Kitfox Factory Fly In - 2017

[DesertFox4]

Scott's very clean install.
Great job Scott and really great to see you again.

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[DesertFox4]

SkySteve- watched you fly home on SPOT. So good to see you again.

[DesertFox4]

Larry and Paul just back from Johnson Creek.

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[SkySteve]

A short vid of the fly-in:
Kitfox Factory Fly-In 2017

[DesertFox4]

Sunday evening presented a perfect opportunity to do a little Speedster flying. John generously offered the left seat to myself, Larry W. and Paul B.
Hopefully they will post their impressions of their flights when they get the opportunity.


Learning the start sequence of the Rotax fuel injected engine was first. Not at all difficult yet I found a way to slightly flood that wonderful little engine. Just follow John's instuction Steve!

The tailwheel felt very authoritative and responsive. Sporty one might say. I liked it. Take off was also sporty and while the Speedster stayed on the runway longer than the stock wing while carrying lots of fuel and two good sized guys in the seats, it wasn't by much. The Airmaster prop worked flawlessly and pulled strong. Very nice feature and one I first flew behind in John and Debra's personal aircraft a few years back and in Stick and Rudder's training aircraft. Each has performed perfectly. Leveling off about 1,000' agl, pulling the power off to economy cruise quickly reduced fuel flow from max take off of 6 g.p.h. back to a miserly 3.8 or so g.p.h.
I spnt a few minutes getting aquainted with the very light feeling controls in a series of turns that started out quite conservative to gradully evolving to turning aound a point. Very nimble little creature and never went over 2.8 G's. This is fun flying personified.

Climb up to altitude to do some slow flight. Slowly sneaking up on the stall I noticed 55 mph slip easily by on the Garmin screen before sensing the typical Kitfox wing stall indication of a polite well behaved bow to aerodynamic laws of physics and with the slightest release of back stick pressure, she was instantly flying again even with no application of power and never did the nose drop to the horizon. Wonderful!

John gave me a breif demonstration of the Garmin auto pilot capabilities. I may have to revisit my prejudices towards auto pilots on Kitfoxs. I could see the benefits of that install on long cross country trips.

Speaking of Gamin, the glass panel in the Speedster was very easy to pull information from at a glance. Seemed very familiar after flying Garmin portable gps units for decades. Sorry I didn't snap a photo of the panel while in flight. Too busy enjoying the flying characteristics to reach in back for my iPad.

Return for landing and setting flaps and trim up for 65 mph with flaps seemed to work very well on short final. Flair had excess of elevator authority and my touch down was very soft if I may brag just a little. Very rewarding to still be able to squeek a first landing in a new tailwheel aircraft after hundreds of hours in a tri-gear. Tracking on roll out was very easy to keep on centerline with the Grove streamlined gear, wheels and brakes and reaponsive tailwheel. All in all, as Kyle Franklin exclaimed in a video interview, it was 10 time more than I expected.

Congratulations to John and Debra and all who had a hand in getting this sweet flying Kitfox to market. Will everyone want one? You will if you fly one so be warned. Now for a few photos. By the way. That Kitfox grin is completely unavoidable. I look forward with happy anticipation to another flight in the Speedster somewhere in the near future I hope. It's just plane good for the soul.
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[Av8r_Sed]

Boy, if my flying buddies are sold on the Speedster, I'll really have a time keeping up in my 582 Model III.

[HighWing]

Going through some photos and thought I would share this one first. I shows what the Fly-out Saturday looked like from the air. I flew as a guest of Guy Buchannan

[Slyfox]

some pics that I have.

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[DesertFox4]

Thanks for the pics SlyFox. Great to visit with you again. Sorry you had to leave early.

Lowell- good to see you again and your photo shows the more clear area of the backcountry tour.

[AirFox]

Here is one of my favorite from the trip. There wasn't as much smoke on the way.

Scott
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