Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. IFMT added a post in a topic "FOXY FLAPPER" FOTOS   

    Get a couple buddies over! Don't build another space shuttle! Cheers gentlemen. B
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  2. EDMO added a post in a topic "FOXY FLAPPER" FOTOS   

    Thanks for the photos Jim.  We are both old and short, and my wings are heavier than most.   Going to plan B after I get the landing gear off.   These wings have never been on the plane since it was modified, and the wings were modified, and I got a lot older!
    EDMO
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  3. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic "FOXY FLAPPER" FOTOS   

    Here is what you need to put the wings on fairly easy.  I've put wings on a bunch of planes by myself using them.   The scary part is lifting them up on to the stands by your self and worrying about dropping one and messing it up.  Jim Chuk

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  4. Luked added a post in a topic Wanted a Rotax C redrive   

    Hey Trackwelder,
     
    I kind of forgot about this. Some time after you started this thread, I talked to a Kitfox owner that has a friend with a KF powered by the Yamaha. I was surprised to learn there was one so close to me. I want to go check it out some time when I get a chance. He said the performance was impressive.
     
    Luke D.
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  5. Trackwelder added a post in a topic Wanted a Rotax C redrive   

    As far as the technology behind the Yamaha engine, it is the same engine used in the Yamaha Genesis Motorcycles with the transmission removed from the engine, up to 5 valves per cylinder and the engine turns at 11,000 rpm although it does have a primary redrive that drops the output to 8,000 rpm, since Yamaha is using this engine in almost all of their vehicles including boats and Arctic Cat Snowmobiles they have spared no expense at developing this thing, after 2006 they switched to fuel injection which I am glad I aam not working with for my first try, but with 140 hp on 4 cylinders I should be aok even if one cylinder quits flying. and if I hold the power use to 100hp I really shouldn't be straining the engine at all. I have now seen a helicopter using this engine if it holds up there it will hold up to my Avid.
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  6. akflyer added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

     
      Your humor fits in just perfect here!  I got the email notification on my phone but I am out at the weld shop dealing with a hot issue right now (no pun intended).  When I get back to the office this afternoon I will post the pictures for you.
     

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  7. EDMO added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    Cliff,
        Welcome to the Senior Citizens Club - Life was much simpler for us when we were young
    - Just sent messages by beating on a drum and making smoke signals  
         My old cellphone finally lost its mind and started calling people without me knowing it - I didn't have a hammer handy, so just took the battery out and killed it that way.
    EdMO
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  8. cliff added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    It is now 2:43pm, My phone is smashed against the wall and laying in peices, I thought I knew how to send email from my phone. 1 hour and 1 minute of complete frustration and I have no clue if I sent a single picture. This new technolegy is sure hard on my old brain.    PS just kidding about the phone. 
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  9. Guest added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    This is a reply to a much earlier post in this thread that I never read.
     
    While it is probably a good idea to replace seals based upon time, (I mean how can you argue with the logic??) I did not do that.  
     
    I found with two separate ORIGINAL (10 yr+) Grey Head 582's that I was able to run both after many years in storage up to 600 hours before performing a major overhaul (new crank and over bore pistons).
     
    However, I did tear down and clean the ring grooves piston tops and heads periodically on both engines. At first I was doing the teardowns at rotax recommended intervals, but as I gained confidence and experience with the teardowns I stretched the teardown intervals based on how the engines always looked when I tore them down. Eventually over 1200 hours of flying between both engines the way I flew them, I arrived at a 300 hour teardown and cleaning interval and a 600 hour new crank and piston interval.
     
    Not advice of any kind, just my experience as one data point.
     
    Chris
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  10. cliff added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    akflyer, I attempted to email pictures  to you at 1:42pm. let me know if you got them. 2 pictures before the wings went on and 1 picture of my brother and I after our first flight together. I'm the fat one.
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  11. akflyer added a post in a topic "FOXY FLAPPER" FOTOS   

    so did you have to take the wife to the ER after she damn near died laughing at ya as she was taking pictures of the goat rope going on below the deck? 
     
    Fitting the wings can be a pain if you dont have enough help, but I give you an A+ for the effort and creativity!!
     

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  12. akflyer added a post in a topic Avid B model to MK4 Elevator upgrade   

    Lowell does VERY nice work.  Great attention to detail which is something I see lacking in a lot in the kit world.  I was not too impressed with the louver kit they put out though... nice parts, but they come in a box of a millionm parts and you have to put all the louvers on the actuating rods etc.  I would have paid more money for the part had it been assembled or partially assembled.  Nice parts, but there was more work to put it together than me or bob felt like doing at the time.
     

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  13. thebriman added a post in a topic Avid B model to MK4 Elevator upgrade   

    Let us know Joey, I would like to extend mine as well!!
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  14. akflyer added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

     
    You can email them to me.  akflyer_2000 at yahoo dot com   < I typed it that way so the bots crawling the site dont start sending me 1000s of spam mails a day.  If ya cant figure it out drop me a PM and I will give it to you there.
     

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  15. akflyer added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    Engine swap can be done in a few hours.  Its all plug and play if its been set up before.  If you have a tiny tach, set you prop and everything by that.  Put a cover over the hole that has the Rotax tach, its worthless.
     

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  16. C5Engineer added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    I pulled my engine and replaced the stator and had it running again before dark. A few knowledgeable guys will have no problems. Getting it set up and tuned will take some time. Hopefully it goes like a scalded dog. I know a guy who chased a power issue for months before he finally tried another gearbox which solved everything. Turned out he had a bad bearing in his box from an old prop strike which was causing excessive drag.
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  17. cliff added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    Paul,  Nice looking plane. I would like to post a picture of ours but I have very little computer skills. I have pictures on my phone and I know how to text or email from my phone, if one of you guys want to post them for me I could send them to you. I need to get my grandaughter over to the house for some more computer lessons.
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  18. cliff added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    My brother ran all new fuel lines, oil lines, throttle cables, and radiator hoses to the existing engine. Only thing they need to do, hopefully, is change the engine, which has the Cbox already installed, and install the prop. I was thinking it might take a while to get the engine, prop rpm and soforth tuned correctly. I guess time will tell. 
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  19. marksires added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    I'm not a great mechanic, and had zero Rotax or Aircraft engine experience at the time.  I took my engine off (582 grey head) to send it for overhaul in a few hours, and it took me a little less than a day to get it put back on by myself.  Since all the 'stuff' is already run, it isn't that bad.  Most of the time I spent was running new fuel lines and oil injector lines.  Installing an engine in a new airplane would take longer since all the wires, throttle cables, hoses, radiator mounts, etc. have to be set up and then adjusted a bazillion times.
    Mark
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  20. wolves200 added a post in a topic "FOXY FLAPPER" FOTOS   

    Nice! you plane is on the way, I like your retractable nose gear!
     
    Regards
    Dimi3
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  21. cliff added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    We  have a  tiny tach and a rotax tach and the tiny tach reads 200 rpm less than the rotax. My brother is pulling the engine on Saturday. two of the airport guys are going to help him, all three are mechanicis by trade,and one guy has a fair amount of 2 stroke knowledge. They say if they don't run into any problems , they can have the engine swap done in one day. I am NOT a mechanic and can't see how they can get everything done in one day. Have any of you experienced guys changed an engine in one day?  Also, we bought a complete fire wall forward  (582, C box, and 3 blade powerfin prop) off  a kitfox IV. We sent the engine and gear box to rotax Rick for overhaul and never changed anything on the prop. If the Kitfox owner had the prop set right what are the chances that it will work as set with the overhauled engine? We can't find any markings on this Powerfin prop to tell us what model it is, Does any one know where the model number might be found or how to tell which blades we have. From the pictures on the powerfin website it looks like either a B or E blade. Thanks
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  22. C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Avid B model to MK4 Elevator upgrade
    I just got my elevator back from Highwing LLC today. I had it exteneded to the Mark 4 dimensions which is almost 4" more chord as well as installing a Ray Allen trim system. Can't wait to test fly it. Hoping to complete the bulk of the install this weekend. Will report back with a PIREP.
     
    Lowell Fitt did all the work. He powerdercoated the metal after the extension and did all the work you see in the pic. He also covered and painted the final product. I am VERY impressed with his craftmanship.
     

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  23. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Looking for information on Kitfox wheel hubs   

    Here is the type and # of bearing.  It's a Timken A 6075.  I googled it to find a race to fit it cause I didn't want to pound the one out of the hub to read it and found a Timken A 6157.  It is only 3/8" wide though.  I'm sure the ones in the Kitfox hub measured 1/2" wide.  Jim Chuk
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  24. akflyer added a post in a topic engine and prop advice   

    re-seal after 5 years.  It is cheap and easy to reseal the engine.  One day to pull it, reseal then re-install.   I would not be putting DOT in the engine to make the seals swell up.  Your lawn mower or dirt bike is easy to pull over and fix, the plane is a bit different when you loose a seal and one cylinder goes lean and you smoke the piston.  Been there and done that, it gets exciting really quick.  I had JUST enough altitude to get back to the airport and land with a 20 mph tail wind. 
     
    For 150 bucks worth of seals, I would not take the chance.  I may gamble on the RV shaft seals, but not the two main crank seals.
     
    For a tach, go with a tiny tach.  I have seen the rotax analog tach from 2-800 RPM off.  Generally if a guy says it takes him 700' to get off the ground and only climbs out at 200 FPM, he is running an analog tach that is one big lying SOB!  Akflyerbob has both in his KF and at first they were reading within 60 RPM of each other.. after 50 hrs of flight time the analog tach is now 800+ RPM off.
     
    I am convinced that Rotax uses the same technology for their tachs as they do for the Dream-o-Meters they say measure speed on the snowmachines.. When testing the race sleds they said we were getting 120 MPH, but GPS and radar only showed us hitting 87
     
     

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  25. EDMO added a post in a topic "FOXY FLAPPER" FOTOS   

    "TWO OLD MEN AND A TRUCK - Ha!"
    Trying to set up wing to make wing struts - Short people should not try this at home!
    We gave up and decided that the landing gear has to come off first.
         "The upside-down nosewheel"?   After a painful encounter between the nose strut and my leg, I decided to put the nosewheel on as a rubber-bumper so it didn't happen again.
          "Lesson learned" - Well, at least it was a learning experience, and not a disaster, as it could have been.
    Regrouping to try again another time - Posting Foto.
    EdMO

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