Kitfox
Super Sport, Kitfox Rotec Radial engine installation, Kitfox
Super Sport experimental lightsport aircraft, Light Sport Aircraft Pilot News
newsmagazine.
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Light Sport Aircraft Pilot is a directory of aircraft that generally fit
into what are described as ultralight aircraft, advanced ultralight
aircraft,
light sport aircraft, experimental light sport aircraft, experimental
aircraft, amateur built aircraft, ELSA or homebuilt
aircraft in the United States and Canada. These include
weight shift aircraft, more commonly known as trikes,
powered parachutes, and powered para-gliders.
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Kitfox Rotec Radial engine installation
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If you were
around during the hey day of ultralights and experimental
amateur built aircraft then you knew that the "poster child"
of our industry was the Kitfox.
Every major aviation magazine, aviation catalogue or
brochure had an image of it on the front page.
Well this year
John McBean
and his wife, CFO and co-owner Debra
put the sexy back into the Kitfox. On display and flying at
Airventure 2010 they had their new Kitfox Super Sport
powered by a Rotec Radial engine.
John says they were trying for "an old meets new retro
look," to accomplish that the old bump cowling has been
reintroduced, and with the Rotec Radial engine from
Australia the cowling finally has an engine to fit around.
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The plane is a take off
of a Kitfox Series VII Super Sport with a new four inch
taller gear to accommodate a seventy six inch prop. The
factory worked closely with Rotec Radial engines to develop
the firewall forward package. John indicates that because
Kitfox has so many conventional aircraft engine
packages, for the Lycoming and Continentals, which are very similar in weight to the Rotec
Radial, no airframe modifications were necessary to mount
it.
The craft does sport a
new composite leading edge on the wing which goes to 12% of
the cord providing a very smooth leading edge, and just
like all previous Kitfox models the wings still have the ability to
fold back onto the tail for ease of storage, and short
distance trailering. The plane at the show had 55 hours on
it, 14 of which were flying it to Airventure from Idaho
which is about a 1500 mile trip.
John reports that you get
a noticeable airbrake effect from the prop when you pull the
power back, but otherwise the performance in cruise is
comparable to a Rotax 912 S 100 HP engine, while the climb
rate is better. With the throttle body fuel injections
system from Rotec installed John flight plans fuel stops a 6
gallons per hour compared to the Rotax 912 S at 5 gallons
per hour.
Looking at that big
radial engine tucked into the bumpy circular cowl you just
know that this aircraft is going to find it's way onto
floats and be shuttling fishermen in and out of the wilds
somewhere.
For more information contact:
Kitfox Aircraft
123 Airport Way
PO Box 997
Homedale, ID 83628 USA
208.337.5111
www.kitforaircraft.com
info@kitfoxaircraft.com |
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Kitfox Super Sport with a
Rotec Radial engine firewall forward installation package. |
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