One of the most pivotal aircraft in any SportPlane company's line-up is the first one completed by a customer. For Skystar's highly regarded Kitfox Series 7, this milestone came Monday. Mind you, like most SportPlane designs, there is a lag between product introduction and first flight of a customer-built airplane. Usually; it's a pretty long one. SkyStar's Kitfox Series 7 should have been no exception to this rule. But... less than one year after delivery of the Kitfox Series 7 started, Mr. Terry Black, of Caldwell, Idaho, completed the first flight of his Rotax 912S powered Series 7.

According to Mr. Black, "We had the FAA inspection done before the weekend and had planned to get the first flight done by Sunday, but the weather intervened. I just waited until all conditions were right and took off at about 1:00 P.M. Monday afternoon. What a thrill!"

Let's see, SkyStar is in Caldwell, Idaho and Terry is from Boise, Idaho. Is there a connection? According to Ed Downs, President of SkyStar Aircraft Corporation, "You bet, and we are proud of that connection. It was just over a year ago that SkyStar joined up with EAA Chapter 103 in what is probably the largest single chapter project in EAA history." As ANN readers might recall, EAA Chapter 103 put up the bucks to build 14 Kitfox Series 6 airplanes, and SkyStar kicked in almost $170,000 worth of discounts to make the deal possible.

Downs continued, "Chapter 103 has been going like gangbusters ever since we started delivering parts. We updated all of their planes to the new Series 7 configuration, which slowed things down a bit, but Terry just kept moving forward. This club really knows how to get a project done."

Terry Black, a Registered Nurse by profession, had never been involved in a project of this kind before. Portions of his assembly were completed using prototype documentation and more than a few visits to SkyStar to look over their prototype airplanes. But everything came together as Terry's very pretty Kitfox (N701TB) took flight in what Terry called "one of the greatest thrills of my life. My Kitfox flew great. Now come the fine adjustments and satisfaction of running a really good test program."

ANN Note: The Series 7 is easily the most mature and accomplished design to come out of the SkyStar skunkworks. One of the finest SportPlanes of the current generation, we were very impressed with the aircraft's stability and control (darned near as stable as a 182...), excellent manners and playfully enjoyable persona. Particularly impressive, is that a "full-boat" Series 7, when equipped with the turbocharged Rotax 914, is capable of 130-150 mph cruise speeds and operating at altitudes that would normally require supplemental oxygen. The best part of this is that the series 7 does all this and still remains true to its genteel roots... it's still easy to fly, fun to fly and cheap top operate (and yes, the wings still fold). We think that the Kitfox Series 7 is easily one of the best values in the SportPlane industry today. Period. --Jim Campbell, ANN E-I-C

FMI: www.skystar.com