a little about n454tw
This site is about my Skystar Kitfox Series 5 Safari with speedster wing and long wing extensions. Powered by a freshly overhauled Lycoming O-290D with 130hp for 5 minutes and 125 hp continuous, combined with a 72" Whirl Wind GA200L propellor. There is a Saber prop extension and carbon Fiber spinner. The prop is pitched to give take offs short of 300 feet and cruise speeds to 130mph. Currently equipped with 26" Alaska Bushwheel Airstreaks and a 8" Matco dual arm tailwheel. It has a baggage compartment access turtle deck option allowing for large items in the baggage area. Factory floor mates and customs side panels make for a light but attractive interior. Panel consists of a new in 2015 Garmin GTR 200 Com, Garmin 396 GPS with in-panel Airgizmo mount, G3 Insight graphic engine monitor providing all 4 cylinder EGT and CHT, Flight Data Systems FC-10 fuel computer, along with basic VFR instruments. Current aircraft total time is 290 hrs and flying weekly.
This Kitfox was given an Airworthy certificate under the light sport rule, so it is an ELSA. This provides some great advantages. First you do not need a medical to fly it and by completing a weekend repairmen course you will be issued the repairmen certificate for this N# allowing you to perform, legally, all maintenance. Kitfox model 5 with the thicker wing spare, which this has, has a suggested gross weight of 1550 lbs, however the ELSA limit is 1320 lbs. With the empty weight under 900 lbs it allows for a good useful load. Personally I usually fly solo or with one of my kids, so I can go full fuel and baggage and stay under the 1320 lb. With two adults I just take less fuel and it performs amazing at gross weight with the large hp engine. Fuel burn is between 5-6.5 gallons per hour depending on how you fly it. I typically run it at 2300RPM cruising at 120 mph and burn about 6 gallons per hour. Solo it can take off in under 200 feet and land in less than 250 feet. I fly with C180's and Maule M7's and always land and take off shorter, climb out faster and can easily match the speed of the M7's.
This past summer I took the Kitfox to the Idaho backcountry providing it with the truest test for its performance ability. With DA's above 9000 feet it performed very well. Like all bush planes the performance was most certainly effect by the altitude, effectively doubling the take off distance, however the climb performance was good to 9000-10000'. Flying alongside my father's Cessna 180, I was very proud of the Kitfox's performance. It has very predictable flight characteristics, with responsive inputs, gentle stalls and lands like a dream.
This Kitfox was given an Airworthy certificate under the light sport rule, so it is an ELSA. This provides some great advantages. First you do not need a medical to fly it and by completing a weekend repairmen course you will be issued the repairmen certificate for this N# allowing you to perform, legally, all maintenance. Kitfox model 5 with the thicker wing spare, which this has, has a suggested gross weight of 1550 lbs, however the ELSA limit is 1320 lbs. With the empty weight under 900 lbs it allows for a good useful load. Personally I usually fly solo or with one of my kids, so I can go full fuel and baggage and stay under the 1320 lb. With two adults I just take less fuel and it performs amazing at gross weight with the large hp engine. Fuel burn is between 5-6.5 gallons per hour depending on how you fly it. I typically run it at 2300RPM cruising at 120 mph and burn about 6 gallons per hour. Solo it can take off in under 200 feet and land in less than 250 feet. I fly with C180's and Maule M7's and always land and take off shorter, climb out faster and can easily match the speed of the M7's.
This past summer I took the Kitfox to the Idaho backcountry providing it with the truest test for its performance ability. With DA's above 9000 feet it performed very well. Like all bush planes the performance was most certainly effect by the altitude, effectively doubling the take off distance, however the climb performance was good to 9000-10000'. Flying alongside my father's Cessna 180, I was very proud of the Kitfox's performance. It has very predictable flight characteristics, with responsive inputs, gentle stalls and lands like a dream.
Build
UpGrades
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Garmin GPS 296 in panel
New Matco Tailwheel
Wing extensions
Spinner and spacer
Air vents
Avionics Upgrades
Installed a G3 Insight Graphic Engine Monitor system. Now all four cylinder have EGT and CHT.
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Installed New Garmin GTR 200 Com with intercom system. With this unit the standby freq can be monitored like a second radio. Plus the radio provides for a music input. Huge improvement and 1.5 lbs lighter than the old VAL box.
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New Tires
Wing Strut fairing
Preparing the struts for the fairings.
Installed a RAM mount for iPad. Looks good and does not block any instruments. I'm still experimenting with the iPad vs iPad mini in this location. It is nice to have Foreflight as a back up NAV.
Change the propellor out to a 72" Whirl Wind GA200L.
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Fairings installed and painted. Picked up 4-5 mph, worth the effort.
Installed a Flight Data Systems FC-10 fuel flow computer with a gold cube FT-90 sending unit. I absolutely love the addition of this information.
Added the Carbon fiber spinner.
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Put some temporary covering on the gear legs to see if it would help increase the speed. Didn't see much change.
The number Four was added to the side in preparation to race in the STOL Drag races at the Reno Air Races 2019. This is a requirement by RARA and needed to be on the airplane for the PRS training in June and the races in September. I like the addition have left it on, but it is vinyl and can be removed at any time.
What an amazing experience to be apart of at Reno. The O290 powered Kitfox did well against some of the Rotax powered airplanes, but the Density Altitude really effects the performance at the elevation of Stead airport in Reno. Those with turbo or NOS systems really out shinned the rest of us. At this level of competition it was as much about the airplane as it was about the pilot.