Activity Stream

Activity Stream

  1. C5Engineer added a post in a topic My new and first plane   

    Congrats! Lots of good info here on Soob's and everything Avid. Feel free to ask any questions!
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  2. IFMT added a post in a topic My new and first plane   

    Make sure you weigh her out and get your cg figured right. It looks like the rad is right under the engine? Might help to move the rad back under the seat area. I am running a soob in my mark IV and needed to hang 20 ish lbs of lead at the back to get it in the envelope. Flies great though. Cheers. B
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  3. LSaupe added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Rudder Bushing Alignment Tolerance - Kitfox III
    I am in the process of changing out my Kitfox Mod III rudder with a Mod IV.

    When I fit up the new rudder (still using the original bushings on the vert stab), I find that the lowest of the 4 bushing mounts is 1/4" further forward that the top 3. I.e. you could drop a rod down through the top three bushing guides, but it would then pass behind the bottom guide. Looks like it was built this way from day 1.

    Anyone run across this before? What is odd is that the rudder I took off was actually bent to fit (lower part bent forward 1/4"). It did seem to move o.k.

    Trying to sort out if this is a big deal or not. I can bend the new rudder to fit, however it will still need to accommodate the non-linear movement (to the tune of 0.15" at full 37 degree deflection - side loading). I assume the tubes will all try to bend to allow motion, but with the fabric on I am concerned about increase loading and fatigue.

    One option is to bend the rudder and leave as is (and live with the stresses). The other is to move the lower fuselage bushing out 1/4" and then fill that gap between the rudder leading edge as appropriate.

    Anyone run across a similar situation? Are there any tolerances for hinge mounts on tube-n-fabric birds like these?
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    • 796 views
  4. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic wanted 3/4" axle   

    A photo would go a long ways here, EZ...
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  5. fusionfab added a post in a topic New from Ontario Canada   

    Just started a pics thread
    http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/index.php?/topic/3112-my-new-and-first-plane/#entry22964
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  6. fusionfab added a topic in Avid fox flyers pics and vids   

    My new and first plane
    Here's my new Avid Mark IV named Evelyn. I couldn't pass up the deal but she needs some cosmetic attention and a few other things. To date I've done;
    Re painted wings, struts, and 3/4 of fuse (until doors have new alum)
    Rebuilt the carbs and am in the middle of reconfiguring the throttle setup
    Ordered new nose cowling
    Rebuilt brakes, and tires on the way
    And this weekend hopefully replacing all the glass, new tinted turtle deck, metal on doors and paint.
    Still lots to do but will keep plugging away





    • 43 replies
    • 5,663 views
  7. akflyer added a post in a topic New from Ontario Canada   

    Welcome aboard! Sounds like some cool project. We love to see all the pictures you can post.


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  8. C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Happy Birthday Lostman
    Just a Happy Birthday shout out to Kenneth (lostman)!
    • 2 replies
    • 427 views
  9. fusionfab added a topic in Introduce yourself   

    New from Ontario Canada
    Hey everyone new to the group from Ontario Canada. My name is Matt and also new to ultralights. Just finishing up my solo time in a Challenger.
    Last year I had started to build from a kitfox model 1 fuse and parts but then came across an Avid Mark IV (I've named her Evelyn) that just needed some cosmetic attention and a few odds and ends here and there.
    So far I've got it 3/4 re-painted, carbs rebuilt (came with new ea81 but filthy 912 carbs) brakes and tires done, throttle linkage all reconfigured also some other things like new glass etc. Now just waiting for a new cowling.
    So I look forward to completing the plane, getting in the air with her, and learning and conversing lots with everyone in the forum.
    Matt....and Evelyn
    • 2 replies
    • 1,176 views
  10. thebriman added a post in a topic wanted 3/4" axle   

    The plate welded on you gear leg was for the brake plate.  Should be square with 4 holes, the bottom hole of which is most likely cut off.  This was for the old style Matco Brakes.  The old axles did not have the welded plate halfway down the axles, but were completely smooth and were retained by one an3 through bolt. The brake plate attached to the gear leg.  The welded plate on your new axles are for the brake plate on new Matco brakes to attach to. The AN3 through bolt takes the braking load into the fuse.
     
    I modified mine so that the plate welded onto the new axle not only holds the brake plate, but also attaches to the flange on the gear leg through holes that I drilled. I have it so it's all bolted together.  Also I have the through bolt at the back end but that is not my only means for attachment.  
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  11. EZFlap added a post in a topic wanted 3/4" axle   

    Being from California, and originally having had blonde hair as a child, I'm still confused.
     
    1) There is a steel plate welded into the landing gear, integral to the welded tube assembly. It is round on the old gear and square on the new gear. The old gear had three holes in this plate. The new (unused) gear has no holes in it. The "sleeve" tube goes through the center of this plate.
     
    2)  There is ANOTHER plate welded (or machined) on the axle itself. It is a round plate. Matco's website shows four holes in this round plate. This round plate is welded about in the middle of the main axle tube, halfway between where the axle is "pinned" into the sleeve and the threads for the wheel bearing retaining nut.
     
    3) Which one of these plates does the brake bolt onto?
     
    4) Why are there two plates?
     
    5) Which one takes the braking load into the fuselage?
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  12. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic wanted 3/4" axle   

    Bill, the holes you are talking about are for mounting the hydrolic brake assembly. Square or round plate doesn't matter as long as everything clears. Like Leni said, the axel slids (sometimes very tightly)into the tube and is pinned in place with a 3/16" bolt going through both. Jim Chuk
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  13. EZFlap added a post in a topic wanted 3/4" axle   

    Thanks Ed, but these are tube axles that slide into the sleeve on a welded bungee style gear. They are not flange type billet axles for an aluminum gear.
     
    Is the brake caliper supposed to bolt to the brake plate on the gear, or to the bolt pattern on the axle... or are the brake plate and the axle bolt pattern supposed to be mounted together with the caliper bolted to them both??
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  14. EDMO added a post in a topic wanted 3/4" axle   

    I had some Matco 62 wheels, and the axles had 4 bolts to bolt up to my Grove gear - I think you better talk to George - I believe that Leni is describing the original setup like the Douglass wheels - But, If that setup works for him, then he knows more than I do.  My axles were 1 1/4" diameter.
    EDMO
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  15. EZFlap added a post in a topic wanted 3/4" axle   

    Thanks... my wheels have spacers in the middle already, because John had the larger tires and brakes operational when the airplane was wrecked.
     
    I'm confused... if the axle does not mount to the brake plate with the three or four bolts I was asking about (meaning it mounts with only one through-bolt through the sleeve tube), then what is the three or four hole bolt pattern in the Matco axle for?
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  16. akflyer added a post in a topic wanted 3/4" axle   

    The axles just run through the sleeve on the landing gear and you drill the landing gear / axle and put a single bolt through it as a pin.  If they are using axles that bolt onto the brake plate, that is not the "normal" set up.  I will try to remember to get some pics tomorrow when I get home if no one else posts a picture of the "normal" set up.
     
    The square versus round... I would just trim it.  That is just for mounting the brake caliper in a "normal" installation.  If you have "big" tires, then you will need extended axles.  I have to run (2) 1" spacers in my matco wheels on each side to get the big tires to fit the rims   mine were custom made my a machinist buddy on his lathe in about 10 minutes.  I just bought a 3' long piece of 3/4" 4130 and had him thread each end, then I cut them to length at the house.  I would rather waste 18" of material than come up 1/2" too short (story of my life it seems) 
     

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  17. EZFlap added a post in a topic NEW FARBIC - NO PAINT?   

    Being an old-fashioned American model builder, when watching that video I immediately noticed he was using a square iron... never seen one like that here. The felt pad was a great idea too.
     
    My question about Oratex is how you are supposed to deal with the problem of glue blobs and glue edges that run out under the edges of fabric overlaps or pinked tape. Can you just wipe it off with solvent, without damaging the gloss finish? The glue will eventually get on the iron's surface, and then you start accidentally spreading nasty melted glue on your shiny fabric....
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  18. EZFlap added a post in a topic wanted 3/4" axle   

    I'm replacing the left and right main landing gear assemblies on Avid B S/N 234. I was able to locate a set of new unused stock Kitfox gears which I believe will fit my fuselage.
     
    My wheels are Matco's, and are marked M62. On this airplane, in my best back woods bush pilot drawl... I got me some big tires
     
    I have no proof one way or another that the axles are Matco, but I made an assumption they are, because the owner would have likely bought the matching axles at the time of the wheel/tire upgrade. 
     
    The axles that were on the airplane originally had three mounting bolts, and yet everything on the Matco website shows that the axles have four bolts. Do any of you know whether Matco just increased the number of bolts they used from three to four?
     
    Also the KF landing gears have a square mounting pad for the axles, and the previous (Avid) gears have a round mounting pad. Does anyone here know of any reason I can't trim the square mounting pad to round, so that the brakes will fit?
     
    I know I can just call George, but since I'm not quite ready to order the parts I didn't want call him just yet. Sooner or later, I'll be ordering a new wheel half (one was bent during the landing incident) and two axles.
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  19. 959 added a post in a topic Posible Trade a Race Car or Hotrod for the right MK-4   

    Would like to make a  trade.
    My back no longer allows me to race.
     
     

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  20. BryceKat added a post in a topic 582 Rotary Valve Lubrication   

    Thanks Jim, I'll try that. Bryce
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  21. RDavidson added a post in a topic Painting the cargo bay   

    Thanks guys...this is the most fun I've had yet! Big changes daily!

    Can't take credit for the tube...the PO of the kit made that for fishing rods. I liked the idea so I left it there. It is a concrete form tube. It is tied in place and then he used some kind of resin to glue the rope in place. I made a plywood mount that will hold the front of the tube rigidly, then the normal canvas cover will still button over it if needed. I ditched the plywood wall (in the first pics), it was extra weight and made it damn near impossible to get to the battery and strobe pack.


    Thanks,
    Ron
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  22. pmart added a topic in For Sale and wanted, you got it, I want it   

    Avid "Bandit" model with trailer for sale
    Removed from market
    • 7 replies
    • 1,938 views
  23. EDMO added a post in a topic Elevator Cord Increase?   

    Maybe Joey can give us measurements of both his stabilizer and elevator, for a % that flies good?
    EDMO
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  24. EDMO added a post in a topic PLASTIC STRUT FAIRINGS?   

    I should have mentioned that Aerolite sells 2 different sizes - the price for the small one is what I quoted - it fits up to 1.25" round struts. I pulled the wood off of my KF 2 struts and did not find corrosion, although I didn't like that the builder had only put primer on them.
    EDMO
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  25. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic 582 Rotary Valve Lubrication   

    Hi Bryce, I don't remember it taking to long, I unhooked the lower tube at the bottle and slid a larger diameter tube over the regular tube that stuck up in the air higher, and that gave more head pressure and volume, and after a bit of time, oil started to come out of the other hose into the catch bottle. Jim Chuk
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