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 When
Linda and I were first certified as Private Pilots it was my intention to
build a kit aircraft , but this didn't please Linda. It wasn't
because she didn't want me to build an airplane or objected to flying an
airplane that I had built, but because it would take me several years to
complete the project. She wanted us to buy an airplane so we could
immediately start having flying adventures."Well okay," I said "We'll buy an airplane." ;- ) A few weeks later we became the proud owners of a vintage Cessna. As the years progressed we grew to love our airplane and have worked hard to keep it in good condition, however, I never lost the urge to take on the challenge of building an airplane from a kit. On the second of June, 2009 we placed an order for a Kitfox Super Sport. As much as there could be any practical reason for owning an
airplane there are some good reasons for owning a Kitfox. First, after
taking a careful look at our flying habits we determined that the vast
majority of our trips are with just the two of us and from 10 to 60 pounds of
luggage. In spite of only having seating for two the Kitfox will do most
everything that we are presently doing with our Cessna. Also, when the
Kitfox is complete and has taken the place of the Cessna, our operating
and maintenance costs will become significantly less. This will make it an ideal airplane to have during the time of our
lives when both of us want to curtail our work commitments. Details:
Demonstration Flight: On the day we placed our order Linda and I had traveled to Idaho to meet with John and Debra McBean, the owners of Kitfox Aircraft. John was kind enough to give both of us an opportunity to fly a Kitfox Super Sport. Our impression was that it is a very nimble airplane that is also well mannered. Something that offers great fun doing local flights with lots of maneuvering but is also stable enough for long cross-country flights.
Quick Links! Latest Update on 11 July 2017.
New 13 March 2012: We purchased a Whirlwind GA-R3B 70" three blade, ground adjustable propeller. New 12 January 2012: Construction drawings of my Wing "Rotisserie"
26 August 2009: The Kit Arrives! Partain Trucking is a company that specializes in transporting kit planes and they did an excellent job of delivering our kit right to the hangar door.
As you can see in the second photo the major portion of the kit fits
in the T-hangar nicely behind the Cessna. Builder's Log: As part of the registration process we have to document that the airplane is at least 51% amateur built. This is commonly done with a builder's log detailing the work that both Linda and I have contributed to the fabrication and assembly of the airplane. As work progresses it will be recorded on these pages. Knowing that other builders are always interested in photos I give to anyone who is interested, permission to copy any of the photos for their personal use.
Wing Assembly: Kitfox offers an optional "quick-build" wing where much of the work has already been done for you. As unwise as this may turn out to be I did not purchase the quick-build option. I am saving some money but that is not the real reason that I'm doing it this way. I wanted to experience the challenge of building the wings from their component parts. I may end up regretting this decision.
October 2009: I'm spending my available time acquiring tools and configuring the garage. It's tight but it will work.
12-16 October 2009: Cutting "Fish Mouths." Each wing spar has a 60" I-beam insert to strengthen it in the way of the lift strut bracket. The ends are notched in order to avoid creating hard points along the length of the spar.
The finished part.
25 October to 11 November 2009: Assembling the wing spars.
Placing the inserts into the spars. According to the Builders Manual I applied gentle pressure to the sides of the spar in order to slightly deform it and allow the insert to be easily slipped into the spar.
Marking the spar centerlines. I first confirmed that the webs of each insert were vertical by sighting down each spar with a level and then dragged a straightedge over the top and bottom of the spars to mark the centerlines.
Drag/Anti-Drag brackets and Fitting the Wing Ribs
13 November 2009, . The brackets for the drag/anti-drag tubes come as a single piece that need to be cut into two pieces. I used the jig that I constructed for "squeezing" the spar in the previous step as a clamping device to hold the brackets while I used a dremel tool to do the cutting.
25 November 2009, Glue and Rivets! My first experience using Hysol and, of course, I mixed too much. I'm doing a little at a time. This time I glued and riveted the first drag/anti-drag tube and its brackets and glued ribs 3 and 4. I just "tack-welded the ribs. I will do a proper epoxy filet joint later.
4 December 2009, Stringers! I cut the stringers to length and glued them in place.
9 December 2009, End Rib Bracing. Both the root rib and tip rib need to be reinforced to resist the pull of the fabric covering. the root rib is reinforced by blocking between it and the fuel tank. The tip rib needs bracing. Today I fabricated and installed this bracing.
Added 9 January 2012: Construction drawings. I occasionally get requests for the dimensions of my wing stand. This should be helpful to anyone would like build one.
28 & 30 December 2009, Varnish. Linda helped me varnish all the wood on the left wing. We used the Poly Fiber Epoxy varnish that was supplied with the kit. No photos; forgot the camera. More on Page Two!
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