My Kitfox Series 7 Super Sport Aircraft Build

Jeremy Drobeck – Mortgage Master & Airplane Builder

But this is what I love.  – Let’s get you home

First off check out my build series on youtube!  youtube.com/@JeremyDrobeck

After years of helping clients secure their dream homes, I decided it was time to build a dream of my own: a custom Kitfox Series 7 Super Sport aircraft. This wasn’t a restoration—it was a full-scale kit build, often feeling like adult LEGO with thousands of precise parts I had to assemble myself. This project involved 1,200 hours of focused work over the course of just 10 months. This page documents the challenges and the rewarding moments of moving from financial plans to flight plans. The Kitfox is an iconic high-wing taildragger, perfect for short field and backcountry flying—a testament to precision and dedication. – Be sure to scroll all the way down to watch my first flight!

Kit Arrives

The real adventure began the day the kit arrived. It wasn’t a sleek, partially assembled machine—it was several massive crates packed floor-to-ceiling with metal tubing, meticulously organized hardware, and endless instruction manuals.

Putting it together

The next major chapter focused on the wings, specifically crafting the internal structure. This was the most meditative, detailed, and frankly messy part of the build. We spent countless hours in the shop working with the wooden ribs, which required absolute precision. It was a repetitive cycle of sanding, shaping, and gluing, followed by the painstaking application of polyurethane to seal and protect every single piece from the elements. This phase—a true test of patience—involved ensuring every rib was perfectly matched and every joint was flawlessly bonded before they could finally be mounted onto the airframe.

Oratex Fabric Covering

A major step in giving the Kitfox its skin involved applying the specialized Oratex fabric system. This is a departure from traditional aircraft covering methods, underscoring the modern durability and lightweight nature of the aircraft. After all the structural woodworking and composite shaping were complete, the Oratex fabric was meticulously applied over the frame. The process is a careful art involving stretching the fabric taut, precisely heat-shrinking it to create a wrinkle-free, drum-tight surface, and then sealing it with the specific coatings. This meticulous, multi-stage process ensures peak aerodynamic efficiency while delivering the incredibly clean, long-lasting finish of the Kitfox.

Cowling and Wingtip Shaping

After the primary structure was complete, the build moved to the critical bodywork phase focused on the composite components like the fiberglass cowling and the wingtips. This stage demanded a different kind of precision—it was about shaping raw, rigid parts into smooth, perfect aerodynamic forms. It involved extensive use of filler, guides, and long, methodical sessions of block sanding to ensure the surfaces were absolutely flawless. Every curve of the engine cowling had to integrate perfectly with the fuselage, and the wingtips needed to be seamless. This meticulous bodywork ensures not just a beautiful final look, but also peak aerodynamic performance for the Kitfox.

Avionics and Wiring: The Nervous System

The most complex phase of the build was the installation of the avionics and wiring. This stage is the true test of patience and precision, transforming the fuselage shell into a functional cockpit. It involved installing the main instrument panel, running every single wire from the engine sensors and antennae to the electronic flight displays (EFIS), and integrating the radio and transponder systems. Unlike simply assembling parts, this is about engineering the nervous system of the aircraft. Every connection must be secure and perfectly routed—a precise, painstaking process where attention to detail is paramount to ensuring the entire system is reliable and ready for flight.

Some more fun pics from the build

LIFTOFF! 🚀 WE HAVE FIRST FLIGHT!

It’s one thing to get the airworthiness certificate, but it’s another thing entirely to watch a dream take flight. After 1,200 hours of meticulous work and a decade of dreaming, my Kitfox Series 7 Super Sport aircraft is no longer just a project—she’s an airplane! The First Flight was absolutely magical. The year of effort, the late nights, the constant learning, and every single “one bite at a time” moment all paid off when the wheels left the tarmac. She flew smooth, she flew strong, and she came home safe. This is more than a milestone; it’s the culmination of a truly insurmountable goal achieved through discipline and determination. Check out the video below to see the moment we went from ‘homebuilt’ to ‘airborne’!  Now the real fun begins!

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