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Kitfox history

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f.miles.tcp.833(at)clearw
Guest

Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 6:06 pm Post subject: Kitfox history

I have seen several, so called, histories of the Kitfox posted in different places and they all seem to be pretty much the same however I wonder why no mention is made of Dan Denny’s prior relationship with the Avid Flyer Co. (He did not just appear in Southern  Idaho with a new plane) and the genesis of the Kitfox. That Dean Wilson was the designer of the Avid which the Kitfox was copied after. Anyone know or care to comment. (let’s be nice!)  

   

Frank  

       [quote][b]

aeromer(at)ix.netcom.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:14 pm Post subject: Kitfox history

I attended several Kitfox Fly-Ins in Caldwell (both Kitfox and Avid were located there at the time) in the early 1990's.  What I remember is that Dean Wilson designed both.  Denny sold out to Skystar but was still located at the same location with his Thunder Mustang project!  If you can get a copy of How to "Fly a Kitfox" there is a brief history in that booklet.  AeroMer 



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gary-n-dorothy(at)bhwi.ne
Guest

Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2006 11:38 am Post subject: Kitfox history

Didn't Denny have something to do with the Montana Coyote? ,   developing or promoting it for/or with  "Doc" out of Helena  Montana?

  

 I visited the production facility once while it was being set up,  and the airplane was basically a scaled up version of a  kitfox. 

   [quote][b]

Malcolmbru(at)AOL.COM
Guest

Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2006 5:46 pm Post subject: Kitfox history

also anyone care to talk about the avid catalina I herd thear was still  jiges around ? malcolm

  [quote][b]

wliles(at)bayou.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2006 7:34 pm Post subject: Kitfox history

I wanted the Avid Amphib.  My shop was too short so I built a MK IV 

instead.  I still like the idea of the Catalina and sometimes wish I 

could find an unbuilt kit.  Perfect for wet Louisiana.  The jigs still 

existed when Avid moved to Montana.  I have no idea if they still 

exist.  The good people at  Airdale might know.



Jerry Liles



Malcolmbru(at)aol.com wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   also anyone care to talk about the avid catalina I herd thear was 

 still jiges around ? malcolm

MichaelGibbs(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:27 pm Post subject: Kitfox history

Frank sez:



 	  Quote: 	
		  ...I wonder why no mention is made of Dan Denny's prior relationship 

with the Avid Flyer Co....That Dean Wilson was the designer of the 

Avid which the Kitfox was copied after.


	


The Kitfox was not copied from the Avid Flyer, the original "Avid 

Flyer" is the ancestor of both aircraft lines.  Denny and Wilson 

produced the airplane but later went their separate ways.  What we 

know today as the Avid Flyer and the Kitfox line are both direct 

descendents of that very first "Avid Flyer" (which, by the way, was a 

nose-wheeled airplane that did not have a round cowling  .



Mike G.

N728KF

Malcolmbru(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 6:04 pm Post subject: Kitfox history

this catalina could be had for a lot less than a builder would have in to  one  do you get the seaplain matronics  list malcolm

  [quote][b]

av8rps(at)tznet.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:24 am Post subject: Kitfox history

Mike,



 While I agree that the Kitfox is a derivative design of the original Avid

 Flyer, the initial Kitfox design was pretty much a direct copy of the Avid

 Flyer.  Reportedly the first Kitfox was created from an Avid  Flyer kit

 (Denney obtained in the lawsuit when he and Wilson parted ways) by 

modifying

 the shape of the rudder, adding drooped wing tips, changing the lower

 longerons, and installing a 503 inside a slightly reshaped smooth cowl (the

 round cowl didn't come until some time later when Denney was fitting the 

ill

 fated Pong Dragon radial engine work in the Kitfox).  Note that even the

 door opening style was the same as the first Avids, because the tubing was

 all the same around the cabin area.



 And yes, the first Avid was a tri gear.  But that was the only one that was

 a tri gear only.  After that they were either tri or tailwheel convertible.

 Only a few were made as special ordered taildragger-only versions (to save

 weight).



 Rather ironic that modern day Kitfox is also a tailwheel or trigear

 convertible with a smooth cowl, isn't it?  (history repeating itself?)



 A little more historical info;  Did any of you know that current Kitfox

 company owner John McBeans father was involved in the test flying of the

 Avid Prototype N99AF?



 And for any of you that have never seen the first Kitfox, here's a picture

 of it...(prior to being recowled, repainted, etc.)



 Paul Seehafer



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First_Kitfox_N84DD.JPG

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MichaelGibbs(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:38 am Post subject: Kitfox history

Paul sez:



 	  Quote: 	
		  ...the initial Kitfox design was pretty much a direct copy of the 

Avid Flyer. Reportedly the first Kitfox was created from an Avid 

Flyer kit...


	


The Kitfox can't be a "direct copy" of the Avid Flyer, it IS an Avid 

Flyer.  It's not like someone came along and copied the design, it 

was divergent evolution!  



Mike G.

N728KF

f.miles.tcp.833(at)clearw
Guest

Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 9:33 am Post subject: Kitfox history

How does that saying go? Something like: "A rose by any other name is still

a rose".



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