Hangar required?

[914Driver]

Morning all,

I am a glider pilot and training in an Aeronca Champ, hope to get LSA sign off this summer.

Seriously liking a Kitfox, it checks all the boxes for me but I have concerns about it sleeping outside. In the winter we get snow, ice, all the bad stuff so it would be tucked away in my garage; but for summer will the material stand up to rain etc.? We don't get hail here so that's not a concern.

I fly out of 5B2 where all the hangars are rented out, will have to tie it out.


Thanks, Dan

[WWhunter]

My experience with the few fabric planes I have owned, if at all possible, rent a hangar. With the KF you can fold the wings and may be able to share hangar rent with someone which will cut your hangar expenses. Or get a trailer and bring it home to your garage. Enclosed trailer may be another opton.

There are guys that keep fabric covered planes out in the elements in the north country and they are ok as long as the snow gets swept off and most guys will try and install wing covers to hopefully cut down on the UV damage. I kept my Champ on floats outside for two summers and my advice would be to find a hangar if possible. These reasons are the main deciding factor in what I decided to build. Probably not good posting another airplane on a Kitfox dedicated sight but I am currently building a Murphy Rebel, all metal and they can actually be found for around the same price as a KF.

The newer fabrics do last a long time but I personally don't like leaving a fabric covered plane sitting out in the elements. My Champ's paint got dull and stained from bird dropping and UV damage.

Good Luck!

[tx_swordguy]

another option that I have heard about is using an enclosed trailer storing it on airport property either at the tie downs or off a taxi way in the grass. If done I would suggest you tie it down somehow incase there is a wind storm. Still have to unload etc and a trailer isn't cheap, but it is an option. Then once a hanger comes up, sell the trailer.
Mark

[av8rps]

I once had a canvas shop custom build a cover for my Avid (aka Kitfox) that allowed me to zip it up in a tight fitting cover with the wing folded. I had it made because my plane was on floats on my beach tied down with no protection. It worked really well, wasn't even affected by large hail as it basically "tented" the wing, so hail just bounced off. I also used it sometimes when trailering. Oh, and when tied down and in its cocoon, it was about Impossible to have high wind concerns as the wings being folded provided zero lift.

Just another advantage of an easy folding wing airplane.

[avidflyer]

It hasn't been mentioned yet, but I think you will get plenty of water inside the plane if it's left outside all the time. A good fabric job is supposed to last many years, but that's just one part of these planes. There have been issues with the rib tails rotting off on the earlier (before Kitfox 4) Kitfoxes and Avids as well. Weather is tough on things. Easy to fold the wings, many people do it every time they fly. JImChuk

[WWhunter]

Jim, awesome advice and another point I had forgotten about. Yes, the fact of water getting in and rotting, corroding, or causingold was definitely a problem I had also.

Av8rps...dang, that was a cool idea! Something the OP can surely think about. Was it easy to put on? Growing up on a farm and using canvas tarps, I am wondering if it was cumbersome and heavy. I do like the idea though.

[vetdrem]

I am in the "it needs to be "hangered" camp. I keep mine in a covered trailer at the airport in a tie-down spot. I leave it here in Florida year around and haven't had any ill effects caused by the elements, and have watched other planes on the field just rot away even though they are in "shade hangers". In a few years the cost of the trailer will be made up by the difference in cost of a tie-down vs hanger rent, and will definitely be cheaper than the deterioration of your plane.

If you aren't going to fly in the winter, park your trailer at home and save the tie-down fee, and free up the garage for your wife's car for the winter. that alone could add value to having the trailer.

Louie

[Kitfox Guy]

I say spend the money and put the bird in a hangar. The other commenters have posted many valid reasons why fabric covered aircraft should be stored "indoors", but I would add one of the things I really enjoy about my KF is the spontaneity of flight it affords me. Specifically, I can drive to my airport, pull my KF from the hangar, perform a preflight inspection and be wheels up in 30 minutes or less. That is great when get a whim to go flying and can do so without dealing with unfolding wings and/or trailering to the airport. To me it is worth the monthly hangar fee.

[914Driver]

Thanks guys.

There are no hangars available at the airport, there is one next to a grass strip about two miles from my house, gotta talk to the homeowner. The trailer is a good idea, wonder how many you can fit in a shipping container.

Dan

[vetdrem]

As far as I am concerned, a grass strip trumps asphalt any day.

I have often wondered if a shipping container would work. A tape measure would answer the question.

Louie

[Clark in AZ]

Standard 20' shipping container INTERIOR dimensions:

Length = 19' 3"
Width = 7' 8"
Height = 7' 9 7/8"

Door opening:
Width = 7' 8"
Height = 7' 5"

http://containersolutions.net/specifications/

[vetdrem]

Too bad. Not big enough. It sounded like a good idea.

[jrevens]

Other folding wing aircraft that are actually parked with the wings folded all the time seem to be used/flown less often than those that are not. There are exceptions to every rule of course. The gentleman who transports his Kitfox all over the country and has given seminars at OSH & other places (forgive me for not recalling his name) has got it down to a real science. If you like to keep your fuel tanks full & ready for the next flight, that is an issue. I think the weight of the fuel is one issue, but full tanks venting fuel is another. I've thought that maybe a guy could make temporary fuel filler neck extensions that would stick up high enough to eliminate the fuel venting issue with the wings folded.

[jabkwab]

I have painted a red " max wing fold level" line on the fuel gauges to avoid overflowing.

Also, I fill up the tanks after every flight and after folding the wings and putting the tail wheel on a dolly. This gives me almost three quarter full tanks, plenty for my kind of flying.

Folding and unfolding takes me less than 5 minutes but It does seem to produce some wear and tear, especially on the flaperons.

[Av8r3400]

Is a hangar required for a Kitfox?

Yes.


It may not need a 48 x 48' building. A trailer, lean-too, tent, or proper fit cover will do, but it will need some shelter or all of your work building the plane will be lost in fairly short order.

One mans opinion.

[av8rps]

Av8rps...dang, that was a cool idea! Something the OP can surely think about. Was it easy to put on? Growing up on a farm and using canvas tarps, I am wondering if it was cumbersome and heavy. I do like the idea though.

The cover took about 15 minutes including the wing fold. It wss not heavy or hard to handle at all. I had it made out of medium weight sunbrella, which is a very lightweight but a very durable covering used on marine products typically. So it fit easily in a 2 ft x 3 ft deck box I kept next to the plane on beach. It was about $750 to have made (but that was quite a few years ago). Overall it was a great solution as there is no option for a building there on the waterfront.

I agree with everyone here that says a hangar is the best answer. But if not available an enclosed trailer or a cover is a good option not available to most other aircraft. I would speculate your Kitfox left at a tiedown with no cover would have about a 5 year useful life in most typical climates. Perpetual proactive maintenance to minimize weather related damage could extend the life of your Kitfox almost indefinitely, but that would probably grow old relatively quick for most.

And if none of those options are practical, put your Kitfox on a trailer and tow it back and forth between your home and the airport. Many people have done that over the years. It is actually a really practical option. And you may have one of the most well maintained aircraft at the airport as on rainy days you'll probably find yourself tinkering on the plane out in the garage, fixing, cleaning, polishing, etc, etc..

I trailered my plane from my garage to a nearby friends grass strip for the first two years I owned it and really liked doing it that way. I actually used a hitch on the tail and not a trailer because the strip was so close. I'd fuel it and preflight it in my driveway, and even warm up the engine. 10 minutes at the airstrip to fold out the wings, remove hitch, and do a last preflight checkover, and I was ready to fly. It truly did work that well.