Original Airplane Described As A Two-Place Cabin Ultralight

Kitfox, the iconic kit plane that first hit the market as what was basically a two place, cabin ultralight, is celebrating 30 years of continuous production. The Kitfox team, headed by President John McBean, is looking forward to meeting and greeting hundreds of Kitfox fans this year.

According to John, “When Introduced in 1984, the Kitfox Model I was powered by a 50 hp. two stroke engine contained in the classic look of a round cowl. It caught on, and the plane’s popularity has never let up. But the Kitfox that started the company is not the Kitfox being manufactured today.” Indeed, the mid 1990’s saw Kitfox respond to customer demand to incorporate contemporary Continental and Lycoming engines by creating an entirely new airframe, the Kitfox Series 5. While similar in appearance to the Model IV, there were virtually no interchangeable parts.

The gross weight and cabin size were significantly increased, as well as performance. The unique “convertible” Series 6 appeared in 2001, quickly replaced by the Series 7, a plane specifically designed to meet stringent S-LSA standards. Those design standards paid off in 2009, with the Series 7 Sport meeting S-LSA certification criteria, making the finest version of the Kitfox available as a ready-to-fly airplane.
 
Mr. McBean proudly points out that, “The Kitfox Series 7 is the quintessential flying chameleon, able to accommodate tail wheel or tri gear configurations, tundra tires, floats (amphibious) and skis. While often thought of as a ‘low and slow’ recreational plane, the Series 7 retains remarkable short field performance coupled with cruising speeds of 115 to 120 mph, even faster with the turbocharged Rotax 914.

"When equipped with the new Rotax 912Si Sport (fuel injected), fuel flows can be as low as 4 gph at cruise and only 3.5 gph in a loiter mode. Flight endurance can easily exceed 7 hours. The normally aspirated service ceiling reaches 16,000 ft. while the turbo version will climb to 24,000 ft. We have worked hard to make the newest version of the Kitfox a plane for all seasons.”

The Kitfox display is located in the North Display Area, at show sites 634 and 635. The invitation is out to one and all to come and join the Kitfox team in celebrating the success of a remarkably versatile airplane.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.kitfoxaircraft.com