a 180-hp O-340, based on the venerable Lycoming O-320 design that employs every weight-savings trick in the book and uses ECI parts including a stroker crankshaft. Still could be an individual-airplane thing, but you do have to wonder. Cruise: 85 kts / 98 mph / 157 kph. Aircraft needs re-covering and reassymbling. For a builder on a tight budget, this has a lot to recommend it. Even though the RANS S-7S is similar to a Cub in many respects, it makes no attempt to be a Cub. This is a picture of a KR2-S Kit Plane taken at The Oshkosh, WI Airshow. For our comparison I have focused on kits that meet some basic Cub-like criteria. With its 1320-pound gross weight, which can be bumped up to 1600 pounds if you order the beefier wingspars, it can handle the 100-horsepower Continental O-200 or the 120-hp Jabiru 3300A. If you want to build a plane, especially as a first-time builder, that represents a great value and at least loosely follows in the path of the original Cub, then the RANS S-7S may be your best choice. They need to find a new vendor for these parts. Learn how your comment data is processed. Hundreds of plans sets have been sold. Ford V6 engine with reduction drive and three blade adjustable prop included. The kit consists of a glove that fits over the wings leading edge, extending approximately two inches forward from the original wing, and further drooping the leading edge. The well-balanced controls give it a nice feel in flight—somewhat lighter than a Cub and with less adverse yaw. It also dispenses with the J-3’s heel brakes and includes what most people would consider more normal toe brakes. Our aircraft is designed to meet or exceed the New proposed LSA regulations. They all fly well enough to serve as good trainers for even novice pilots, taildragger gear notwithstanding. What’s good about the Wag Aero? The company, founded in 2002, also manufactures Highlander and Escapade kit aircraft, and the SuperSTOL has driven its growth to 25 employees from 10 a year ago. Complete with a radio, Garmin 495 and transponder but no quickbuild options, it can be built for well under $70,000. What could be better? Many upgrades are available from the factory including interior pieces and pre-wired instrument panels to suit any budget. If you have more time than money, aren’t oversized like me, and really want to build a plane that captures the spirit of the Cub, the Wag Aero may be best. Each plane must be a two-seat tandem taildragger, it must be fabric covered, it must be flyable under Light Sport Aircraft rules (either as an Experimental/Amateur-Built or an Experimental Light Sport), and it must be available as a kit. Texas Sport also has not broken a lot of new ground when it comes to refining the basic structure and controls of the airplane. Parts fit and are well organized on cardboard panels. The cabin is 4 inches wider and has more legroom. The people at American Legend/Texas Sport are friendly and helpful in a casual, laid back sort of way. One thing I did notice flying the S-7S is that when it was loaded up with two people, it would consistently drop a wing going into a stall. Texas Sport Aircraft is the only one of this group to provide factory support for the Jabiru engine installation. This required numerous phone calls and emails to get the information needed, which worked out well enough, but could hardly be characterized as top rate. If you do all the welding and other work yourself and keep the panel simple with no radio, you can get into a finished airplane with a used Continental A-65 engine for around $45,000, maybe less if you are a good scrounger. It improves on the original in many ways but retains the spirit of the Cub. stol kit description The Horton STOL Conversion will give the advantage of taking-off and landing at a slower speed, the ability to get out of grass strips easier, obtain better performance at high altitudes, with better aileron control at low speeds, reduce the tendency to spin and reduce the stall speed. More information! Flying the Texas Sport Cub holds no surprises. Since we sold our first kit in 2001, many happy customers have experienced the thrill of the first flight in a real aircraft, built by their own hands. He is also an A&P mechanic, Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR), and was a member of the EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council for six years. RANS has a longstanding and well-deserved reputation for turning out a good product. You bet! To be sure, the stall in both airplanes came at an impressively low airspeed, but you had better not let your feet be asleep when it begins. The assembly manual needs to be improved. Amphibious floats for your Carbon Cub? Some of their competitors have introduced refinements to the manufacturing process that save weight and simply work better than parts patterned on the original design. And they are all fairly easy to build, if you opt for the pre-welded fuselage on the Wag Aero. The current model S-7S is a solid design that flies well and is easy to build, as hundreds of builders can attest. of builders, it was only natural that he would make his living as a contractor and spend his leisure time building airplanes. PHOTOS. The extra room is really nice, though front legroom is still a bit tight for me. Schedule . The company’s kit division, Texas Sport Aircraft, has sold a much smaller number of kits, but that part of the business is gradually gaining momentum. Don’t expect to do this at home unless you are one heck of a Cub pilot, but the capability is there. It is comfortable inside, with adjustable seats that would fit almost anyone. Hornet STOL Aircraft Kitby Australian Aircraft Kits Video. BearHawk Aircraft Bush Plane - STOL 4 Place Kit Plane Build Welcome back to the Experimental Aircraft Channel! The Texas Sport Cub goes without flaps but performs admirably in short-field work. The bad news is, depending on what panel layout and engine are selected, you will spend well over $100,000. This means everything on the plane is lighter. It is a Cub, after all. There are no flaps, so coming in high means slipping it. Wag Aero’s Sport Trainer is the closest thing to a J-3 in this group. THE NEW WING AND NOT ONLY The Wing is totally new and is equipped with new customized Hyper Stol profile. STATUS UPDATE: ALL CAD DESIGN AND TOOLING ARE COMPLETE - FIRST FAST BUILD KIT IN CONSTRUCTION, Aircraft Is being developed in using 3D CAD Catia V5 as used by Boeing and Airbus, All roll cage and metal parts CNC and laser cut for precision fit and finish, Fuselage, Stabilizer and Rudder constructed of S-glass Kevlar and Carbon Fiber, Chief designer has 20 years experience in developing aircraft, S-glass, Kevlar and Carbon Fiber fuselage, Rudder and Stabilizer with fully integrated chrome moly / Aluminum structure for pilot/passenger protection, Is being designed on Catia V5 3D CAD and FEA modeled for strength and light weight, Designed for safe and rugged off-airport operation. No other aircraft kit manufacturer offers a comparable airplane.The wing slats, when combined with the large Fowler flaps, allow the aircraft to be flown at extremely high angles of attack permitting it to 'drop' into small or inclined clearings. With two aboard, you won’t be able to carry a week’s camping gear. If the prospect of forking over that amount hasn’t left you on the floor gasping for air, you need to look at some of the unique features found on this airplane. Read More . It’s best not to use them at all until you are slowed and off the runway. BUSH EAGLE STOL 2T-Tandem or 2S- Side by Side 2 seater: The Quick build kit includes factory builder assistance: Our Hangars, tools and knowlage add your two visits of 2-4 weeks time! Lets compare a covey of Cub-like homebuilts. Stall: 29 kts / 33 mph / 54 kph. But there’s panel space sufficient for VFR instruments and radios. Our collection of high-quality STOL Airplanes is designed for optimal durability and performance. V6 STOL, continental io-360-c no books, mcaulley constant speed prop, engine mount. Kit production has jumped to nearly a dozen airplanes a month from seven a month last year—and the company has a six-month backlog, even if it meets its ramped-up delivery timetables. American Legend has built at least 150 Cubs as SLSA airplanes, and they are well regarded. If you are really in a hurry to get flying, RANS will assemble and cover the wings and do a host of other chores for an extra $9300. Stol-It Aircraft, Inc. is a Custom Aircraft Builder located in South Carolina and the surrounding area offering Customer Aircraft Builder, Hangar Space available for builder assistance.