Very helpful comments so far...and also thoughtful ones. Keep 'em coming, please.
DB, most likely building in the USA. But we'll be back in Brissie early February and I am hoping to plug into the local aviation scene then. I'll PM you for some coaching on how to accomplish that - all we know about Oz has to do with sailing! - once we return.
I've posted this same request on the RANSCLAN forum - see
http://www.ransclan.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1791 if interested - and those comments also strike me as balanced and thoughtful.
Summing it all up so far, these seem to be the tentative take-aways from the postings:
-- S-19 is a bit more like a 'real' airplane, the sliding canopy (like our old AA-5) is a plus, fit out of the -19 is nicer, and both fuel location and baggage area add'l "pro's" for the S-19
-- this forum & the VAF community, and also Vans' long-term familiarity with metal fabrication favor the -12...and she will be lighter by perhaps 100#
-- No consensus emerging (yet) on ease of build, since the comments vary on this; however, if Vans offers a QB kit in the future, that is likely to make a significant difference in build time
-- Performance - the 'fun to fly' factor - comparable. Suitability for our needs - cross country 'legs' plus currency flying - comparable.
-- and finally, there's no 'bad' choice between these two mfgrs and their aircraft. I find much in the LSA marketplace right now to be quite troubling (from a product maturity and safety standpoint). It's easy to overlook the value inherent in these two designs, from what I can tell so far, when just looking at LSA's on the ramp.
Again, keep 'em coming and many thanks,
Jack