Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. tcj added a post in a topic Fabric Weight (Model III)   

    My model 4 kitfox kit came with light weight fabric for the complete airplane.  I had delusions of upgrading to a 912 and moving to Alaska in the future so bought medium weight for the wings and tail but used the light weight on the fuselage.  The light weight is much easier to work with for your doillies to go over inspection rings and such too.
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  2. Geoffrey Thorpe added a post in a topic Aluminum vs Plastic Fuel Tanks   

    Interesting.
     
    I have a Merlin GT and the tank split at the forward seam last winter
    . But my tank fits inside a single rib bay and holds 8 gallons. Obviously something has changed over time - Mine first flew in 1998 (If I rememember correctly) - would yours be newer or older? Larger than 8 gallons?
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  3. EDMO added a post in a topic Fabric Weight (Model III)   

    I was told by Doug Stewart that the new 2.7 fabric shrinks more than the old fabric did - We learned this after bending a root rib on the J3 when the cover shrank - He says that you should only use the 1.7/1.8 fabric on the Kitfoxes. That was what the model 3 was designed to use. I agree with Jim on using the heavier on fuselage underneath, but not on the wings.
    EDMO
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  4. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Fabric Weight (Model III)   

    I would think it would make sense to at least do the bottom with the heavier fabric. Especially if you plan to fly off airport at all.  I used the medium uncertified fabric from Aircraft Spruce on the last plane I did.  I will use that same stuff on my next recover.  Jim Chuk
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  5. LSaupe added a topic in Kitfox III   

    Fabric Weight (Model III)
    Will soon be covering my fuselage.  Any thoughts on best fabric weight?  Leaning towards the light weight fabric, or... does the medium make more sense?
    • 16 replies
    • 2,383 views


  6. High Country added a post in a topic Crimping new drag tubes ????   

    Per the Avid manual cracks are common, they advise to just drill a small hole at the end of the crack so it will not continue over time. I also chose to hysol in small wood triangle gussets inside the drag tube before covering. 
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  7. cliff added a post in a topic Cliff's plane pictures   

    Wife and I made our first landing at our airport at sunset this evening. We were flying the 180. If I have time tomorrow I will bring the Avid in.
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  8. cliff added a post in a topic Cliff's plane pictures   

    Mowed the runway for the first time. Not as bad as I thought it might be.
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  9. birddog486 added a post in a topic Crimping new drag tubes ????   

    Any chance you can post your info here?
     
     
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  10. sioux201 added a post in a topic Crimping new drag tubes ????   

    I made the tool
    E mail,will send spec and pic
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  11. EDMO added a post in a topic Starting your Avid   

    I didn't know about the Rotax - The instructions for my Soob belt adjustment says to remove the prop because it is too dangerous to be that close to it.
    EDMO
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  12. IFMT added a post in a topic Kitfox M-III Prop Comparisons for 582   

    Clarity on prop degrees. Just re read some of the old posts here and am wondering about prop degrees. With my warp drive I set the degrees in relation to the prop hub. The process is simple. Set the adjustable warp drive protractor to level the bubble at the prop hub. Read the degrees on the protractor. Go to the blade tip sticking out level on the port side. Set the protractor up the same way clamped   to the tip. Read the degrees and do the math. My 68 inch 3 blade warp drive works best set at 8.5 degrees at the tip. This gives me 2300 prop rpm static with my relatively stock ea81 and 1.84 reduction. Thats about as good as it it gets with this combo. I'm wondering what people are measuring when they are stating numbers like 14 degrees and prop speeds that calculate around 2500 with a 582?
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  13. Av8r_Sed added a post in a topic Kitfox M-III Prop Comparisons for 582   

    My guess is your GSC is a 66" if it came with the kit.  You'll probably be a bit underpropped.  How about contacting GSC to get their opinion?
     
    http://www.ultralightprops.com/contact.htm
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  14. tcj added a post in a topic Starting your Avid   

    The factory says don't run the engine without a prop.  Some people do but say to turn the idle screws down before you start it or it could over rev.
     
    I attended a Rotax two stroke engine seminar put on by Lockwood Aviation this summer and he recommended to do as I had done.  I told him about the nozzle flying into the cylinder and he said that was a new first.  I would still hold the nozzle with one had or remove it before squirting the fog though.
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  15. LSaupe added a post in a topic Kitfox M-III Prop Comparisons for 582   

    I know this is a rather old post but thought I would throw something out there.  I am building a KFIII, it has a grey head 582 and a GSC prop still in the box.
     
    Long story short is that the engine is fitted with a 3.0 C box.  However the engine was stored with the vent plug off the gearbox and the box got water in it over the many years ruining the gear set.
     
    I plan to run the GSC in the short term and change over to an IVO (68" 3 blade) in the long term.  My thought is to replace the gears with the 2.62, however, is there a penalty loss for going from a 3.0 to a 2.62 with the GSC?
     
    Thanks and Regards,
     
    Larry S.
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  16. EDMO added a post in a topic Starting your Avid   

    Why don't you just remove the prop or blades if you are fogging and storing it???
    EDMO
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  17. EDMO added a post in a topic Crimping new drag tubes ????   

    You can buy the attachment brackets from Kitfox.   Why not make all the drag tubes out of steel?
    Kitfox says a crack on the sides of the crimp is acceptable, a crosswise crack is not.
    EDMO
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  18. tcj added a post in a topic Starting your Avid   

    I do it all the time.  I cut some covers out of cardboard to put over the wing roots and keep the prop blast out of the wings. 
     
    last time I fogged the engine that little red straw on the fog oil can shot right off and into the cylinder and ended up down under the crank.  Had to pull the cylinder off to get it out.
     
    I'm chicken to stand there with my hand 6 inches from the spinning prop.  I run the engine, shut it off, squirt fog for a couple seconds into each cylinder with the intake ports open, then start it and shut it off soon as it fires.
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  19. Tree top pilot added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Crimping new drag tubes ????
    OK I will have to admit we are at a loss here as how to get the correct crimp on these without a split on the ends. I have fabbed up several different sets of series type dies to try and press these out nicely...but always seem to have not so usable results. Has anyone made them to an airworthy standard? Me and my friend are ready to start building our wings and need to figure out the learning curve with this. The first drag tube is steel and the remaining 2 tubes are T-6 aluminum. If the aluminum is heated to make the crimp easier it chances destruction of the heat treat process rendering it useless. I know it can be done....and in other methods like riveting to a stub tube welded to a plate to match the spar tube... Kitfox design. We would like to forge ahead.....somehow managing to crimp a set of tubes soon .....any help appreciated!
    • 4 replies
    • 784 views


  20. Bandit added a post in a topic Starting your Avid   

    It should be ok. You can trailer them down the highway at sixty mph.
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  21. Avid Bob added a post in a topic Starting your Avid   

    OK guys, Thanks for the info. I will be running off of the header tank. I just need to start it to put fogging oil in it for the winter.
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  22. EDMO added a post in a topic Starting your Avid   

    Bob,
    You may have a fuel starvation problem unless you run off of the header tank. I would think that you would want to have the wing supports in place because of shaking? You might want to cover the wing roots with a garbage bag or something?  I'm sure it has been done before.
    EDMO
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  23. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Starting your Avid   

    I'd be very careful of the prop blast into the open wing root.
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  24. Avid Bob added a topic in KitFox General Forum   

    Starting your Avid
    Just wondering if it is ok to start up your plane with the wings folded back or is that a bad thing to do ?  
    • 8 replies
    • 2,643 views


  25. EDMO added a topic in Technical tasks   

    SLATS
    SuberAvid,
    I found this drawing of a slat tonight - Could be from Zenith 701/801 drawing, but has the late Earl Edgar's name on it. Maybe I just wrote his phone number on it?
    Hope this is usefull if you go for them.
    I made a small, one bay model of the undercambered with these slats while at UAA to test in the wind tunnel, but it was OOS, so didn't get to test it. Still have it.
    EDMO
    • 1 reply
    • 861 views