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Activity Stream



  1. akflyer added a post in a topic scheduled offline upgrades   

    Doug, I think the emoticons are working right now too!
     
     
     
     
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  2. akflyer added a post in a topic scheduled offline upgrades   

    well it looks like the upgrade is complete!  Hopefully this will keep the damn hackers outta our hair for awhile! 
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  3. EDMO added a post in a topic Model 4 Rudder Pedal Mod   

    And, for certain unnamed writers, the nounage might be "Bullshit"! :lol:/>/>/>/>
    Old cropdusters have a lot of fertilize to spread!
    I had a CFI who was giving my BFR and he wiped his muddy-graveled shoes off on my new wing-walk tapes on the Ercoupe - He had never been in an Ercoupe - I gave him the ride of his life in my sooped-up Coupe - Before I had finished showing him how good it would do unusual manuevers, he was screaming, "That's enough!" I let him say it several times before landing - he signed me off and never flew with me or wiped his feet on my wing again! :lol:/>/>
    ED
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  4. Mendlerr added a post in a topic Mark IV For Sale   

    I like this forum, thank you for all the info.

    My field elevation is 4,700ft MSL. So I'm at a decent altitude, most people don't know the mountains of North Carolina get that high.

    I wish this snow storm would let up, I won't be leaving the house for atleast 2 days and I want to go see my new Airplane! I havn't seen it since I bought it.

    I was given some brand new, Silicone Injection Molded couplers for the carburetors. These are the same couplers I used to run on a couple race cars I had, good stuff, much better then rubber or a rubber blend. I think that may help out significatly, the factory boots are cracked up some and have dry rot on the edges so I'm sure they are leaking small amounts of air.

    I am going to pull the carbs off with my A&P buddy and clean and inspect them, I am also going to clean the K&N filter. I may pull the exhaust to look at the pistons but I have some very detailed rebuild logs for this engine from the same owner so I trust that he ran this engine well.

    I'm still thinking of switching to an IFA IVO prop at some point. See if I can't increase the performance slightly. The wood blades are growing on me a little bit though.

    I have a long laundry list of mods and improvements. I guess I can start with some vortex generators and the carbs and a good conditional inspection. Oh and of course I want to fly the hell out of it! I'm so excited to get it in the air
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  5. dholly added a post in a topic Model 4 Rudder Pedal Mod   

    Ed - you're supposed to knock the cow shit off your boots before you climb in the plane!
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  6. dholly added a post in a topic scheduled offline upgrades   

    Good move, kill those hacker bastards! :hammerhead:/>
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  7. EDMO added a post in a topic Model 4 Rudder Pedal Mod   

    Should be easy to bend a couple of .032 aluminum sheets or .020 stainless to make these - dont care much for the holes in Dougs - Looks like dirt scraper holes to me, and the dirt would go right on the MCs, IMO.
    ED in MO
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  8. Guest added a post in a topic Mark IV For Sale   


    It is not uncommon especially with heavy props for the 582 not to want to idle well below 3000. 3000 is a fine RPM to warm the engine up. It is not producing power or heating too rapidly at that power setting.

    Balancing the carbs will probably help and is easy to do. You can do it visually or with a manometer. Hopefully you are also a member of the Yahoo site. If not you should join there too. A lot of crossover between the two, but some different stuff too. On that site I posted how I made my own little manometer for nothing, and some instructions how to balance the carbs with it. It does make a difference to balance the carbs.

    Back to the idle speed though, my best "advice" is to idle the engine at as low RPM as you can while being high enough RPM for any rattling sounds in the gearbox to disappear. My general experience is that the engine will run smooth at pretty low RPM, even below 2000 with well balanced carbs, but the gearbox will still rattle. Run it where the gearbox rattle disappears and you will be on target. I cringe when I hear 582's idling with the gearbox rattling. I want to run over to the plane and set the idle to where it disappears! ) (It's just a personal thing) It's an auto reflex for me to idle the engine up where it is running smooth and not worry about what RPM that is at all. On one day/temp/presssure/field elevation and phase of the moon, that might be 3000 RPM. Warm it up at 3000 on that day. On another day at a different airport/elevation/time/pressure and phase of the moon, that might be 2400 RPM. I wouldn't worry about it at all. Just warm it up thoroughly as everyone has said and do the warmup just above the RPM where the engine runs smooth without gearbox rattle. It will serve you well and if I am standing around I won't be cringing )

    ChrisB
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  9. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Mark IV For Sale   

    Sounds like an idle jet might be plugged in one of the carbs. The holes in the idle jet are really small, like I used a small guitar string to poke through them. Pretty easy to get some junk in them. If one carb isn't working right, it will have a hard time idleing properly. The jets are easy to get to, drop the bottom off the carb, unscrew the idle jet. Hacman kit might be nice, but don't do it just to try to fix the idle, the idle circut in these carbs cuts out and the slide/midrange starts to take over somewhere around the 3000 rpm mark. These engines will not idle real smooth at low rpms, mostly from the prop fighting the gearbox at slower rpms, but it should smooth out at 2500 or 2600 rpm. I had a GSC on my Himax for a while, it seemed fine, but I think the factory says to replace them after 5 years..... Not sure how many people do. One thing to add, if you adjust it, you should never have to tighten the bolts down to where the two halves of the hub touch to get the right torque on the bolts. It's junk if you do. Take care, Jim Chuk

    PS this is why you (I) should always read the questions better. (like before I hit the reply button!) If the carb boots are leaking air, that would very much affect the idle as well.


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  10. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Mark IV For Sale   

    It will do to get you going. Syncing is always good. The hacman kit may be overkill for now, depending on the altitudes you fly.

    Do a search here on the carb boots. Leni and Joey have a source for some awesome aftermarket ones that work great.
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  11. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic scheduled offline upgrades   

    Thanks for all the efforts, Leni. Let us know how to help.
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  12. Mendlerr added a post in a topic Model 4 Rudder Pedal Mod   

    I'm very intrigued by this, keep us updated. i kept catching the brakes with my toes trying to work the pedals the other day.
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  13. Mendlerr added a post in a topic Mark IV For Sale   

    would syncing the carbs and possibly installing a Hacman kit help? also, is the GSC prop a descent prop? It's 3-bladed with what looks like a urethane leading edge. I'm not sure how I feel about it.
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  14. Mendlerr added a post in a topic Mark IV For Sale   

    Thanks for the info guys. Some serious Drama unfolded this weekend while I was out of town in Atlanta. The airplane came off the trailer while unloading it. The winch strap broke. The tail swung sideways and injured the previous owner of the aircraft. Hopefully the airplane is not damaged.

    Then it would not fit in the storage unit I rented, although I was assured the door opening was 10ft-7ft. It was really only 7'8" and 6' so it just will not fit.

    It is now outside on the trailer wrapped in a tarp getting pounded by this wicked winter storm we are in. I'm very distraught over everything that has happened and I am going to have a local(ish) A&P go over the entire aircraft and get a conditional done. I'm also going to replace the rubber carburetor intake boots off and replace them with silicone one. I noticed they had some dry rot.

    Also, the airplane is not wanting to idle below 3,000 RPMS. In the original owners manual it specifically says "when engine starts, immediately increase RPM's to 3,000".

    It will idle at 2,500 but it is very rough and anything below that and it will die (according to previous owner).

    What would cause this on the 2-stroke? I personally started the engine and it ran very rough under 3,000 but as soon as it hits 2,950-3,000RPMS it smooths right out. In the air it puurrrrssss
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  15. akflyer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    scheduled offline upgrades
    Hey guys,

    I have dropped a ticket to have the site upgraded to the latest forum software and security updates. The new site will probably have a little bit of a different look to it, but the software should function the same. I am still having a hacker issue here and there and the latest rev of the software is spose to be alot better. At 100 bucks a pop to have the guy clean the malware off its getting to be a bit of a piss me off for me They are backed up doing the updates so it is spose to be sometime in the next 8 days for them to do the upgrade. The site should not be offline for more than an hour when they do get to it, so please be patient if you try to log on in the next week and it boots you off.

    I will be learning the new software to but I dont think it will be any challenge to us, and some of the features should actually make it easier for you guys to get around on here.

    Thanks

    Leni


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  16. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Wendt's on the Lake   

    And boy, was it goo-ood.
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  17. dholly added a post in a topic Model 4 Rudder Pedal Mod   

    Ed - they are nail-on tie plates used in deck building or truss construction to hold adjoining lumber together. Pretty common item, HD, Lowes or your local hardware store should have them. I've attached a dimensions drawing but believe the p/n for this one is TP35, you probably can confirm that on their website.



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  18. EDMO added a post in a topic Model 4 Rudder Pedal Mod   

    OK - got to ask - as a machinist, not a carpenter - what are Simpson strong-tie connector plates and where do you get them and what size? Are they aluminum? Looks like a winner - all my pedals are the E type - was planning to replace them with Cessna 150 aluminum pedals, but this looks doable.
    ED in MO
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  19. dholly added a post in a topic Model 4 Rudder Pedal Mod   

    My Smitty specials, muchos gracias!
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  20. dholly added a post in a topic Wendt's on the Lake   

    Every year Larry cleans out the lobster before I can get there... and never fails to send a photo of his surf & turf... every friggin' year... he is one sick sumobitch I tell ya!
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  21. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Model 4 Rudder Pedal Mod   

    Nice...
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  22. dholly added a topic in Kitfox IV   

    Model 4 Rudder Pedal Mod
    I was real happy with the rudder pedal modifications I made for my KF-3 (LINK), and I wanted to do something similar with the pedals on my KF-4 as well. The 'E-style' pedals on the KF-4 made the job a lot easier vs. the separate toe brake pieces on the KF-3. In fact, it cost me less than a buck and a half and an hour of my time. The secret is that the holes on the Simpson Strong-tie connector plate are sized right for 1/8" rivets and align perfectly with the 'E'-pedal legs.



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  23. dholly added a post in a topic Making new Conform Foam seats   

    Well I took the seats back to the upholstery shop to see if I could get a thumbs up for my efforts to date. He said it was a good start, but suggested:



    1.) reducing the height of the side bolsters from 1-1/8" high to 3/4"-7/8" high.
    2.) putting the seat pan back in the plane and sitting on the new cushions to find the most effective lumbar support thickness and location.
    3.) adding thigh support along the front seat edge. I normally don't find this very comfortable in cars due to my rather short legs (30" inseam) but I'm glad I tried it.

    So back in the shop today I cut all the side bolsters down to 7/8" and added 3/4"H x 5-1/2"W lumbar support, with the lower lumbar support edge located 1-1/2" above the seat cushion top. It was very surprising how just little movement up and down causes your seating position to go from seating bliss to immediately uncomfortable. Don't skip this step or attempt to eyeball guesstimate, well worth the time!

    After sitting for nearly an hour testing out a few different configurations, I decided to add full span thigh supports. I found 7/8" high was comfortable so I shaped to match the height of the side bolsters. I found the thigh support helped hold your legs together (but not too tight!), actually more like it helped keep them from splaying too far apart. It eliminated having to make any physical effort to keep your legs together which should be much more comfy flying with a passenger. Interesting to note too, that the current Kitfox Model 7 seat is 1" thick under butt and 2" under thigh. Obviously, they like the thigh support idea as well.



    I did screw up the bolster mitres on the pilot side, cut too short... grrr... left the other side for the expert. I am down to only one of the long scrap shipping pieces left, need to figure best way to use it on the top seat cushion. Played around with the 'sunken' back cushion look, kinda like that. Will need the expert's input on fixing the goof first.



    Got to pick a covering material now. Leaning toward Ultrasuede rather than vinyl for better durability and breathability. Much easier to keep clean than fabric, and being softer, thinner than vinyl should allow the butt to mold to the foam better. So... French stitch or piping? Solid colors or patterns? Any color suggestions for a yellow plane with orange powder coated frame?
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  24. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Wendt's on the Lake   

    There was also a Super Cool - Super Cub on ABWs that parked on the ice, too...



    Doug missed that, too...
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  25. Av8r3400 added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Wendt's on the Lake
    Here is what dinner looked like last week from Wendt's on the Lake. (A restaurant famous for their deep fried lobster, just outside Oshkosh, WI) We were a party of 20 and I think everyone got the Prime Rib and Fried Lobster Combination....




    I'm doing this mostly to share Doug's pain in missing out with the rest of everyone.
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