Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. High Country added a post in a topic Control linkage   

    It would appear to me that one rod end with male threads threaded into another with female threads and a lock nut would have you going in no time. just an example this http://www.speedwaymotors.com/AFCO-10460-Standard-Steel-Heim-Rod-End-3-8-24-RH-Male,41021.html?utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=CSEGoogle&utm_campaign=CSEGOOGLE&CAWELAID=1268596625&CAGPSPN=pla&gclid=CPysz7jzvcECFcpzMgodABYAOw screwed into this http://www.speedwaymotors.com/AFCO-10462-Standard-Steel-Heim-Rod-End-3-8-24-RH-Female,41024.html with a lock nut to hold the position. 
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  2. herman pahls added a post in a topic Avid / Kitfox Accident Causes and Rates   

    Is this the time to confess regarding when the fan stops.
     
    37 years flying Lycoming and Continentals;  no dead stick landings.
    13 years flying Rotax 532 converted to snowmobile ignition;  no dead stick landings.
    3 years flying Rotax 582; no dead stick landings and still flying the engine.
    2 years flying Jabiru 80HP; one successful dead stick landing.
    6 months flying Rotax 912ULS; one successful dead stick landing and still flying the engine
     
    The Jabiru would not restart while I was a glider but started right up an hour later after the authorities made their reports.
    I had just circled down from 9000 feet to sea level at idle with some occasional bursts of throttle to make sure it  was still running well and it quit when I leveled out  to enter the traffic  pattern.
    I either had carb ice or a fuel tank venting problem.
    I changed the tank venting and flew it 2 years but never descended for any length of time at idle after that.
    I got rid of the engine because it would only climb to 9000 feet but otherwise enjoyed all the simplicity of the Jabiru that John M. referred to.
    It would have performed much better at altitude if it were the newer 85HP version like John M. had.
     
    The 912ULS refused to restart even with plenty of fuel in the left tank.
    I found out that a Model 4 Kitfox is a decent glider.
    Turns out the 5/16" Tygon tubing that came with the Kitfox I had recently purchased had collapsed where it gets flexed the most when the wings are folded (it was not pinched between the wing and fuselage butt ribs) .
    I feel that even new 5/16" tygon tubing has too thin of wall thickness and easily collapses when bent.
    I replaced it with heavy wall 5/16" rubber fuel line from Napa that you can almost tie it in a knot and it will resist collapsing.
    I suggest you test the fuel line you use for how much it will bend before it starts to collapse.
    I am tempted to remove some of the covering material and some rib material on my butt rib so I can monitor all of the  wing tank fuel line and could have reached up and prevented my dead stick landing by pinching the tygon so it would flow fuel.
     
    I appreciate Doug bringing up the subject and hope that my experiences can prevent a possible tragedy.
    We had an Avid go down here a year ago due to fuel tank venting issues and it will never fly again so I feel lucky and blessed with my 2 dead sticks.
     
    Herman
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  3. EDMO added a post in a topic Avid C Float Rigging   

    Mark,
         I have what I think was part of a float rigging for a Kitfox 1 - Not really sure about it - I was going to post a photo for Jim, but toilet leaked - etc - flu shot shut me down for a week - furnace acted up - going to doctor tomorrow, and hopefully can post a photo for you in a couple of days.  Also, I have a Kitfox pectral fin - donno if you would need it or be able to use it?  I know nothing about floats.
    EDMO
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  4. marksires added a topic in Hardcore Avidfoxflyers   

    Avid C Float Rigging
    Thanks to Jim, and a lot of miles on my truck and trailer, I now have a shiny new (to me at least) pair of Avid floats with the water rudders.  BTW Jim is a great guy, and has a really nice place up there in the northern midwest.  It was a beautiful drive up and back with the fall colors coming to full, but I wouldn't want to be there in January!  Jim is a hardier soul than I am!
     
    However, I'm fresh out of tubes and hardware to mount them with.  I have the build manual, and it has a lot of pictures so the geometry and general layout are easy, but the only dimension anywhere is that the centerline of the floats should be 68 inches apart.  The tube diameter I can pretty much get from the through tubes on the floats.  I won't know the wall thickness, but if in doubt, I'll just get one thicker than I think I need.  If anyone can give the me the length of any of the mounting tubes, or the distance from the bottom of the fuselage to the top of the floats,  I should be able to figure it out from there.
    Thanks!
    Mark
     
    • 14 replies
    • 1,787 views


  5. marksires added a post in a topic PLASTIC STRUT FAIRINGS?   

    Hmm, I'll think about this while I'm rebuilding my struts.  There was corrosion under mine where the epoxy hadn't sealed completely, so I'd like something different, that would still meet the stiffening requirements that Avid wanted.  I may look at fairing them like I will the gear legs on the Cozy I'm not building....  Make the fairing out of foam, then glass it over with a couple of layers of BID and laminating epoxy.  Should be as stiff as the spruce fairing, but seal up better with no chance of delaminating, plus not a lot more weight than the spruce fairing.
    Mark
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  6. Guest added a post in a topic Control linkage   

    Do you have a photo of that part in place?
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  7. TreeTopAirways added a topic in Technical tasks   

    Control linkage
    All,
    I need to replace this part. It is located in the AFT Aileron Assembly.  It connects the main (aft) Aileron pivot arm to the push pull tube.  Any Help appreciated.
     
    Thanks,
    R Floyd
     


    • 4 replies
    • 1,185 views


  8. akflyer added a post in a topic Luke's MK IV Project   

    sweet!  keep plugging away at it. The new tubes look good.
     

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  9. Luked added a post in a topic PLASTIC STRUT FAIRINGS?   

    Hey, I don't have much to add to this, but I'll be interested if anyone comes up with a new idea for strut fairings. I think the idea that Joey posted might be a good one to keep weight down.
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  10. Luked added a post in a topic Luke's MK IV Project   

    I made a little bit of progress forward yesterday. I welded the wing attach bosses into the spar carry throughs. This was very time consuming because they have to be exactly the right distance apart (equal to the lower strut attach points), parrallel with each other, and perpendicular to the carry through tube. I haven't trimmed anything to length yet, or welded and caps on yet.
     
    Here are some of the tubes in the jig I built.

     
    Here are some close ups

     
    Here they are after welding. I sprayed some "Zero Rust" paint on them to stop flash rust.

     
    This is the new torch setup I got for this job.

     
    Small steps, but it's fun.
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  11. Luked added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Good job Robert! It's nice to see another Avid take to the skies. Thanks for posting pics.
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  12. EDMO added a topic in Avid and Kitfox parts Suppliers   

    PLASTIC STRUT FAIRINGS?
    I have been looking thru my GRAINGER catalog at sheet plastics - someone with engineering expertise in this area might be helpful.
    After considering all types of material, including aluminum sheet, fiberglass wrap over wood/foam, the lexan sheet that Joey suggested,  I think that possibly the easiest material to make the fairings out of might be PVC sheet, which you can get in 1/16" (.062") thickness, easy to cut and bend, and the trailing edges can just be glued together with PVC Cement.  I didn't find a weight listed for this to compare with aluminum.  I was hoping to find PVC sheet in 1mm (.040") but don't know if anyone sells it in metric sizes.  I guess the 1mm Finnish plywood I used on my extended leading edges could be used for this and save weight, but then you have to varnish / paint it which adds the weight back.
    I cant see paying Kitfox a fortune for something that is so simple to make - If we just come up with the right material. 
    I could mold some with fiberglass on J3 struts, but that is so messy (and itchy!) to work with.
    After I get my struts finished, I just might be the guinea-pig on this.
    Anyone have other ideas?
    EDMO
    • 31 replies
    • 7,102 views


  13. thebriman added a post in a topic Creating an Airplane Kit, by John M. Larsen in Kitplanes Oct. 03   

    Thanks for posting this Ed! 
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  14. birddog486 added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Congrats Robert,
     
    I assume you have the same wing I built which can be considered an extended aerobat speedwing. I'm curious on your stall speed and how much washout you built into the wing also whats your empty weight on that beauty
     
    Travis
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  15. C5Engineer added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Exciting times! The extended wings I have seen have the flaperon missing on the fuse end and then they run out to the tips. Kitfox doesn't use the wood fairing for stiffening and yes the plastic they sell will add 10lbs but it makes a huge performance difference as others have mentioned.
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  16. EDMO added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Robert,
          Wouldn't it be feasible to just make a spacer to take care of that 1/4" gap??
    EDMO
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  17. akflyer added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Looks great and glad your ahving fun flying it!
     
    FWIW, there is a service bulletin that Avid put out on the wood fairings.. the directive basically says it has come to thier attention that some builders have left the fairings off and that they should be installed in the next 25 hrs.. this is for negative loads, not positive.  So as long as your not doing any outside snaps, you should be fine.  I picked up 250 FPM climb when I put the fairings on mine.  I went to 1" lift struts so I could use the KF snap on fairings, but they are HEAVY!  I would make some out of .020 aluminum for the 1" struts to save weight!
     

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  18. High Country added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    that sounds like a good idea Ed problem is I built them off of an old print and it wound up being that the 1st rib was set aprox 1/4" further out than it should have been and the rest were measured off of it making the gap at the outer end 1/4" shorter so the hinges don't line up. I planning to just make a whole new set later and will probably use the symmetrical design Kitfox has gone to. also want to shorten up the arms that the push pull cables attach to so I have less stick movement for more flapperon movement. this will all come in time for now they seem to be working just fine
     
    -Robert-
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  19. EDMO added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Robert,
           Your flaperons would be more efficient if you could just add some tube at the root end and move them out the extra bay for now.
    EDMO
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  20. High Country added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Jim- I've heard it both ways regard the structural integrity of the lift struts with vs w/o the wood fairings I'm going to change them soon to either 7/8 or 1" and will Fair them then just wanted to start flying it in the mean time. the rib tails were plated with aluminum all the way up into the webbing of the ribs for reinforcement. 
     
    Mike- the Flapperons are short because I used heavy hauler spars (3' longer) and HH / specs but used speed wing rib profile and have not yet extended the flapperons to match it. I did add the rib tail out there for extending them in the future though. 
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  21. EDMO added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Congrats Robert,
          Bird looks good, and must fly good too - many more adventurous hours ahead for you.
    Jim,
          The rib ends look like the speedwing rib ends, and they are heavier than the stol rib ends - but I could be wrong.
    EDMO
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  22. dynomike added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    looks great in the air .looks like you have shorter flaperons.
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  23. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Phase I flight testing   

    Looks real nice.  Would mention one thing though, I think there was an AD or at least a strong suggestion to put the wood fairings on the lift struts to stiffen them.  On Kitfoxs, some have reported 10 - 12 MPH increase in speed with the struts faired.  One question, was something added to the rib tails that the flaperon hinges on?  They look a bit different than others I've seen.  Jim Chuk
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  24. High Country added a topic in Avid fox flyers pics and vids   

    Phase I flight testing
    Well after two weeks of flight testing I'm at 28.XX hrs on the hobbs and have been having a blast. I'm seeing 1000 fpm at 60 mph climb out with myself and full fuel and 500 fpm with full fuel and 185 lbs strapped in the right seat. Average cruise is 75 mph but I don't have any fairings or gap seals anywhere so I expect that to increase as I clean it up. Fuel burn has been right at 4gal/hr which is better than I expected. here are a couple pics of my adventures so far. 
    • 15 replies
    • 1,472 views


  25. marshawk added a post in a topic Creating an Airplane Kit, by John M. Larsen in Kitplanes Oct. 03   

    Interesting article Ed ,thanks for posting it
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