Dave G,

There are two folks I know who have heavier engines (Continental 200's) in their series V Kitfoxes - in both cases, they mounted the battery in the tail by the HS specifically for weight and balance reasons. Mostly battery mounting is a matter of having a place to put it and how the weight affects the CG. Kitfoxes of all models have their batteries variously mounted ahead of the firewall, behind the firewall, behind the seat and in the tail - builders choose what they do to match their plans and designs.

The longer run of wire from the tail mounted battery should take into consideration a heavier gauge wire but that is just a matter of determining the load and doing your calculations and picking the right wire gauge - we're builders so we are good at that and do it all the time anyway

It is also true that the series V through 7 design includes a modification for the wings where a slight forward sweep is used to move the center of lift forward a bit to offset a heavier engine. If you have a kit someone else has worked on - check the existing builder's log, your builder's manual and check to see if your wings have already been drilled for forward sweep or no forward sweep - that might affect what you decide to do.



Dave S
St Paul, MN