Kitfox: A Great Back Country LSA

Talk about airplanes! At last count, there are 39 (and growing) FAA certificated S-LSA (special light sport aircraft). These are factory-built ready to fly airplanes. If you can't afford a factory-built LSA, consider buying an E-LSA kit (experimental LSA - up to 99% complete).

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SkySteve
Posts: 79
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:07 pm
Location: Huntsville, UT (OGD)

Kitfox: A Great Back Country LSA

Post by SkySteve »

I am new to your forum. I fly a Kitfox. Gross weight 1,050#, powered by a Rotax 912 (80HP). I have just converted mine from a tailwheel to a convertable by changing the main landing gear to a grove spring aluminim gear and adding a nosewheel provided by the factory. The main gear now has two locations, fore and aft, for use as a nosewheel and/or taildragger. I fly out of my pasture in Huntsville, UT (close to Ogden - OGD). My place is located at 5,000 elevation. My plane will climb over a 50 ft obstacle in 250 ft with a landing rollout of 250 ft.
Steve Wilson
Huntsville, UT
Kitfox
Convertible Nose Wheel & Tail Wheel
912A / Warp Drive Prop
Cub flyer
Posts: 582
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:30 pm

Post by Cub flyer »

Welcome.


What model Kitfox are you flying. Send some photos.

I've helped build or finished 4 of them. Model II III IV. Also worked on a Speedster.

Rotax 532, 582 and Jabiru 2200A.

There were lots of changes. Get a copy of the Kitfox owners bulletins and make sure your up to date.

Watch the seat bottom security and the small elevator bolt behind the seat.

Also make sure your flaperons have the correct balance weights.

Do you have the round cowl or the flat Vixen cowl?
"Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away." Antoine de Saint Exupery
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SkySteve
Posts: 79
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:07 pm
Location: Huntsville, UT (OGD)

Post by SkySteve »

Thanks for the reply. I have a model I on which I have done some mods. First, I replaced the rudder with a Model IV rudder. Also extended the vertical stabilizer by 10 inches to match the rudder. Currently building bubble doors to fit. It has the rounded cowl. It was originally built and owned/flown by Dan Denney, the founder of Kitfox, his personal plane. I have just had an A&P completedly go through the plane. He is currently changing out the brake lines with new braded steal ones. I have also added a warp drive 3 blade prop. I'd post some pics but looks like this site can't upload them.
Steve Wilson
Huntsville, UT
Kitfox
Convertible Nose Wheel & Tail Wheel
912A / Warp Drive Prop
Cub flyer
Posts: 582
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:30 pm

Post by Cub flyer »

down below in the Light sport airplane part of this forum is a post I made asking about photos. It might have gone the way of the lost posts.

What I did was sign up to photobucket.com Free listing. Then you can link the photo to this site by dragging the photo address into the body of your message.


It is pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

On the model 1 do you have wood flaperon hangars? Check them close for rot. The Avids are known for this

Watch the gross weight. The center section of the fuselage is the weak point on the early ones I and II.


The model IV wings will fit and the performance increase is amazing. Really makes an airplane out of it. If you can find a set I really recommend them. A lot less flex in the spars with internal bracing.

I really find it odd that the new Highlanders keep the original airfoil. The later one was so much better. Later flaperon linkage has a lot less adverse yaw.

The 80 hp might get to a fast enough airspeed to need rib stitching. I have gone over 100 mph without it but things are pulling pretty hard.

There is a small bolt behind your seat. It holds a short arm that rocks with the elevator pushrod. This is a little known 50 hour replacement item. Upper bolt not the rod end bolt.


Get rid of the vernier throttle if you have one. They are an accident waiting to happen.


If you have wing tanks install a header behind the seat. Kitfox used to make one. Your 912 can over draw the fuel available in a steep climb.

disregard if the nose tank is installed.

Some had chrome plated parts in the control system and chrome plated tail brace struts. Change these. Hydrogen embrittlement weakens them.

To make better landings in the tailwheel configuration install the longer tailwheel spring that they sell as an "upgrade" I hate them. Actually the horizontal tail is slightly too small to keep it road legal for trailering.


Check number of rivets for flaperon balance weight attachment.

See if your flaperons are foam filled and how the trailing edge is made their were some changes there.


I did install a MAC trim servo on one for elevator trim. Worked great but took some welding of the elevator. I might have some photos around here somewhere.


Check wall thickness of the fin base tube. The later kitfoxes had taller fins like yours but I don't know if the tubing is the same inside wall thickness to handle the stress of a taller fin.


Back when your airplane was built it was a real war between Herbert Decheviny (spelled wrong) and Dan Denny. The early Avid advertisement photos of it with wings folded were taken in Dan Dennys driveway as a joke early one morning.

Is yours the silver and black airplane shown on the early manuals? It looked real nice then.

Don't fold the wings with the tanks full. It flows out the caps and down the wing LE.

Check the lower rudder pedals for cracks now and then.
"Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away." Antoine de Saint Exupery
User avatar
SkySteve
Posts: 79
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:07 pm
Location: Huntsville, UT (OGD)

Post by SkySteve »

Wow! Cub Flyer, sure sounds like you know your Kitfoxes!! I just put some pics on YouTube but they won't be viewable until tomorrow.

The Model I's had a gross weight of 850#, but since mine was built by Dan Denney, he later changed it to 1050#. He also did most of the upgrades possible: Wing tanks, new throttle linkage, header tank behind the seat, metal flaperon hangers, foam filled flaperons and a Maule tailwheel.

Thanks for the heads up on the bolt behind the seat. I'll check it.

I like your idea about using the model IV wings. I didn't know they were interchangeable. I'll check into it.

Yes, mine is the one that is silver and dark blue. It was used as the "Poster Child" for Kitfox.
Steve Wilson
Huntsville, UT
Kitfox
Convertible Nose Wheel & Tail Wheel
912A / Warp Drive Prop
Cub flyer
Posts: 582
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:30 pm

Post by Cub flyer »

To install those wings you need to change the plywood cabin top formers and windshield. They are easy to make with a band saw.


I changed to a model IV top boot cowl to get more windshield slope. Less flex and more streamlined.

The aileron bushings on the fuselage need to be changed also. cut from plastic and reinstall.
"Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away." Antoine de Saint Exupery
User avatar
SkySteve
Posts: 79
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:07 pm
Location: Huntsville, UT (OGD)

Post by SkySteve »

Here are some pics of my Kitfox:

Image

Image

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Image
Steve Wilson
Huntsville, UT
Kitfox
Convertible Nose Wheel & Tail Wheel
912A / Warp Drive Prop
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