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Maximum Miles Per Gallon in a Kitfox?

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av8rps

Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 33
Location: Central Wisconsin

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:17 pm Post subject: Maximum Miles Per Gallon in a Kitfox?

Hey gang, 



This summer, just for fun I decided to play around with my Kitfox to see what I could get for maximum fuel mileage.  



This wasn't overly scientific, but I just kept playing with power settings and airspeeds, trim, flaperons, and prop pitch until I was able to get the lowest fuel burn and the best airspeed. 



It was a perfectly calm evening around 75 degrees, around 2500 msl, and I was very light on fuel (8-10 gallons), with a 200 pound cabin load.  After lots of playing around I discovered that 65 mph TAS was the best airspeed.  The mimimal throttle setting I needed to maintain level flight showed I only needed 1.1 gallons per hour of fuel.  Doing the math, that provided me with a 59 miles per gallon fuel mileage rating!  



Have any of you ever tried to see what your kitfox would give you for max MPG?  I'm so impressed that my little plane could get that kind of miles per gallon that I'm wondering if I did something wrong.  But I duplicated the test again a week later, and got the same results.  (Geez, I only wish the car I drove could do that...)



Now as I said, this wasn't done very scientifically, but IF it is accurate like I believe it is, that is quite impressive for any airplane.  Just think how far we could go on a full tank of fuel   And if I removed those big, heavy, bulky amphib floats I have on it currently, I'm sure I would do better.  



Maybe our Kitfoxes are more efficient than we even knew?



Paul Seehafer

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_________________
Model IV-1200 912ul Amphib
Avid Flyer Sn#1 and Sn#26
Highlander 912s taildragger
Lake Amphibian
Central Wisconsin
paul676@tds.net

dave

Joined: 22 Sep 2006
Posts: 1382

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 4:24 am Post subject: Re: Maximum Miles Per Gallon in a Kitfox?

 	  Quote: 	
		  And if I removed those big, heavy, bulky amphib floats I have on it currently, I'm sure I would do better. 

	


Paul,  I have the same floats as you do with the exception of the yellow paint and loose nice fittings       I think if you took them off you would be surprised on how little drag  they actually have . On mine I lose about 5% or 6 %  of cruise only. 



Kitfox still  cheap to run ,  cheaper to buy and FUN FUN FUN

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wingnut

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 356

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:02 am Post subject: Re: Maximum Miles Per Gallon in a Kitfox?

Very interesting. How are you measuring your fuel burn? Makes me wonder what one of those slippery motor gliders would produce. 

 	  Quote: 	
		  It was a perfectly calm evening around 75 degrees, around 2500 msl, and I was very light on fuel (8-10 gallons), with a 200 pound cabin load. After lots of playing around I discovered that 65 mph TAS was the best airspeed. The mimimal throttle setting I needed to maintain level flight showed I only needed 1.1 gallons per hour of fuel. Doing the math, that provided me with a 59 miles per gallon fuel mileage rating!

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_________________
Luis Rodriguez
Model IV 1200
Rotax 912UL
Flying Weekly
Laurens, SC (34A)

av8rps

Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 33
Location: Central Wisconsin

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: Maximum Miles Per Gallon in a Kitfox?

[quote="wingnut"]Very interesting. How are you measuring your fuel burn? Makes me wonder what one of those slippery motor gliders would produce. 

As I said before, my method wasn't all that scientific.  Not having an electronic fuel monitoring system I had to rely on my tachometer, my manifold pressure guage, and my Rotax engine manuals fuel burn chart.  While not as nice as electronic measuring, based on previous experiences traveling cross country over the years, I've found it pretty accurate.   

Dave,  my fittings aren't loose any more   (Whew!)  But my floats are nice and shiny yet...(chuckle)  And yes, I agree the aerocets are not very draggy floats.  But...drag is drag.  And add to the float drag the additional induced drag created by the need for increased wing angle of attack due to the 150 lbs the floats add, and I'm sure it is not doing anything to help my fuel efficiency.  Of course to know for sure I'd have to just once try a regular landing gear on my Fox (hmmm.... where did I put those landing gears and wheels????) 



Paul Seehafer

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_________________
Model IV-1200 912ul Amphib
Avid Flyer Sn#1 and Sn#26
Highlander 912s taildragger
Lake Amphibian
Central Wisconsin
paul676@tds.net

Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 4:09 pm Post subject: Maximum Miles Per Gallon in a Kitfox?

They are probably in the basement lying right next to mine J  

   

(hmmm.... where did I put those landing gears and wheels????)   

   

Paul Seehafer  

   

--------  

Model IV-1200 912ul Amphib  

Avid Flyer  

Lake Amphibian  

Central Wisconsin  

paul676(at)tds.net  

   

   

   

   

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Noel Loveys
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