The STi is a high-wing, single-engine light aircraft built for short field runways in and out of the backcountry. As the STOL iteration of Kitfox’s Series 7 design, the STi ranks as one of the most impressive performers in the world of bush aircraft.
Kitfox designed the STi with the primary goal of lifting into the skies and touching back down with minimal ground distance. The carefully engineered wing, which is adorned with features and control surfaces to optimize STOL capability, allows the STi to takeoff and land with as little as one hundred feet of ground roll, and gives it a stall speed of an incredible 32 miles per hour. The high-lift wing combined with a carefully matched engine enables the STi to climb at a rate of 1,800 feet per minute and cruise at 105 miles per hour.
Within the side-by-side cockpit of the Kitfox STi, pilots will immediately gain an appreciation for its STOL keenness. It sits up high atop 29 inch tundra tires attached to a unique independent suspension landing gear system ready for just about any terrain. Due to its wing design, when in motion, the STi doesn’t stay on that terrain for very long. Add power and work the controls, and the tail lifts off the ground shortly followed by a leap into the air -- until it comes time to touch down again, and the STOL craft's design allows pilots to float like a feather back to earth.