"It ain't the pants."

Dan, keep at it because it is worth it in the end! It still feels surreal to go to the hangar and fly rather than build.. I love the tip up and would do it again!

I like the simplicity and the look of the Catto, but may go to a CS at some point so I prepped the panel and firewall for a prop cable.. the panel is VFR and all Dynon - took me about a year to wire it, but it is relatively easy to understand and came together nicely..

Wow! That is a gorgeous plane! I REALLY like the subtle way you worked the checkerboard pattern into the tail's paint scheme. I would not have thought of doing it that way, but it came out absolutely spectacular. I have to admire the tenacity it takes to finish any homebuilt, but you, sir, can be absolutely proud of an absolutely stunning accomplishment! I especially like that you're kept it "in the spirit" of Van's designs – light and simple – with your choice of engine and prop. Those things fly like a bat out'a hell anyway, and they just handle so much sweeter at lighter weight. (And, of course, if it ain't there, it can't break!)

Color me jealous (with a subtle checkerboard green tail)...

Now go out and fly the heck out of it!

As a general rule, you should speak when either (1) it's necessary or (2) it's both true and kind. I don't think what you wrote was necessary, nor kind.

(This is not full aileron deflection. That would have more &^#&@*@.)
((I like the aileron analogy.))

It's terrific to see some amateur-built airplanes showing up here in the steadfast land of the certificated aircraft.

This particular airplane looks quite nice and, with 16 years of gestation, is a testament to the patience, perseverance and dedication of the builder. I congratulate you on a job that clearly has been well done.

We don't build airplanes in our basements and garages just to have an airplane - it's one of those activities where the journey may be even more satisfying than the destination.

For those of you who are building airplanes at home, build on! The satisfaction that comes the moment the wheels first leave the ground is beyond description. After nearly three years and over 200 hours I still feel like I need to pinch myself when flying our airplane - it's almost too good to be true.

Ok, no checkerboards for me (I'm not that skilled at masking!) but rather a bit of polish on the tail, and a whole lot of glass in the panel! Paint, panel and everything else done by yours truly in the 635 Weeks To Taxi program . Not as fast as the RVs but very spacious and comfortable and an absolute delight to fly.

Very nice job on the Sportsman. I'm a repeat offender as a builder and appreciate what you're saying. Van's has been under pressure from the community to make the next model something along the lines of this - high wing, back country capable, versatile. Speed probably not as important as the mission, but the Sportsman hits the balance just right IMHO especially with the larger powerplant.

I had a conversation with my sister in law last year after my brother died. She told me how she felt it was a virtue how honest she is with people. How she says what she thinks, doesn't sugar coat anything and is honest as can be. I told her that she should also consider the effect of what she says on others, as people tend to react emotionally first, before logically, and that she'll eventually drive the people who love her away. She poo-pooed that thought and said "that's how I am and people just need to accept me as I am."

I was speaking with her the other day, and she lamented that she hasn't heard from my sister in months and doesn't understand why and that she's don't nothing wrong that she knew of. I just sighed. I'm not getting in the middle of them again.

Thanks for the kind words. Indeed the clamour to have Van produce a high-wing backcountry aluminum airplane with a high-quality match-drilled kit is very loud. Many who have been beating on that drum have moved away from Van and gone to Rans instead where the S21 is gobbling up market share at a fierce pace.

Glasair is currently "taking a covid pause" and assures us that when they restart the Two Weeks to Taxi program (it's currently not possible to operate the TWTT program in a covid-safe manner) they will have updated the Sportsman design significantly to improve ease of assembly and reduce cost. I know I'm not the only one anxiously awaiting the big reveal of this updated product.

I've also seen a lot of the push for Van's to get involved. It would be pretty awesome to have a Van's version of the S-21, complete with blind rivets and big engine options. Add RV-12-style removable wings, and they might have a winner. There's no doubt they've sold and flown a lot more RV-12's than RANS has sold S-19's.

But it's very possible that the backcountry thing is a fad and, if they aren't already working on it, Van's could be late to the party.

How much bigger would the engine need to be for an 1800 pound, two-place airplane? The S-21 already has options for an LSA-compliant Rotax 912 ULS (100 HP), Rotax 914 (115 HP turbo), Rotax 915 (140-ish HP turbo), and a Titan x340 (180 HP)... For some odd reason (pilots!) most builders seem to be opting for the x340.

Now if only RANS had production capacity to bring the backlog down below the 12-month waiting period... They literally can't build them fast enough!

Wow!! Nice paint job!! Nice plane too.

After all the comments trying to mold, direct, redirect and attempt to tell me I am wrong, none have remotely convinced me that MY opinion is wrong. Some people like fat chicks. Some people like tall chicks. Some like those with emotional problems. Other like submissive partners and again, others prefer to be submissive.

I don’t like the checkerboard tail. I’ll say it once, I’ll say it twice. It’s my opinion. Regardless if you don’t like it, I won’t change it.

You are entitled to your opinion. I think you stated it like 9 times.

And now, you add a demeaning sexist twist to it a week after everyone else was letting it sit.

Strange indeed...

You are entitled to your opinion. I think you stated it like 9 times.

And now, you add a demeaning sexist twist to it a week after everyone else was letting it sit.

Strange indeed...

Well done. I might made the checkering stand out more, just cuz. And again, well done.