Introducing KFA Safari MK3 Rotax 915 IS

[@terry12327]

Nice to see a well-thought-out airplane and its uncompromising safety and quality!

[@olkaa2471]

Well said mate. I just did a pumping 20 knots 90 degree X wind landing yesterday with a Safari. Safe and sound. In steel I trust

[@davida.4933]

Make your own VGs out of aluminum - looks better and higher quality than the plastic ones. Hope you have tie down connection points; how about carbon or aluminium bottom and sides for the cargo area instead of felt, etc. carpet? Angle of attack indicator? Cigarette lighter or similar for 12 V tire inflator? That's all the suggestions I can come up with, lol....looks great.

[@olkaa2471]

Thanks for you input. That is a kitplane and built according to the specification of one customer. As a builder you can implement almost everything to your want and and to your gusto as long as the technical requirements such as weight and balance are considered.

[@portnuefflyer]

Nice baggage door! It's a great engine, but for that size plane, about the same as my RANS S-7S, it adds a lot of weight, all forward of the firewall. Some people think more power is always better, but it comes with a lot of drawbacks. I fly out of a very short strip at 5640' ASL, and a Big Bore mod to the Rotax gives me about 106 hp, at less then 4 GPH, and the ceiling is well over 14K. Nice plane, but if it was mine, I'd put a 912S with a few mild mods in it.

[@ThomasMarrow]

I have flown both, a Safari with a 912 mod which takes it to 120hp and the Rotax 915is @141hp. In my eyes, you cannot compare the two at a high density altitude - the 915is will get you out of any strip that you can land at - room needs to be afforded for the take off roll on a 912, especially at a high DA.

[@portnuefflyer]

Yes, agreed, but again no mention is made of the degradation of a really short landing. No question climb and cruise would be better! You see how Trent Palmer did at the Oshkosh STOL event? He got his butt kicked by a lightweight RANS S-7, all that extra power and the controllable pitch prop doesn't help squat ON LANDING. His takeoffs were not impressive either. None of this matters if airstrips are used, if landing true off airport mountain sites, it for sure does. More weight to decelerate, after coming in a bit faster, adds up to a lot longer landing, as these STOL events show. How about this: I want a 915 when climbing out, (not for initial takeoff) and cruising at above 10K, but I want a 912 when landing!

[@ThomasMarrow]

portnuefflyer I see your point but in any real world situation where you need to make a decision on this or that, the 915 definitely trumps the 912.

[@kfaaircraftandadventures]

The Safari with a 912 is a very so so performer. My own Safari had a 912 iS in and after 100 hrs I replaced it with a 912 Turbo. The Safari is simply too big for less than a 115hp Rotax turbo. It does fly quite well up to about 5000 ft with 100hp but above that the 915 outperforms it any day. At a DA of 8500ft I can take off in 65m and land in 70m. With a 912 that increases to 200m take-off and landing in 70m

[@sw3w537]

@@portnuefflyer less gas solved it for me. Also nobody lands in anything less than 3*what you need. You have to fly out. You're a goon.. U Probably drive a Subaru

[@hausding]

Why no flaps? Just asking, more weight, but greater landing angles and slower landing speeds. IMO

[@olkaa2471]

Has got flaps (flaperon system). Activated by pulling a manual handle between the seats. The pilot still has the standard separate controls for ailerons and flaps, but the flap control also varies the flaperon's range of movement. A mechanical device called a "mixer" is used to combine the pilot's input into the flaperons, A flaperon (a portmanteau of flap and aileron) on an aircraft's wing is a type of control surface that combines the functions of both flaps and ailerons

[@josesbox9555]

Hydraulic CS prop. Great.

[@davidboyle3032]

Manufacturer Model Cabin Width KFA Safari Mark 3 48 Inches Rans S-6 Coyote 2 45 Inches, S-20 Raven 46 Inches,S-21 Outbound 46.5 Inches Just Aircraft Highlander, Superstol , Supersol XL 44 Inches Kitfox Series 7 Supersport, Speedster, STi 43 Inches

[@drunkinbda]

Ah can't wait for the LAA approval. Will you be back at the LAA Rally 2020?

[@kfaaircraftandadventures]

I am sure Graham will be there with his Safari and Pete with his Explorer

[@peterfilbey8219]

Can taller (1.96m) pilots fit?

[@olkaa2471]

Yes, the Safari is made for the big folks, too.

[@scotabot7826]

Super Kitfox!!!!!!!!

[@olkaa2471]

well, than you can call a Kitfox a super Avid Flyer. KFA planes are built for over 27 years.

[@scotabot7826]

@@olkaa2471 I know, as we can thank Mr. Dean Wilson for starting the whole craze back in 1983!

[@olkaa2471]

@@scotabot7826 yup, let us give credit where it is due. Nevertheless, apart from the pure size the Safari design received a lot of major improvements. But, of course, based on a proven design.

[@KlingonCaptain]

So a Kitfox is like a mini Safari...

[@olkaa2471]

The Safari has evolved in a lot of ways (size, Engine, wing construction, stall fences, landing gear etc. ) from smaller constructions such as the Avid Flyer and is currently the biggest derivative of this design on the market.

[@davidboyle3032]

Any U.S. dealers available for contacting ?

[@olkaa2471]

Yes, contact [e-mail] or got to kitplanesforafrica.co.za/ There are already Safaries flying in the US.

[@davidboyle3032]

@@olkaa2471 Thx Good to know.

[@RGF56]

Not keen on that header tank in the cab should things go pear shaped .

[@olkaa2471]

Do not worry, the header tank has only 8 liters and is well protected by the steel structure. All the tanks are made of composite and are very solid. A header tank also guarantees that tight banking will not lead to air in the fuel lines.

[@sw3w537]

I like your plane. If you're in south Africa be careful. I hear the natives are killing my people.

[@tinolino58]

Wer bearbeitet in der Schweiz die Experimental Zulassung? 079 403 29 68

[@olkaa2471]

Ist das eine Schweizer Nummer?

[@tinolino58]

@@olkaa2471 🇨🇭