Kitfox vs. Highlander

[SkyPirate]

nothing wrong with the ole model 2's herman,..wish I never sold mine ,..built by Dennis Sawyer N-73DS ,..I landed my model 2 on a 75 foot sand bar off the coast of Cape Cod Mass,and had room to spare,..then I took off from that sand bar when the tide started coming in (after a couple little black jeeps had come out to "inspect" my plane ha ha ),..which made it shorter,..yes I did have a head wind,..maybe 15 mph,cant remember to be honest,..it was just another awesome take off in an awesome plane .. the ole model 2 didnt grunt ,..she lifted off with room to spare as well,.
Sure miss that plane ,..tried to buy it back ,..but the new owner wont part with her,..cant say as I blame him.

[Monocock]

What makes me chuckle are the various manufacturers who have come up with a variety of airframes that they claim beats the KF. There are several in Europe.

They make claims of "exceeding Kitfox performance" very time. This proves that KF is still the original and the standard that others strive to meet. Until now, I'm not convinced that any manufacturer has met the same standard.

A question: is the Highlander really comparable to a 7? Surely it's a similar size to the 4?

[FoxDB]

Has anyone seen the Skyraider Frontier first hand? It looks interesting. The Empty weight is higher (I would assume due to use of Lycoming) but carries a high gross weight and very large baggage area. Seems like getting closer to Super Cub territory but looks like it could qualify as ELSA.
Dave

[akflyer]

Considering I routinely run with 12 pounds strapped to the tail wheel spring (and this is with a 582) that I can take off when I load up my "extended baggage" having a big cargo area is very nice! My cargo goes from the back of the seat to the front of the vertical fin. I have had it loaded up with 60-80 pounds rountinely and no ill handling issues. Of course, I put as much weight as far forward as I can, but it is a great place for my sleeping bag and other emergency gear that is left in the plane at all times. I for one think that you can never have enough cargo space and it is up to the pilot to secure the load properly!

[DanB]

If I'm not mistaken there was a time that Kitfox looked into supporting and or selling an extended baggage compartment. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it was decided not to do this for safety reasons. Yes, if one keeps a very close eye on where the weight is at...sure you can "get away with it". But how many pilots have been killed due to that one last oops"? If it is built with the potential of too much weight placed aft, we all know it will be just a matter of time before we hear about it. I would rather be leaning towards a margin of safety than the other end of the stick, but then again...that is personal preference. My opinion is if you are going to be hauling the kitchen sink, then go get the right tool for the job.

[bandit]

Hi all,
I have been trying to decide between these 2 planes for over 6 months and committed to making purchase this fall as planned! I have spoken with the guys at Highlander as well as many Highlander forum members! From what I have learned the Highlander can be a 110 mph plane, but most are in 100 mph range. On floats, 90-95 is average and 100 achievable if its clean and light! Both planes have there obvious advantages in speed and stall! The large baggage area in the Highlander is for me a huge deciding factor for camping etc. The speed of the Kitfox is so appealing though! I agree with all on both sites that you cant go wrong with either decision, just have to decide what is more important!

Regarding the SS 7, does anyone have any realistic cruise speeds on Floats/amphibs? This could be a huge deciding factor to a Kitfox for me!

Thank You,

Bandit