Looking for Speedster Performance Data

[HILBILI]

Hello all, I'm purchasing a Kitfox IV Speedster next week. It has a Rotax 912S, bush tires and bubble windows. It also has the cargo compartment behind the seats and a cargo pod mounted underneath. My understanding is the max gross weight is 1200 lbs. I want data for this weight.

I plan on keeping it on my property in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri. Grass strip with 50' hickory obstacles. I'm wanting take off and landing performance data at max gross weight. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I can't even describe how excited my 17 year old son and I are!

[jiott]

I believe what you are looking for is in the "Kitfox Flying Handbook" for sale at Kitfox factory.

[jiott]

After looking more closely at the handbook I mentioned, it does not specifically have T/O and landing performance tables for the model 4 speedster. There is a lot of other good performance info however. Also, the book is "Kitfox Pilots Guide"

[Slyfox]

how about this. I have that engine with the IVO inflight medium prop. when I take off, IT GOES, when I land it's down real short. half fuel, 5 each tank, me 175lbs. I get off the ground within 100ft. I land, touch down and stopped about 300ft. your performance with at least my setup is supper great. I love it. power to weight ratio is fantastic. you will love it. I don't think it's a question of data, you will have to go out and figure that yourself with your plane and you inside. most important, have fun doing it.

now at gross weight those numbers change. again, your plane, put it to gross and go fly it and put down your numbers. I can still do pretty good at gross. that's with the wife on board and full fuel and my camping gear in the back. Still did very well and at the moment really can't tell you the precise numbers, but I'm sure I could have been stopped well within 600ft. take off might have changed to 300ft. temps outside will change it also, if I remember when I did the gross weight it was about 60 f outside. this morning was the last time I did the first paragraph and again it was about 60f.

[HILBILI]

I've measured the area I can use for the strip. It's 820' with 20' cedars on one end. Taking off the other way I can turn about 30° once airborne and have another 1,000' to clear the tall hickories.

I should be picking the plane up next weekend. I plan on wearing it out on a small airstrip near my property to gain confidence before landing at my place. May try a few low passes at my place to get the feel as well.

[Av8r3400]

As of today, I have flown my plane near 500 hours. I love it. It is a great performer. Sometimes into short strips it still scares the !*$$ out of me. I would have not even considered a short strip like what you propose until I felt like I could "wear" the plane. That feeling didn't hit me until 100+ hours of PIC…

Don't rush yourself.

[kmach]

I totally agree, it takes around 100 + HRS to get the real feel of the aircrafts capabilities and yours in it.
I find if you are evenly remotely too fast on the approach/threshold you will really drift down the runway in no time ! these foxes love to stay in the air !

[Slyfox]

Just when you think you got these things down pat there will come a time when you come in and your not thinking, the winds are different, the temps are something other than normal. something. and than pow, you have a floater, you don't hit your spot, it takes an extra 200ft to get it to do what you want, and for me it's stall out. that happened just the last time I flew, what was different, don't know, might have been an extra 5mph. but I floated an extra 200ft. I didn't care, I had about 2000ft of sod. but if I had to get down and stopped within a prescribed amount or else. well it wouldn't have been so good. as it was it was beautiful landing I just went a couple hun extra. always allow for that.