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Skyfox

If the full size aircraft is an ultra-light then the model is an ultra featherweight. In a light head wind you can fly the model Skyfox along at walking pace!

SPECIFICATIONS Type:  Sports/Scale Ultralight Scale: 1/5 Wingspan:  1.9 metre Engine:  .35 - .40

INTRODUCTION

As the costs of flying general aviation aircraft become prohibitive for many, ultralights are an attractive alternative. All kinds of ultralights are taking to the skies, from powered hang gliders to sporty racing machines. One of the most popular of all is the Skyfox.

Designed and manufactured in the United States as the Kitfox this ultralight combines the looks of a bygone era in aviation with modern high tech materials matched with the small but powerful Rotax engine. The classic radial cowl similar to the Monocoupe, and vintage look of the airframe gave the Kitfox plenty of character.

In Australia the aircraft is manufactured under license in Qld., and is known as the Skyfox. The most obvious difference is the nose area which replaces the radial cowl (it was only a dummy anyway) with a flatter and more streamlined shape.

This revised nose actually gave the Skyfox a few more knots on the clock compared to the original Kitfox.

The Skyfox is classed as a non-aerobatic aircraft. The seemingly feeble looking wings have no mainspar. The strength lies in the leading edge which is thick aluminium tubing from which the highly undercambered ribs extend to the trailing edge. The covering and supporting struts gives the wing rigidity it needs. The wings can be folded back for storage.

From reports, the earlier Skyfoxes experienced aileron flutter with their broad strip aileron hinges away from the trailing edge. This problem was overcome by addition of mass counter balancing at the ends of the ailerons. The ailerons also can droop down as flaperons.

Nonetheless the Skyfox has proved to be very popular in this country. One pilot hedgehopped his Skyfox from Queensland to Avalon, Victoria to attend the International Airshow Downunder, spreading the journey over several days.

The Skyfox can be classed as an ultralight and give the pilot a bit more freedom from red tape, or be registered as a GA aircraft. Some flying schools use Skyfoxes for initial flight training at very economical running costs before students make advancement to heavy metal aircraft.