Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. RDavidson added a post in a topic Different Magnum Rudder?   

    Randy,

    That is slick! I really like the step...great idea!
    Thanks for the pics and the info!
    Sorry if I lured you into a landing gear debate...you have my vote, it makes sense to me.

    Thanks again,
    Ron
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  2. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Latest on Belly Pod/ LE Slats   

    All good suggestions! I will let him know that maybe 3' or 6' for the leading edge would be best to match the rib spacing and make them shipable. Also I want them to wrap around the spar so they could attach to the rib underneath (not the spar) and cover to the back of the false ribs.

    I am hoping the pod can be made for less that $1000 also!! If it can be done in CF for that he is probably the one who will do it. His business is commercial and custom fiberglass and plastics but his passion is airplanes. He has a Supercub and a 180 and says his mechanic hates him...
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  3. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Aluminum gas tank   



    Kitfoxes and Avids both used aluminum wing tanks for a while, had problems with leaks developing. I think it may be from the flex in the wings that caused the tanks to start leaking. I think most of the people who have had problems with fiberglass wing tanks were the people who were using fuel with alcohol in it. I think the lastest fiberglass tanks use a fiberglass resin that is less effected by the alcohol. Take care, Jim Chuk
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  4. Bandit added a post in a topic Where did you fly today?   

    I gave my granddaughter Madison her first skiplane ride today. She had a smile on her face from ear to ear the whole time we were flying. It reminded me of a kid that got his first airplane ride in a Champ back around 1967.


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  5. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Different Magnum Rudder?   


    Hi Ron,

    The three attach point were a result of me wanting to keep the same angle of attack as I had with my Avid Mk IV. To lengthen it that much meant that it would greatly increase the leverage of on the gear and I wanted to get a wider spacing on the connection points to increase that resisting force couple arm. At the time Steve Widner was running Airdale so I asked him to build my fusalage with a third mounting point to widen the upper part of the gear and still allow me to use the stock gear if needed; plus it would give me a wider spacing and a third point to distribute the load. I asked if he would also build me a set of taller gear but he said that we would have to talk about that in the future. Steve left and Airdale was sold before we ever had the "talk" so I ended up building the gear myself. As you can see from the attached pics, the middle tube ties into the front tube at the mid point tie plate that also serves as the step back. Besides increasing the diameter of all the tubes it all is welded together to make the gear very strong; plus I added a small brace tube at the midpoint of the tension strut leg to support it in case of a compression load from a ground loop or something. I also doubled the thickness of the top tube that the bungee wraps on since this is a weak point in the stock gear. The safety cable wraps this tube under or beside the bungees and it can snap off the end of this tube from a hard landing that hits the safety cable limit. (A better way is to put the safety cable inside the V instead of outside no matter what the gear). After I built my gear I noticed that Just Aircraft started building the highlander gear with the third mounting point. In the first two pics you will notice that the gear doesn't have the horizontal brace tube to the bungee tube; I noticed I had forgotten this after I primered them so I had to add it; as you can see it is in place on the last photo when I am starting to paint the covering.

    Here is my opinion... I like the bungee gear because it is simple and lighter than the other gear all things being equal. The spring gear is heaviest plus it puts a much more concentrated load on the airframe so it is not as strong unless other things are done to strengthen the airframe. The cabane gear could be stronger with a three point mount because it doesn't load the seat truss but it is likely a bit heavier and adds drag and requires more experimenation and testing to get the spring setup correct. The bungee gear works good for me and with the Bushwheels, it give a good amount of cusion, in my experience.

    OK, now I will take my beating from all the spring gear and cabane gear fans.....



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  6. SuberAvid added a post in a topic New Years at the Lodge   

    Hey Leni,

    I'm looking forward to the pics and getting out there the next chance we can to do some more exploring!
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  7. Av8r3400 added a topic in Close Call's and dumb stunts   

    Superbowl
    Hahaha!

    1. SF is getting their ass kicked
    2. BLACKOUT!!!!
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  8. rlmankins added a post in a topic Flaperon   


    The tube looks like it is disconnected at the hinge fitting, not knowing exactly how it is made rod could be broken. It looks sleeved at the hinging point, and perhaps joined inside sleeve. To repair I would make a much longer sleeve.
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  9. EDMO added a post in a topic Aluminum gas tank   

    I am sure you will get some better answers on this - My Kitfox 1 & 2 with the 2 cycle engines had the 6 gallon tank behind the instrument panel - another 6 gallon tank behind seat might be feasable, but dont think any larger would do.
    ED in MO
    If you are going to pay for an aluminum tank - Why not an aluminum wing tank, or one of the newer FG alcohol-proof tanks, or the plastic tanks?
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  10. rlmankins added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Aluminum gas tank
    Has anyone thought about moving the gas tank to behind the seat using a facet pump and eliminating the fiberglass wing tanks. Would be pretty easy to weld up a custom aluminum fuel cell to fit there, I believe you could change out the rod for cables, rod looks like a prob anyway under the seat, to make room for it. Not sure about cg but should be close. Not to happy about sitting on gas but not looking forward to gas tanks leaking either. I am sure this has been beat to death as a topic but can not find in search. Feel free to flame me, only dumb question is one not asked.

    Thanks
    Roy
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  11. EDMO added a post in a topic Picture says it all   

    GREAT - You should go national on that one - send it to the Democrats!
    ED in MO
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  12. akflyer added a post in a topic Flaperon   

    Is it just the skin that is bent or is the tube bent also
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  13. akflyer added a post in a topic Picture says it all   


    You got me on that one Ed, you are 100% right!

    This should sum up the youth today...

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  14. High Country added a post in a topic Flaperon   



    You could probably check AC 43.13 However if it were me I think I would cut the flapperon off as close to the bend as possible getting rid of all the bad part. Get a new piece of aluminum tubing (aprox 6" long) that has the same outside diameter as the inside diameter of your current tubing. clean it real well and apply Hysol to the first half and slip it into the original tubing. then take a new piece however long you need to add on and Hysol it onto the second half of the smaller tubing. I would say if it is inside each side by 3" it should be good. pop a couple rivets into both sides on front and back only (don't want rivets where the aluminum sheeting will touch it) then just fab up some foam blocks wrap the new aluminum sheeting (could probably bend it by clamping some 2x4's to it) and over lap it to the old sheeting by say 1" Hysol it all together and add some pop rivets to the area that is over lapped and you're good to go. make sure that the hinge is correct for the rib tail. good luck

    -Robert-
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  15. rlmankins added a post in a topic Flaperon   

    The pics make it look like something I could do. It is bent at the fist hinge in from the outer end on the left side facing the front. What I was thinking of doing was to cut the skin past the bend, remove it, make new skin, over lap it, put the pole back together correctly, glue it and rivit it. A 6 inch overlap should be stronger than the original sheet metal. What do you think?
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  16. EDMO added a post in a topic Picture says it all   

    I guess I am a little (maybe a lot!) prejudiced here: AS an old GI, I think when a teen puts on a uniform, he/she should be given those privilages - NOT the asshole on the street who didnt finish school and is dealing dope, stealing, shooting, and voting for a communist!!!!!!!!!!
    These "privilages" should be given to those who earn them - Just like the 16 year old who takes driver's training to get his license rather than waiting until he turns 18 and can get it free.
    ED in MO
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  17. EDMO added a post in a topic Fuse length and new gear   

    OK - I see now what you intend - All of the several planes I have looked at with the bungee system ended up with a bent longeron - That is sure the weakest spot in the fuselage - The Airdale system strengthened this a lot, but that was a totaly different kind of gear than most of us use. My attach design for my Grove gear takes all the stress off of the longerons.
    Good luck with your research.
    ED in MO
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  18. akflyer added a post in a topic Fuse length and new gear   


    Ed,

    I was thinking more about the guys that bent the fuse using the new cub style spring gear. I was not sure if it was pulling the sides of the fuse in due to the loads being put on the lower longerons from the cabane vee or if the longerons were getting pushed up. Either way, I think we may have a workable solution that would be pretty easy to fix the problem.

    #1 I dont want to just beef the fuse up to take the load. If we can design some of it out in the gear geometry that is the real answer. If we cant, then changes to the vee could do the trick. I wont know for sure till I get the measurements and go from there.



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  19. EDMO added a post in a topic Flaperon   

    It might help if you would post in your profile where you are located - There might be a member close to you that could help you more. I have a spare flaperon, but shipping is costly - and dont know which side or model that is bent - guess I could figur this out from your first post?
    ED in MO
    Now I see you have an Avid - My KF flaperon wont help you.
    ED
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  20. High Country added a post in a topic Flaperon   

    I'm not sure if you're looking to make a new one or just repair the one you have, if its bent towards one end to bad to be fixed you may be able to cut it off and just rebuild the bad part, I've seen a KF with one extended done in this fashion. . you could sleeve the good tube (small piece inside to allow the extension to slip over it) to extend it to the length needed then just overlap the aluminum sheeting and rivet it together. The design is really simple. an aluminum tube (2024-T3 OQ-A-250/5) for the spar some Styrofoam cut to the shape all wrapped in the aluminum sheeting, could probably use some aluminum flashing that comes in a roll for roofing from any hardware store. all of this is glued together with hysol then riveted together. as for the hinges you just need something for the bushing pressed onto the aluminum tube and the hinge goes over that. I've seen KF's with a much better hinge and I would like to build some like them for my project if anyone has pics and info for these maybe it would help us both out...Anyways sorry for being long winded here are some pics of the inside maybe they will help

    -Robert-









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  21. EDMO added a post in a topic Fuse length and new gear   

    I agree with Doug - The Grove gear is easier to remove than the standard with bungees, or the Cub type gear.
    I have a Grove for sale - cheap.
    ED in MO
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  22. EDMO added a post in a topic Fuse length and new gear   

    Leni, I will look at my old photos, and if I can find the ones of my KF2 that bent the longeron and other parts, I will post them. This was a side-thrust, going down on one leg.
    ED in MO
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  23. EDMO added a post in a topic Fuse length and new gear   

    Now, you've got me thinking - Pazmany in his book on "Landing Gears" showed the making of a fiberglas gear -
    A carbon-fibre gear would be still lighter, and maybe better?
    ED in MO
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  24. dholly added a post in a topic Fuse length and new gear   

    Why? It's only 4 bolts, same as oem gear. Not hard at all, particularly since you don't need to dicker with bungees.
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  25. akflyer added a post in a topic Fuse length and new gear   

    I was just talking to an engineer geek buddy of mine and he is going to run a stress analysis on the gear and fuse components for me to see if we can come up with solution. If anyone is close to their airplanes and can get some measurements for me today that would be awesome!

    I need the lengths on the gear legs and on all of the components. So the width of the fuse at the gear attach points, the gear leg length, the length of the cabane struts for the vee and the strut coming off the gear leg.

    It would be helpful to know the length of the slot in the strut for total travel allowed to so we can run the numbers on the spring compression and the loads put on it.

    I think I have a VERY easy solution for the fuselage buckling depending on where the fuse is buckling at...

    Any details you guys can give on the failures would be very helpful for me to give this guy so we can come up with a real solution to the gear issues, and not just use a TLAR shade tree solution.... No disrespect to the guys that have built their own on the TLAR principle, that is what he experimental world is all about! I am just trying to get a solution to a problem so we dont bend any more birds from a faulty design



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