# Rans Designs
**Rans Designs, Inc.** (also styled RANS Designs) is an American light-aircraft manufacturer in Hays, Kansas, founded by Randy Schlitter in the mid-1970s, that produces a line of two-seat kit and factory-built sport airplanes including the S-7 Courier, S-19 Venterra, S-20 Raven, and S-21 Outbound. Sources give the founding year as 1973 (the Hays Chamber of Commerce and Hays Post) or 1974 (the company's own business listings and the Kansas Sampler Foundation); the company began building aircraft in 1983.[1](https://hayschamber.com/members/directory/rans-designs-inc) • [2](https://hayspost.com/posts/08b18ebc-2057-4154-bde5-dda9e4b2db66) • [3](https://www.allbiz.com/business/rans-designs-inc-785-625-6346)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973 or 1974 (sources differ) by Randy Schlitter in Hays, Kansas, originally to build sailtrikes[1](https://hayschamber.com/members/directory/rans-designs-inc) • [3](https://www.allbiz.com/business/rans-designs-inc-785-625-6346) |
| Current lineup | S-7 Courier, S-19 Venterra, S-20 Raven, S-21 Outbound; S-6 Coyote II out of active production[4](https://www.findmywings.com/aircraft/rans-s-series) |
| S-21 Outbound | Two-seat all-metal high wing, 28 ft span, 141 sq ft wing area, gross weight 1,320 lb as SLSA or 1,800 lb as EAB, Vne 215 mph[5](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_7ee9eb67fff04f10909e03916e5728e4.pdf) |
| Build time (S-21) | a 500-hour ramp-ready target[6](https://www.rans.com/s-21-outbound?lightbox=dataItem-jd3kayap) |
| Leadership | Randy Schlitter owner/CEO; Tony Dopita president since May 10, 2022[7](https://www.rans.com/copy-of-contact) • [2](https://hayspost.com/posts/08b18ebc-2057-4154-bde5-dda9e4b2db66) |
| Location | 4600 Highway 183 Alt., Hays, Kansas 67601, with the company-owned Rans Airport (8KS4)[7](https://www.rans.com/copy-of-contact) • [8](https://www.airnav.com/airport/8KS4) |
## History
Randy Schlitter, a bicycle enthusiast whose father Ray was a flight instructor and agricultural spray pilot in Hays, started the company to build sailtrikes, wind-powered recumbent-seated vehicles, and later recumbent bicycles.[9](https://kansassampler.org/8wondersofkansas-commerce/rans-inc-hays) • [10](https://www.huckboyd.k-state.edu/kansas-profiles/profiles/archives/2000.html) A friend talked him into building an ultralight airplane in 1983; he then took formal training in aircraft mechanics and within a year was producing and selling airplane kits.[10](https://www.huckboyd.k-state.edu/kansas-profiles/profiles/archives/2000.html)
The two-seat S-6 Coyote II, introduced in 1988, became one of the company's commercial mainstays: RANS sold about 2,700 units across all S-6 versions.[11](https://www.kitplanes.com/rans-s-20-raven/) The tandem S-7 Courier, born in 1985 with a 50-hp Rotax 503 engine, has more than 900 kits sold and over 600 flying.[12](https://www.kitplanes.com/buying-used-rans-s-7-courier/) When Light Sport Aircraft rules arrived in the mid-2000s, RANS was among the first American companies to qualify its designs as Special Light Sport Aircraft, beginning with a ready-to-fly S-7S Courier.[13](https://www.kitplanes.com/light-stuff-73/) The all-metal low-wing S-19 Venterra followed in 2008, and the steel-tube-and-fabric S-20 Raven in 2013.[14](https://www.kitplanes.com/rans-s-19/) • [11](https://www.kitplanes.com/rans-s-20-raven/)
In March 2018 RANS certified two new factory-built models into SLSA status, the S-21LS with a Rotax 912ULS engine and the S-20LS, and the S-21 Outbound kit was introduced the same year.[15](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_cad34c0ffeb943f98beb5636a962bf1a.pdf) • [2](https://hayspost.com/posts/08b18ebc-2057-4154-bde5-dda9e4b2db66) On May 10, 2022, Schlitter stepped down as president in favor of Tony Dopita, a 20-year company employee who had worked up from sandblasting bike frames to production manager; Schlitter, then 68, remained CEO and continued to direct research and development.[2](https://hayspost.com/posts/08b18ebc-2057-4154-bde5-dda9e4b2db66) At that time the Hays plant employed 27 people, and the company was booked a year out on kits and through the first quarter of 2026 on ready-to-fly aircraft.[2](https://hayspost.com/posts/08b18ebc-2057-4154-bde5-dda9e4b2db66)
## Products and construction
RANS aircraft fall into two construction families. The S-6, S-7, and S-20 use welded 4130 chromoly steel-tube structures with aluminum and fabric covering, while the S-19 and S-21 are all-aluminum semi-monocoque designs.[4](https://www.findmywings.com/aircraft/rans-s-series) Every model is available as an Experimental Amateur-Built (E-AB) kit, and some are also certified as Special Light-Sport Aircraft in factory-built form.[4](https://www.findmywings.com/aircraft/rans-s-series) The S-21 can also be built through the company's builder-assist program.[6](https://www.rans.com/s-21-outbound?lightbox=dataItem-jd3kayap)
The company emphasizes CNC-machined, pre-formed parts and complete kits. In RANS's own shop, a rudder, aileron, or flap takes about 70 minutes to build, a wing set about 50 hours, and a fuselage 16 to 20 hours; Schlitter estimated a home builder could complete the basic airframe in under 200 hours, leaving roughly 300 hours for the rest of a 500-hour ramp-ready target.[16](https://www.eaa.org/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-news/eaa-airventure-oshkosh/07-26-2018-s-21-outbound-ramp-ready-in-500-hours) The tailwheel S-21 kit was priced at $30,000 in 2018 without engine or instruments.[16](https://www.eaa.org/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-news/eaa-airventure-oshkosh/07-26-2018-s-21-outbound-ramp-ready-in-500-hours)
## The S-21 Outbound
The S-21 Outbound is the company's current flagship, a two-seat, all-metal, strut-braced high-wing aircraft offered in taildragger or tricycle-gear ("trike") form.[5](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_7ee9eb67fff04f10909e03916e5728e4.pdf) Its design goal, according to Tony Dopita, was a backcountry airplane that "has a little bit of speed but still has a really respectable stall speed," with harmonized controls; he describes it as backcountry-capable rather than a bush plane, carrying 180 pounds of luggage.[17](https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2026/may/pilot/bound-to-please)
Engine options span the Rotax 912ULS (100 hp), the turbocharged Rotax 915iS (141 hp) and 916iS (160 hp), and the Titan 340/X-340 (180 hp).[5](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_7ee9eb67fff04f10909e03916e5728e4.pdf) • [18](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_6eb55154f9944c069a6178ca2216bc4a.pdf) • [19](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_aa2d494671d948d4b0d637a2a94e6935.pdf) With the 915iS the aircraft carries 44.9 gallons of fuel, takes off in a quoted 315 ft, cruises at 145 mph true airspeed, and stalls at 40 mph with flaps.[18](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_6eb55154f9944c069a6178ca2216bc4a.pdf) Gross weight is 1,320 lb in SLSA form and 1,800 lb in EAB form; the airframe was tested to 1,800 lb at a 6-g limit load.[18](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_6eb55154f9944c069a6178ca2216bc4a.pdf) • [15](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_cad34c0ffeb943f98beb5636a962bf1a.pdf)
A distinctive feature is that, properly optioned, the same airframe can be converted between tricycle and tailwheel configurations in a matter of hours, with main gear legs and tires shared between both setups; a removable pull handle slides into a hole in the vertical stabilizer to aid ground handling in tailwheel form.[17](https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2026/may/pilot/bound-to-please) AOPA's 2026 flight review listed prices as tested of $300,000 for the Rotax 916iS version and $275,000 for the Titan version.[17](https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2026/may/pilot/bound-to-please)
## Regulatory status
The FAA's National Kit Evaluation Team completed a desk audit of the S-21 Outbound on April 5, 2022, determining that the kit may allow an amateur builder to meet the "major portion" requirement of 14 CFR § 21.191(g), and the kit was added to the FAA's listing of amateur-built aircraft kits. The letter notes that this evaluation does not mean the aircraft or the company is FAA certified or approved.[20](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/aircraft/gen_av/ultralights/amateur_built/RANS_S21_Outbound_Builder_Letter.pdf) SLSA versions of the S-21 are sold as complete ready-to-fly airplanes, and both engine options can be incorporated into E-AB aircraft that can be flown by sport pilots.[21](https://www.kitplanes.com/rans-s-21-outbound-review/)
## Company operations
RANS manufactures its aircraft and kits in the United States at its Hays, Kansas plant at 4600 Highway 183 Alternate, which includes the company-owned Rans Airport (8KS4) with a 1,200-foot grass runway used for first flights and demos.[22](https://www.rans.com/) • [8](https://www.airnav.com/airport/8KS4) • [17](https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2026/may/pilot/bound-to-please) The factory, about 58,000 square feet in the era when it also built [recumbent bicycles](https://www.edgepedia.org/recumbent-bicycle), runs CNC machines for kit parts and a sew shop for coverings and upholstery; the company no longer manufactures bicycles and concentrates on aircraft.[9](https://kansassampler.org/8wondersofkansas-commerce/rans-inc-hays) The S-19 Venterra has been limited to parts and kit-completion sales due to production demand for other models.[23](https://www.rans.com/s-19-venterra) As of 2026 the active models are the S-7 Courier, S-19 Venterra, S-20 Raven, and S-21 Outbound, with the S-6 Coyote II out of active production but supported by a large existing fleet.[4](https://www.findmywings.com/aircraft/rans-s-series)
## References
1. [RANS Designs Inc., Hays Chamber](https://hayschamber.com/members/directory/rans-designs-inc)
2. [RANS Aircraft of Hays names new president, Hays Post](https://hayspost.com/posts/08b18ebc-2057-4154-bde5-dda9e4b2db66)
3. [RANS Designs, Inc., AllBiz](https://www.allbiz.com/business/rans-designs-inc-785-625-6346)
4. [Rans S-Series Specs, Value & Buyer's Guide, Find My Wings](https://www.findmywings.com/aircraft/rans-s-series)
5. [S-21 Outbound Specs 2018, RANS Designs](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_7ee9eb67fff04f10909e03916e5728e4.pdf)
6. [S-21 Outbound, RANS Designs](https://www.rans.com/s-21-outbound?lightbox=dataItem-jd3kayap)
7. [Meet Us, RANS Designs](https://www.rans.com/copy-of-contact)
8. [AirNav: 8KS4 Rans Airport](https://www.airnav.com/airport/8KS4)
9. [8 Wonders of Kansas Commerce: Rans, Inc., Kansas Sampler Foundation](https://kansassampler.org/8wondersofkansas-commerce/rans-inc-hays)
10. [Kansas Profiles 2000: RANS, Huck Boyd Institute, Kansas State University](https://www.huckboyd.k-state.edu/kansas-profiles/profiles/archives/2000.html)
11. [RANS S-20 Raven, KITPLANES](https://www.kitplanes.com/rans-s-20-raven/)
12. [Buying Used: RANS S-7 Courier, KITPLANES](https://www.kitplanes.com/buying-used-rans-s-7-courier/)
13. [Light Stuff, KITPLANES](https://www.kitplanes.com/light-stuff-73/)
14. [RANS S-19, KITPLANES](https://www.kitplanes.com/rans-s-19/)
15. [S-21 Outbound Progress Report, RANS Designs](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_cad34c0ffeb943f98beb5636a962bf1a.pdf)
16. [S-21 Outbound: Ramp Ready in 500 Hours, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018](https://www.eaa.org/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-news/eaa-airventure-oshkosh/07-26-2018-s-21-outbound-ramp-ready-in-500-hours)
17. [Bound to please, AOPA Pilot](https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2026/may/pilot/bound-to-please)
18. [S-21 Outbound Rotax 915iS Specs, RANS Designs](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_6eb55154f9944c069a6178ca2216bc4a.pdf)
19. [S-21 Outbound Rotax 916iS Specs, RANS Designs](https://www.rans.com/_files/ugd/6e941e_aa2d494671d948d4b0d637a2a94e6935.pdf)
20. [FAA National Kit Evaluation Team letter on the RANS S-21 Outbound, April 5, 2022](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/aircraft/gen_av/ultralights/amateur_built/RANS_S21_Outbound_Builder_Letter.pdf)
21. [RANS S-21 Outbound review, KITPLANES](https://www.kitplanes.com/rans-s-21-outbound-review/)
22. [RANS Designs, Inc. home page](https://www.rans.com/)
23. [S-19 Venterra, RANS Designs](https://www.rans.com/s-19-venterra)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Aviation › Aircraft › Light and general aviation: certified aircraft, gliders, ultralights, homebuilts › Ultralights and light-sport aircraft › North American ultralight manufacturers and designers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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