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Activity Stream



  1. EDMO added a post in a topic Forging ahead...spar tubes and fittings   

    Since I am not a mechanical engineer, I cant even guess at the difference in strength/stiffness between .040 and .050 - Guess if it don't bend or break it will work either size.   Looks Good.  I added 6 of the 8 additional rivets that the Magnum specifies for each attachment fitting, but Leni said it was not needed because there has never been a failure reported there.
    Sand-blasted and painted, the old ones should be OK to use.  I would pay the postage if you are going to scrap them.  I have a Kitfox 1 clone that could use them.
    EDMO
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  2. dholly added a post in a topic Forging ahead...spar tubes and fittings   

    I would help if I could but everything is riveted on and/or under fabric. Good to see you up and working on your kit.
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  3. Tree top pilot added a post in a topic Forging ahead...spar tubes and fittings   

    Just to make sure we're both on the same page......made from .040 molly sheet. Rusty ones were the poorly made parts as delivered. No pride in the workmanship......not to mention no concern for safety. I powder coat most all small parts that will fit in the shop's oven. Girly pic is my nose art I am working on / editing as time gets closer to finish.



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  4. EDMO added a post in a topic Forging ahead...spar tubes and fittings   

    TTP,
          I believe that there is more stress on the spar strut fittings than on the spar attach fittings - I think I made the curved portion of my strut fittings out of .060 - still going to shop today to double-check sizes just for curiosity.
         Later,
    I checked as best as I could, and all of my spar fittings measure about .070 to .075 with the paint on them,  Sooo, guess I used .060 for everything - Not saying that is what Kitfox used, but probably what I had at the time.
    EDMO
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  5. Tree top pilot added a post in a topic Forging ahead...spar tubes and fittings   

    The old ones were made from .040". Just wanted to see what else was out there. There is a lot of stresses where these make the bend coming off the tube. As for the inserts.....a suggestion was made here to make them from 1/4" plywood. So I drilled and "V" shaped the ends and sealed with epoxy clear-coat. That should do the job of keeping the tube in shape and from collapsing under all those + G forces. I mean if .040" will safely handle a 1350 MTOW on an Avid I would like to know that it has been proven to be safe. There was a pair of washers welded on the bolt hole side to spread the load on the bolt. It was to be finished reamed to .250" before bonding to the spar.
    Thanks for looking into this.....
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  6. Luked added a post in a topic Enough already AOPA!!   

     
    Well, I got my license in 92, but started it in 91. I never got many hours though. It wasn't too long before I got married, and eventually started a family. I just recently got back to flying again. They also had a 172 that rented for $58/hr wet.
     
    Rental rates actually seem to be in line with inflation. I found this website: http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ , and calculated what the 172 would be in today's dollars. It came out to $101.31. I'm currently paying $100/hr wet to rent a 172. It's even a 180 horse with constant speed.
     
    The thing that's disappointing to me is that we haven't figured out how to make homebuilts more affordable to build. I do think Avids are probably one of the best bang for the buck homebuilts out there though. That's why I'm building one.
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  7. EDMO added a post in a topic Forging ahead...spar tubes and fittings   

    TTP,  Did you measure the old Spar Attach Fittings?
           My Kitfox 1 manual gives .040 for the Jury Strut attach angles - My new extended ones will be .060.
    No thickness given for the Spar attach Fittings, or the Strut Fittings, but I can measure mine tomorrow if you don't get a better answer.   My strut fittings also have a thin washer bonded to the attach hole in each side.  Manual don't say that, but that was how my first Kitfox was built, so I copied it - Been too long for me to remember thickness.
    What are you going to use for Spar Inserts?
    EdMO 
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  8. EDMO added a post in a topic Bad start to the summer   

    Kenneth,  There was an ultralight that went down near you ( In Illinois ) early this week - no other reports, but looked like the bird suffered a broken wing - believe no injuries.   Guessing engine out?
    The Cessna on I-364 (Page extension) took off from Creve Couer and was probably right next to the old - closed - Arrowhead airport.   I used to fly out of both of them.
    EDMO
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  9. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Enough already AOPA!!   

    My renting history
     
     
    1987 - Wisconsin Rapids, WI (KISW)
     
    PA28 Warrior II - $48 / hour, wet
    C152 - $35 / hour, wet
    Instructor - $18 / hour, (wet behind the ears)
     
     
    1991 - Marshfield, WI (KMFI)
     
    PA28 Warrior II - $55 / hour, wet
    C172RG Cutlass - $75 / hour wet
    PA28 Arrow - $85 / hour wet
    Instructor - $25 / hour
     
     
    2003 - Stevens Point, WI (KSTE)
     
    PA28 Cadet - $60 /  hour, wet
    PA28 Archer II - $80 / hour, wet
    C182 RG - $110 /  hour, wet
    Instructor - $25 / hour
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  10. lostman added a post in a topic Bad start to the summer   

    As far as taking the grass VS the runway: Almost always it's safer to take the hard surface. From NTSB statistics it shows there is a much higher survivability rate and less damage when the gear is up on hard surface than soft. Many times the planes end up on their top when it comes to grass. Hard to believe, but evidently the coefficient of drag on grass and maybe a not so smooth surface versus a smooth runway lets itself better to the black stuff.
     
    Years ago where I did my flight training they had a 210 Cessna that wouldn't drop one of the main gear. After four hours of calls with the NTSB, FAA and Cessna, everyone confirmed to pull the remaining gear up and put it on the center line. It was uneventful and the plane flew again after a rebuilt. 
     
    I heard there was another wreck in Northwestern Arkansas this week too. Haven't looked into the details yet, but I used to fly from that field and hope it wasn't an old student.
     
    Be safe my friends!
     
    In other news, I flew my Teenie Two for the first time since November. It was the first flight I've taken since the accident. I only did two circuits in the pattern but it was 75 degrees and low overcast and smooth! Felt good to get back on that horse.
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  11. dholly added a post in a topic Enough already AOPA!!   

    1976 - PA28 was $40 wet, actually $28 and $12 for the instructor.
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  12. Tree top pilot added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Forging ahead...spar tubes and fittings
    I went to a new metals place in NC today. Felt like crap and didn't really want to ....but there is an airplane to build. Picked out the best 24' spar tube they had { the one with the least amount of abuse from shipping}. It will clean up nice with a touch of sanding here and there. They had 6 pieces 24 feet long....2.5 " X  .065"  T-6. Also many sizes of German made 4130 tubing. These guys treated me like I was someone. I was impressed. Very clean site and nice folks. Check them out online....Race City Steel . They even have airfoil shaped tube in some sizes I didn't know was available...shame on you Aircraft Spruce. Fair priced as well. They told me they didn't speak chinese and seen no reason to have materials from there. I did check at another place- Stock car steel and there's was .080" thick but had a lot of scratching and gotchas on them.
     
    On another topic...the spar attach fittings I have made were from .040" 4130 sheet. Is that the thickness most have here? I spent a lot of time in making the fixtures to bend them correctly. Just want to make sure I don't need to make another set from .050". I will calculate the cross sectional areas and see what kind of loads each are capable of this weekend.
     Anyhow the questionable spars will be replaced. No worries then. Monday the doctor will see me again and I will return useless and in pain for a while. Need to make this weekend count. Finished most everything but the wings.
    So what are your spar attach fittings thickness?
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  13. akflyer added a post in a topic 6" Pneumatic Tailwheel   

    I love it when I see parts move on the forum..
     

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  14. egp8111 added a post in a topic 6" Pneumatic Tailwheel   

    I'll take it. 
    I PM'ed you for details
    thxs
    EG
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  15. akflyer added a post in a topic Enough already AOPA!!   

    you must have got your ticket right before I got mine.  I was paying 43 hr wet for the 152, 65 hr wet for the PA 12.  The 180 was 112 hr wet.
     

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  16. Luked added a post in a topic Enough already AOPA!!   

     
    I agree wholeheartedly about the cost of flying. When I got my license, I rented a 152 for $37/hr with fuel (I know some paid $5 or some crazy cheap amount). As you say though, there should be a way to build an airplane for less money.
     
    I believe the reason homebuilts are expensive to build is the cost of engines. We can build a reasonably priced airframe in our garage from raw materials and plans, but it's hard to build an engine ourselves. I started getting all of the homebuilt mags back in the late 80s, and the promise of new better engine options for homebuilts seems like it's always been there, yet most homebuilts today are still using certified style aircraft engines.
     
    Auto conversions are the closest thing to building our own economical engine, but they have a mixed record. Some have great success, and some have nothing but trouble. I think it really depends on the technical ability of the individual. Another factor is that just about every auto conversion out there has a slightly different configuration. There are multiple types of fuel delivery, and multiple ignition system variations. PSRUs come in many different flavors. And those are only a few of the differences in installations. All of these differences mean that it's hard to gain knowledge from previous installations because no two are quite the same. It's like every builder has to be their own R & D department. Aircraft engines have so much operational history, they are pretty much a bolt on and go situation.
     
    If someone could crack the code on a less costly engine, I believe it would be the single biggest factor in reducing the cost to build your own plane. I know this isn't really any new information, just thinking out loud I guess.
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  17. RDavidson added a post in a topic Enough already AOPA!!   

    I am with Joey about the AOPA...I hate the calls and letters asking for money. The magazine is not inline with my interests either and I have pitched more than a few in the trash after a brief scan through.
    However, when they stand up for things like abolishing the Third class medical requirements, I don't mind giving them money.

    I actually really like the EAA Sport Aviation magazine and find some of the articles very useful. But Kitplanes is my favorite! I think Kitplanes is a magazine that caters to guys like us, with articles that show the "cheaper" side of building and flying planes.

    GA is dying and Uncle Sam wants it to die, he wants the airspace! The main reason it is dying is that aircraft are too expensive! This new generation of adults is living in their Mom and Dad's basement because they can't afford a home. How do they afford the soaring gas prices when learning how to fly much less be able to purchase a $100,000 LSA?

    I hope for some sort of tort reform or reg change so that a cheap, manufactured aircraft becomes available, but that is a dream for sure!
    Take a look at your new car, selling in the $35,000 range with all of the bells and whistles and safety equipment. Why is an aircraft with simplistic engine technology and basically no safety equipment other than 1970s seatbelt technology worth $100,000?

    Our little planes are great, I just wish it didn't take so long to build one! Of course I am the weak link in that equation

    Also, I like the glass stuff...all the info to stay safe is right there. Take a look at some of the iPad interface systems like iLevil...very cool!
    http://www.aviation.levil.com/ilevil-sport.html
    You can use multiple devices for a split screen. You can link it to one of the GRT EFIS so that engine info can be displayed as well. Link it to Foreflight or WingX to get all kinds of free weather info, airport data and all of the flight planning data. I think I'm going to do this, but I'm still a couple of months from building my panel.
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  18. RDavidson added a topic in Avid Flyer General Hangar   

    Using uv smooth and epoxy primer
    I'm about to start painting and I'm looking at using Polyfiber's Superfill, UV Smooth, and Expoxy primer on my fiberglass parts.
    Any cautionary tales, techniques or lessons learned with these products that you could pass on to me would be appreciated!

    Thanks,
    Ron
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  19. C5Engineer added a post in a topic 6" Pneumatic Tailwheel   

    This is a great upgrade if you fly primarily off pavement and are still using the old Maule style hard rubber tailwheel.
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  20. Av8r3400 added a topic in For Sale and wanted, you got it, I want it   

    6" Pneumatic Tailwheel
    My buddy Dave has this Macto 6" pneumatic tailwheel for sale.  It's new in the box, never installed.   $150  ($200 from Matco)
     

     

     
     
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  21. C5Engineer added a post in a topic Boonville Airport Open House - August 9, 2014   

    Thanks for the heads up. This is not for from me. I am planning to attend at least for a few hours. My leash will be pretty short as I will have just returned from 10 days at Osh.
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  22. akflyer added a post in a topic Water temps and CHT temps   

    Water temp.... If water temp is ok then cht is going to be fine.


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  23. Deejayel added a post in a topic Water temps and CHT temps   

    Makes sense. Which is more important? If I only had a cht, I wouldnt be sweating, but watching my water temps press 180, I'm hot!
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  24. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Airventure 2014   

    Wednesday at 6 pm is the get together at the Kitfox booth.
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  25. akflyer added a post in a topic Water temps and CHT temps   

    The cylinder head temp uses the ring probe under the spark plug. No water right there and that's where the big fire is.. So the head temp at the plug is higher than water temp.

    Water temp is 180 max from rotax, but I have seen it published that momentary temps of 200 are ok.



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