First Quick Impression : Kitfox by Big Tire Productions

[Stephen]

 

First Quick Impression : Kitfox by Big Tire Productions

 

I do wonder if Big Tire Productions have sort of marginalised themselves with their name, obviously they are going to specialise in tundra, bushy aircraft as there is no way they could do say a Boeing 747 with those tires, but you have to admit it would be interesting.

 

This is their Kitfox, or the Denney Kitfox. Which is a two-seater side-by-side two-seat high-wing kit aircraft, that is designed and originally manufactured by Dan Denney and his company Denney Aerocraft of Boise, Idaho.The aircraft is amateur-built and not type-certified. It is seriously popular with over 4500 kits of the Kitfox having been already delivered in 42 different countries.

 

The KitFox is powered by a very noisy but popular Rotax 912 80 hp (60 kW) engine, which is basically just bolted directly onto a web frame, so the aircraft is noted as an ultra-light or US Super Sport LSA category.

 

 

Modeling is basic, but extremely well done, remember this is a kit aircraft and a fabric over a frame design. This review is as seen, so the comments noted here reflect this aspect....

 

 

...  and the more you look at the design details the more you like it, but don't expect Careando/Just Flight detail and quality, because that is just not here. Note the interesting Junkers flaps and folding wings layout and you have the choice of the original classic wing or a STOL wing with vortex generators.

 

Cockpit is all metal frame with items fastened to it, as expected the instrument panel is very basic, but it does have some interesting avionics...

 

 

... the nice laid back seats are very nicely detailed and really well done as is the single pilot who looks stalwartly intense about his flying, he is not animated either.

 

Instrument panel

First impression is of a very empty facia with the small set instruments, but this Kitfox comes with a very interesting Garmin G5 3.5” LCD color display electronic flight instrument package that is a basic but still a quite detailed glass cockpit upper Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS) and a lower Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator (EHSI).

 

 

....  so you have all the functions (not total functionality) of a bigger aircraft's avionic primary flight display, so obviously I am going to love this, but they are small and hard to read. Centre avionics include a GFC-500 dual-axis autopilot, a Garmin GNS 530 (a RealityXP GTN-750 can also be used here) and a Garmin GTX 330 transponder.... far right is a CANaerospace engine monitoring display, and two rows of electrical switches lower left. Both the G5 EFIS and EHSO panels pop up on separate windows that you can move around the screen and great for custom builders.

 

Sound is FMOD 3D, and you get the sounds of a four cylinder/ four stroke liquid/air-cooled engine with horizontally opposed cylinders Rotax 912iS 100HP or the choice to switch to the higher output Rotax 915iS 141HP and both versions sound great internally, but the external is of a very much higher pitch... it may be correct as realistic, but it is a bit uncomfortable on the ears over a long period, but overall the sounds are very good.

 

 

I love open door cockpits, you get that real exposed flying experience and here both of the flimsy doors open (sounds adjust as well). Note the wing fuel tank gauges set into the end of both of the wings with a 27 Gallons (102.20 lts) capacity.

 

 

The 912iS will do a top speed of 117 mph (190 km/h), a cruise speed of 110 mph (178 km/h), and the stall speed is 37 mph (60 km/h). Range is a majestic 785 miles (1272 km) with a rate of climb: 1200 fpm (6.1 m/s) makes this all round a pretty impressive little performer.

 

Lighting is of course again basic, with just white background instrument lighting with no adjustment. Externally all the main Navigation and strobes are covered and I really like the LED landing lights

 

 

Liveries

Three liveries are included with the Default (I called it the "Stars & Stripes), Hornet and Sliver + Green are all very good, but a few more would have been great...

 

 

So this is a great little ultralight/sports aircraft, but I couldn't find a manual (non-provided in the package), or where there was one on the internet? So I couldn't find any menus or the ways that you can change the excellent features or tools (both Tundra and standard wheels are available, but how do you actually change them?).... so in reality the review ground to a halt, and there is still a few buggy, bugs like the heading knob which is the wrong way around (annoyingly)....   that is not to say I do not like the aircraft as it is very good and actually really interesting and far than I thought it would be, personally it is slightly overpriced, but you do still get a lot for your money in features and ideas, and the Kitfox is really great aircraft to to fly.

 

Overall my first impressions are that I liked the aircraft far more than I thought I would, it is quite interesting, but as I noted with no manual or information on menus or how to use or change things then this could have been a far more deeper review, but overall Three out of five stars ⭐⭐⭐☀️☀️

 

Features Included:

• Choose your landing gear: tricycle, conventional or 29" bushwheels
• Choose your wing: Classic wing or STOL wing with vortex generators
• Choose your engine: Rotax 912iS 100HP or Rotax 915iS 141HP
• Choose your GPS: Garmin 530W or RealityXP GTN-750
• Single lever constant speed prop
• Dual Garmin G5 flight instruments and GFC-500 dual-axis autopilot
• CANaerospace engine monitoring unit
• 4K PBR materials
• FMOD 3D sound
• Full VR support

 

Now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore

 

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Yes! the Kitfox by Big Tire Productions is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here :

 

Big Tire Productions Kitfox

 

Price is US$32.95

 

Requirements:

X-Plane 11

Windows, Mac or Linux

4GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB VRAM Recommended

Download Size: 375 MB

Current version and Review version: 1.02 (November 1st 2019)

 

Note: In order to use and enjoy VR environment in X-Plane, user hardware and system specs should meet the required specifications for OS, CPU, GPU, MB and RAM which are specified both in the given VR hardware websites and at X-Plane.com.

 

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News by Stephen Dutton

3rd December 2019

Copyright©2019: X-Plane Reviews

 

(Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)

 

 

[bminton]

The KitFox menu is up in the X-Plane menu ribbon at the top of the screen near the Developers Menu.  Once you select an option it is remembered for future flights.

[IamNabil]

You didn’t really discuss the Freedom Fox livery, but N318JJ is a real airplane, flown by Trent Palmer. Pretty popular YouTube channel, with lots of really interesting, inspiring content.