Sunday 3 July 2016

Skyfox Gazelle(s) of New Zealand

The next type of sport aircraft to be registered, in August 2001, was our one and only Skyfox Gazelle.

The Skyfox CA25N Gazelle is a product of Skyfox Aviation from Queensland.  The original version of the aircraft flew in 1989 with a VW engine.  It was further developed into the Impala tailwheel model and the tri-gear Gazelle which use Rotax 912s.  Construction is a fabric covered welded steel tube fuselage and the wings can be folded for storage.  Length is 5.63 metres (18 feet 6 inches), wingspan is 9.53 metres (31 feet 3 inches) and the wing area is a generous 124.6 square feet.  Empty weight is around 640 pounds (290 Kg) and MAUW is 1150 pounds (522 Kg).  With a 80 HP Rotax 912 cruise is around 98 mph.

ZK-PNB (c/n CA25N014) was first registered as VH-PNB to P Newan od Caloundra, Queensland on 8/9/95.  It was imported into New Zealand by the Middle Districts Sports Flying Club (now renamed the Feilding Flying Club), and was first registered here on 17/8/01.  It is still on line with the club and is photo'd above at Feilding on 19/4/15 by Steve Lowe of our sister blog 3rd Level New Zealand  (http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/ ).


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