Denney Kitfox

Kitfox
Denney Kitfox Model 2
Role	Kit aircraft
National origin	USA
Manufacturer	Denney Aerocraft SkyStar Aircraft Kitfox Aircraft
Designer	Dan Denney
First flight	November 1984
Introduction	1984
Produced	1984-present
Number built	4500+ kits delivered
Unit cost	US$$99,995 (2015 cost, ready-to-fly Kitfox Super Sport SLSA)
Developed into	Aeropro Eurofox, Apollo Fox Rocky Mountain Wings Ridge Runner

The Denney Kitfox is a series of small side-by-side two-seat high-wing kit aircraft, designed and originally manufactured by Dan Denney and his company Denney Aerocraft of Boise, Idaho. The aircraft is amateur-built and not type-certified. Over 4500 kits have been delivered in 42 different countries.

A derivative of the Avid Flyer, the Kitfox was an early kit plane to feature quickly-folding wings that greatly simplify carriage and storage. The appeal of the aircraft was that it could be built by any handyman in a two-car garage and then towed to the airport with the wings folded. The landing gear may be easily converted to floats or skis.

First flown in November 1984 from the Denney Aerocraft factory in Boise, Idaho, the Model 1 Kitfox was a two-seat STOL taildragger aircraft capable of flying from unimproved strips. The design was originally intended to use a new radial engine then in development and the early Kitfoxes had round cowls with bumps to accommodate the radial heads. Although this radial engine did not materialize, and a Rotax two-stroke engine was adopted instead, the "retro" radial cowling proved popular and was retained on many models. In 1984 a total of six Model 1 Kitfoxes were delivered and then the model range was expanded to include the improved Models 2, 3, 4, and Classic 4.

In June 1992 Denney Aerocraft sold the rights to the design to SkyStar Aircraft. Skystar started work on a new aircraft, the Kitfox Series 5. This aircraft was designed to be larger, with an increased useful load, cabin and cargo space, and to use certified aircraft engines. The Series 5 was produced as a conventional landing gear-equipped aircraft with the names Outback and Safari and also as a taildragger aircraft, the Vixen and Voyager. An employee consortium took over SkyStar Aircraft in January 2000, and this reorganized company launched the Kitfox Series 6. Later in 2000 the company also introduced the Kitfox "Lite Squared", a lightened version of the Kitfox Classic 4, as a two seat ultralight trainer for the single seat ultralight Kitfox Lite.