Building Space

[sierrahotel]

My wife and I are working with a custom home builder and in the design phase of not only our house but my workshop. The builder was asking me today about dimensions required for a comfortable space to build a Kitfox. I hope to order my kit within the next year and a half. Speaking from experience, what would be a reasonable sized workshop to accommodate building a Kitfox comfortably. I appreciate any suggestions from the forum as we plan this space.

[efwd]

IMHO you can simply consider the dimension required to allow you to have the entire airplane assembled and parked at a 45* angle, wingtips in opposite corners. I have an 1100sq/ft garage but only used the back and I was able to assemble it and place it as described. Anything less (which many people have) you will just have to make occommodations when you get that far along. Like work outside.. Many people get by with much less and then do the final assy at the hangar.

[t j]

Here's a template with dimensions of an S7 Super Sport. You can design your shop around it.

[efwd]

My garage ceiling is 8'4'' tall. My S7 is a tailwheel. I needed a nine foot ceiling when I was trying to do the original Prop pitch. If you hope to do everything in the build shop, I would recommend a 9' ceiling. To level the plane while on the gear (smaller tires than the 22" I have on it now) I had to deflate the tires to flat in order to get the tail up high enough to level the airframe. If it had been a 9' ceiling I could have left the tires inflated. I had no room to spare as it was. The tail was pinned to the ceiling and the tires were absolutely flat before it was level. I could have waited till the hangar for sure but I didn't want to spend any addtl $500/month than I had too. It was nearly flyable by time I got it to the hangar. Only the weight and balance and final inspection remained by the time it reached the hangar.

[sierrahotel]

Thanks everyone for the tips. I just want to do it right the first time and really don't want any regrets. Curious, I have read through a ton of great threads on this forum and have run across 2 guys saying they have ordered their kits and they are not being delivered until April of 2021 ?? Did I see that correctly? I actually just emailed the company because I may put my order in now if that's the case. Are the lead times always so far out normally or is this COVID thing really screwed things up?
:cool:

[ken nougaret]

I'm sure you saw that correctly. When I ordered my kit in 2011 it was 3 or 4 months wait. And it's gotten progressively longer since. And now they are on the cover of Kitplane magazine again.

[airlina]

Thanks everyone for the tips. I just want to do it right the first time and really don't want any regrets. Curious, I have read through a ton of great threads on this forum and have run across 2 guys saying they have ordered their kits and they are not being delivered until April of 2021 ?? Did I see that correctly? I actually just emailed the company because I may put my order in now if that's the case. Are the lead times always so far out normally or is this COVID thing really screwed things up?
:cool:

I believe the extended delivery backlog from Kitfox was in place long before this corona thing. As I recall when I was at OSH last summer delivery time was over a year then. The Kitfox has become very popular in recent years so lots of folks want one. Thats a good thing. Bruce N199CL

[efwd]

You have read correctly. I waited 5 months. Ordered early Nov. 2015 and got it March of 2016. Trent Palmers YouTube posts and a good economy got people buying.