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John King (Birddog) - Warrenton, VA
Kitfox Series 6
Rotax 912S

My first Kitfox (N193JK) was a Model IV-1200 Speedster powered by a Rotax 912UL. It took 2120 hours to build and I enjoyed every minute of it. I had flown it to Alaska in 1998 and to the Eastern Provinces of Canada in 1999. I really enjoyed that airplane; however, I soon found out that I needed a larger payload for the type of flying I wanted to do. The 496 payload with the 40 pound cargo bag behind the seat had some limitations if I wanted to fly two people with two weeks of baggage. So when SkyStar introduced the Series 6 with a larger payload I ordered one. After 2802 hours of construction time I test flew the Series 6 and sold the Model IV to a friend with just over 800 hours on the Hobbs.

My Series 6 (N993JK) is powered by a Rotax 912ULS and weighted in empty at 864 pounds giving me a much needed payload of 684 pounds with a 150 pound cargo bay behind the seat. Its first flight was on April 30, 2002. Forty hours later on the Hobbs (May 31 2002), I departed for my second Alaska trip along with seven other Kitfoxes.

Right after I ordered the Series 6, SkyStar informed me that I could not load the cargo bay to the designed 150 pound limit using a Rotax 912 engine. With that light an engine I would have to limit the cargo bay to 100 pounds max, otherwise I would exceed the aft CG limit. I did not want to hear that, and asked if sweeping the wings back could move the center of lift forward enough to permit the 150 pound limit. They have previously recommend sweeping wings forward to accommodate heavy engines. To make a long story short, SkyStar reluctantly provided me the specifications to sweep the wings aft, along with the proviso that it had never been tested and they would not be liable. They also provided a revised set of CG limits. Quickly recognizing that the 912 would be a popular engine in the Series 6, SkyStar redesigned the 912 engine mount to move the engine 5 inches forward to eliminate the need to sweep the wings aft. To my knowledge N993JK is the only Kitfox with swept back wings.

Some of the other significant modifications I made during the build cycle were as follows:
FAIRED-IN LANDING GEAR: In the stock Kitfox with aluminum spring gear the gear suspended below the fuselage without any fairing and presents added drag. I decided to fair in the area forward and aft of the spring gear to make a smooth transition along the fuselage belly. Since the spring gear is recessed into that faired area, the gear can still be removed when desired.
RADIATOR COWL FLAP: From my flying experience in my Model IV, I learned that a cockpit controlled radiator flap is a valuable feature when flying in areas with wide temperature variations throughout the year. Sometimes daily temperatures on long trips can vary enough to cause wide variations in engine CHT. I design a cockpit flap control that can close off the airflow through the radiator to fully open (see 2 pictures). When flying in Maine in the February of 2006, I kept the flap control fully closed to maintain an adequate CHT.
GLOVE COMPARTMENT: A good size glove compartment is a blessing in a Kitfox. Without one, or an equivalent, where do you store all of those small necessities required in flight and while on the ground? The larger panel size in the Series 6 makes all that possible. Mine turned out to be 594 cubic inches and is crammed full of flying stuff.
SOLID SIDED CARGO BAY: I never felt comfortable with the soft sided cargo sack provided by SkyStar, especially one that has to support a 150 pound load in turbulence. I prefer one with all four sides made of a durable, solid, light material, so I constructed one from 3/32 inch aircraft grade plywood. All four sides are removable using 6-32 SS flat head screws in the event access has to be granted to the interior of the fuselage (see picture). I also modified the turtle deck to hinge in half for easy external access to the cargo bay.
INSTRUMENT PANEL: The instrument panel is equipped with all necessary instruments and avionics for access to Class B airspace and the Washington DC ADIZ. I live just outside the ADIZ and have landed at Dulles International Airport several times, along with the big boys. They get real nasty if you fly in some of the ADIZ areas where you should not be. Several of my pilot friends have been escorted out of the ADIZ by F16’s.

I now have over 600 hours on the Hobbs, most of which have been consumed on long cross country ventures. Aside of the numerous annual trips to Oshkosh and Sun N’ Fun, my first trip in N993JK was to Point Barrow, Alaska in June of 2002, then to Key West in November of 2003, New Hampshire in September 2004, the Bahama Islands in November of 2004, Moosehead Lake, Maine in February 2006, and again to Key West in November of 2008. The trips that were the most enjoyable were the ones where I flew with other aircraft, the more the better. On the Alaska trips (1998 and 2002) I flew with 7 to 8 Kitfoxes. In those instances we flew in two flights, all within radio communication, to minimize confusion and maximize safety.


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