Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. EDMO added a post in a topic Wings in Turtle Deck   

    LarryS,
    I have asked myself the same question about whether they are worth the effort - but never posted it.
    I donno...I guess Dean had a reason to put them on?
    EdMO
    I cant find anything in my KF1 or 4 books on them - Will Check Avid book later tonight.
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  2. LSaupe added a topic in Kitfox III   

    Wings in Turtle Deck
    Anyone have a good pic of the turtle deck for a Model III (or similar)?
     
    Trying to figure out the wing placement.  From what I gather it is to block bypass wind between the wing and turtle deck.
     
    However, the wing will lay just over the rib foward, but have a huge gap aft (if keeping the same attachment line as suggested with the turtle deck.  Do they get bent down close to the proximity of the rib perhaps and just flap there?  Just seems like a low strength odd piece of aluminum hanging out there.
     
    Do these even work and are they worth the trip?
     
    Larry
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  3. akflyer added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

     
    I will never admit to taking off over "gross weight"  Which by the way does not actually exist for experimental aircraft... its not listed on the paper work anywhere.. but I will tell you that I have taken off at a weight level that would rival that of a certified aircraft that had been load to gross weight ... with extreme prejudice.  When it takes me longer than 300' to get in the air and another 500' to break ground effect, then only be able to climb out at about 50 FPM I know I have a good load on board.
     

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  4. EDMO added a post in a topic Hunting With Your Avid 2015   

    Randy,
    Your narrative and photos got my heart pounding - Wishing I could have been there!
    I agree with having a "Flying Hunts" section - sounds like it would be your private domain tho - so far.
    Wishing many more great adventures for you in the future.
    Keep posting - I really enjoy the photos from the Great Land of Alaska.
    I didn't take any photos at Bass Pro Shop, Cabellas, or Walmart - my last "hunting trip"! Ha!
    I might add some flares and claymors to the bear fence area!
    I flew with F&G spotting radio-collared Grizzly bears around Anchorage, on the East and South sides from Merrill Field - We found 8 bears before we got outside the city limits, and lots more toward Eagle River. That was when someone got killed by one at Eagle River.
    EDMO
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  5. EDMO added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    If I was determined to install a BRS on my Foxy, I would have to mount it outside on top center of the Skylight, or on turtledeck - I don't have room inside.
    These planes are so draggy that it probably wouldn't slow you down much more than the large tires - Could put some fairing on it.
    I don't know if the actuator handle is attached, or could be reached from driver's seat...
    EdMO
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  6. akflyer added a post in a topic Avid Magnum on barnstormers   

    I have found on all but one border crossing I have done driving the Alcan that the Canadians were great to deal with, the US guys were assholes most of the time.  I sat and watched as wave after wave of cars with Canadian tags were waved right through, but then I come in with a US plate and they grilled me and crawled up my ass with a wire brush.  Pisses me off to he point that I don't do all the road trips I used to.
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  7. akflyer added a post in a topic Hunting With Your Avid 2015   

    Congrats on a great hunt!  Awesome pics as always Mr!
     

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  8. ColoradoKF added a post in a topic Enclosed trailer for Kitfox   

    Thank you both for responding! I have the plane hangered right now. (It's at Springs East just east of COS. And will be moving it to Boulder. ). The enclosed trailer is for 'hangering' to get costs down. So it'll be in and out weekly. (Also right now hanger space is scarce around the Denver area.)
    It is widest at the wing tips when folded. I've looked at some standard trailers and the plane won't fit in width wise. The trailer Mr. Sorenson is fabricating is 102" on the outside and 98" opening width which gives me about 1-1/2" space on both sides at the tips. So it looks like the trailer will work fine. I thought it wise to see if anyone has bought from him prior to doing the purchase. Scott
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  9. Bandit added a post in a topic Hunting With Your Avid 2015   

    Beautiful sheep!
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  10. RDavidson added a post in a topic Avid Magnum on barnstormers   

    That looks good! He did good work on the wings. Looks like a fiberglass leading edge...
    If somebody on here buys that, make sure you take a look at the rules for getting across the border. In most cases they want you to use a broker.
    Long story longer...I bought my engine up there in Canada. The guy selling the engine was going to meet me on the U.S. side but our guys would not let him enter to sell the engine unless we had a broker. So, I crossed into Canada for 15 minutes as we exchanged money and the engine. When I tried to come back in the U.S. They quizzed me up and down and made me get out of the vehicle and come inside for more verbal abuse!
    I lucked out because of two things...I bought the engine for under $10,000 U.S., if it is more than that you can't cross the border with that much cash. Second, the engine was originally manufactured in the U.S., they said if it was made in Canada I couldn't import it without other paperwork. What in the Hell is made in Canada anyway?
    I don't know if these are really the rules or not, but It pissed me off that as a retired veteran, no arrest record, tax paying citizen, I get hammered for doing nothing wrong! So much for NAFTA!
    The kicker is...They never looked in the crate the engine was in! That would have required them to get out of their heated building...
    Of course the Canadians were nice as can be...

    So look into it before you get stopped on the way back in and they seize your new Magnum project!

    Ron
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  11. RDavidson added a post in a topic Enclosed trailer for Kitfox   

    ColoradoKF,

    When I bought my kit, on the gear, without an engine, wings off, I fit the whole thing in a 20' enclosed car hauler trailer. The trailer cost me about $5500 and I built long trays down each side for my wings and put tie downs on the walls to hold the wings against them.
    I have an Avid Magnum and I'm not sure about the deminsions of a kitfox, but I believe the problem you run into is the width with the wings on, folded back.
    Anyway look at the deminsions and then look for used enclosed trailers around $4000. If it will fit it will probably be cheaper than a custom job.
    The trailer also works good as a storage unit while you are building your plane in the garage...you just have to remember which tools are in it! Ha!

    What part of Colorado are you living in?
    I'm in Pueblo West...

    Good luck,
    Ron
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  12. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Hunting With Your Avid 2015   

    Hey Ron, 
     
    The electric fence is 100% successful; I haven't been eaten yet!  I can't say how well it really works on grizzlies but it lets me sleep better at night.  As far as I know I have never had one test it yet though.  That said, my BIL has a bee business in OR and uses them around all his bee hive sets that are not in crop fields.  They absolutely work to keep the black bears out.
     
    Randy
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  13. RDavidson added a post in a topic Hunting With Your Avid 2015   

    Wow! That looks awesome!

    Does the electric fence work well? Or does it just piss the Grizzlies off before they eat you?
    Smart idea though!!!

    Your airplane looks great! I love your gear and tires. You really have an off road vehicle!


    Ron
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  14. Altifly added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    Ballistic has 2 main applications : loss of controls due to "inner" cause (blocked or rupted command) or when external damage occur (damaged elevator is common reason), I fly in very busy airspace (gliders mainly)  . Structural defect seems rare for Avid but has been a valid reason of Ballistic use! (wing rupture..)
    IMO that's enough reasons to try to install this ,I chose a BRS 900 (410kgs) , a little lighter, was even cheap (rocket supposed to be expired )
    Was yesterday around fuselage uncovered, I still don't see where to install the canister due to control linkages in the middle ...
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  15. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Paint booth build   

    Looking forward to the paint booth build project!
     
    There is another characteristic of the Stewarts System paint that folks might want to consider; it is NOT tolerant of fuel spilling on it.  Especially if it gets on the back side of the fabric it almost immediately bubbles the paint right off.  Jack and I discovered it with his plane.  On the other hand, I have the Polyfiber aerothane on mine and have ended up drenching the wings on multiple occasions and it seems to have no affect on the paint.
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  16. SuberAvid added a topic in Avid fox flyers pics and vids   

    Hunting With Your Avid 2015
    I just got back from our hunting trip last week and had an awesome time.  I think we should have a regular section for hunting, fishing and camping trips with our planes.  I continue to be amazed at how much I can fit in and haul in mine.  I had all my hunting gear, 2 weeks worth of food, 2 packs, tent, sleeping bag, 2 pads, 4 duffle bags of gear, rifle, fishing pole, electric fence and posts, 15 gal of fuel in cans, and a bunch of other miscl. stuff besides my regular tools, emergency gear and backup battery.  I left my passenger seat out and ended up sleeping in the plane for the first night because I left after work and couldn't get all the way in.  I was raining hard so I unloaded the cans and most of the gear an covered it with a tarp under the wing then made use of my open cargo area and had a very comfortable night stretched out in the plane since it is 6+' from the bungee truss to the back of the cargo area. Flew the rest of the way in on the second day.  Here are some of the pictures. We saw sheep, moose, caribou, a few black bears and a ton of grizzlies.  We figured we saw at least 13 different ones (note the electric fences in the pictures).  We didn't have any trouble with them fortunately since they seemed to be mainly interested in the blue berries but I passed up shooting a second caribou (the same size) that was with the one by partner Danny shot since we knew we would only be able to get one out at a time before the bears were on the kill (if we were lucky)...and grizzly season didn't open until 1 Sept in that area.  We managed to get his out in two loads and I had another chance at that same bull when we were going back for the second load but we would have had to leave it overnight; so no chance we would be able to claim it the next day.  Not to worry, I got a great ram a few days later.  w split the caribou between the two planes and flew it out to get it to Anchorage on Northern Air cargo; 267 lbs of meat.  We flew the sheep back with us to home, of course it was a bit lighter and there wasn't much backstrap left, lol.  If you want something good, try frying up a couple of pans of sheep backstrap and then mix it with Mountainhouse stroganoff noodles; I think we had it 5 nights in a row!
     
    It rained on us almost every day and at the last we couldn't cross the river any more with waders and were wondering if it would start threatening our camp and landing spot.  I was sureglad I had the 30's on for this  trip, they slow down the cruise to 80-85 mph but they are the way to go for landing on those big rocks and gullies with them.
     
    Made it back with nothing bent this year!  Yeeha!
























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  17. EDMO added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    I don't believe that an in-flight wing failure has ever been recorded for an Avid or Kitfox....and there are some guys who fly the hell out of them in all kinds of weather - and it would probably scare you if they ever admitted to what their actual GTOW really was!
    EdMO
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  18. dynomike added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    I have to say the chute really did help me get over my fear of turbulence.that little red handle was pretty comforting when it would get choppy flying a new (to me) plane


    What I flew before this only weighed 400 pounds and would put the fear of god in a new pilot
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  19. EDMO added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    Sorry,   I should have listed it as Plane, Wife, BRS.....in order of replacement, costs, importance, etc. !!!
    EDMO
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  20. KFfan added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    Hmmm
    Any input on the priority of the 3 items?
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  21. EDMO added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    I must be getting old - didn't sound dirty to me!   Just sounded like a man with a wife, BRS and plane!  
    EdMO
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  22. dynomike added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    just reread my post .sounds dirty ,sorry wasn't my intention
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  23. dynomike added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    it blows out the bottom,id take it out but my wife likes it,one last move before checkmate I guess,besides its the only reason my radiator is offset to the left.how else would I explain that to people.
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  24. EDMO added a post in a topic Parachute installation   

    IMO, If I couldn't trust my own plane, or my pilot skills to fly and land dead-stick without a parachute, I wouldn't fly it...
    I'm like Akflyer, I would rather take my chance on a horizontal crash, than to have a crushed spine from a vertical crunch, or a tree limb up my ass, and spend the rest of my life paralyzed !!!!
    EdMO
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  25. dynomike added a post in a topic Austin Nevada Fly-in 2015   

    great pictures ,the ball looks like a good time ,done the flour but not the bowling ball .hurling things out of an airplane is just plane fun.
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