Vashon Aircraft, a new company based near Seattle, Washington, said this week it’s ready to offer to the market its new S-LSA, the Ranger R7, which will sell for $99,500. Led by CEO John Torode, who is also the founder and CEO of the Dynon avionics company, the staff has been developing the aircraft for the last five years, company spokesperson Amy Bellesheim told AVweb on Wednesday. She said there are two copies now flying, which they plan to keep as demonstrators, and four airplanes on the assembly line that will be ready for sale in April. The base model, dubbed the Yellowstone, includes a Dynon SkyView panel and is powered by the Continental O-200-D engine. The airplanes are built in an assembly and delivery center at Paine Field.
Vashon uses pre-painted metal to save manufacturing cost, time and weight, the company said. This technique eliminates the need to paint the aircraft after assembly. Vashon also manufactures the vast majority of its own parts, reducing its supply chain, which further reduces the cost of the airplane as well as build time, the company said. Both seats fold forward 90 degrees, which transforms the cabin into a camper for adventurous flyers. The Ranger has a useful load of 445 pounds, a maximum cruise speed of 117 knots, and range of 430 NM. The airplane will be officially launched and introduced to the public this July at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, the company said.
