S7 sti Options ?

[ratc]

Hi,

I can't put it off any longer, I'm very seriously looking at ordering a kit. For those builders who have recently ordered an S7 (sti or speedster)

What options did you order and would you have changed, added or deleted anything ?
Do you have to make an engine decision at the time of ordering to get the correct Firewall forward kit ? I'm thinking Rotax/Edge.

I've read threads based on this already but with so many upgrades now becoming available I thought I'd get some "real time" info.

Many thanks,

Ratc

[aviator79]

Obviously personal preference plays a role here. I'd recommend:

Tinted glass
Bubble doors
Cabin heater (the cabin is far from air tight - it gets chilly)
Quickbuild Wings
Prefab Kit
Pre-rigged wings
Kitfox Tool Kit
Lift Strut fairinings or airfoiled $teel $truts.
Cargo bay and/or extended baggage kit


You do not have to choose an engine or purchase the firewall forward kit with your initial order. When you do order your FFW kit, Carbon fiber cowls are now an option. If they were an option when I ordered, I would have gotten them. They are pricey, but save a lot of weight in the nose which is nice if you have a heavier engine/prop setup.

[jiott]

Unless cost is a real issue, I think you should order nearly all of the options; I did and am happy I did. With all the work and money you are going to spend, you owe it to yourself to equip your plane as good as possible. The options in my opinion should really be standard, but as a marketing ploy to make the cost of a "basic" kit look cheaper, they break them out separately. Others probably have different opinions.

[ratc]

Thank you for your input.

You both pretty much confirmed my suspicions in that the majority of the options are worthwhile.

I wonder how many builders went for the 4130 Chromoly lift struts ? Is there a huge advantage over standard ?

Carbon fibre cowls will be high on my want list for FWF, does anyone know the cost of them yet ?

[aviator79]

The reduction in drag achieved by streamlining the lift struts is substantial. The plastic fairings are quite a bit of work. I don't think the effort saved with the steel streamlined ones is worth the cost. However, if you asked me that when I was halfway through sanding out the plastic fairings, I may have said something different.

I believe the carbon fiber cowls are an ~$1800 option to replace the standard cowls. Check with the factory.

I'll reiterate what Jim said. As I was building I kept ordering more options from the factory for exactly the reason Jim stated. I'm probably only going to do this once, I should do it the way I want it without pinching pennies. If you genuinely don't want something, don't order it, but if you're on the fence on anything at all, just check the box and write the check. You'll save money on shipping later.

[Shadowrider]

I hated sanding the plastic ones. It’s still fresh enough I would buy the streamlined ones. There are lots of options that are not listed. I would get all options you can. A few that we did not know about until building. Butt rib close outs, trim position sensor, hub cabs, stainless steel door entry guards, avionics shelf, prop spacers, are a few off the top of my head I can think of.