Hangar required?

[Clark in AZ]

Standard 20' shipping container INTERIOR dimensions:

Length = 19' 3"
Width = 7' 8"
Height = 7' 9 7/8"

Door opening:
Width = 7' 8"
Height = 7' 5"

http://containersolutions.net/specifications/

[vetdrem]

Too bad. Not big enough. It sounded like a good idea.

[jrevens]

Other folding wing aircraft that are actually parked with the wings folded all the time seem to be used/flown less often than those that are not. There are exceptions to every rule of course. The gentleman who transports his Kitfox all over the country and has given seminars at OSH & other places (forgive me for not recalling his name) has got it down to a real science. If you like to keep your fuel tanks full & ready for the next flight, that is an issue. I think the weight of the fuel is one issue, but full tanks venting fuel is another. I've thought that maybe a guy could make temporary fuel filler neck extensions that would stick up high enough to eliminate the fuel venting issue with the wings folded.

[jabkwab]

I have painted a red " max wing fold level" line on the fuel gauges to avoid overflowing.

Also, I fill up the tanks after every flight and after folding the wings and putting the tail wheel on a dolly. This gives me almost three quarter full tanks, plenty for my kind of flying.

Folding and unfolding takes me less than 5 minutes but It does seem to produce some wear and tear, especially on the flaperons.

[Av8r3400]

Is a hangar required for a Kitfox?

Yes.


It may not need a 48 x 48' building. A trailer, lean-too, tent, or proper fit cover will do, but it will need some shelter or all of your work building the plane will be lost in fairly short order.

One mans opinion.

[av8rps]

Av8rps...dang, that was a cool idea! Something the OP can surely think about. Was it easy to put on? Growing up on a farm and using canvas tarps, I am wondering if it was cumbersome and heavy. I do like the idea though.

The cover took about 15 minutes including the wing fold. It wss not heavy or hard to handle at all. I had it made out of medium weight sunbrella, which is a very lightweight but a very durable covering used on marine products typically. So it fit easily in a 2 ft x 3 ft deck box I kept next to the plane on beach. It was about $750 to have made (but that was quite a few years ago). Overall it was a great solution as there is no option for a building there on the waterfront.

I agree with everyone here that says a hangar is the best answer. But if not available an enclosed trailer or a cover is a good option not available to most other aircraft. I would speculate your Kitfox left at a tiedown with no cover would have about a 5 year useful life in most typical climates. Perpetual proactive maintenance to minimize weather related damage could extend the life of your Kitfox almost indefinitely, but that would probably grow old relatively quick for most.

And if none of those options are practical, put your Kitfox on a trailer and tow it back and forth between your home and the airport. Many people have done that over the years. It is actually a really practical option. And you may have one of the most well maintained aircraft at the airport as on rainy days you'll probably find yourself tinkering on the plane out in the garage, fixing, cleaning, polishing, etc, etc..

I trailered my plane from my garage to a nearby friends grass strip for the first two years I owned it and really liked doing it that way. I actually used a hitch on the tail and not a trailer because the strip was so close. I'd fuel it and preflight it in my driveway, and even warm up the engine. 10 minutes at the airstrip to fold out the wings, remove hitch, and do a last preflight checkover, and I was ready to fly. It truly did work that well.