Just for the record, the aircraft Peter refers to in the OP is a Eurofox (Aerotrek in the US). Over 400 have been manufactured since 1990 (around 50 amateur-built), by the same family company in Slovakia. There have been zero structural failures recorded in this time, although many aircraft have had a tough life in the bush and many used for extensive glider towing.
Info here: http://goo.gl/5TZ7vw and http://goo.gl/bmExaW and http://goo.gl/5mQf59
I would be surprised if more than a handful of the 400 had pitot heaters fitted…..
Well, the POH I cited from is of my Apollo Fox, which is a shameless copy of the Eurofox according to some, whereas others praise the small but clever improvements – not sure what to think about that. But I do know of several Eurofox and Apollo Fox living hard lives, as trainers, or in the hands of beginners like myself, with excellent performance. They can stand a lot of abuse and, if repairs are at hand, they are easy and affordable.
Keeping track of all the variants from Avid Flyer and Kit Fox onwards, in every country where they’ve been built, would seemingly take a detailed study!
