May have been myself that reccommended the S6.
I have flown quite a few of them, from the 503 ! to the 912 versions.
503 is underpowered, still a good little aircraft, I flew it home from the UK to Ireland... 503 obviously a microlight with all up weight of 390KGS... still love to fly it though... available from around 5k upwards
582 either micro or A class, good all-rounder.... climbs 1000fpm 1 up or 600fpm two up.... excellent aircraft with up'ed to 450KG all up in micro form, available from around 8.5k for a type with a few hours done, expect 12k for a good one.
Rans S6 with the 912 is really superb, the later ones have real good cockpit area that is draught free and a cabin heater to boot. Immensely agile with 1000fpm 2 up, no issue. 100mph cruise at a push, but will cruise happily at 85mph all day, comfortable with light control forces... all S6 need handy feet work, even the tricycles... micro is 450KGS all up, not sure about the A class. 912 versions usually 15K upwards, good ones are 18k plus and some examples make in excess of 20K.
All the S6 are super strong lattice frames, all built using aviation grade alloy and steel and all fixings are AN grade. Excellent strong aircraft that has stood the test of time... yes the legs are known to break, usually due to fatigue and heavier than usual landings... someone stated that it is a good policy to change those every few hundred hours... that is good advice, parts are relatively in-expensive. As stated earlier they need to be hangared and definitely protected from prolonged UV sunlight, the dacron skins will fade and deteriorate quickly if stored outdoors.
As it goes, the Rans S6 is a good all rounder and you could do worse than talk to John Whiting, the original importer of the Rans... he is a wealth of knowledge and a very approachable chap... drop me a PM and I will forward you his details. Good luck with whatever you decide, I don't think there is too many dis-satisfied Rans owners out there.
All the best,
Jon
(ps) I don't fly S6 all the time, I am however a fan as you can guess !