Kitfox Model II
530 hours total time. 569 lb empty weight, 970 lb gross. Condition inspection current till Feb 01, 2008.  Private Ohio registration. Located North Central Florida
This plane was built by my brother in the early nineties. I had the pleasure of conducting the first test flight, and flew it numerous other times while he still owned it. Unlike many homebuilts, this one has been flying regularly most of it's live. There was a tie down incident at Oshkosh around 1993, where it was damaged sufficiently that it had to be trailered back to Ohio. It was repaired by Ed Fisher, of Raceair, Inc. over that winter. At that time, the Vertical fin underwent a cosmetic change, and the elevator chord was slightly increased. My brother continued to accumulate time on the plane, and it was eventually sold to it's next owner in 1998, after approximately 200 hours total time.

The new owner flew it a little over 100 hours until 2001 when he was incapacitated in a Motorcycle accident. A couple years later, I was looking  for a donor aircraft on which my company could develop the HKS-700e 4 stroke conversion. I learned that 7GC was available and became the proud owner shortly thereafter. The 582 Rotax remained on the plane long enough to fly it down to Florida from Ohio, and it served briefly as a test bed during development of the Green Sky Adventures, Inc. HACman mixture control.

At 344 hours Total time, a 50 hour TT  HKS was installed and it has proven to be the "premium" powerplant for this plane.
This listing has been arranged to appeal to a broad number of prospective Kitfox owners.  As is, I would fly the plane anywhere within reason at a moments notice.  I trust the airframe. Equally important, I trust the powerplant, perhaps as much as any Lycoming or Continental I've flown behind. The difference in pucker factor, flying behind the HKS 4 stroke vs a 2 stroke is on an exponential curve based on the number of 2 stroke failures a particular pilot may have encountered. For those who have lots of trouble free 2 stroke hours, the significance of this airplane's HKS 4 stroke engine may be minimal. That is, unless hourly maintenance and fuel cost are considered. Fueling and maintaining the 582 runs over $14 per hour more than the HKS, based on $2.40 fuel. and scheduled maintenance See Op cost That's about $7000 extra operating cost over 500 hours operation.

A major portion of this airplane's value is in the power plant. To accommodate those who have or have economical access to a Rotax 503, 532, or 582, the plane is also available: Less Firewall Forward.

The HKS Firewall Forward listing includes

New retail price for this package is $9086.  

Rotax 2 stroke installation package for Kitfox.
For anyone desiring to convert this or any similar model Kitfox back to Rotax 2 stroke power, installation items for such a conversion are also available. What I don't like about the Kiftox Model II design.
This is a very short list. The Kitfox Model II is not particularly fast. However, fast, is a relative term. Last week on a 300 mile round trip  to Thomasville, Georgia, a 15 mph headwind component kept ground speed in the upper 50 mph range for much of the trip up. However, that got me to thinking about an Ultralight cross country our EAA UL chapter 40 had in 1983. I was flying a Rally III Big Lifter, making about 25 to 30 mph. Other planes on the trip included a Mitchell Wing, and three Dactyls. We flew well together, outbound, but on the next day's return trip, a head wind really slowed things down. The Dactyls powered up on the pipe and blasted away at about 55 mph while I plugged along almost motionless watching the fuel level go down and thinking how wonderful it would be to make 55 mph. So, it's relative. This Kitfox has no streamlining on wings struts, gear legs, or anything else. It wouldn't surprise me if that would contribute 5 or 10 mph on the cruise. As it is now, it's pretty much a 75 mph machine.

The Gull wing doors leak when flying in any rain much heavier than a light drizzle.

That high nose and nostalgic round cowl really restrict forward visibility on ground operation.

The Bungee gear on very light planes is not my favorite suspension. If the bungees are set for a reasonable ride, they end up being too soft, to the point where a hard landing at gross weight could bang the stop cables. If they are set up correctly, to prevent such occurrences, normal taxiing is like a rigid gear.

The narrow gear. It's nice for trailering, but my personal opinion is that it's a little demanding on roll out for such a simple plane.

The toe brakes (pilots side only) are positioned very close to the top of the rudder pedals. If I fly with my steel toed work shoes, it is very easy to end up riding the brakes continuously. Light shoes, or even barefoot is much better, in fact no problem at all.

Folding wings. The down side of wing folding is generally the potential for damage if there is a momentary lack of attention or too much help  (you don't need any) during the process.

That's about it. Like I said, a short list.
 

What I do like about the Kiftox Model II design.
I love the gull wing doors because it is so easy to change from closed cockpit to spectacular open flying, even while in flight.

The ailerons are enormously powerful, particularly at low speed. If  you ever loose this plane in a cross wind, it won't be because you ran out of aileron.

The fuel capacity of 21 gallons, especially with the HKS (burns between 2.5 and 3 gph) is wonderful for long cross country.

The flaperon feature of the ailerons is an effective in-flight trim. I know many KF flyers don't' use flaps for landing. I do. They seem to slow landing speed. I generally do tail low wheel landings and the flaps just seem to put it in the groove for that technique.

The wing folding.   I'd hate to have to do the wing fold routine every time I fly, but it really is pretty slick. If you need to transport via highway for any reason, folding the wings is much easier than removing.

The conventional construction of this type of aircraft lends itself well to continuous operation without high tech support.

What I don't like about this particular Kitfox.
Or.....what's wrong? What does it need?

Most importantly, it needs flown regularly. The more time you spend with the plane, the better handle you will have on it's condition.
Right now, I'm not 100 percent satisfied with the electrical and charging system. If strobes, radio, etc., are used continuously, the charging system has a hard time keeping up.  I usually fly it locally 3 or 4 times a week. Every 3 or 4 weeks, I run a 2 amp charge on it overnight.  On cross country, I don't run strobes and radio continuously. I'm not convinced whether the shortcoming is from low charging power or a stray voltage drain.

The electrical switch panel at the bottom of the instrument panel limits leg room for stretching on long flights.

The ValCom 760 flip flop function does not flop. ..Or maybe it doesn't flip. Either way, there is only Active mode. Radio transmission is enhanced when all other users are off otherwise its scratchy.

This Kitfox was the guinea pig for the Molded Plexiglas windshield. Since the Model II has a 9 gallon header tank which fills through the boot cowl, just ahead of the windshield, the typical Lexan windshields are very prone to crazing. The Plexiglas is not.  However the Plexiglas is heavy.  There are a couple non critical areas where this windshield is cracked near fasteners.

The SafeAir quick drains in the wing tanks need replaced. This year at Sun n Fun, with the doors open all week, an occasional drip from the drains ended up crazing the rear upper portion of both door windows.  My biggest concern was whether or not the tanks might be leaking. To test, October 2006, I replaced the Quick Drains with 1/8 inch pipe plugs and topped with fuel. ....No leaks.  The wing tanks are rarely used except for cross country, but still, the quick drains should be changed.

Maul Tailwheel. I've serviced this a few times. Once, upon disassembly, I found the locking pin which engages for steering when the wheel is not in caster mode was worn, engaging only about 25 percent. Flipping the pin over to the non used half was the fix. See Image   A neighbor just replaced a worn tailwheel on his Boredom Fighter with brand new Matco for about $129. That's probably the route to go at next service.

Covering and finish.  The aircraft was finished in Stits, with Poly Tone and a Stits clear Urethane top coat. The sunburst wings and other striping really make the plane stand out. It was probably a 20 foot finish back in 1991. Now, it's probably a 40 ft finish. Still, at most any airport, it draws a crowd, and I've never heard an unkind word about the appearance.

There is what might be considered hangar rash on the ailerons and portions of the removable turtle deck. This is not from storage, but from carelessness while wing folding. Not serious, but when you get close, it's there.  Also along this line, a few years ago,  the designer called for reinforcements on those wing ribs which support the ailerons. The modification involved slitting the trailing edge fabric at each aileron support and installing reinforcement angles. That repair left a slight pucker in the fabric at the affected areas. Not a big deal, but if you see this in the images and wonder what the heck is going on, that's the story.

Weight. I think the empty weight of 569 lb on this plane is unnecessarily high. Airplanes always gain weight as they age, and I guess 567GC is no exception.  It would be an interesting and rewarding challenge to put this plane on a diet. How low could it go? It's difficult to say, but every pound shed means an extra pound of useful load. Since I'm selling it, I'll be missing out on that reward.

Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy description. If it scares you off, I guess it was intended to. If not, it's probably an airplane that can meet your mission.