Happy New Year and Happy Anniversary Kitfox !!!
Thank you for all your support!
Have not been able to upload a pdf or pics.. so I have inserted them into the format for your review.
Kitfox’s 40th Anniversary – can you believe it? The Kitfox was introduced in 1984.. Next year will be 40 years of producing one of the best kitplanes on the market today with close to 8000 kits worldwide. Often copied but never duplicated. What a change from the Model 1 years of 1984 to the Series 7 of today. From an 850lb gross weight aircraft to a 1550lb gross weight aircraft that can almost carry 850 lbs. An aircraft that is as much at home on the ramp of a major airport to the solitude of that private paradise in the mountains or on the lake.
WOW, what an interesting and incredible year.
We are getting many questions about the status of our business… Did I say incredible? It has been incredible indeed. Sales continue to outpace our production and we are on a very solid foundation based on conservative values assuring Kitfox Aircraft remains healthy. We recently added more manufacturing space and our growth continues to be steady and gradual keeping overhead manageable and debt cleared. Our purchasing and production increases are strategic and with intention. Even with the current order backlog we continue to be ahead of schedule on deliveries.
The Kitfox Team! We cannot say enough about the incredible team we have here at Kitfox! We have recently hired more players in welding, fiberglass and parts that are proving to be great assets to the company. The attention to detail and the caring productive attitude of everyone makes it easier to manage. We are very grateful to have such a great team!
Rotax introduced the Rotax 916iS engine. Shortly after introduction we embraced the engine. The first couple engines arrived in June and we committed to flying them to Oshkosh 2023. Fly them we did... 2 Kitfox’s, a S7 Super Sport and S7 STi, from Idaho to Oshkosh sporting the new 916iS. The engine is simply incredible. Brandon, Heather and the Team put a lot of effort into a short period of time to bring their S7 Super Sport with the 916iS to the show.
Evan Brunye of EMB Aviation, a local build assist company, did the same with their Series 7 STi flagship sporting the other 916iS.
They both did an outstanding job in a short period of time on their Kitfox’s and represented Kitfox Aircraft with the latest offering. The pride and quality in their workmanship earned them both a Bronze Lindy Award at Oshkosh 2023.
Kitplanes December 2023. Many of you have probably seen the recent Kitplanes magazine with Brandon and Heather Petersens Beautiful Series 7 Super Sport with the Rotax 916iS engine on the cover.. Be sure to read the whole story… It really was a family affair. There is a lot more under the skin of their beautiful S7 Super Sport then meets the eye.
Pre-wired Garmin Panel packages have been a great success. The ability to have your panel installed and powered up in less than a day has been a very popular option. It is much more than a simple harness. From single 10” screen G3x Touch with radio, transponder to dual screens and 2 axis auto pilots and now with the introduction of the Yaw servo install kit a 3rd axis can be added...
Cabane Gear with the ACME Aero Black Ops shocks... We worked with ACME Aero to test their Black Ops shocks on our gear and came away impressed with the ride height and performance of the shock… even with a complete loss of nitrogen the ride height didn’t change. ACME decided to test and receive FAA certification. This only solidified our choice to change to the Black Ops shocks as standard on the Kitfox Cabane Gear.
ACME “Stinger” tailwheel spring that also uses a nitrogen shock. The Stinger works great for softening the tail ride on rough terrain so we designed a Kitfox specific mounting bracket and gave it a try. To date, we have been very pleased with the performance... it is a little heavier, but tends to be a great addition when a little more tail weight is needed.
Propellers are an interesting discussion... We continue to test propellers for use with the 912iS, 915iS and now 916iS engines. We have been testing a Whirlwind and Sensenich ground adjust propeller for use as a lower weight and cost solution or until delivery of your constant speed propeller. Simply put, the constant speed prop will allow for better performance across the playing field, especially on a turbo charged engine. We take into account many things when evaluating products and availability, service, support are just a few.
Float flying! Float flying can be one of the most exciting and addicting ratings you can get. It is also a lot of fun. Many of you have dreamt about float flying and we have been getting closer all the time to a couple good float installation solutions on the S7 Super Sport and STi. In collaboration with EMB aviation, having a good installation solution for floats on the S7 is not far off. Keep an eye open on this one.. Looks to be a fun summer on the lakes.
The Kitfox Aircraft Technical Support and Build Videos have been a tremendous success. This project has been “in the can” for many years. Brandon has taken on the challenge successfully with the tremendous help of his son Brentley (Wing Man) and of course his bride Heather. Honestly, Brentley (Wing Man) manages the wing shop. This is not an easy task. Producing a quality and informative video that meets with our high-quality standards takes ALOT of time. Please enjoy them and utilize them, but be patient for the next one. These are important to us, but it is more important that we continue to exceed our production schedule and help make the next Kitfoxer’s dream a reality.
Customers… We will not forget about the customers (YOU). It has been said many times that the one item that cannot be bought, bottled, or canned is the Kitfox owner/builder family and comradery. We appreciate all of you!! Earlier I talked about the incredible team we have. Well, you are a very important part of that team! It truly takes all of us to keep our dreams and freedom of flight alive, prosperous and well.
40th Anniversary Factory Fly-In Don’t miss it. scheduled for June 20th-23rd. Keep an eye on the website for details.
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Kitfox Year End Review 2023 - Happy New Year 2024!
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