rpellicciotti wrote:
My experience is that single place airplanes don't sell. Even though a
lot of people fly their airplanes solo 90% of the time, they feel like
they need the extra seat to justify the purchase. Also, some people
don't like the idea of going solo on a new aircraft type without being
able to get a check out.

A perfect example of this is the RANS S-9. One of the greatest little
airplanes ever. I had one and loved it. They never sold very well
until Randy Schlitter designed a similar but bigger airplane that had
two seats. The S-10 as it was called sold at a clip more than 3 times
the number of S-9's.

Rick Pellicciotti


This is all true..... This is what makes the single-place aircraft is
one of aviation's best kept secrets, especially for guys like myself
whose friends are all either already pilots or don't want to fly, and
whom women won't come within 100' of under any circumstances.

In fact, for light aircraft, the single place:

- requires a lot less motor. Many designs (including the S9) can get by
with a Rotax 503 and a good prop, cutting the motor costs down to as low
as 1/4 of what would need to be spent on the 2-place version (i.e. a 912
or a Jabiru or such).

- weighs between somewhat and a hell of a lot less than the 2-place version.

- offers similar performance, most of the time, to the 2-place version

- has significantly reduced control system complexity, due to the lack
of the second set of controls

- are often significantly less expensive to buy on the used market, due
to their unpopularity.

This last point is the best part from a buyers perspective. True, a
single-place is a lousy investment for an airplane seller, but they're a
great investment for an airplane buyer/flyer.

I got N646F, for example, for less than half what the equivalent 2-place
would have gone for on the used market (assuming similar condition), but
it has probably 80 to 90% of the performance and other capabilities of
the 2-place versions. Not to mention the cheaper cost of operation due
to the 503 engine as opposed to the Jabiru or 912 you'd need on the
2-place to get matching performance (well, you could run a 582 on a Kolb
2-place, but two-up, you'd probably not get the most wonderful performance).

So, yeah, if you plan to sell your airplane, get a 2-place. But if you
want to fly affordably, a single-place is one of the better (if not the
best) options available......

LS
N646F