Kitfox IV 1200 questions

[mh1187]

Hi first time post here.

I have been searching for my first aircraft purchase. I have narrowed it down to a Kitfox I have flown in a Kitfox V vixen but I want a safari. I have 86 hours of Tail-wheel time. Its been difficult to find a Model V with a Rotax, however I do keep seeing Model IV 1200 being sold more often. Now I do have a few questions about my mission set and if its possible in a Model IV.

Me and my wife want to be able to fly to go on our camping trips so it would be me 5ft 9in 195lbs and her 5ft 8in 150lbs also maybe 50 - 100 lbs of gear. Haven't found to much information on the useful load and real world load. I am based in Dallas and we do trips down to big bend a bunch. I also want to fly to Oshkosh one year in the aircraft.

If anyone has any good information on this airframe it would be greatly appreciated. I am no rush to purchase at this time so if a Model 5 and up does show up I may jump on that but I do want to keep my options open.

[avidflyer]

If they aren't loaded up with all sorts of stuff, some of the Kitfox 4s are about 650 lbs empty with a 912. With a 1200 lb gross weight that leaves 550 usefull load. If you get a project that's not covered yet, you can also widen the fuselage by 4" or so as well for more shoulder room. JImChuk

[Esser]

My friend has a Model IV, if you are camping, it's a single person plane unfortunately. It only has a 40lbs baggage area and quite volume limited.

[HighWing]

My first IV weighed exactly 100 lbs more than a flying buddy that was in the group of 6 or 8 that used to fly the back country if Idaho on a yearly basis. His was 604 lbs. Mine had a lot of stuff - kick panels, carpet fairings- that sort of thing. Agree on the 40 lb weight limit in the baggage sack, but.... I loved to scan the camping sections of the sporting goods stores - especially REI. I was always looking for lighter weight gear. If I could save some pounds, I did the deed. Sleeping bag - down 20 degree, in compression sack, the size of a football 3 lbs. Tent - 2 person 6 lbs. Sleep pad 3 lbs. Camp chair 4 lbs. My buddy always took his son who grew to be about age 15 over the years. Food? Typically snacks and survival stuff mostly. We frequently ate in towns with strips. Or where we fuled. Should mention - Larry, another one of the 6 took his adult son along the first year, Doable? Yes. Sort of like back packing.

[Av8r3400]

As Lowell said, 40 pound is a lot of cargo if it is the right stuff. Food is usually what gets to be the heavy item.

Three cases of beer weighs a ton...





Back-Country Brewing Kit. Hmmmm....

[Wheels]

I fly a 1200 model IV with a cargo pod. I can load a total of 50 lbs of gear between the two cargo areas and fly with full tanks out of a 1600 foot grass strip. I don't do that on skis. the drag on takeoff roll is out of my no go zone.
Im 170 lbs and my copilot wife is 100. Great plane for cross country at 100+ mph on an 80 hp engine. Camping gear and comfort just don't mix if your trying to go as a minimalist. So, we don't camp.
20 years as a Marine gave me a good taste of the value of a super 8 or a best western. so, we do that. I am 5'7" and my copilot is 5' tall so we fit nicely in the Fox. You're at the upper end but should be comfortable.
I have a bush pilot friend who flies with me some times and he said his tri pacer wasn't much bigger but I never flew one of those. I"m thinking the IV may be a squeeze for you and unless it has a hundred ponies, may be under powered for anything looking like a back country trip.