Kitfox vs Highlander....hmmmmmmmm? I have time in both Highlanders and Kitfoxes, so let's see if I can help.

Lets start by comparing a Model IV Kitfox to the Highlander.

The Highlander uses a modified Avid Flyer airfoil which is world famous for its exceptional STOL characteristics. The airfoil makes gobs of lift at very low speeds, giving the Highlander (and the Avid) a very short takeoff at very slow speeds. But all that lift also creates gobs of drag. Fortunately that drag is useful in making incredibly steep descents at very slow speeds. So the Highlander lands as short as it takes off, just like the early Avid Flyers did.

But what a lot of people don't know is that todays Kitfox started with essentially the same airfoil. Consequently the Kitfox enjoys SUPER STOL capabilities as well. But people wanted better cross country capabilities. So Kitfox hired a famous airfoil engineer by the name of Riblett to further refine the airfoil design. That resulted in a wing that kept most all the SUPER STOL characteristics while reducing the overall drag profile, which provided a significantly improved cruise speed. The new wing worked so well that Kitfox made this new wing the standard on every Kitfox starting with the Model IV. This new wing represents the largest difference between the Kitfox and the Highlander.

All that said, the Highlander will still have a slight advantage in the bush. That old airfoil is pretty hard, if not impossible to beat in that environment. But if you want to still be able to do that STOL stuff, AND fly much faster and efficiently, the Kitfox has the distinct advantage. The Kitfox is also much more nimble to fly. Not that the Highlander is heavy on controls, but by comparison to the light super nimble characteristics of the Kitfox the Highlander feels much more "Cub like".

I believe in the extreme off airport operations the difference between the Highlander and the Kitfox will be more limited by the pilot than the airplane as both designs are exceptional. It's kind of funny how we don't see the extreme videos featuring Kitfoxes, but I'm convinced there's no reason they can't do it if they want to. But hey to each their own.

Fwiw, I just spoke with a gentleman last night flying a Model IV Kitfox with a 912uls and an IVO IFA prop. He operates regularly out of a 900 ft strip with powerlines at each end. And his field elevation is 3,000 ft. So that should tell you something. Oh yeah, he has large tires and minimal streamling on his plane and he admits that he has concerns about overspeeding his Fox, as he can easily redline it straight and level. I think his comments are a good represenatation of what a Kitfox can do. As i said earlier, it is probably more about the pilot.

New Kitfoxes? The new Kitfoxes are much more refined than the IV's are, and appear almost "cushy" by comparison. that also makes alot of people think that makes them pavement-type aircraft. But that couldn't be further from the truth. They are every bit as capable in the bush as most anything you could buy anywhere. So just like the IV's, they are still probably one of the most versatile and capable aircraft out there. I really like Highlanders and would love to own one one day. But I wouldn't sell my Kitfox to do so.

Speaking of STOL, check out this fun youtube clip of an early Avid Flyer demonstrating its SUPER STOL capabilities. Oh yeah, and when watching it remember that it takes a normal seaplane 2 to 3 times the lenghth of a land plane to take off...

The seminal design of our modern day Kitfoxes and Highlanders all started with the Avid Flyer...Imho they redefined the term STOL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjDSatUSoCY