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Joe Meyeres (Joe Meyeres), Olathe KS
Kitfox Model IV
Rotec R2800 Radial

This project started because my son discovered airplanes in 1998 working as a lineman at a local FBO! How cool that was!!! (I have been in the aviation industry since 1971 as a maintenance technician and pilot so I knew how cool they were.) He thought he wanted to fly for a living, so I convinced my wife that building a kit would give him a good basis on the mechanical aspects and when we were done we would have a solid airframe without hidden corrosion or the other evils of time... she bought it hook, line and sinker! (Surprised me!)

I found this airplane in kit form in Iowa. The fellow I bought it from just did not have the time to devote to the project so he just covered the fuselage with a bed sheet and it sat idle for 4 years collecting dust. His brother in law (who built a Model 3) told me about it so I went to pay him a visit. It was just as I would have ordered it... powder coated, quick build wing kit, full sized panel, two 13 gallon wing tanks... perfect! I wanted it pretty badly, but a reality bite hit home...I had 3 kids in college at the time. After a full year went by I called to see if he still had it. He did, I still wanted it so I shot him a price and we both came away compromising but both of us were happy!

I brought it home in December of 2000 and started on it in the garage. While there, I worked on finalizing the wings and building up the fuselage, gear, panel, etc. until I needed to mount the wings and get them to fold properly. Then it went to a t-hangar about the time 9/11 happened. I wasn't sure if anyone would fly general aviation again. It was sureal to be at a busy airport but not a single engine was running in the backround and not one contrail in the sky for the longest time. But eventually things started to move again. A buddy of mine in Nebraska was needing a project and he offered to help me do all the covering. I had limited experience on fabric so I trailored it to his place and we covered it and got it thru silver there.

It wasn't until after it was covered that I seriously started to search for a suitable powerplant. A friend found the Rotec website and was all excited about the radial engine. When I first saw pictures of it, there was nothing to do any size comparison with, so I unconsiously discounted it as a player.... that is until I saw pictures Brian Hennemans blue and white SuperFox! I knew then that the search was over. I wanted the old time look from the round engine to the flat finish on the paint. When I saw John Kings Model IV I fell in love with the simple clean lines it showed. This airplane just begged for a similar design and the result is what you see today.

This is a Kitfox Classic Model IV sporting a Rotec Radial R2800, 110 HP engine and swinging a 70" Sterba wooden climb pitched prop. There are numerous modifications which include all the Speedster mods except clipping the wing and installing wheel pants. I elected to go with larger tires, electric trim and some minor changes including a removeable pitot/static tube, a large one piece rear window, landing/taxi lights with a pulse light option, strobes and nav lights. The upholstery is standard Kitfox material.

The airworthiness was signed off in August 2008 and I am working on the 40 hour flyoff. The airplane is located at K-34, the Gardner Kansas Municipal Airport just outside the Kansas City Metro area. K-34 has one of the nicest grass runways in the midwest.

Since I work on aircraft for a living, this project woudl set idle, sometimes for months. There are times when you just need a break! My son went off to college and I could not pass building on the project! He eventually wound up with a degree in Aviation Science, has his A & P tickets, Private License and Tailwheel endorsement. He no longer has aspirations to fly for a living and went on to get a degree in Art and is working on his Masters Degree.

I have to say the builders manual could have been more user friendly, but this is a basic airplane that anyone with some time and even limited skills can produce. I would not hesitate to do it again but I don't know if I would actually do anything differently. I am happy with the way it turned out and am still doing little things here and there.

Now that it is done, I plan on doing lots of fly ins. That beautiful engine is a magnet and I have met alot of people because of it. The folks at Rotec have been very helpful and responsive to any questions or needs. If you get the chance please visit them at www.rotecradialengines.com and see all the different aircraft their engines are on or planned to go on. Thanks to Kitfox for producing a wonderful little airplane kit and to my wife and family for putting up with me while I burned some midnight oil getting this done.

Straight and level full power... 127 MPH
75% cruise power 105 to 110 MPH
65% cruise power 90 to 95 MPH
Slow flies all day long at 40 MPH, Stalls straight ahead at 35 MPH


Below are a couple of the interior and panel. It has changed somewhat on the panel... still no radios, but all the instrument markings are now in place. Plans are for a Micro Air Com and Micro Air Transponder, then a Honeywell AV8OR GPS. The interior fabric is standard Kitfox fare.


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