Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. efil 01 added a post in a topic Mk IV belly pan   

    what im doing on my C is: new aluminium firewall in one piece, longer enouth to go on the belly for about 20cm and cover the botom skin that going until pedals. it is a lot lighter than old sheet galva metal
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  2. wypaul added a post in a topic Mk IV belly pan   

    Thanks, that is a good find. I now have a starting point. I will post some pictures as I work thru this.

    Paul
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  3. birddog486 added a post in a topic Mk IV belly pan   

    I found a good pic of the belly on the yahoo site.

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  4. SuberAvid added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Speed Mods
    I'v been meaning to get around to this for a while but finally got it done. I fabricated some faring sheet metal for the jury strut and horiz stabilizer support tubes. I bent these up on my cheap little sheet metal brake and although it is slow and tedious, it got the job done. I wasn't sure I was ready to glue them on until I tried them so I ended up drilling them just at the depth of the tubing and attaching them with small zip ties and it worked so well I'm not in a big hurry to glue them on at all now. The pictures attempt to show the shape and attachment. I flew it for only about an hour today since I had to get to my Son-in laws birthday party but I think it made a pretty signficant difference. As we all know the Avid with the HH wing is pretty slow; my Avid+ with the warp drive seemed to hit the wall at about 82 MPH where I set it for takeoff performance, now with the IVO it hits the wall at about 95 MPH. I am not sure these farings make it much faster but before I put them on I noticed my fuel flow was around 5 GPH at about 93MPH an 3850 RPM; today I was seeing about 4.4 GPH at 93 to 95 MPH and 3850 RPM. I also had switched from skis to wheels but that typically had never really changed my cruise speed or fuel flow so I think the change is primarily from the farings. An hour flying is not much time to assess this but so far I am thinking this is not a bad mod and will definately save some fuel and extend the range. Has anyone else made this change and seen a difference?

    Man I forgot how tall the Avid + is on wheels; I bounced it so much on my first landing today I am still trying to decide how many I should take credit for. Need to get the feel on wheels again but I always love the change to wheels and the change to skis. I am sure that floats are the same way; I just need to have another plane.




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  5. birddog486 added a post in a topic Mk IV belly pan   

    I can't answer your question but I'm glad you asked it. I was just looking at the two belly sheets I have for my model c a couple days ago and wondering the best way to install them around the lower gear supports.



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  6. wypaul added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Mk IV belly pan
    OK I guess that my age is catching up with me but I am getting ready to install my belly pan on my MK IV with the the 912 so I open the manual for a little guidance and found the one liner "install the belly pan". With the earlier models, tail dragger this will be enough, one flat piece of metal that mounts flat on the underside of the fuselage. With the MK IV there are the support tubes for the nose gear that monkey up the operation.
    So I am wondering how other builders have approached this installation. The other thing is that the firewall hangs down about 4" below the fuselage so did you attach the belly pan to the bottom of the firewall and warp the metal over the top of the nose gear bracing with the two pieces supplied or attach the belly pan in four or more pieces to the bottom of the fuselage or are there other options that I am not seeing. If anyone has a picture that would also be very helpful.

    Paul S in Wy
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  7. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Spring 2012 flying in AK   

    Awsome beautiful stuff Leni! I wasted the day cutting fire wood and the switched back to wheels but am just heading out to play up the Knik River today. WoHoo
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  8. SuberAvid added a post in a topic C-box ratios   


    Hi Ed,

    As you saw, the Stratus is 100 HP and they get that after reconfiguring the cam and planing the heads .040 which raises the compression to just over 9:1 so you can still burn 87 octain mogas in them. The published redline is 52 - 5400 rpm. Timing is set at 12deg BTDC at 1000 rpm and max of 32 deg BTDC at 3500 rpm. Mine has dual electronic ignition pickups in the distributor which is from RAM and not stratus. The carbs are dual Bing 64's, altitude compensating, just like the ones they run on the Rotax 912's but jetted differently. All I can tell you are the numbers I have found from my experience flying it. I know my performance numbers are somehat lower than are published and I have talked to Mykal at Stratus about it and am still trying to figure out why. Still, I think you will find that cruise RPM of 3800 to 4000 is about right. I am pretty happy with the motor and the performance across the spectrum. It will be interesting to hear what you end up with for performance numbers. Hurry up and get that thing in the air!
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  9. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Garmin 396 vs 296   



    Joey, I'll take the free 296 and you should go for the 396 deal
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  10. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Airstreaks versus ATV tires   

    I didn't go with the 27" ATV tires on 12" rims but I did do the 25" ATV tires on 9" rims. After I cut off all the tread they ended up about 23.5". These were pretty soft and light ATV tires at 2 ply so they were flexible and worked pretty well; a step above the 21" Nanco type that I also have. The 26" bush wheels on 6" rims are about an equal step up the ladder above these ATV tires in ability to obsorb rocks and roll over stuff. I don't know how the 27" ATV tires will work but based on my experience I would make the following observation: they are much heavier built than the 2 ply ones I used; most I have seen are 6 ply and have probably 2" of tread diameter. By the time you cut the tread off they will be close to 25" with a 12 " rim vs. the 9" rim I used. I think they have the diameter but will be much less flexible and have much less sidewall absorbing ability so I doubt they would work much better than the 25x9 2 ply ATV tires I used. They are pretty good and I still have mine around just in case I wipe out one of my bushwheels so not a bad alternative but just not quite equal. You also have to consider the cost of the wheels, welding and machining the brake tabs, drilling the wheels, and finding a set of hubs, bearings, seals, if you don't already have that setup. I think I ended up with about $600 to $700 in everything above the cost of the ATV tires.
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  11. C5Engineer added a post in a topic Garmin 396 vs 296   

    Gotta love the aviation community. Here's my options after just one day of looking. A 296 for free or a 396 for my 196 + $300. Free is always good so thinking that direction but that's a smokin deal on a 396 too. What would you do?
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  12. akflyer added a post in a topic Spring 2012 flying in AK   

    It was way too nice yesterday to not fly some more. 40 degrees and blue skys I just had to burn some air! It was just a 2 hr flight up and over Skilak lake and the glacier and a lil cruise around a tiny corner of the Harding Ice Field. Beautiful day though!



    Forrest service cabin that we like to spend the night at after a long day of rafting the Kenai river



    Parked on the rocks in front of the cabin.



    Looking down from the rock wall next to the cabin



    View from the cabin across Skilak lake



    Starting up the glacier





    The glacier and a portion of the Harding Ice Field that runs all along the top of the mountains for 50 + miles




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  13. akflyer added a post in a topic Airstreaks versus ATV tires   

    If you are going to go tot the trouble of the lager wheels and tires, bit the bullet and get the 26" airstreaks. Randy Tylor did the larger ATV wheels with his avid and ended up going to the bushwheels. If that is the type of flying you really want to do, there is no substitute. I am wrestling with the same issue right now. 90% of my flying is on the full lotus floats, but I want those BW for the other 10% I do so I can go play with Randy on some gravel bars up in his neck of the woods.


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  14. C5Engineer added a post in a topic Airstreaks versus ATV tires   

    Herman,
    I discussed that set up with Swingle while he was here visiting. Greg didn't like that set up and ended up with Bushwheels in the end. What wheels are you running now? I have only not landed something once or twice with my 8" wheel 21" nanco set up. I think with anything much bigger your going to really start noticing the drag. With the 12" wheels and 27's your going to be adding 15-20lbs as well. Personally I like to have something as a limiting factor to keep myself out of trouble. That once or twice I didn't land because I thought it looked pretty rough I had no business being there in the first place
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  15. High Country added a post in a topic Sprucing up the site a little   

    (He did comment that you could add the phone number, too.. )

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  16. herman pahls added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Airstreaks versus ATV tires
    I am tempted to get some 12 inch Matco wheels and 27" tall and 8 and 1/2 wide ATV tires for my Kitfox so I can land on some of the gravel/big rock bars that my son lands on with his 31" Bushwheels.
    It appears that Greg Swindal from Ohio Bush Planes was using similar tires on his Rans S-7 in some of his U-tube videos.
    Two ATV tires would cost about $200. versus the $2100 to $2600 cost of the 26 or 29 inch Airstreaks.
    Does anyone know how well the tall ATV tires on 12" Matco wheels will handle rocks in comparison to Airstreaks?
    A tire on a 12" wheel would have less side wall than a similar sized tire on a 6" wheel.
    Does anyone have experience with taller 27" ATV tires?
    Of course my son says that Bushwheels are the only way to go.
    Thanks Herman
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  17. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Garmin 396 vs 296   

    Both are good units. If you can find a good 296 I'd recommend that.

    I couldn't when I was looking, so I sprung for a 500 Aera ($800). I've been extremely pleased with it's function and operation.
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  18. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Sprucing up the site a little   

    Brett told me he doesn't mind you using the logo as long as it is his new, manly, logo (the one above) and not the old, gay-assed, Elton John-smiling eagle logo (below)...




    (He did comment that you could add the phone number, too.. )
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  19. C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Garmin 396 vs 296
    I'm looking to upgrade my 196 before going to Idaho this year. The 196 does everything I need except having color terrain. I really want the terrain feature since 95% of Navigation up in the Idaho Backcountry is by flying drainage's below the mountaintops. With my 196 all I get is a straight line with NOTHING else on the screen unless I zoom way out.

    Used 396's are going for $6-800. The 296's are going for about half that. I don't really need the XM weather because I simply wouldn't use it here in California and any long trip I'm on I'm flying with somebody else who has it.

    If I'm going to spend the money to upgrade I might as well do it right. I want to stick with the 96 series because I already have all the accessories and mounts that will work for all of them and my airplane is already wired for one.

    Thoughts?
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  20. horsepower added a post in a topic Sprucing up the site a little   

    I cant even draw a stick man.............
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  21. akflyer added a post in a topic Sprucing up the site a little   

    I have a gal that is a kick ass graphics designer. I will get her to come up with something cool if no one else here does that kind of thing
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  22. C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Sprucing up the site a little
    As some of you may have noticed the boring default software logo has been replaced with Airdale's logo. I'm new at working the code on these forums so bear with me as the look of the site changes slightly.

    I am looking for any ideas or feedback that you would like to see on here. First and foremost I would like to see a cool logo up at the top with the name of the site. If anyone has some skills they would like to show off regarding the logo please PM me your ideas. I would like it to say Avidfoxflyers and have a cool picture of some sort.

    AKFlyer owns this site and I have moderator permissions. Both of us are busy with other things so bear with me as I make a few tweaks. Don't worry it's not going to be anything drastic
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  23. akflyer added a topic in Avid fox flyers pics and vids   

    Spring 2012 flying in AK
    Got the bird back in the air and all systems check! Feels good to be burning up some sky at will again! Here are a few shots from a quick flight yesterday from Soldotna to Skilak lake. A few shots of some open water sections on the Kenai river.




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  24. akflyer added a post in a topic First flight of the year with a passenger   

    Nice flight! My kids love going out flying with me, but they are not so little anymore! Got to spend a couple hours in the air with my son a few days ago and it was GREAT!


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  25. Russ. added a post in a topic First flight of the year with a passenger   

    SWEET.....
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