Vashon Ranger
The flying jeep
The high-wing special light sport aircraft manufactured near Seattle, Washington, has excellent visibility, a forgiving nature, and beautifully harmonized controls that reward proper pilot technique. Its beefy tires and heavy-duty landing gear are meant to stand up to punishment on all kinds of runway surfaces.
Designer Ken Kruger set out to create a “rugged, utilitarian, flying Jeep,” and the Ranger, introduced in 2018, is the result. Both seats fold flat in the Ranger cabin for in-airplane camping, and the doors open 180-degrees for bulky cargo.
Multiple flight schools have pressed the Ranger into service as a trainer, and its air-cooled Continental O-200 engine—the same powerplant that Cessna used in its 150—makes it familiar to generations of pilots and mechanics.
The Ranger’s main shortcoming for some prospective buyers is its weight. At 875 pounds empty, the Ranger’s useful load is 475 pounds. Throw in a couple of FAA-standard-size adults, add avgas, and the airplane reaches the light sport weight limit of 1,320 pounds with no baggage at all. Vashon tested the Ranger to a higher gross weight, but that’s no help to flight schools that must strictly observe the limits of the LSA category.
Vashon Ranger
Specifications
Powerplant Continental O-200
Standard empty weight 875 lb
Max gross weight 1,320 lb
Fuel capacity 28.1 gal
Performance
Cruise speed 117 KCAS
Range 501 nm
Takeoff distance 315 ft
