Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. BryceKat added a post in a topic Fuselage Cleaning (Inside)   

    I would use gasoline, and use it to clean the carbon off the belly and gear legs on my bird. It's a lot cheaper than cleaners and does just as good-just check and make sure your not taking off the finish. Good luck
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  2. C5Engineer added a post in a topic High Sierra Fly-in trip report   

    Some additional pics are surfacing of the High Sierra. These are some of the best pics of my plane I have and I don't even know who took them.
     

     

     

     

     

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  3. wypaul added a post in a topic Banjo Bolts   

    Ed, that is MIP and FIP for male iron pipe and female iron pipe.  You know we can't be politically correct with words like national. 
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  4. EDMO added a post in a topic Banjo Bolts   

    Bryce,
    You may have to bite the bullet and go to the Rotax people for a replacement - Rotax Rick? Probably no snowmobile shops in your area?
    EdMO
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  5. BryceKat added a post in a topic Banjo Bolts   

    I should have said it was a 582!😄sorry.finding a banjo bolt with that NPT thread on it is turning out to be a real trick! And come to think of it, a banjo bolt probably won't work on a NPT fitting due to the fact of the taper. That's probably why I can't find them!
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  6. marksires added a post in a topic Fuselage Cleaning (Inside)   

    Yeah, I already mentioned I'm jealous of his floats.  If you decide to use a match, take the floats off first please! 
    Sorry to hear about the mess, that won't be any fun to get cleaned up, particularly with the plane up high and level.
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  7. akflyer added a post in a topic Avid C Float Rigging   

    That would be a Ventral fin.  I seriously don't think it has anything to do with the float N struts.  Maybe a fuse brace from side to side, but not an N strut and certainly not a part of the Avid factory mount.
     

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  8. EDMO added a post in a topic Banjo Bolts   

    Well, here is a news flash for those who haven't found out - The NPT at Lowes is now listed as either MIT or MIP "Male International (Thread or Taper or Pipe?)" I forget which - and the female NPT is now FIT or FIP.
    and I am told that they are the same??? Or, is the shoe salesman in the pipe department full of bull???
    Anyway, I bought a nylon MIT elbow fitting and used it in place of a 1/2" NPT fitting in my furnace A/C drain, and it seemed to fit just fine.
    EDMO
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  9. EDMO added a post in a topic Avid C Float Rigging   

    Thanks Leni,
          I just looked at the photo of the Avid on Amphibs, and was wondering if this could be just one side of the float attach.   You may be correct that this is a fuselage brace.
          Both the KF 1 and the clone KF1 owners were float flyers - actually they were both built by David Williams - I have the pectral (anal?) fin for the KF 1 that this brace came with, and Randy and I both knew the late Earl Edgar that I bought the clone from - He was building a KF5 at the time and talked a lot about landing on water - He even had "quick-detatch" sticks made so he could get out quickly without getting snagged on the sticks.
          Guess it will go back into my pile of tubes and whatevers until someone needs it.
    EDMO
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  10. akflyer added a post in a topic Fuselage Cleaning (Inside)   

    Forgot to mention that you have one sexy looking bird there!!  If I didn't live in the land of big rocks and heavy loads to haul I would be really jealous of your floats!
     

     

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  11. akflyer added a post in a topic Fuselage Cleaning (Inside)   

    I have used simple green extreme with good results (get the aircraft cleaner so it does not start corroding things).  I think Castrol makes an "aviation cleaner" in a purple container that I found a tthe auto parts store, it worked really well for taking the grime off the belly of the plane.  either one you may use, make sure you flush it out with water really good.  I would think you have some drains on the bottom of the fuse with seaplane gromets on them.  If not, I would be putting some in.  I have a few right in front of each cross tube in the fuse where water could puddle.  The turtle decks do leak in some water and you want to make sure that can get out.
     
    Straight gas on a rag works pretty good to soften up the thickened hyrdo fluid mess too..
     

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  12. TreeTopAirways added a topic in Technical tasks   

    Fuselage Cleaning (Inside)
    All,
    Hope this is the right place to start this thread.
     
     
    The inside of my fuselage is filthy. The Avid Flyer has sat inside the hanger since 2003.
     
    It is sitting on floats, and so the fuselage is in a level position. There is a additional 9 gallon fuel tank in the rear (directly below the turtle deck). Sometime between 2003 and when I made the purchase this past summer, the rear fuel tank leaked and mixed with hydraulic fluid (retractable gear and hydraulic brakes). Add a few years of dust and dirt, I have a big mess.
     
    Question – What should I use to clean out the stain besides a match?
    Anyone have any luck with certain types of cleaners?
     
    Thanks,
    Robin

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  13. akflyer added a post in a topic Avid C Float Rigging   

    Ed, I am going to take a shot in the dark.  I think that is a home made brace that would go under the fuse side to side and have a longer bolt in the gear fittings to give additional compression strength to the sides of the fuse.  This would be done as floats are mounted rigid and have no give and a hard landing could bend the sides of the fuse in.
     
    I have seen this used but only on the forward or main gear attach point not on the rear one as well.  Again, that is just a shot in the dark as for what the structure in the picture would be used for.  It certainly does not look like anything that came with the original Avid float mounts that I can see.
     

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  14. cliff added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Could you post some pictures of your mixing system and flex cables?   Sounds interesting, and thank you for your wing wash out opinion. It will be a while until we get back to work on the mark 4 project but I am continually learning from you guys and taking notes. 
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  15. marksires added a post in a topic Avid C Float Rigging   

    Lenny,
    Glad I wasn't the only one confused!  It doesn't look anything like the Avid Float mounting.  Robin has sent me great pictures of his float mounting.  Which I'm jealous of.  It appears he has a set of genuine Avid Amphibious floats.  I didn't even know Avid made amphibious floats.  They look exactly like the Avid floats I got from Jim, only they have a notch in the front for the nose wheel mounting.
    When I get my rigging made up, I'll be taking lots of pictures, and try to put together some drawings to post here, so we'll have them in the library.
     
    Mark
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  16. wolves200 added a post in a topic Banjo Bolts   

    well, I have a 532 and I could fit a M12 banjo bolt on it --- sorry my bad I should have ask what engine! ---
     
    582 manual says part 922245 - Angular tube 1/4-18NPT; however part catalog for 532  I have from 1988 says
     
    part 924215 angular tube M12 X1,5 ---
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  17. akflyer added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    I think if your going to extend the flaperons I would do that BEFORE I made a new arm to give you more throw and see what you think.  When the flaperons go out to the tips, they are going to respond much better.  The extended speed wing I flew was really light and sporty on the roll but the flaperons were moved out to the tip rib and he used a piece of tubing to extend the tube into the cabin area.  He did not lengthen the flaperon itself, just moved it out.  You can flip the L shaped piece around that comes off the control stick and get more movement with less stick input, but I don't like the heavier control forces that causes.  I think when you move the flaperon out you will gain all the roll response you want.
     

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  18. akflyer added a post in a topic Banjo Bolts   

    I stand corrected!  hmmm, what were they thinking to put ONE standard thread on a metric engine
     

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  19. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Kitfox 1 kit for sale   

    Just wanted to let everyone know who expressed interest in this kit, the kit is back up for sale.  After waiting for more than a month with just a  minimal deposit put down, I haven't heard from the buyer in a good long while.  That being the case, it's back on the market.  Thanks,  Jim Chuk
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  20. High Country added a post in a topic PLASTIC STRUT FAIRINGS?   

    or you could just use a break and bend the aluminum over just like the trailing edge aluminum used on the wings then you would just have to hysol them onto the struts and wrap the whole works with fabric. thats what I'm planning to do when I make the new struts
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  21. High Country added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Thanks again for the compliments, My wife and I are very happy with it so far and have big hopes of seeing better performance with a few change. To answer all the questions specs are as follows
     
    Wings- HH spars (12' .083 wall) built with speed wing rib profile spaced 12" per the HH prints. the only exception of ribs is that 2-3 were removed for the fuel tanks and rib #4 is a second transitional root rib. this enabled me to use the new ethanol proof HH wing tanks (nobody makes speedwing tanks anymore) and I ran false rib cap strips along the bottom of the tank where rib's 2-3 would have been to keep the flat bottom, the tops of the tanks are high like the HH and it just tapers down between rib 4-5 to the speed wing profile. the washout is set to 1 1/2" per the speedwing prints but if I was doing it again I would probably just use 1/2" as the newer KF's have gone to. We currently have the original lift struts non faired but are planning to make some 1" struts and fair them in the next couple weeks this will increase the structural integrity and clean it up at the same time. 
     
    Flapperons- currently the shorter speedwing flapperons which are performing ok but I will eventually make new ones that are 3' longer and I will use a symmetrical airfoil as KF has gone to. I also want to shorten up the horns that attach to the mixer so less stick movement makes more flapperon movement. 
     
    Flapperon Mixer- I have cut the mixer out from behind the seat giving me a completely open baggage area. We turned the main mixer on its side and relocated it under the left seat then ran teleflex cables up to the flapperons (this is just a slightly modified version of how the fat avids were done) I think we gained a little "play" doing this conversion thats why I would like to shorten up the horns on the flapperons to take some of it out. 
     
    Tail- We added a dorsal fin to the vertical stabilizer and have gone to the MK IV elevator with electric trim and MK IV rudder. (still have to add gap seals) 
     
    Landing gear- the Main gear legs are from Ridge Runner and I made a custom cabane to make them work this gave me 8' from outside to outside of the Nanco 21x12x8 tires. It rides very stable and I prefer the Bungee suspension over the spring suspension.  (Bungees would be a very easy/cheap conversion for those of you running the spring gear that just want bungees instead) 
     
    Engine- Basic gray head DCDI 582 with pull start pre mix fuel Lucas semi synthetic mixed 50:1. GSC 3 blade wood prop pitched at 12* 
     
    Overall this plane is still very "dirty" with no gap seals or fairings anywhere but we are planning to clean it up a lot in the near future to help with performance. 
     
    Empty weight 527 lbs. Gross 1050
     
    with myself 155 lbs full fuel 26 gal I'm seeing 1000 fpm climb at 60 mph and with an added 185 lbs im seeing 500 fpm at 60 mph Cruise is around 75 mph at 5800-6000 stall no flaps 50 (haven't played with the flaps much to determine stall w/ flaps yet) it sure hops off the ground fast with full flaps I'm shooting base at 70 and final at 60 power to idle as I cross the numbers then its a very smooth transition to the ground. 
     
    Currently at 30.1 hrs almost out of Phase I
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  22. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Banjo Bolts   

    Just looked in my leading edge catalog, and they show it as being a 1/4"-18 NPT.  Part # 11.  Jim Chuk
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  23. akflyer added a post in a topic Avid C Float Rigging   

    I dont even see how or where that would mount..
     

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  24. akflyer added a post in a topic Banjo Bolts   

    there should not be any standard bolts on the rotax engines, they are all metric.  I will look in my books today and see if they give the correct call out for it.
     

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  25. EDMO added a post in a topic Avid C Float Rigging   

    Mark, Leni, anyone,
         I am attaching a photo of the rig that came with my Kitfox 1 - I don't know, but think it is for that plane - maybe homemade?
    Looks like the angled tube which has been cut, may not be part of the original?
    EDMo
      

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