Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Bondo or something lighter?   

    I think Polyfiber or one of these companies makes something like "featherfill". I just looked in my Superflight manual and don't see it so it must be one of the others. Might be worth browsing around in AC Spruce or such if no one else replies. Hard to say it it is any different than the lightweight Bondo. I use micro-ballons mixed into fiberglass resin for some filling I did on my cowling but not sure if it is lighter than the LW Bondo.
    • 0


  2. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Skunkworks - Electrical/ Weight Saving   

    From the little bit of reading I have done on this it seems the LI batteries are very sensative about having all the the cells balanced. They can overcharge a cell while another is undercharged; that is the reason they require the special balancing charger every so often to rebalance the charge on all the cells. One thing that the Earth X battery has that is unique is that is has the cell monitoring and balancing circuitry built into the battery so it never requires a special charger and constantly maintains it's cell balance with the normal alternator charge or any modern AC battery charger. At least that is what their brochures say. I read other LI manufacturer literature that say they don't require a special charger but also say they should be balance charged with an LI battery charger occasionally. They do not have the balancing circuitry built into the battery from what I could tell; also, they cost about $70 to $100 less so it stands to reason for the difference. I think I will see how my buddy likes his for a while and consider switching to one this summer.



    Meanwhile, my cool new solid state battery relay and LED wing tip and tail light strobes from ZTron arrived today; self contained, multiple programable flash patterns that can be synced together if desired, extremely low power use... Should light the SuberAvid up like a christmas tree!
    • 0


  3. EDMO added a post in a topic Skunkworks - Electrical/ Weight Saving   

    I know I'm way behind on the latest electronics - But, a cell phone battery is like a postage stamp compared to one that will crank an engine - hope all this works out for the weight savers. Does this mean I can throw away the crank to my model-T ?
    ED in MO
    • 0


  4. akflyer added a post in a topic Skunkworks - Electrical/ Weight Saving   

    Lithium ion batteries ahd a bad problem with overheating and then exploding. When they first hit the market we used them in the electric RC planes. I lost a couple of them due to over amping them and then watching them turn to fireballs in the sky. The new batteries are much better and dont explode the way the original ones did. If they were now banned, people would not be allowed to carry cell phones on the planes.


    • 0


  5. EDMO added a post in a topic Skunkworks - Electrical/ Weight Saving   

    Being an old dinosauer here - I know that I am probably several years behind on the electrical circuit
    - BUT:
    Didnt the FAA at one time ban those new-fangeled "Lithium-whatever" batteries from being carried on airplanes because of fire or explosive danger, maybe from altitude, or something?
    Down here, I would be more concerned with overheating and fire than about freezing weather sucking the power down.
    Your Black & Decker Lithium powered drill doesnt usually fly with you!
    Any answers on this?
    ED in MO
    • 0


  6. Av8r3400 added a topic in KitFox General Forum   

    Kitfox
    Kitfox has announced their offering of a firewall forward kit for their newer (5-7SS) planes for the 912 iS fuel injected motor.

    They are flying their "Test Mule" down to Sebring now to show it off.










    I hope they sell lots of these upgrades! Good news for all of us meaning more 912UL and ULS motors on the used market, cheap!
    • 0 replies
    • 1,594 views


  7. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Skunkworks - Electrical/ Weight Saving   

    I talked to my buddy today; he installed the EarthX Lithium Ion battery in his 180 hp o360 Supercub this weekend. He says it cranks his engine much faster than the PC680 and seems to crank is at full power for a long time. He was taking his wife out flying and had the plane cranked up and running when his wife came out to get in; she made him shut it down so she didn't get wind blasted and he said it is always hard to restart when he shuts it down and restarts it immediately but he said the battery cranked it for a long time no problem. Still has to see how it will do when it is cold soaked but the specs say it is good to crank at -40. The battery is 3.3 lb; I weighed my PC680 battery and it weighs 14.3 lb.
    • 0


  8. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Facts...   

    If this law passes, they will have forced me into being a criminal.




    "Out of my cold, dead, hands..."
    • 0


  9. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Facts...   

    I hope all the gun owners of America stand united against the onslaught of anti-gun legislation that is coming. The second amendment is what protects all the other rights we have in this country; and is there to keeps us free a tyranical government. The political eletists are doing their best to use every catastrophic oppoutunity to divide us and take away individual rights, freedom and property. I think it is pretty obvious that if they are successful in taking away our guns, all our other rights; INCLUDING FLYING AND AIRPLANE OWNERSHIP are soon to follow so they can keep us comon folk in their neat little green box and tax us for everything they can think up.
    OK, I need to go out and cool down for a while.
    • 0


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

    Got some more done on the 'ol Mangy Fox.

    Welded on lots of threaded tabs: for the strobe box, the new 406 ELT, for the headder tank (rather than those damn adel clamps), fabbed and mounted a tray for the dry cell Odyssey battery, Master solenoid, fuel cut off valves and finally for panals to hold the quarter windows (rather than sewn into the fabric).



    • 0


  11. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Where did you fly today?   

    I love it! Like Chris said, combining flying with other fun things makes it even fmore fun; even if you aren't successful fishing, hunting, etc.

    I haven't loaded all the ice fishing gear including Eskimo tent, auger, folding chairs, heater, gear and two people into the plane for a fishing trip yet but plan to do it soon. My son-in-law is on a mission to catch a 30+" trout so now that we got the caribou in the freezer from last weekend, that is the plan. I will have to take a picture of all the gear that I can successfully get in the plane.

    I must admit that the Avid+ has spoiled me for hauling cargo, but the best I did with my Avid MKIV was a whole caribou (boned out) plus some extra gear. My buddy is quadraplegic but is still a go getter; a number of years ago he drew a caribou tag I told him to try for and we flew out to a gold mine to hunt. He shot a nice bull the next morning walking down the landing strip of all places! I had to make a second trip to get him out though since all the meat went into game bags into a duffel bag strapped into the passenger side of the seat. I had to split the skull plate and strap the antlers onto the lift struts. It was a nice big bull and the antlers slowed my cruise speed from 82mph to 70 mph but other than that it flew just fine.

    Unfortunately I can't seem to get any of these pics to upload, probably because they are images from my old camera and not digital photo's.
    • 0


  12. Bandit added a post in a topic Where did you fly today?   


    A great day for ice fishing and flying. No fish but nice flying. You would be suprised at what you can pack in these planes.


    • 0


  13. EDMO added a post in a topic Just joined the Fat Avid Club   

    You probably dont have to worry much about these cables breaking - But I sure got a wake-up call one day at Merrill Field when a flap cable broke over the threshold on final in a Cessna 172 - Went toward a 90-degree bank at not much more than a wingspan over the runway - grabbed everything I could find while bending pedals and shoving throttle....
    Changed underwear soon after!
    Ed in MO
    • 0


  14. EDMO added a post in a topic Bondo or something lighter?   

    My original KF2 had bondo around the strut attach fittings to make a smoother leading edge - not enough weight added to worry about.
    I bought the "light weight bondo" at Walmart to blend in my leading edge extensions on the new wings.
    Some dont like bondo - heard some say "it absorbs moisture", but since I applied polyeurothene varnish over the top of it and to the plywood, I dont see that as a problem.
    I didnt use any filler around tanks, because the wood ribs are higher than the tanks - Only used GE Silicone II to attach tanks to spars, and seal gaps there.
    ED in MO
    • 0


  15. RDavidson added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Bondo or something lighter?
    What filler are you guys using on your fuel tanks and leading edge?
    The manual says Bondo, but I know there are better, lighter fillers out there.

    Thanks,
    Ron
    • 4 replies
    • 963 views


  16. RDavidson added a post in a topic Elevator Tube, Seat Belt, and Rudder Cable Clearance?   


    Ok...back after it now that the new year is underway.
    Someone brought up a point about the bars I raised up with spacers being a structural part of the bungee truss, and that I might be weakening the truss with my spacers. So, I went back to the drawing board!
    First, I removed the spacers and went back to the original attach points.
    Second, I looked at the bolt head that was creating clearance issues and saw that where it attaches to the seat I could remove about about 1/4" of the bushing that it goes through. This pulled the bolt head in and out of the way of the push pull tube.
    Third, I stated working on the seatbelt issue. I decided to put a longer bolt in with a bushing holding the seatbelt mount further inside the aircraft, avoiding conflict with the rudder cable. Then I routed the seatbelt between the framework of the bottom of the seat and the left side seat bracket.
    Don't worry, I'm attaching pictures...
    I think this is the best solution, without cutting and welding on the factory seat frames.




    • 0


  17. ChrisBolkan added a post in a topic Just joined the Fat Avid Club   


    Hi Randy,

    What you say makes sense, plus there are no sharp bends in the installation that would lead to failure in a shorter amount of time. Still not being able to see makes me nervous. I suspect it is something I have to get used to and learn to trust and believe in with experience. Sort of like flying itself was in the first place.

    Chris
    • 0


  18. ChrisBolkan added a post in a topic Just joined the Fat Avid Club   


    Hi Robert,

    Would you do me a favor and check one of the cables you bought from Boise Rigging and measure what the total travel is? I am wondering if the 5 inch travel number is actual stop to stop total travel or a useful travel number. If it is a useful travel number, it could be that the stop to stop travel is somewhat longer.

    Reason I ask is that I am trying to determine if the cables I borrowed from my friend Max are 4 inch or 5 inch travel cables. My suspicion is that they are 4 inch useful travel even though the stop to stop travel is 5 inches. I need to figure that piece of information out so when I order I will know exactly what I am getting.

    Thanks!

    Chris
    • 0


  19. High Country added a post in a topic Just joined the Fat Avid Club   

    Just thought I would throw out a link to more info on these specific cables in case it is of any assistance. I had Boise Rigging make these same cables for mine but haven't finished hooking it all up yet to get exact deflection measurements. So far all seems good though. http://www.boiserigging.com/categories/Push%252dPull-Cables/ based off the info here and converting it with the part# in Dougs pic part# 173-VTT-5-60 (same one I used) the cable itself (173=) falls under the "utility" category and is supposedly more "rugged" Cable size (V=) is 10/32" (very light duty) TT= threaded on both ends (5=) 5" of travel and overall length (60=) is 60"

    -Robert-

    • 0


  20. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Facts...   

    Senator Dianne Feinstein,
    I will not register my weapons should this bill be passed, as I do not believe it is the government’s right to know what I own. Nor do I think it prudent to tell you what I own so that it may be taken from me by a group of people who enjoy armed protection yet decry me having the same a crime. You ma’am have overstepped a line that is not your domain. I am a Marine Corps Veteran of 8 years, and I will not have some woman who proclaims the evil of an inanimate object, yet carries one, tell me I may not have one.
    I am not your subject. I am the man who keeps you free. I am not your servant. I am the person whom you serve. I am not your peasant. I am the flesh and blood of America.
    I am the man who fought for my country. I am the man who learned. I am an American. You will not tell me that I must register my semi-automatic AR-15 because of the actions of some evil man.
    I will not be disarmed to suit the fear that has been established by the media and your misinformation campaign against the American public.
    We, the people, deserve better than you.
    Respectfully Submitted,
    Joshua Boston
Cpl,
    United States Marine Corps
    2004-2012


    Read more: http://www.knrs.com/cc-common/news/sect ... z2H87PLTEd
    • 0


  21. Bandit added a post in a topic Facts...   

    Thanks for the information, very interesting. The news and politicians piss me off! I am sending it to everybody I can.
    • 0


  22. horsepower added a post in a topic Facts...   

    Good video,your right you'll never see that in main stream media.They fabricate their own statistics thinking that we are a bunch of idiots.All I have to say is my small town has a almost non existant violent crime rate because just about everyone has a .45 or hunting rifle ready to go at all times.2nd amendement works well here.Randy
    • 0


  23. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Just joined the Fat Avid Club   



    Chris,

    I didn't get any info on the TBR for the Teleflex cables but I think they should last well beyond 300 hours if the plane is not in a corrosive environment. The actual travel on the cables is extremely small typically when flying. I move the flaperons stop to stop during runnup but otherwise about the only time I move it to the stop is to get into and out of the plane and there is no real load on them at all since the plane is not flying. My plane flies hands off for miles and miles on cruise and just requires rudder input to steer it, plus it is hangared so I would expect my cables to go 1000 hours. If they felt draggy or rough before that I would certainly change them earlier but they work very well and are not a concern to me.

    Randy
    • 0


  24. Av8r3400 added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Facts...
    This video needs to go viral.

    Send it to everyone you know.

    Put it on Facebook (I don't and won't belong there), but, you may get banned from there. They have an anti-gun bias.

    Your liberal media and government are lying to you.




    • 5 replies
    • 896 views


  25. EDMO added a post in a topic Just joined the Fat Avid Club   

    Hey, you sure woke me up on these nosewheels - I had no clue that the nosewheel on yours was steerable.....
    ...I thought that the Avids and Kitfox had the castoring like the RVs...I'd like to see your steering setups.

    I have flown lots of different planes, but being a retired toolmaker/machinisht/tool designer/A&P, have been working on my own design for about the last 15 years or so after retiring -
    The steerable has its problems, and I wont go into that here - I have never flown a castoring nosewheel, but it sure looks like it has its benefits both flying and simplicity of building. I got a lot of gray hairs when I flew an Ercoupe!
    I am still building and still learning - so any info or advise I get is very welcome. Please keep it coming.
    I had a setup all figured out, with fork and parts to make it, but got the spring-loaded on ebay real cheap after seeing the videos of it from a guy in Europe who is a member on here. Still exploring possibilities as I build my wings.
    ED in MO
    P.S. I didnt know that Rans would sell components if you didnt have their plane. I know that they have a "bargain basement" where sometimes you can buy seats, cowls, etc., but havent looked it up for years. I met Randy at a fly-in at St. Charles, Missouri some time ago when he had just brought out the nose version of the 6.
    Wished I had bought a RANS years ago - their seats are the best I have ever sat on.
    The big advantage I saw on the RANS nosegear is that it disconnected when there was no load on it, like the Cessna, so no crooked nosewheel on touchdown in a crosswind - unlike the Ercoupe!
    • 0