Kitfox 7 Apex Build Episode 48 STOLFox First Flight 

"We won't be taking off just taxiing down the runway....Sorry could help my self" ....LMAO 🤣😂😜😜

I was smiling so big when you did the first pattern. I can’t even imagine your excitement!

CONGRATULATIONS BRYAN

The first flight would be so nerve wracking for me.

Another viewer smiling from ear to ear. I can't even imagine how you must have felt. Congrats!

Congratulations Brian awesome job....👍😎

Congratulations

That engine sounds so much better than the one on your previous plane. Very nice.

Congratulations, Brian!!!! Its great to see you in the air again!

“Yeah” Awesome plane. What a journey, thank you for bringing us along. Looking forward to seeing it up close.

the yellow decals on the cowl are a nice touch. adds a lot the the overall looks, IMO. congrats on the first flight!

I used to get a big thrill every time I did the first flight of an RC plane I built from scratch. That must have been 1000 times the buzz! I bet the adrenaline was pumping - no surprise you felt tired after that first day of testing. I saw the notification pop up - "STOLFOX First flight" and my reaction was "YES!", then I dropped everything because I had to see the video. Thank you for sharing this journey with us!

Yes!

Well done Brian.

Great to see it in the air, like the detailed debrief, will be interesting to see what your oil temp resolve will be. Thanks for the project update.

It's funny that no matter what's going on with us - first flight, tough winds on approach, even an inflight emergency - we always sound SO...CALM when talking to tower. It's like we all become Chuck Yeager for that moment 😂 🤣

Nice one Brian. Very well done congrats.

Congratulations on your build. Don’t forget, aviated, navigate and communicate could be forgotten while concentrating on flight testing. Keep her flying. Thank for all the extra time you have spent bringing us along on your journey. Be safe and good luck.

In addition to congratulations, I just want to say how exciting this was for me personally. I have jumped on every video you posted on this build from day 1, I wish I could have been there. The plane is absolutely beautiful, and I even got a little emotional when you did that first flight. Can't imagine what you are feeling. Just know that all of us who have followed your journey ALSO got to feel a little bit of what you felt, and as such we were with you 110%. I tip my hat to you, and thank you for sharing and for allowing me to live vicariously through your work, just as I can not imagine how it must feel to be you, I wonder if you really know how it feels to be us, sharing this with you. I sure hope so.

Congratulations! Awesome job!

You have me addicted to watching kitfox builds now😂 Definite goals

What a beautiful airplane! It was easy to see you were "itching" to get those wheels of the pavement - just a little. You must be feeling very happy with your new aircraft.

Really enjoy your videos great job on new plane loved the video of you taking up your young son for the 1st ride he was really excited. We need more fathers like you the interaction between you guys was fantastic. May God Bless you and your family. Jim

Houston, we have lift off!!! Great building videos and also great flying video. I will be looking for the next vids. Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations! The controller at Redding sure seemed like a great guy and helpful. It’s going to be interesting to see you fine tune everything. I’m sure it’ll be valuable to those of us wanting or planning to build. Thanks for sharing this entire process.

I'm real glad to see the take off performance and hope you figure the oil issue out. I am a part 103 flyer with a quick silver aircraft up here on Dersch Rd.have my own grass strip be it short it works fine for ultralight aircraft you are welcome to come check us out.

Congratulations on your first 🚀

Congrats! Have enjoyed your journey and learned a lot...thanks!

Congratulations on first flight I’d say airflow to the coil

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING

I am impressed not only by the pilot and aircraft but also the tower controller letting him know he will work with him (pilot) in whatever he needs to conduct a safe and successful first flight.

I've never heard a plane sound anything like this one ! It sounds like a 1985 Toyota Celica with a wind generator propeller.

Congratulations! That’s why we add a turbo. 35-45” MAP at 7500rpm would give you 120-145HP at cruise. There’s too little torque and CC NA to be a 915iS or 320/360 competitor 😊

Congrats, she looks darn good. Hopefully you find the cause of that snag in short order.

I can't wait for your discussion about what's different and what is the same between the two planes ... exciting video

Congratulations, I have been with you since the beginning.

I followed your initial discussions over engine choices, then the arrival of the kit, the whole build process and now your first flight on one of the best looking and probably best built foxes out there. Very very well done Bryan from just 1 of the 14600 people who have followed you on this journey.

Congrats! This is my dream airplane, Kitfox with an Apex engine. As a former Apex snowmobile owner, I know the Apex was vulnerable to fouling spark plugs if you even touched the throttle before it hit a certain engine op temp, however that was in Wisconsin/Yoop snowmobiling conditions. Definitely subscribed!

Yeah, proud of your accomplishment.

Wow, you bugger, you bought tears to my eyes with that first circuit. I’d like to see you try the two blade prop (speed, power setting, cooling), maybe a variable pitch prop for cross country cruising. Congratulations and watch out Steve Henry.

Nicely done. I've watched every episode and feel like I have some ownership in the build...lol. Made me smile when you made that first pattern. Thanks for taking me along.

Congratulations. I know that must feel good. It's good to watch that happen.

Hi Brian. Congratulations! Enjoying your journey like so many other followers. Looking forward to the next lot of adventures flying with the cowboys.

So awesome. Looking forward to the electric prop governor upgrade and resolution of the oil / coolant heat exchanger.

"I feel like a Dork, so..." That made me laugh. Your conscious of that one dude listening when there are thousands of us watching every video in this series like it's Thursday night on NBC 1992. I'm a big fan thanks for your work!

That tower dude is epic!

Love the profile... you nailed that cowling. Happy for your brother

Congratulations Bryan! 👍🏽👍🏽

Man. I am so excited to watch this video. I've been a fan for a long ass time. My wife came bailing into the computer room to see what all the noise was about. I was in here with a massive celebration. Nerding out, big time. Congratulations on your successful flights and thankyou for sharing your journey.

That first pattern must’ve felt great! Your plane looks awesome 👏, be proud of your hard work.

HUGE congrants, your STOLfox is now officially born....performs excelent. GOOD JOB BRIAN.

Hope the original owners are following you and appreciate all your hard work. Fantastic job.

HUMUNGOUS congratulations Brian from Zambia in Africa. Yes you are truly global! Just want to echo the comments thanking you for taking us along. Must have been quite trying at times. Sincerely hope you get thousands of hours of fun out of her and will be along for the ride!

Congratulations, nice job.

Awesome to see it fly. It sure looks good in the air.

Simply amazing I binge watched the entire series magnificent 🎉🎉absolutely amazing 🙏🏾

Worst case scenerio other than a engine problem, might need to add an external oil cooler. Congrates on the flight.

Great job plane look beautiful

Hi Brian Congratulations ! Well done. I just subscribed today and have watched 5 videos and jumped to the first flight. You are a great model for your sons , kudos to the Mrs. and your Dad !

Big Congrats Bryan! Sure has been and continues to be inspiring, super useful and much appreciated to have such a nicely documented project to follow along, ahead of our own build, one of four soon to begin any month now in the UK - just patiently waiting since Feb for west coast US shipping port congestion to die down.

Great to see! Can’t wait to see more.

Excellent, a great achievement! Well done!

Check water pump. Ive seen a hot engine with low indicated water temp due to poor circulation. Might explain the coolant smell to.

Finley!!!!!

AWSOME

Love it when the tower is in great mood! Great Attitude for the controller! Let’s hire more like this one before this controller get’s burnt out from being the only positive voice on the radio, ha! Sexy plane and good logo placement. Question is what lucky sponsor get's the opportunity to advertise on the tail cone?

Love the sound.

I have been watching since the start! What a feeling of achievement ! Doing the same thing here with a Apex on a Highlander in NC! You have been a inspiration to get mine started , Thank you! Awesome job!

AWESOME .. CONGRATULATIONS Brian. Absolutely a work of art. REALLY ENJOY ALL your videos. Have fun Fun FUN. 👍🇨🇦👍

CONGRATULATIONS Bryan !!! LOOKS GREAT, SOUNDS LIKE AN F1 motor!

Oh man them poor tires.

Congratulations Brian - what a great project, I have followed every video with extreme interest. I am looking forward to your adventures. John from the UK.

BRAVO MR BOWEN....!

I had a smile on my face with those first "hops"! Great achivement and many safe miles flying her!

Good Job! Love to see it flying. Won’t be long before your in the backcountry with it!

Congrats! Love the detail in the videos. Stay frosty and sort her out!

Congratulations, Bryan!!! It’s been a fantastic journey

I’ve experienced that engine in a sled, and after years of 7800rpm, when it went right past that to 9500, without thinking I lifted. Brain isn’t used to that many RPMS.

You deserve to be one proud papa! Well done.

Congratulations Brian on you first flight. Hope you get the oil temp figured out soon.

Congrats!!! Didn’t think you would be so nervous 😟 I probably wouldn’t been able to breath! ALL that work was worth it . Beautiful plane ✈️

OUTSTANDING CONGRATULATIONS ITS BEEN AWESOME TO WATCH THIS FROM THE START JUST MAYBE THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BREAK IN EVERYTHINGS TO TIGHT WHEN I BUILD HARLEYS THATS THE CASE JUST SAYIN IM SURE YOU WILL FIGURE IT OUT

I had the biggest smile, as I sat at the edge of my seat waiting for you to take off! So exciting! It has been so enjoyable seeing this project come together. I’m so happy for you! Can’t wait to see what it will do, once the coolant issue is taken care of.

I can't quite put my finger on the "why's", but I have been enjoying your build series on the Apex Kitfox. after I started watching the build play list on your channel I realized I had become hooked. of all the build videos I have watched, yours seems to hold my interest more than any others I have watched. (with the exception of Mark Patey's Draco and Scrappy builds) I really like the content and the way you have edited the videos. I just finished episode 2 and felt compelled to comment on THIS video. I actually bumped into this video, the one I am commenting on, while surfing on RU-vid. I am now a subscriber. there is nothing like having dessert before the meal is served. :o) what pulled me into your channel was the 8800 rpms you were running on the engine. I found myself cringing at those rpms. after watching the videos before the official Episode 1 of the build, I now understand what is going on. WOW!! watching you dive into this project is what has hooked me. Dude...Keep up the great work!!! I am now going back to the build series and start watching Episode 3. I'm not going to get any work done today if I start binge watching your build series. It's all your fault!!!! BACK TO WORK!!!! :o) :o)

Congratulations on your first flight! I know the feeling of those first flights ...

Congratulations, Brian! Awesome!

What a beautiful plane! You did a great job building it.

I see the next two videos you figure out your oil temp problem. One thing I'd want to check would be the sensor accuracy but I'm sure all that has been done by now. The primary reason I knew you were around was the plane sounded very different when it went over. So I did the simple online check and you were there. Love that plane, I'll bet it would land in my field but for the antenna's here. That said,, it would just bust through the thin copper.

Between covid and a couple of joint replacements it’s been awesome to have the time to watch the birth of your baby. Beautiful bird. Also your videos have been a motivator to get cleared for my medical and back in the air again. Thanks for sharing your hard work.

The plane is beautiful. Excited for you. You've made the whole process look east. Congratulations.

I was at Benton Field for lunch on April 18th in my Husky and saw you taxi by twice. Your airplane is beautiful and at taxi it is fairly quiet. I was surprised by your oil temperature, because on my Lycoming O-360 A1P the maximum allowable oil temperature is 245 degrees F.

Congrats Brian , Its been a great journey with many more to come , Tail winds

Congratulations!

What a milestone! Congratulations!!

Congratulations !!!

Fantastic! Congrats on first flight!

Super happy for you! Good going.

Congrats Brian! Been a long time coming, glad to be here for the whole build and play videos. Thanks for all you do!

Well done Brian! Very exciting!

I'm so excited to watch this, so excited for you Brian