Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. C5Engineer added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   

    I am doing some research to see if Avweld has any plans to do a system for the Kitfox cabane style gear. My biggest complaint I had with my "Bush Gear" was the springs that didn't flex.

    If your not familiar with the RAGE gear you can check it out here http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=11744&p=156699&hilit=Rebound#p156699
    • 0


  2. akflyer added a post in a topic Picture says it all   


    Sad state of affairs we are in right now.. The picture brings about one of my major pet peeves... if our kids are old enough and mature enough to defend our country and die for it, I think they are old enough to buy smokes and booze if they so desire.


    • 0


  3. horsepower added a topic in Hangar Talk   

    Picture says it all
    I saw a news reporter yesterday on Fox news trying to interview Bloomburg on why he has so many bodyguards with weapons and why no one else in the city are allowed to have a handgun for their personal protection.Bloomburg said he would get back with him later on this subject.What a dick.........

    • 7 replies
    • 1,654 views


  4. saskavid added a post in a topic Different Magnum Rudder?   

    A guy by the name of Jim Raeder worked at avid aircraft thru the 90's.He actually built the first factory magnum and all it's tooling. Once that was finnished he built his own individual magnum with a bigger wingspan and cable trailing edge as well as the non rounded rudder you are probably seeing in some photo's
    • 0


  5. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Different Magnum Rudder?   

    That looks a lot like the rudder on the "Airdale" model. (Avid mark V if you will)

    My friend used that tail on his hybrid plane.
    • 0


  6. BryceKat added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   

    That's Bob Mc Dunna
    • 0


  7. RDavidson added a topic in Avid Magnum   

    Different Magnum Rudder?
    I have seen a few pics of Magnums with a straight backed rudder, not the original round one.
    Are guys custom building these or is it something Brett at Airdale is selling?
    I'd like to buy or build one, but don't want to re-invent the wheel!
    I'm attaching a pic of a Magnum with the new tail.
    Any info would be greatly appreciated...


    Ron


    • 25 replies
    • 5,700 views


  8. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   


    The guy who put the file in the Yahoo group used the name whizzer something. Looked at his profile and all it said was Mac. Jim Chuk
    • 0


  9. C5Engineer added a post in a topic My 1956 Chevy   

    I've been home sick in bed the past two days so I have been going through the pictures and videos forum reliving past flying. I guess I missed this one the first time. Great story Doug!! Keep them coming! I love hearing stories about the good old days considering most of you guys been flying longer than I've been around. And I mean that in a positive way not looking to make anyone feel old but more to point out I think you guys all got away with a lot more than we ever will in this society.
    • 0


  10. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Classic IV Restoration   

    I don't have any photos of it, but I also added two of Murl Williams' underseat storage lockers.



    I didn't care for the "angle aluminum" and pop rivet installation they recommended, so I fabricated an aluminum ring to put under the seat lid and strengthen it.
    • 0


  11. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Classic IV Restoration   

    I've been dong many things on the Mangy Fox. Not much shows well in a photo until today...

    I'm using Grove gear. The brackets attach to the front gear mount and the forward float mount. Since my issue of bending the bungee truss, I decided I wanted to strengthen the side trusses at the gear attach points. This is how I have decided to do it.




    I used .032" sheet metal to make webbing between the tubing. I added the 2" holes to lighten the added steel.



    It looks a little strange at this point but we stitch welded the webbing into position. The total weight of the webbing is about 3 pounds. The strength added is priceless.
    • 1


  12. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   

    Why would you need to do the Zennair wanna-be slotted wing?

    I'm just saying if I was going to clean sheet a landing gear design, it would follow the patter of the long travel super-stol design, or maybe the Wilga trailing link (also a long travel).


    Personally, I like my Grove aluminum spring gear. I'm going to use the same on my project and highly recommend it...
    • 0


  13. akflyer added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   


    The only issue with the highlander super stol gear is the wing mods that need to be done to. That is a 15000.00 upgrade on the highlander to retrofit the gear and the wing. YIKES!

    I saw the RAGE gear and see the use of the bungee still but that still leaves a shock that could perform better.

    The issue with the fox float may be OK to soak up that one good hit, but in stutter bumps (big rocks) it will pack and cant transfer fast enough so we can never get the rebound dampening to work right. You can make it better by adding an air expansion chamber, but they still don't work as they should.

    On the other hand, the airplane is traveling at lower speeds than we do on sleds and you probly dont need as cushy of a ride as we like for the 100+ MPH stutter bump stuff. Our golden rule is that if you cant take one hand off the handle bars at 100+ in 2' high bumps then your not valved right


    • 0


  14. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   

    I tell you what, if I were going as far as my own gear design, I'd copy the new Highlander super-stol design and to hell with the cabine style.
    • 1


  15. FoxDB added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   

    Leni,
    I am not the guy who posted on yahoo. My strut is a down sized version of the Bearhawk strut. I have not seen the John Roberts Rage Gear just a picture but it is evident the Fox Shock is paired with a Bungie.
    • 0


  16. EDMO added a post in a topic Flight Test Weight & CG   

    My best advise is to get a liability policy written before the plane leaves the ground - If you are not eligible as pilot now, then list the pilots and their hours who will be flying it on the policy. "CYA"
    ED in MO
    • 0


  17. akflyer added a post in a topic Flight Test Weight & CG   

    Any licensed pilot can fly off the 40hrs, assuming that your willing to assume the responsibility to NOT sue someone for wrecking your bird do to no fault of their own. The 40hrs could be flown off pretty quickly if there is decent weather available. I dont have any heat burn with flying off hours on your plane as long as you know that if the engine quits I will do everything I can to save your plane and my own ass but I wont be held responsible for damage that mean old Mr. gravity dishes out in the even of the pilot cooling fan quits turning etc..

    With that being said, I would really like to get the skis rigged and installed prior to the test flights as it opens up ALOT of potential runways should something go wrong. I will have some time, weather permitting to put some hours on it for you after I get home. We can shoot for the 9th and 10th if she is signed off by then and the weather does not turn on us.


    • 0


  18. lv2plyguitar added a post in a topic Flight Test Weight & CG   


    Just give me a call. I need to get you and Leni to quickly fly off my 40 hrs. I need to get going on my training.

    Checked with FAA and it is perfectly fine to have someone else fly off the 40.
    • 0


  19. akflyer added a post in a topic ICOM A20 PTT   

    I used one for a little while and I just plugged the PTT into the adapter on it.


    • 0


  20. IFMT added a topic in Technical tasks   

    ICOM A20 PTT
    Hello everyone. Anybody using an ICOM a20 with a ptt in the control stick? I have a sigtronics headset with electret mic. Can I just plug into the adapter directly. The diagrams for wiring show a resistor parrallel to the mic. Any experience out there? Thanks
    • 1 reply
    • 917 views


  21. akflyer added a post in a topic Bought an Avid Catalina kit.   


    Well that is just around the corner! Not good on it being #3! I hope they have it figured out on what the bad word is going wrong and they get ya fixed up right this time.

    Keep the updates coming


    • 0


  22. akflyer added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   


    Dave,

    Was the file posted on the yahoo groups done by you? If so, I would like to post it here also. I looked at the gear many times in the past and was ready to build it based off that design, but time and other projects stopped me from doing it. I know the reason I was able to buy a wrecked Avid was do to the gear failures (twice) so I beefed up the fuse. If my fuse fails at the truss or longerons, I wont be around to worry about it. After seeing Joeys gear and his failure, I would want to play with lighter springs for sure!

    Jim,

    I was thinking the same thing you are. Cut the tubes across the top and then make the cabane strut system. I am also thinking of using a snowmobile shock on them like the guy is going for the RANS S-7 I just happen to have a pile of shocks from old race sleds that I could use and I have a good buddy who can actually get them tuned and valved right so the rebound and compression is perfect. Not to take anything away from the guy that is building them for the Rans, but the FOX floats that he is using SUCK! We tried for years to get them dialed in on my Cross Fire and the Mountain sled and they just dont work very well as there is not enough volume in them to really dial in the spring rate using air. The newer EVOLS work good, but I am not going to drop 2000 on shocks


    • 0


  23. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Flight Test Weight & CG   



    Sounds good Jeff, it will we great to have you flying too! If you're going to be around this coming weekend I would like to take a look at it.
    Also talk about getting Randy at Plaschem to look at your cargo pod and see what it would cost to have him build some.
    • 0


  24. SuberAvid added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   

    I "built" the gear for my Avid+, 5.5 " taller (vertical height) and upsized all the tubing one dia from the Airdale wide bungee gear. Overall, with the longer and larger tubing lengths and 3 connection points to the fuselage, it is probably a notable increase in materials over the Airdale wide bungee gear. I ended up with about $600 in just materials, but that included the jig I built first out of 1.5" sq. tube mild steel. The 4130 I ordered from AC Spruce so that included the outrageous shipping cost.

    I say "built" because I only did the design, built the jig, and cut and fit all the tubing. I had the advantage of a friend who is a good TIG welder who did all the 4130 welding.
    • 0


  25. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic homemade spring gear   

    Not trying to argue with you in the least, I did mention that the tubeing prices were from my 2008 catalog. Not my design either. I did price the springs mentioned and they were 47 each. This all started by me running accross this file and looking at it a while back and then I couldn't find it the other day. Well I did find it, in the files of the Avid flyer Yahoo group. For lenghts of 4130 tubes ect, I used what the guy said or estimated rough lengths. Wall thickness was mostly .058 with some .049. The guy said his gear weighed 17 lbs. I think that's heavier than Brett's if I remember right. Maybe way heavier. All your points about welding are correct. Not sure I would trust my welding skills either. Take care, Jim Chuk


    • 0