Spent the weekend at HSF and got to do some flying in a Carbon Cub. Saw a lot of aircraft and some great people. tried to narrow down types of planes I may want and of course those I can afford.
Just for conversations sake, I like this eye candy but I'm sure at this point its a bit over my head but if you would can you tell me your thoughts on this one

https://www.barnstormers.com/cat.php?mode=listing&main=

Hope that link works. Its a Kitfox 3

I am getting close to buying something. Maybe a plane I spend a couple of years in and then move to something else

Great little planes; not a lot of payload, but if you're flying alone mostly then satisfactory. They're light enough that you'll learn not to like bumpy air. The folding wing option will allow you to keep it somewhere other than a hangar possibly saving some money. Being EAB allows you to do a lot of your own work and maintenance to it. Annual condition inspection will have to be done by an A&P since you didn't build it. I would suggest getting someone familiar with these specific planes to help you decide if this is a good candidate since the build quality varies greatly.

If it was me I'd forgo the avionics "bling", for that asking price you could easily go after one of the Aeronca's, Champ, Chief or a T-craft. If well cared for and looked after you will have little trouble selling it to move forward but in all honest you may be pleasantly surprised and turn it into a keeper. In addition the above mentioned makes and models may have a little broader market appeal to help with resale if you so choose.

FWIW, the seller/lister is one of the more knowledgeable/respected members on VansAirForce.

If I was looking for my first tailwheel, I'd be all over that. The seller is a VERY knowledgeable guy, the airplane is brand new, you have tons of flexibility in maintaining/upgrading it, and I think the kitfox has fine resale as long as it's well built and cared for.

I'd pick that over a champ, chief, or t-crate any day of the week.... no more scrounging for old parts, or battling the FAA over tires.....

To all,

I in no way intended to disparage either the make and model or current owner of this airplane so I extend an apology to all'

Kind regards,

Looks like a fine airplane to me. However, when I was looking closely at kitfoxes a few years ago everyone (the Kitfox owners I talked to) told me to only consider the later model 4 and newer. I can’t recall why but it may be something to look into.

Mapleflt wrote:To all,

I in no way intended to disparage either the make and model or current owner of this airplane so I extend an apology to all'

Kind regards,

Same, I didn't mean to come across as rude. I'm just a fan of the EAB over old tube airplanes.

I emailed the seller yesterday. There are three people in line already and they are waiting for the Estate to release the aircraft. But, yeah what a beautiful plane. Although over my head a bit I was also thinking about how well set up this is compared to most of the other older planes I'm looking at
I would rather find a used Kitfox, Rans S-7 or something ........................but I will be happy with an old pacer or 140 too.

I'm a long way away from needing a plane like that so I may go through two aircraft along the way . Something like a 140 or pacer just to get me on dirt and someday if I develop the skills move into something with a much shorter take off roll

whee wrote:Looks like a fine airplane to me. However, when I was looking closely at kitfoxes a few years ago everyone (the Kitfox owners I talked to) told me to only consider the later model 4 and newer. I can’t recall why but it may be something to look into.

More vertical fin/rudder most likely. Comes in handy if you've got lazy feet and "plan A" is falling apart.

Mapleflt wrote:If it was me I'd forgo the avionics "bling", for that asking price you could easily go after one of the Aeronca's, Champ, Chief or a T-craft. If well cared for and looked after you will have little trouble selling it to move forward but in all honest you may be pleasantly surprised and turn it into a keeper. In addition the above mentioned makes and models may have a little broader market appeal to help with resale if you so choose.

That logic prompted me to buy my Citabria last year. I love my plane but the inability to take it home for the winter to repair/upgrade and to incorporate some modern improvements are still glaring items from the "minus" column.

These Kit planes are really starting to look appealing. What about an Avid?

The Avid is the progenitor of the Kitfox, so much that there are a number of parts that are interchangeable. Even the Just Aircraft can trace lineage back to Dean Wilson's Avid Aircraft. The early model Avid's and Kitfox's were rated for roughly 1000 lbs gross, making them little more than fat ultralights. Later models were built for a heavier gross, some in the 1500 lb range. With the advent of the LSA category, some were tailored to 1320 lbs for that category's compliance.

sierrasplitter wrote:I emailed the seller yesterday. There are three people in line already and they are waiting for the Estate to release the aircraft. But, yeah what a beautiful plane. Although over my head a bit I was also thinking about how well set up this is compared to most of the other older planes I'm looking at
I would rather find a used Kitfox, Rans S-7 or something ........................but I will be happy with an old pacer or 140 too.

I'm a long way away from needing a plane like that so I may go through two aircraft along the way . Something like a 140 or pacer just to get me on dirt and someday if I develop the skills move into something with a much shorter take off roll

Having had a Kitfox 1, and several other kitplanes before my current RANS S-7S, including a brief love affair with a BC-12D T Craft, I think I can say that while the T-Craft was a great flier (once up) and gave me a real sense of flying a piece or aeronautical history, in no way would I ever want to give up the flying performance I have now. That's before even getting into the entire certified versus homebuilt thing, and as you wouldn't be the original builder much of the advantages would not accrue to you, as in doing your own annual. Then again, the T-Craft is the only plane I bought, flew, and eventually sold, and actually made money on! The others I either lost or broke even, mostly breaking even.

That KF in the ad looks pretty good to me, offer them less, have cash (the other so called interested buyers are probably blowing smoke) enough to upgrade that 80 hp Rotax to a 100+ horsepower Zipper BigBore, and lose weight in the process, and you will have a real performer. Though it won't slow fly with my S-7S or land as short, it will takeoff nearly the same plus cruise faster, plus you can trailer it. Just having that ability, even if used very rarely, is pretty handy.

A kit plane is starting to become much more appealing to me. For all the reasons you stated courierguy. Having the ability to fold the wings and put it in my garage is a huge game changer. Living in southern California there's no way I can afford a hanger
But I also don't want to wait for myself to build one ( would take at least a year or more I'm sure) so I will have to get my funding ready and look for a kitfox 5 or newer.
Of course like a little kid I still have to wait till June ( truck will be paid for)
Luckily I have a retirement I can draw loans against at a very low interest rate so funding a kitplane wont be a problem
Finding an A&P who know what they are looking at and then getting the training for the insurance policy may make it a bit tough but so far I like the idea

Love the Rands 7S too But I think its a bit out of range Maybe an older model Rans ??

I've never really thought that a folding wing airplane would appeal to me, but now that I'm thinking about it, I can go to the airport, pack it up, trailer it back to the house, do the annual/rewire/maint/upgrade I want to do in my garage, then load it up and pack it back. That's super handy.

schu

-snip of good content-
That's before even getting into the entire certified versus homebuilt thing, and as you wouldn't be the original builder much of the advantages would not accrue to you, as in doing your own annual.

Counterpoints to that often used argument:
-The non-builder can still do any modification or upgrade they want during the year.
-They can select avionics that are either far cheaper or unavailable to certified aircraft
-The annual can be performed by an A&P without IA. I spent two months trying to find someone to perform the annual on my Citabria and far longer waiting for it to be completed. I could have located a good A&P and been done in a week.

That is not to disparage the credentials of IAs in any way, but pointing out a lesson learned.

I've had a warm spot for the Kitfox ever since the 5, when you could hang an actual aircraft engine on it.

Most guys with folders fly them a couple times and then stuff them in a garage to handily collect dust, or worse park them out back with a cheap tarp. The folder idea is nice to get it to the strip the first time but a PIA after that. I started looking for hangar space first.... then I bought a pa22 for 12k. That's after I put a fresh coat of aerothane and Brian's skylight in it. I'm trying to sell it now to free up that space for my next project.

A lot of choices come down to where you live. I saw a note on the FBO bulletin Board right after flying Saturday.......A hanger is going to be available November 1st !!! .......................for a mere 875 a month

Now you like the folding wings ?

875/mo for a $30,000 airplane? Compounding interest monthly, even at 3%, you'd be down $122,600 in 10 years. If you left it outside and you'd be money ahead to just throw it away after three years and buy another one.