flying_violin
10-19-2018, 02:20 PM
First of all, I should start off by saying that I am a LONG time lurker on the fringes of the Kitfox world. I grew up around experimental aviation (although I've only flown certified airplanes) and read through more EAA magazines as a kid than I could count. My flying experience has all been in rented certified airplanes / gliders, so I haven't dived very deep into the maintenance side of airplanes, but I love building model airplanes (plastic display and RC balsa/foam scratch builds), woodworking, and working on our cars (I don't really "love" working on the house, but hey, it's still satisfying to step back from a repair that works well).
Years ago (2009 - 2013) I attended Oshkosh three times and I checked out all the new and exciting airplanes back before I could afford any of them. I liked the combination of price, kit quality, and number of kits sold of the Kitfox company -- and they let me sit in their airplanes a bunch of times! So did all the other vendors, but I remember thinking to myself that I could see myself building a Kitfox someday. However, I've never actually flown one, so that might be something I want to do before I really commit.
Anyway, I see half done kits that pop up and stick around for a while, usually for much cheaper than the cost of a kit. I know that not everyone's workmanship is the same and that there may be some rework to do, so you definitely need to know what to look over when considering a partially built kit. Money is still a little tight for owning and operating an airplane (especially when hangars cost ~$500/mo where I'm at), but I'm at a place where my wife and I can start entertaining the idea of owning something with wings.
With all of that said, I was wondering if anyone on the forums knows anything about this kit:
https://www.barnstormers.com/classified_1413597_Kitfox+IV+1050%2C+Rotax+912.htm l
It doesn't have the useful load of some of the later models, but I'm an FAA average person -- not the US average! It also has a Rotax 912UL, which is the engine I would prefer anyway, although the serial number is pretty old (600 hr TBO?). One of the bonuses is that it is relatively close to where I live and the transportation costs to get it home would be minimal.
Is it common to ask a local A&P to do a pre-buy inspection of a kit before purchase, especially one that is as far along as this one?
Thanks!
Years ago (2009 - 2013) I attended Oshkosh three times and I checked out all the new and exciting airplanes back before I could afford any of them. I liked the combination of price, kit quality, and number of kits sold of the Kitfox company -- and they let me sit in their airplanes a bunch of times! So did all the other vendors, but I remember thinking to myself that I could see myself building a Kitfox someday. However, I've never actually flown one, so that might be something I want to do before I really commit.
Anyway, I see half done kits that pop up and stick around for a while, usually for much cheaper than the cost of a kit. I know that not everyone's workmanship is the same and that there may be some rework to do, so you definitely need to know what to look over when considering a partially built kit. Money is still a little tight for owning and operating an airplane (especially when hangars cost ~$500/mo where I'm at), but I'm at a place where my wife and I can start entertaining the idea of owning something with wings.
With all of that said, I was wondering if anyone on the forums knows anything about this kit:
https://www.barnstormers.com/classified_1413597_Kitfox+IV+1050%2C+Rotax+912.htm l
It doesn't have the useful load of some of the later models, but I'm an FAA average person -- not the US average! It also has a Rotax 912UL, which is the engine I would prefer anyway, although the serial number is pretty old (600 hr TBO?). One of the bonuses is that it is relatively close to where I live and the transportation costs to get it home would be minimal.
Is it common to ask a local A&P to do a pre-buy inspection of a kit before purchase, especially one that is as far along as this one?
Thanks!