Denney Kitfox
Encyclopedia
Homebuilt aircraft
Also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, homebuilt aircraft are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch," from plans, or from assembly kits.-Overview:...
with folding wings that was originally designed and manufactured by Dan Denney
Dan Denney
Dan Denney, of Idaho is the original designer of the Kitfox airplanes and founder of Denney Aerocraft. He was the 1991 recipient of the EAA August Raspet Memorial Award for his "outstanding contribution to the advancement of light aircraft design"....
and his company Denney Aerocraft of Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
.
The Kitfox is unique in that it was one of the first designs to make popular a quickly folding wing that greatly eased transportation and storage. The aircraft is amateur-built
Homebuilt aircraft
Also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, homebuilt aircraft are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch," from plans, or from assembly kits.-Overview:...
and not type certified
Type certificate
A Type Certificate, is awarded by aviation regulating bodies to aerospace manufacturers after it has been established that the particular design of a civil aircraft, engine, or propeller has fulfilled the regulating bodies' current prevailing airworthiness requirements for the safe conduct of...
and was originally designed to accommodate a Rotax
Rotax
BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co KG , commonly known simply as Rotax, is an Austrian engine manufacturer. It develops and produces four-stroke and advanced two-stroke engines for Bombardier Recreational Products products as well as for motorcycles, karts,...
engine.
The large appeal of the aircraft was in large part due to the fact it could be built by any handyman in a two car garage and then towed to the airport with the wings folded. The design allowed for easy conversion to floats or skis. Over 4500 kits have been delivered in 42 different countries.
Development
When it was first flown in November 19841984 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1984:-February:* February 21 - 14 hours and 2 minutes after taking off from New York, Air France pilot Patrick Fourticq and his companion, race driver Henry Pescarolo, land their Piper Malibu in Paris, setting a world record for a trans-Atlantic flight...
from the Denney Aerocraft factory in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, the first Kitfox was a two-seat short take off and landing STOL
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
aircraft designed to fly from unimproved strips. The Model 1 Kitfox features folding wings and was intended to be towed home from the airport and stored in a garage. Originally the design was intended to use a new radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
and the early Kitfoxes had round cowls to accommodate this. The engine did not work out and the design moved to using Rotax
Rotax
BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co KG , commonly known simply as Rotax, is an Austrian engine manufacturer. It develops and produces four-stroke and advanced two-stroke engines for Bombardier Recreational Products products as well as for motorcycles, karts,...
engines instead, but the popular style radial cowling was retained on many models. In 1984 a total of six Model 1 Kitfoxes were delivered and then the model range was expanded to include the improved Models 2, 3, 4, and Classic 4.
In June 1992 Denney Aerocraft sold the rights to the design to SkyStar Aircraft. Skystar started work on a new aircraft, the Kitfox Series 5. This aircraft was designed to be larger, with an increased useful load, cabin and cargo space. It was also intended to use certified aircraft engines. The Series 5 was produced as a conventional landing gear
Conventional landing gear
thumb|The [[Piper PA-18|Piper Super Cub]] is a popular taildragger aircraft.thumb|right|A [[Cessna 150]] converted to taildragger configuration by installation of an after-market modification kit....
-equipped aircraft with the names Outback and Safari and also as a tricycle landing gear equipped aircraft, the Vixen and Voyager.
An employee group took over SkyStar Aircraft in January 2000. The reorganized company launched the new Kitfox Series 6. Later in 2000 the company also introduced the Kitfox Lite Squared, a lightened version of the Kitfox Classic 4, as a two seat ultralight trainer for the single seat ultralight
Ultralight aircraft (United States)
Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft in all other countries.In the USA ultralights are classified as vehicles and not aircraft and are thus not required to be registered or for the pilot to have a pilot licence or certificate.- US definition...
Kitfox Lite.
In 2002, SkyStar introduced the Kitfox Series 7. This aircraft featured cruise speeds of up to 160 miles per hour (257 km/h) and a service ceiling above 25000 feet (7,620 m). The new Series 7 fit the then-proposed Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
Light Sport Aircraft category better than the Lite Squared and became the company's model for this market. As the LSA rules were further developed and gross weights increased, it became evident that a special version of the Kitfox Series 7, to be known as the Kitfox Sport, would not be needed and that all three Kitfoxes then in production - the Lite, Classic 4 and Series 7 would meet the revised the LSA category definition.
In late 2005 SkyStar Aircraft filed for bankruptcy. In April 2006, the assets of Skystar were purchased by Kitfox Aircraft, a newly formed company owned by John and Debra McBean. John McBean is a former SkyStar employee, having left the company in 2003.
Variants
Model 1- Original 1984 model with radial engine cowl and 64 hp Rotax 532 as the standard engine. A total of 257 kits were produced.
Model 2
- The larger, wider Kitfox Model 2 was introduced in 1989 and available with the 64 hp Rotax 582Rotax 582|-Specifications :-External links:*...
engine. The gross weight was increased to 950 lb (431 kg). 490 were produced.
Model 3
- The Kitfox Model 3 features structural changes that were designed to improve flight characteristics and provide a better platform for more powerful engines including the 80 hp Rotax 912. A total of 466 were produced.
Model 4-1050
- The Kitfox Model 4 was a new design introduced in 1991. It incorporated a laminar flowLaminar flowLaminar flow, sometimes known as streamline flow, occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption between the layers. At low velocities the fluid tends to flow without lateral mixing, and adjacent layers slide past one another like playing cards. There are no cross currents...
airfoilAirfoilAn airfoil or aerofoil is the shape of a wing or blade or sail as seen in cross-section....
, new flaperon design, metal flaperon attach brackets and a new 2:1 differential aileron control system. The gross weight of the Kitfox Model 4-1050 was the same as the Model 3, 1050 lb (476 kg). The Model 4 standard engines include the 80 hp Rotax 912 and the 100 hp Rotax 912S. 322 were built.
Model 4-1200 (Classic IV)
- The Kitfox Model 4-1200, also known as the Classic 4, is the final version of the original 1984 Denney Kitfox. Introduced in 1991, the Classic 4 has stronger lift struts, gear legs, and fuselage carry-through tubes, which allow a gross weight of 1200 lb (544 kg). The vertical stabilizer and rudder height was increased by 10 inches (25 cm), and the rudder width was increased by 2 inches (5 cm).
Model 4 Speedster
- A variant of the Classic 4 with a shorter wing for a higher cruise speed and roll rate.
Kitfox XL
- A light-weight variant of the Classic 4 introduced in 1994, with the 50 hp Rotax 503Rotax 503|-Specifications :...
is the standard power plant. The aircraft was intended as an ultralight trainer, but did not sell well.
Kitfox Lite
- Single seat ultralight design for the US market by Skystar Aircraft. The Lite features similar styling to larger Kitfoxes, including the radial-style cowling, folding wings and JunkersHugo JunkersHugo Junkers was an innovative German engineer, as his many patents in varied areas show...
flaperonFlaperonA flaperon is a type of aircraft control surface that combines aspects of both flaps and ailerons. In addition to controlling the roll or bank of an aircraft as do conventional ailerons, both flaperons can be lowered together to function similarly to a dedicated set of flaps...
s. Original engine was a special model of the 2si 460-F35 two-cylinder, two-stroke powerplant converted to free-air cooling and direct drive, producing 28 hp
Kitfox Lite2
- An upgraded variant of the Kitfox XL, introduced in 2001. Powered by a 50 hp Rotax 503Rotax 503|-Specifications :...
, the Lite2 also features the popular radial-style cowling , flaperonFlaperonA flaperon is a type of aircraft control surface that combines aspects of both flaps and ailerons. In addition to controlling the roll or bank of an aircraft as do conventional ailerons, both flaperons can be lowered together to function similarly to a dedicated set of flaps...
s and a welded steel tube fuselage, all covered in Stits Polyfibre aircraft fabric. The aircraft was a success and sold well as both a complete aircraft and as a kit planeHomebuilt aircraftAlso known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, homebuilt aircraft are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch," from plans, or from assembly kits.-Overview:...
.
Series 5 (Safari, Vixen, Outback, Voyager)
- Intended to use Continental and Lycoming certified engines in addition to the Rotax 912 engines, the Series 5 was introduced in 1994. The tailwheel version was named the Safari and the tricycle gear version was named the Vixen. The Vixen incorporated a swept tail, which was a cosmetic change that did not affect performance. Gross weight was initially 1400 lb (635 kg), increased in 1995 to 1550 lb (703 kg). In 1998, the marketing name of the Safari was changed to Outback and the Vixen to Voyager.
Series 5 Speedster
- A variant of the Series 5 with a shorter wing for a higher cruise speed.
Series 6
- Introduced in 2000, the Series 6 has a useful load of up to 800 lb (363 kg), a range of over 700 miles (1,127 km) and cruising speeds of over 120 mph (193 km/h). The aircraft can be converted from tricycle gear to tailwheel and back again.
Series 7
- The Series 7 introduced a number of refinements including a cruise speed of over 150 mph (241 km/h), a 700 miles (1,127 km) range and carry a useful load of 700 lb (318 kg). When equipped with the Rotax 914Rotax 914-References:*...
turbo-charged engine, the aircraft has a service ceiling of 25000 feet (7,620 m). Other engines available include Continental, Lycoming, Rotax 912S, Rotec R2800Rotec R2800The Rotec R2800 is a seven-cylinder radial engine built by Rotec Engineering PTY LTD in Australia. The R2800 was Rotec's first engine offering when they first opened their doors in 2000. In 2005, Rotec released a more powerful variant, the Rotec R3600 which basically adds two more cylinders for a...
, and the Jabiru 3300Jabiru 3300-References:* *...
engine
Derivative designs
Since early 2009, Belite Aircraft, a new company based in WichitaWichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
has produced the Belite Aircraft Superlite derivative of the Kitfox Lite single-seat ultralight design. Belite extensively redesigned the aircraft to incorporate carbon fibre wings, struts, spars and ribs, lowering the empty weight to 245 lb (111 kg).
Belite Aircraft "...has acquired the production rights to a previously designed aircraft, the Kitfox Lite" and that they "...acquired the tooling, existing parts and manufacturing rights to the aircraft in March of 2009. As a condition of the transaction, they agreed to re-brand the airplane to prevent any confusion with the larger, two-place light sport Kitfox".
In Europe, the Halley Apollo Fox and Aeropro Eurofox
Aeropro Eurofox
-External links:* *...
are based upon the Kitfox, with their Junkers flaps and folding wings. Both are Rotax-powered, side-by-side two-seaters, and are available either as taildraggers or with tricycle gear.