Need help evaluating a barn find Kitfox Series 5

[Eric Page]

Hi, everyone. I've been lurking here for awhile, but the time has finally arrived for my first post. I've been preparing to order a Kitfox from the factory, but while speaking to a neighbor last night about it, he told me about a "barn find" project that needs a new home. Here's what I know:


It's a Series 5 taildragger, so either a Safari or Outback, and probably with 1,550# MGW (not sure of its exact age, but roughly 20 years)
It might be a Speedster (the owner said he bought some Speedster options, but it may just be the airfoiled vertical stab)
Dual adjustable rudder pedals and toe brakes
Full Whelen light package (incandescent nav/beacon/landing and flash tube strobes, all still in the box)
Standard 6-pack of round dial instruments (unknown if they're installed in the panel)
No radios whatsoever
No parts for cabin vent or heat
No cargo bay liner or interior upholstery
Plumbing and wiring status unknown
Rotax 912 engine mount and cowling (shape unknown), but no engine or propeller
Wings were factory-built, and I presume they've been rigged to the fuselage, because...
Wings are covered and Poly-Brushed, ready for Poly-Spray
Unknown if fuselage is covered
Unknown if owner still has the full hardware kit, assembly manuals, build log, etc.
The project has been stored in a semi trailer for at least five years (owner is a retired trucker)
My neighbor (who has built many planes, mostly composite) says the owner's work was meticulous

I would sell the lighting package and upgrade to LEDs.
I'm OK that there's no engine, as I wouldn't want something that had been sitting for 20+ years.
Same with radios, as they would be obsolete by now, and I would replace the instruments with an EFIS.

So, here are my questions:


What are the main differences between the Series 5 and Series 7? Anything really compelling?
Do the current factory-supplied wing strut fairings fit the Series 5?
A cursory internet search suggests that retrofitting cabane gear isn't complex or difficult. Is that accurate?
Does the factory still support Series 5 builders with parts, upholstery, tech support, etc? Is there an ownership transfer fee to get support?
Are there any concerns about Poly-Fiber fabric deterioration during storage since it wasn't completely finished (assuming no moisture)?
Will I have to replace the Poly-Fiber chemicals due to shelf life expiration, or are they fine if still sealed?
Assuming it has a Speedster wing, does the factory (or anyone else) still make wingtip extensions?

I'm going to look at it tomorrow afternoon (it's an hour away), so I'll have answers to some of the unknowns when I get back. In the meantime, any suggestions for specific things I should look for/at would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Kitfox Guy]

There are a number of people who have built or restored KF’s on this site who live in WA, perhaps one of them can accompany you to inspect the potential project this weekend. On the other hand it is Father’s Day weekend and they might have other plans this weekend.

[jmodguy]

I just completed a Series 5 and can tell you that the 5, 6, and 7 share many similarities. Trent Palmers Bird is a Series 5 also. The cabane gear and Grove gear will bolt up and the fairing covers will work. Cowls and firewall fwd will also work. Seat pan will fit and you can still get a baggage sack for a 5.
The one item you need to check is the wall thickness of the wing spars. If they are .050, the gw is 1400 lbs. If they are .063 the gw is 1550.
If you do buy this, you may want to consider buying the S7 elevator. It has a deeper chord (@3”). The other item is the reinforcing plate at the tailwheel if the fuse is not covered yet.

[DesertFox4]

All the PolyFiber chemicals are way beyond use. No value.
Also I wouldn't cover my new aircraft with 20 year old fabric.

[Eric Page]

Thanks to all who replied. Much appreciated!

It turns out the plane already has cabane gear; apparently it was an option at the time. The fuselage is powder coated flat black, which is how I would have ordered it. I didn't measure the spar tubes, but the owner confirmed that it's an older kit with a 1,400# gross weight. He has the PVC wing strut fairings. Those and the airfoiled tail were the Speedster parts he bought; it's otherwise stock, with the standard length wing. There are no Poly-Fiber chemicals left (he purchased as needed), so shelf life isn't a concern.

The bottom and sides of the fuselage are covered, but he left the top open for access to install cables, wiring, etc.

Since the wings were factory built, I probably wouldn't strip them just to inspect, but the fabric work is spotty in places. There are wrinkles and bubbles in the tapes, and some unglued edges on the fuselage and wings (maybe these just get trimmed off?).

He applied the Poly-Brush with a pretty heavy hand; there are runs pretty much everywhere, many of them on the inside. It looks like it was painted on everywhere, not just over the tapes (perhaps this is right; I have no experience covering airplanes).

The cabane fabric and underside of the fuselage were painted with silver UV blocker, but nowhere else (he said someone gave him some leftover from their project and he "wanted to use it up"). Given that he hadn't applied Poly-Spray anywhere else, I have to assume there's none under the UV blocker. It was clearly applied with a brush, as there are brush marks visible. It's going to need some sanding and a re-spray to look good for paint.

There's a bit of trailer rash in a few places. The fabric has a few small tears along the leading edge tube at the base of the vertical stab, and there's a patch of fabric that appears to be missing on a leading edge corner of one of the elevators. It was up on a shelf, so difficult to see its exact condition; I couldn't get closer than about five feet from it.

Door windows are installed, and the protective film has been removed. They're quite dirty, and I wouldn't be surprised to find scratches when they're cleaned, so I can probably count on replacing them. The windshield is not installed and the film is mostly intact except around the edges. I didn't see the turtledeck, but he says it's there. The cowling halves are both present (radial-bump style) and no fitting has been done. Wingtips are present, also not fit or trimmed.

The firewall is in place, as are the sticks, pedals, control linkages, seat pan, seat belts, brakes, brake lines and landing gear. The tail is built with the trim motor installed and wire routed to the switch. There are wires in the wings for lights. Apart from those items, and the covering, pretty much everything else is left to be done. The owner said all remaining hardware is present and organized, and he's including all airplane-specific tools, drill bits, reamers, etc.

It was pretty difficult to take usable photos since the plane was stored in an unlit semi trailer. A lot of the owners personal items were stacked between the doors and the plane, so light was poor for an iPhone camera. I could inspect with a flashlight, but I only got a few photos to show the general workmanship.

So with regard to condition, it's not as pretty as I would prefer, but worst case I just strip it, clean the bones and re-cover. I wouldn't be the first 2nd owner to do that, but it would negate a bit of the time and cost savings.

Here's where it gets interesting... He lost the original Series 5 assembly manual from SkyStar in a move, but got a replacement from John at Kitfox. The only one John could provide was a Series 7 manual, but he said there are only minor differences. That doesn't worry me too much; I can always ask questions here or call Kitfox for help. Here's the rub: he took notes in the original assembly manual as he went along, intending to present that to the airworthiness inspector as his builder's log. With the manual lost, he has no log for his progress so far.

Finally, he claims to have about $25k invested and he wants $20k for the project. Given that my notional order sheet, with options, totals >$48k, this is a good opportunity to enforce some much-needed fiscal discipline on myself, and preserve capital for the panel and firewall forward.

Here are my remaining questions:

Does the factory still support Series 5 builders with parts, upholstery, tech support, etc? Is there an ownership transfer fee to get support?
Are there any concerns about Poly-Fiber fabric deterioration during storage since it wasn't completely finished (it's been stored dry and in the dark)?
Apart from the weight, is excessive Poly-Brush application a concern? Can runs be carefully sanded smooth and then Poly-Sprayed?
Is the suspected absence of Poly-Spray under the UV blocker on the cabanes and fuselage bottom a concern? Would this argue for stripping and recovering the fuselage?
Assuming that everything from the original kit is there, and given the condition as I've described it, does $20k sound anything like reasonable?
Finally, How do I handle the missing builder's log? Can I document his progress at the time of sale with thorough photographs, have him sign an affidavit stating that he completed the work up to that point, then continue the build with a log of my own? Or, will I have to disassemble the plane and start over?

Thanks!

[Dave S]

Eric,

Many of your questions I could not answer without seeing the project; however, I would offer the following input.

While photos are not real good for someone else to assess many things, the photos of the fuselage covering are sufficient, in my opinion, to think that the fuselage should be stripped and recovered. The misc damage, poor finishing and questions you have about what process was used in parts of the finishing would cause me to want to strip it and start over. Also, while it is an esthetic thing, the finishing of the shape of the end of the VS isn't too pretty and that cannot be fixed unless the fabric is removed - pretty easy to do with the fabric off.

I cannot see enough of the wings in the photo to venture a guess on them.

Since you mentioned you are not familiar with fabric covering but are considering building a fabric covered aircraft, by all means - get the Poly fiber book titled "How to cover an aircraft" if you are going to use their system. Really straight forward, practical and would solve a ton of questions you have and it is essential to using their products.

On the lack of documentation, I would go to, call up, the horse's mouth (your faa MIDO {Manufacturing Inspection District Office}) and ask them since they are to ones having the final call on the airworthiness of the aircraft anyway. I found our office very helpful and they do have work arounds for unique situations.

I have three friends who built S5s and they all really, really like them.:)

[Eric Page]

Thanks, Dave.

Your concerns about the fuselage covering process, and the shape of the vertical stab end, echo my own. I think it’s probably a write-off and will have to be redone. I strongly suspect that I’ll find similar conditions on the wings and control surfaces. Since I couldn’t inspect them due to the place and manner they were stored, it’s a bit of a crap shoot.

i posted the builder’s log question on the EAA forum and got a reply from a DAR saying it’s not a big deal and my proposal to have the owner sign a statement about the work he’s done would be sufficient. I’ll definitely confirm with the MIDO, in case my DAR got up on the wrong side of the bed on inspection day.

Thanks again!

[bbs428]

I would strip it and go over everything from page one until your satisfied that it was done correctly or you do it to your satisfaction. It will be more work, trust me but the savings over a new kit might be substantial. Check for corrosion everywhere.

I purchased a older 5 outback kit. It was not as far along this one. I removed what was done and had no choice but to redo most of the control system for my own peace of mind. Also had to do a lot of corrosion control as some of the powder coat was compromised and rust had wicked up and under it in places. My factory built wings were in good shape after 20 years in a barn. Aluminum spars just needed to be cleaned of critters and alodined. Hysol glue joints were still very good.

All the best. Nice find! :D

[PapuaPilot]

I would also lean towards taking the fabric off the fuselage and redoing it. Drips and runs are almost impossible to correct and tend to show through the finished job. While the fabric is off you should go through everything. Like others said there could be poor workmanship, corrosion, etc. That was the case on my model 5 Outback, I found several things that needed to be redone on mine including misaligned control pivots, tight rudder pedals, corrosion, too tight bolts, etc. IMO I would offer a little less than 20K due to the damage and unknowns.

Are you going to be happy with the 1400# gross weight? If you go with a Rotax it shouldn't be a problem. I have a 1550 GW Model 5 with a Continental IO-240 and have a UL of 657# and ~500# with full fuel. I wouldn't be happy with a ~500# UL, which leaves only ~350# with full fuel.

FYI you can download a free copy of the Poly Fiber manual. I believe it is on their website.

The factory should be able to supply almost everything on the model 5. Get the larger elevator.

If you get the plane there are plenty of us that have built the Model 5. I have a complete manual and would be happy to give you copies of any pages you need.

It's a good idea to get a statement from the seller. Other than that you will need to document all of your work using photos, dates/signatures in the build manual, etc.

[avidflyer]

Just to be clear, runs on the inside of the fuselage from poly brush aren't really that bad of a thing. That shows that the fabric was saturated and the poly brush is locked to the fabric. Very dry on the inside would be worse then runs. Runs on the outside are a different story, poly brush doesn't sand well at all. May have some success flattening them with an iron over a plastic sheet. The poly brush will melt and spread out somewhat. Once everything cools, the plastic should pop off. Also, you mentioned poly spray and UV blocker as if they are different things. The poly spray is the UV blocker. JImChuk

[alexM]

I'm in Tacoma and I'm just getting rolling on my KF 5 project. You're welcome to come take a look at it, and I wouldn't mind seeing this project of yours. I've already been purging some extra parts (duplicates that have been replaced by KF 7 pieces).

I'm going to guess that your current cabane gear was the factory standard bungee gear from that time period. The single piece Grove was considered an upgrade at the time and now we've come full circle - though the shocks are an order of magnitude better than bungee cord. I could be wrong on all of that, but I have slept in a Holiday Inn Express recently.

I'm having no problems getting parts/support from the McBeans. In fact everything I've gotten from them has been an upgrade. Better design, better made, easier to build.

[alexM]

I just completed a Series 5 and can tell you that the 5, 6, and 7 share many similarities. Trent Palmers Bird is a Series 5 also. The cabane gear and Grove gear will bolt up and the fairing covers will work. Cowls and firewall fwd will also work. Seat pan will fit and you can still get a baggage sack for a 5.
The one item you need to check is the wall thickness of the wing spars. If they are .050, the gw is 1400 lbs. If they are .063 the gw is 1550.
If you do buy this, you may want to consider buying the S7 elevator. It has a deeper chord (@3”). The other item is the reinforcing plate at the tailwheel if the fuse is not covered yet.

Can you expand on this reinforcing plate for the tailwheel? If I'm going to have any welding done (and it looks like I will), I want to do it once and move on.

[Jerrytex]

https://teamkitfox.com/Forums/threads/9710-pic-needed-of-tail-spring-mounting-flange-reinforcment?p=83606#post83606

[alexM]

https://teamkitfox.com/Forums/threads/9710-pic-needed-of-tail-spring-mounting-flange-reinforcment?p=83606#post83606
Thank you. That does not look like major surgery

[Eric Page]

I would strip it and go over everything from page one until your satisfied that it was done correctly or you do it to your satisfaction. It will be more work, trust me but the savings over a new kit might be substantial. Check for corrosion everywhere.


I would also lean towards taking the fabric off the fuselage and redoing it. Drips and runs are almost impossible to correct and tend to show through the finished job. While the fabric is off you should go through everything. Like others said there could be poor workmanship, corrosion, etc. That was the case on my model 5 Outback, I found several things that needed to be redone on mine including misaligned control pivots, tight rudder pedals, corrosion, too tight bolts, etc.

Good advice, and I'll almost certainly do that. I don't think corrosion is likely (the trailer where it's stored is bone dry inside), but as we all know, it's insidious. And, as you both suggested, there's no telling what else the covering is hiding, especially inside the tail and control surfaces.

-=-=-=-=-


Are you going to be happy with the 1400# gross weight? If you go with a Rotax it shouldn't be a problem. I have a 1550 GW Model 5 with a Continental IO-240 and have a UL of 657# and ~500# with full fuel. I wouldn't be happy with a ~500# UL, which leaves only ~350# with full fuel.

Happy? Probably not thrilled, but I'm willing to live with it for a savings of nearly $30,000. Most of my flying will be solo (all of my cross-country will be), and I'm comfortable with reducing fuel loads when I have a passenger on local flights.



FYI you can download a free copy of the Poly Fiber manual. I believe it is on their website.

Yes, I've looked through it. I thought it might contain advice on removing Poly-Fiber, but it doesn't. I emailed Consolidated and a nice guy named Greg replied and answered my questions on that subject. In case anyone's interested, he said to just peel the fabric off and the adhesive residues can be removed with acetone (he suggested testing a small area with a cotton swab to be sure the acetone doesn't attack any paint or powder coat underneath).


The factory should be able to supply almost everything on the model 5. Get the larger elevator.

Second recommendation on the larger elevator. Apparently that's a good idea!



If you get the plane there are plenty of us that have built the Model 5. I have a complete manual and would be happy to give you copies of any pages you need.

Very generous, thank you. If I go forward, I'll certainly keep this in mind.


-=-=-=-=-


Just to be clear, runs on the inside of the fuselage from poly brush aren't really that bad of a thing. That shows that the fabric was saturated and the poly brush is locked to the fabric. Very dry on the inside would be worse then runs. Runs on the outside are a different story, poly brush doesn't sand well at all. May have some success flattening them with an iron over a plastic sheet. The poly brush will melt and spread out somewhat. Once everything cools, the plastic should pop off.

Good to know. If there are flat panels on the fuselage that look OK otherwise, maybe there'll be a way to selectively re-cover, and try to correct runs and drips on some of the original work. Since the top of the fuselage is still open, inspecting mechanical work will be easy.


Also, you mentioned poly spray and UV blocker as if they are different things. The poly spray is the UV blocker.

Indeed. I realized the next day that I was talking garbage! That's my level of knowledge about the process. I guess my concern is that it was applied heavily with a brush instead of in sprayed coats.

-=-=-=-=-


I'm in Tacoma and I'm just getting rolling on my KF 5 project. You're welcome to come take a look at it, and I wouldn't mind seeing this project of yours. I've already been purging some extra parts (duplicates that have been replaced by KF 7 pieces).

Thank you! I'll be up your way soon. PM sent.


I'm going to guess that your current cabane gear was the factory standard bungee gear from that time period. The single piece Grove was considered an upgrade at the time and now we've come full circle - though the shocks are an order of magnitude better than bungee cord.

I believe it is. The owner didn't indicate that it was an upgrade, and I don't believe that he had any interest in back-country flying. Frankly, I don't know that I'll do much of it either, but I plan to use shocks of some description anyway. Good for my ego.


I'm having no problems getting parts/support from the McBeans. In fact everything I've gotten from them has been an upgrade. Better design, better made, easier to build.

Glad to hear it. I emailed the factory through their website last week, before this popped up, asking a few questions about the current kits and delivery schedules, and haven't seen any reply.

-=-=-=-=-

Thanks, everyone. This thread has been a massive help. I'll keep my eye peeled for any additional advice, and I'll let y'all know what I decide to do.

Eric

[SilverFox5]

Eric, my brother and I are building a kitfox 5 that was originally sold in 1994. Our kit was never started by the original buyer. We are first time builders but have learned a lot over the last 2 years. There are service bulletins that I'm sure you would have to complete. The rudder peddle reinforcement is just one. But the most critical would the fuel tanks. If this kit was built with the original tanks they should be replaced because they will not hold up to the fuel additives. Each tank is about $450.00 plus shipping. And removing those tanks after being epoxied to the spars and ribs is going to be a major job. We new some of this before we purchased our kit and we got lucky and paid less than half of this asking price. My honest opinion is at $20K plus all the updates I would look at a new factory kit.

Joe
KF5 Rotax 912uls
Freedom, WI

[Eric Page]

There are service bulletins that I'm sure you would have to complete. The rudder peddle reinforcement is just one. But the most critical would the fuel tanks. If this kit was built with the original tanks they should be replaced because they will not hold up to the fuel additives.

Thanks for your post, Joe. After reading it, I went to the Kitfox website and looked through the lists of Service Bulletins and Service Letters. I can't find one regarding rudder pedals that applies to the Series 5 Safari; just Vixens of various serial numbers (SB #38 (https://kitfoxaircraft.com/images/servicebulletins/SB-38.pdf)).

WRT fuel tanks, I can only find a Bulletin (SB #60 (https://kitfoxaircraft.com/images/servicebulletins/SB-60.pdf)) regarding fuel tank rinsing, and one (SB-42 (https://kitfoxaircraft.com/images/servicebulletins/SB-42.pdf), and a correction, SB-42A (https://kitfoxaircraft.com/images/servicebulletins/SB-42A.pdf)) regarding leaking fuel valves with specific part numbers, but there doesn't appear to be a Letter or Bulletin about fuel tank replacement.

Can you help me with a source for the need to do rudder pedal reinforcement on non-Vixen Series 5 aircraft, or to replace Series 5 fuel tanks? Is this just tribal knowledge? It seems like something that the factory would have documented.

Thanks!

[avidflyer]

As far as the old fuel tanks go, there are a lot of planes flying with the older tanks in them. If you can get non oxygenated fuel or run avgas, the old tanks will probably be fine. It is the alcohol in auto fuel that is a problem for the older tanks. Another bit of protection is to slosh the tanks with KBS coating or Caswell's tank sealant. If they were sloshed with Kreem at the factory, that should probably be washed out first with acetone before you put the new sealant in. JImChuk

[DesertFox4]

Some tribal knowledge sent to me in the last month. Two separate model 5 non-Vixens with broken rudder pedals. One was on short final with a crosswind. No damage or injuries due to above average pilot skills and a little luck. Fix your pedals guys. The same pedals are used in Vixens, Safaris and Outbacks. Taildraggers put way more stress on the pedals than do nose wheel models.


2495124953

[Eric Page]

If you can get non oxygenated fuel or run avgas, the old tanks will probably be fine. It is the alcohol in auto fuel that is a problem for the older tanks. Another bit of protection is to slosh the tanks with KBS coating or Caswell's tank sealant. If they were sloshed with Kreem at the factory, that should probably be washed out first with acetone before you put the new sealant in.
OK, got it. I'm at a county airport with self-serve avgas, and have a very convenient supply of high-octane ethanol-free auto gas at a station 10 min away, so I don't think this would be a major concern. I'll definitely look into the tank coating before installing the wings. Thank you.

[Eric Page]

Some tribal knowledge sent to me in the last month. Two separate model 5 non-Vixens with broken rudder pedals. [...] The same pedals are used in Vixens, Safaris and Outbacks. Taildraggers put way more stress on the pedals than do nose wheel models.
Good intel; thanks. Makes sense that all models used the same pedal assembly. I guess it must have been an oversight by the SkyStar folks that restricted the Service Bulletin to only Vixen models.

[SilverFox5]

Hi Eric, sorry not to answer back but got sent out of town with last-minute notice. But i see you received some good info. We removed our rudder pedals and drilled out the rivets and are welding in some 4130 gusset's.
Our fuel tanks had not been installed yet and we will be running pump auto gas most of the time. That is why we bought new tanks. We have access to ethanol free auto gas here in wisconsin now but cannot guarantee if that will always be available.
We also cut our elevator apart and added 3 inches to enlarge it instead of buying a new one.

Joe

[Greg g]

This is a great read, I thought I would through in my 2 cents, and that’s all it’s worth. I would look at your entire budget for the build. If you are intending to build a plane that’s bare bone, as inexpensive as you can, this may be the way to go. If on the other hand you plan on outfitting it with a new Rotax, a fancy panel, $4k bush wheels you are investing allot of money in a 20-25 year old fountain. As for value, prices in the stol category are through the roof, it’s a sellers market.
best of luck to you, keep us posted.

[Eric Page]

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the additional input. It's been humbling to see how much useful advice and information I received in a short time. I can see that this forum will be an enormous resource.

Greg g, you make a good point about the economics of the project, but buying it represents a savings of >$30k vs the order sheet I had in mind for a new kit, it avoids the >1 year wait from the factory, and it gets me about 85% of what I wanted. The other 15% is either non-critical or will cost a minor fraction of that $30k to achieve. The remainder will pay for a large chunk of the firewall-forward.

-=-=-=-=-

I went to see the plane again yesterday, intending to buy it. Unfortunately, the seller didn't have the paperwork for the plane at home; it's stored in his semi trailer... somewhere. Since it was pouring rain we couldn't move his other stuff out of the trailer to make room to get behind the plane, so there was a limit to the area we could search. We found seven boxes of parts and hardware, the Poly-Fiber manuals and a roll of cloth, but the Kitofox build manual and his bill of sale from SkyStar didn't turn up.

I'm going back on Monday with a truck, a trailer, and a pair of wing slings that I liberated from my neighbor and re-carpeted. The seller has two guys coming to help move his stuff out of the way. That should make room for a thorough search, and if the missing papers (or at least his loan documents that show he paid SkyStar for the kit) turn up, then we'll do the deal. Apparently the FAA is fussy about showing an unbroken chain of ownership from the factory to the person registering a plane.

Wish me luck.

[avidflyer]

Lots of planes have been listed as built from parts when the ownership trail was not completely in order. JImChuk

[rv9ralph]

You could also check with Kitfox for recommendations if the original bill of sale is not located.

Ralph

[Eric Page]

Apparently Kitfox Aircraft have been dealing with this problem for awhile. There's a page on the factory website (https://www.kitfoxaircraft.com/index.php/bill-of-sale) that deals with this exact problem.

[Eric Page]

Status update:

I did purchase this project and brought it home last Saturday. Getting it out of the owner's semi trailer and transported to my garage was a 3-ring circus, and it would have been impossible without the help of three very generous neighbors. It took four men 90 minutes to clear a path for the fuselage to come out, which included removing a riding lawn mower without the benefit of ramps (and putting it back once the plane was out!). The whole operation took more than eight hours; I'll leave the details to your imagination.

I had a busy week so only started looking the plane over in detail today. I'll be posting some photos and asking many questions as I inspect everything and find issues with the previous owner's work.

It's safe to say that this was less a purchase than a rescue:


I don't think there's any way to avoid stripping and recovering everything, as the Poly-Fiber application was, frankly, appalling. Perhaps not unsafe, but definitely unsightly.
I found a hardware store fastener in the flight controls, very tight elevator control linkages (over-torqued?), a dent in the elevator push-pull tube and damaged skin on the flaperons (looks repairable).
The upper right portion of the firewall is bent, it has some random ~1/2" holes for which I can't identify a purpose, and it has several blobs of Hysol stuck to the engine side.
Brake lines are pinched between fuselage tubes and fabric, and pass through the firewall to the reservoir without a grommet.
Looking into the outboard ends of the wings, it appears that each of the rib stitches is independent rather than chained together. Reaching in through the last rib, none of the threads that pass from top to bottom are tight; I can move them easily with a light touch of my fingertip.

I went through eight boxes of random hardware and parts. It looks like I have the installation kit for a carbureted Rotax 912, along with all of the other airframe hardware. Some of the fasteners have been in their zipper bags since 1995 and have a powdery white surface corrosion on them. Most of the stick-on labels on the bags have fallen off, so I sorted through everything and put the labels inside the bags (probably got some of them wrong).

Basically, the poor thing is a bit of a basket case, and it surely deserves better. With some luck, some help, some hard work and some cash, one day it'll fly. Wish me luck!

[efwd]

Well you certainly can't do it the way the previous owner did. You need to finish it. Good luck, enjoy the build.

[bbs428]

Way to go Eric!

Finally it's in it's new home with someone who can get it in the air where it belongs, congratz! :D

Now the real work begins. It will get ugly and overwhelming real fast. Get it all apart. Label everything. Identify to
the best of your ability what still can be used, what's missing and what new hardware/ 7 mods you want to purchase.
Factory support is top notch so all you need is cash and motivation! Lol.
In my case, it was difficult for me to find what was missing until I got to that particular step in the manual. Seemed
like every two weeks I was placing another order. More astute management will reduce shipping costs which can get
out of hand fast!

Lastly organization is your friend. You will save literally hundreds of hours looking for that part you just saw the other
day. So you order a new one and shockingly - you find the old one. ;)

All the best and enjoy the build.

[alexM]

Kitfox is the only company in the world that has my card on file.