SS7 STI in an enclosed trailer?

[MikeFairbanks]

I've read a couple of discussions on here about trailering your kitfox, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever managed to put an STI in an 8.5' trailer. At 8' 7.5" width with the wings folded I originally thought, well, that's not going to work. Then my wife asked why you couldn't run the main tire on one side up a on a ramp so the airplane was at an angle to make it fit.

While this in theory seems doable, I'm concerned about the side loading then on a bumpy road... or possibly fuel leaks from the angle.

Has anyone done anything like this?

I already have the trailer... I would rather have the STI, but I couldn't put it into the trailer, then would get the Super Sport instead.

Thanks, Mike

[109JB]

I've read a couple of discussions on here about trailering your kitfox, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever managed to put an STI in an 8.5' trailer. At 8' 7.5" width with the wings folded I originally thought, well, that's not going to work. Then my wife asked why you couldn't run the main tire on one side up a on a ramp so the airplane was at an angle to make it fit.

While this in theory seems doable, I'm concerned about the side loading then on a bumpy road... or possibly fuel leaks from the angle.

Has anyone done anything like this?

I already have the trailer... I would rather have the STI, but I couldn't put it into the trailer, then would get the Super Sport instead.

Thanks, Mike

Then the landing gear would have to stick through the side wall of the trailer.

[MikeFairbanks]

That would likely be true if the gear was also 8 1/2 ft wide... and while I can’t find a spec that tells me the gear width, from the drawings and photos with the wings folded... it does not appear that the gear is that wide. That leaves some room to work with. Thus my question.

Thanks

[109JB]

The gear doesn't have to be that wide to be a problem. This is a scale drawing of a Kitfox 4 with stock narrow kitfox 4 gear and the Nanco 21 inch tires. I clipped the wings to the width of the folded STi at 8'-7.5". I then rotated it to fit in-between the 2 vertical lines that are 100" apart. Even on the narrow gear the tire sticks through the side and the airplane has to be rolled quite a bit to fit the wings. I chose 100" because you are going to have walls at least 1" thick per side on a 102" outside width trailer. On top of that, this is the Kitfox 4 gear and there isn't an STi gear that is anywhere that narrow.

26399

[MikeFairbanks]

Thank you, this was helpful. I was going to attempt a CAD drawing to test fit, but as stated, have been unable to find gear dimensions.

[MikeFairbanks]

Well I pulled a 3 view drawing down off the Kitfox website and imported it into Fusion360 and overlayed all the measurements needed to model this and ended up with the landing gear extending 27" past the door opening, or approximately 21.5" through the wall! The tilt angle required to get the STi wings through a 90" door opening was pretty high too.

The 3 view had the standard spring gear, so not entirely accurate for the V cabane gear, but close enough that I have no doubt it would never work.

So I guess if I want to use my enclosed trailer, I'll have to stick with the Super Sport. If I want the STi, then it would have to be an open flat bed trailer.

I live in Alaska, and will likely end up pulling this airplane through Canada several times... so an open trailer just does not seem like a good solution.

[Maverick]

could you do something like this on a flatbed trailer?
https://www.aircraftcovers.com/general-aviation-models/skystar/kitfox-iv-v-vii-and-super-sport#5

[MikeFairbanks]

My concern with a cover like that is that it would flap and rub at highway speed. I've seen considerable damage done to wind screens from a cabin cover on airplanes tied down at the airport after a high wind event.

[Jcard]

Have a 10' wide enclosed trailer built and call it good.
You can oversize at night in most western states at this width.
Mount up a sign and a light on the trailer buy your permits and go.

[Maverick]

My concern with a cover like that is that it would flap and rub at highway speed. I've seen considerable damage done to wind screens from a cabin cover on airplanes tied down at the airport after a high wind event.
Yeah, there is that. . .

[MikeFairbanks]

I thought about an oversized trailer, but a lot of the roads I would be traveling in Alaska are challenging enough with an 8.5' trailer... not sure I would want to go wider up here.

[Jcard]

I thought about an oversized trailer, but a lot of the roads I would be traveling in Alaska are challenging enough with an 8.5' trailer... not sure I would want to go wider up here.
Used to drag around an Armstrong cat that was 11'4" wide and 13' 8" tall in South Central a lot, then down the alcan, Yellowstone park, lake Powell, Lake Havasu and finally up to Seattle.
Pretty tight in some spots, but nothing a little chainsaw action clearing some birch trees couldn't handle.
I really like the trailer concept except it makes it harder to shut it down for the moose on those dark nights, lol.

[Eric Page]

Many years ago I had to leave my car parked outside in an Oklahoma winter for three months while I deployed to somewhere unpleasant. Wanting to protect the car while I was gone, I bought a nice cover, washed and waxed the car, and installed the cover before I left. When I came home I discovered that the wind had been beating the fabric against the car every day, and most of the paint in the middle of the hood, roof and trunk lid was gone.


Lesson learned: covers are useful for keeping dust off of a vehicle that's stored inside, or at least behind a good windbreak, and not much else.