Denney Aerocraft Kitfox Model IV (4-1200 / Classic IV figures)
These figures describe a typical build. Each aircraft of this design was built by its owner, and the one you are looking at may differ.
The Kitfox Model IV was the folding-wing two-seat kit introduced by Denney Aerocraft in 1991 and carried on by SkyStar from 1992, offered as the 1,050 lb 4-1050, the 1,200 lb Classic IV and the short-wing Speedster; the Classic IV stayed in the Kitfox Aircraft catalogue until about 2020. The Classic IV with an 80 hp Rotax 912 cruises at about 96 knots, stalls at 32 knots, climbs at 1,200 fpm and carries 550 lb of useful load at 650 lb empty.
The three Model IV variants carry different gross weights and wings and the registry key does not separate them, so the first question is which one a given aircraft was certificated as; a 1,200 lb figure is simply wrong for a 4-1050. Engines ranged from the two-stroke Rotax 582 through the 912 and 912S to the Jabiru, each changing weight, cooling and reliability, and every example's builder chose covering, gear (fixed as built — a Model IV cannot be converted between tailwheel and nosewheel), floats and panel, so the published figures describe the factory's reference aircraft and the individual aircraft's logbooks describe the one for sale. The taller tail cured the early models' weak yaw stability, but the short-coupled gear still wants attention on every landing, and the original gear on Models 3 and 4 could fold in a ground loop, which is why a stronger aftermarket gear exists. SkyStar went bankrupt in 2005; Kitfox Aircraft bought the assets in 2006 and sold the Classic IV itself until about 2020, so the type is supported, though some tooling for the older airframes was lost along the way and the factory should be asked about a specific serial number. Fabric age and the welded 4130 steel cage are the inspection priorities. The owner may maintain it and an A&P or the builder-repairman does the annual condition inspection.
Variants of the Kitfox
- Kitfox Model IV (4-1200 / Classic IV figures) · 1991 · 182 active · this page
Also consider
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Compare with…
Put Denney Aerocraft Kitfox Model IV (4-1200 / Classic IV figures) side by side with up to three other models.
- Denney Aerocraft Kitfox Model IV (4-1200 / Classic IV figures)
Open Denney Aerocraft Kitfox Model IV (4-1200 / Classic IV figures) in Compare
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What it is
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tailwheel |
| Engines | — |
| Engine | Rotax 912 (582, 912S, Jabiru 2200 also used) |
| Horsepower | 80 hp |
| Fuel | — |
| Certification basis | amateur-built |
| Production start | 1991 |
| Production end | — |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 96 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 682 nm |
| Service ceiling | — |
| Climb rate | 1,200 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 32 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 550 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | — |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,200 lb |
| Empty weight | 650 lb |
| Usable fuel | — |
| Fuel burn at cruise | — |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | — |
|---|---|
| Price, high | — |
| Prices as of | — |
| Engine TBO | — |
| Overhaul cost, low | — |
| Overhaul cost, high | — |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 292 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 182 |
| Median year built | 1997.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 11 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 1 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 60.441 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 54.952 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 31 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 17.033 |
| Airworthiness directives | 0 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 182 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 182 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 182 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 1.5 of 101 |
| Severity | 5.4 of 102 |
| Access | 7.7 of 103 |
| Support | 7.2 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 3.5 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 25.3 out of 506 |
- Accident record: class median 31.56 · 197 models in class.
- Severity: class median 10.
- Access: class median 1,000.75.
- Support: class median 89.
- Liquidity: class median 19.74.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories. When accident record and severity cannot be scored because the model has too few records, the other three give a partial score out of 30, labelled as such; it is never set against a full score.
Data as of: FAA registry Sep 28 · NTSB Oct 2 · ADs Oct 6 · scores Sep 30