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Alan L. Daniels
VCR Specialists
The Kitfox now has over 230 hours on it in just the first summer. Every pilot that flies it is amazed that there is almost no vibration, and at the excellent power and torque of the CAM 100. I can't even mention fuel burn without fear of verbal abuse from the other pilots. When ease and cost of installation, ease and cost of maintenance, reliability, fuel burn, and real power and performance is considered, nothing else even comes close.
UPDATE - March 16, 2001
N961AL is running much better with the new coils. It starts easy and runs stronger than before. I think the coils have also reduced fuel burn slightly. I have pitched the prop so I get about 4900 RPM static. It seems the more I pitch the prop the better I like it. I now cruise at between 105 and 110 at 4700 to 4800 RPM and burn about 3.5 GPH. NOT BAD AT ALL. Also it should be noted that the lower RPM does not seem to hurt my takeoff or climb much. In a "normal" direct drive engine you can feel and hear the engine loading and slowing when you pitch the plane up and it slows down, but with this engine the torque is such with the reduction drive that you do not notice and loading or slowing. Max speed is 125MPH and the RPM's only go up to 5200, so you can see that I can olny pickup 300 RPM from static to 125 MPH.
We now have 425 hours on the engine with no problems with the engine or reduction drive. With the price of gas and especially 100LL and the price of parts for aircraft engines (It cost me $6,000.00 just for new cylinders for my Arrow - no labor - just the new cylinders) there are a lot of people wishing it was their plane. I figure it cost me almost nothing to fly, so we fly whenever we want.
I am looking forward to letting you fly this plane, I think you will be impressed.
Alan
UPDATE - May 28, 2003
We are at 600 hours now, and it is running better than ever. One of my boys took the plane up to 14,000 feet, and was still climbing at 200 fpm but had to stop as he had no oxygen.
I flew chase with my Kitfox Vixen following our build groups new Model 7 with the Rotax 912S. I have a lot of extras in my plane including a 40 pound BRS system, and I was still able to almost keep up with him in the climb - Due to the weight difference he was climbing steeper than was my best rate - but I had him by 15 MPH on the top end. I think when we repitch the prop on the 7 we will be close in overall performance. I am pitched for cruise.
Hope things are going well.
Alan
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