The company hired well-known aerodynamicist Barnaby Wainfan to do the redesign work on the Mark III. What you get in addition is increased speed, more cabin room, and more visibility,” states the company. “You can still expect to get the most desired features: STOL performance, roomy cabin, superior visibility, sturdy construction, quick-folding wings and tail, superb handling, and the ability to carry large people and pay loads. And they feel the newer Xtra adds value in various ways. The company is understandably proud of the changes made to the Mark III. With a pilot’s certificate tucked in your wallet, you can cover some ground in the Mark III Xtra. The Xtra with Rotax 912 engine as flown for this report can be equipped with the optional 19-gallon fuel supply, giving the model almost a 400-mile range. Many will be built to support the 81-hp 4-stroke Rotax 912 as well.Īlthough TNKAC talks about a significant increase in speed, and although the 4-stroke engine attracts general aviation-trained pilots, the real story in my mind is the increased comfort, which adds enjoyment in flight. Some may still prefer the “nostalgic” look, but I think most will opt for the newer Xtra. The wide-bodied Xtra cured that problem.įor those wondering about the pointier-nosed Mark III, the company now calls this the “Classic,” and, yes, you can still order it. I tended not to operate the rudder pedals with equal force as I would if they were straight in front of me. You can get used to it, but I found it distracting. In the older Mark III version, both occupants had to angle their legs toward the center and then operate rudder pedals causing your ankles to angle back. When you sit in the Xtra, each occupant has a side to him- or herself. If it works for Boeing and Airbus, why not The New Kolb Aircraft Company (TNKAC)? The London, Kentucky-based company opted for a wider fuselage, and the creature comfort benefits are instantly obvious. Some will say the “Xtra” comes from “Extra-Wide.” With its bulging doors, the new cabin is 45 inches wide (42.5 at the hips).Īlthough the design will look bigger and heavier to some, the new shape is one you’ll come to like… if you have a seat. The new Xtra presents a clean edge cutting through the air, but it now has a wider look – at least from head-on – that imparts a new feel to the occupants. Kolb designs have narrow noses like a lot of other designs.
The latest change does a lot to alter the appearance of the older design.
#Kolb marl 3 construction from quickbuild series#
The venerable Mark III has been through a series of changes since original company founder Homer Kolb first brought out a 2-seater called the TwinStar. It literally offers extra in several ways pilots will like. “Xtra” - a word to make a computer spell-checker stumble – is an appropriate name for this month’s pilot’s report, The New Kolb Aircraft Company Mark III Xtra side-by-side 2-seater. No doubt in my mind, the Kitfox would be a better bush style plane than the Kolb.BROAD SHOULDERS – The Xtra’s relatively large 160-square-foot wing and big engine make the design a potent performer at speeds below 100 mph. Just in case you're not familiar with Avids, they are the plane Kitfox was originally copied from, and are very similar to the Kitfoxes up until the Kitfox 4. I think either plane will get out of your strip with no problem after you are used to flying it. I've had to put two Avids down after engine outs where I ended up upside down, and didn't get a scratch either time. Just about the furthest thing forward in the Kolb when you are flying, is your feet. When the engine quit on that Kolb, my buddy and the guy he was flying with both ended up with broken legs. Kolb is probably slower than the Kitfox also. It's also longer and that keeps it straighter as well I think. The Kolb I flew landed easier than the Avid, but it lands almost 10 mph slower as well, and that helps. First off, the wings do fold on a Kolb, but it's no wheres near as easy as on the Kitfox. There was also a Kolb MK 3 nearby that although I never flew it, I heard plenty about it and for that matter, helped drag it out of the woods after it went down. I've owned and flown 4 different Avid Flyers, and a flying buddy of mine had his Kolb Firestar at my strip for a few years and I flew that some as well. Here is my take on the different airplanes.
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