Activity Stream

Activity Stream

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   akflyer added a post in a topic New Member    15 Jul 2011

   Welcome to the dark side! I say that cause I dont do much in the way of moderating over here, we are here to have fun, tell lies, and even spend a little bit of time helping others!
   
   Glad you are wenjoying your Avid, and I think you will find that it just keeps impressing you with the performance and capabilities. As you get more comfortable with it, you will find that it is alot like a super cub... if you can fit it in it, it will fly it. I have loaded mine up to um.. yeah, gross weight and she just keeps on impressing me !
   
   Remember, the only dumb question is the one you didn't ask and figured out the hard way!
   
   
   

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   akflyer added a post in a topic VW Engines    15 Jul 2011

   I was pretty damn impressed with Randys Fat Avid with the Suby in it. He could get off the ground damn near as quick as I could, but I got him in cruise. It kinda sucked flying with him at -20 this winter cause for me to cruise with him I was throttle back to 54-5500 and was not making much heat on the muffler but he had a fuel burn about half what mine was! You can get some serious range outta the Avid at 3 GPH.
   
   One day hopefully soon I will be back in the air and testing out a new engine... Good thing I have not held my breath on that one though!
   
   As far as the VW.. I love my 2110 stroker in my sand rail, but I would never hang it on the nose of the plane. I ahve not heard any happy Avid or kitfox owners who put a VW on the nose, they have all gone to something else pretty quickly due to the performance issues.
   
   
   

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   C5Engineer added a post in a topic New Member    14 Jul 2011

   Welcome to the forum! Were kind of a small bunch but I think you'll find most of us have been there and done that vs some of the bigger forums where everyone has an opinion. There are several Soob powered Avid owners on here. I think you'll find this airplane will surprise you all the time. I recently had my 582 powered C model at 11,700 ft with 28 gallons of fuel and 100lbs of camping gear. I was certainly impressed!
   
   
   

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   C5Engineer added a post in a topic VW Engines    14 Jul 2011

   Weight is a big killer to performance. I just had a guy call me this week who I met through some networking with an early model Kitfox. He's taking his Jab 2200 OFF of it and going to a 582. He flew it 500 hours with a 532 before the Jab and said the performance is total crap with the Jab on it. That says alot going from a $12,000 4 stroke back to a 582!! Dean told me for every pound you add to an Avid you lose 6fpm climb.
   

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   C5Engineer added a post in a topic Next mod=VG's    14 Jul 2011

   
   Here are a few pics from the guy I got my info from.
   
   
   
   
   
   The info I got from JG at Stolspeed is to put the front tips 4" from the hinge line at 30mm spacing for which he provided a template. I'm currently overseas on a mission but will add to this thread when I get them installed.
   

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   TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic VW Engines    14 Jul 2011

   Its a MK IV. I'm still at the curious stage but will most likely pick up the engine anyways. The price is too low to pass up the engine even it it ends up in another project. I might call Great Plains and see what it would take to do the conversion.
   
   Weight is the big issue. I love how this thing jumped in the air and climbed with the 582 so i really don't want to pack the weight on it. Although it might be good to keep the VW on the shelf in case the Rotax does what its famous for
   

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   LASsociety added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar    14 Jul 2011

   New Member

   Hello all,
   
   I am a new member to the forums, but am very excited to see and share information. I live in the Denver, Colorado area. I have an Avid C that I bought about 9 months ago, but due to tinkering with it in the winter, and work circumstances during the spring and early summer,I am just now getting out to fly it. I flew for a few hours this Monday, and am looking forward to getting back out there again this weekend. I don't have a transponder, so I have to keep my plane and fly a bit far away, about an hours drive. So far it has been a very fun airplane and i keep the wings folded which has cut my hangar bill in half. My Avid has a Subaru EA-81 with an NSI reduction unit and a warp drive 3 blade prop. It seems to climb really well even in Denver. When I flew Monday the density altitude was nearly 7000 feet!
   
   Looking forward to sharing information and picking the brains of you who probably know alot more about Avids than myself.
   

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   Trackwelder added a post in a topic VW Engines    14 Jul 2011

   I had looked at the VW conversions myself, hopeing to find a good relatively inexpensive 4 stroke but the vw is a bit on the heavy side. I know that there are subarus flying out there, but I believe the weight to be real close, and the horsepower is better. What model of avid are you planning on putting it in?
   

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   akflyer added a post in a topic Next mod=VG's    14 Jul 2011

   For the elevator, they should be about an inch in front of the hinge point.
   
   
   

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    Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Next mod=VG's    14 Jul 2011

    Joey, you going to put them at the hinge point or the leading edge?
    

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    Trackwelder added a post in a topic Hanger rash on Flaperons    14 Jul 2011

    
    Thanks, If I ask anyone around here they telle to go the expensive route.
    

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    akflyer added a post in a topic Hanger rash on Flaperons    14 Jul 2011

    I would say a bit of epoxy and an aluminum patch over it with a few pop rivets should do the trick.
    
    
    

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    C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar    13 Jul 2011

    Next mod=VG's

    Going to start with them on the Horizontal only as everything I've heard they are much more effective there than they are on the the wing of an Avid. I'm going with the Stolspeed VG's from a guy out of Australia. My buddy runs them on the his S-7 and they are really nice. I'll report back after the install and flight testing.
    

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    Trackwelder added a post in a topic Hanger rash on Flaperons    13 Jul 2011

    OK lets see if I can get some pictures posted.
    

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    TheDeltaFox added a topic in Rotax and other engines    13 Jul 2011

    VW Engines

    I know i'm probably opening a can of worms on this one but....
    
    I have the oppurtinty to purchase a 1600cc and a 2200cc(fuel injected) vw engine for a really really good price. This brings me to ask the question of whether anyone here is using a VW engine or knows anyone who is and how is that working out for them. I'm curious about installed weight/weight and balance issues, static thrust if not using a redrive for a bigger prop, reliability and well anything I can learn about them. I was thinking to pick up the 1600 at least for a future project i've always wanted to build. The 2200 with a redrive and 70" prop should pull like a bugger.
    
    I see that Great Plains offers some VW packages that they advertise will work on AVIDs and even sell engine mounts. I'd like to get some opinions and make an informed decision before i lay down any cash.
    
    Thanks
    
    Darcy
    

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    akflyer added a post in a topic Hanger rash on Flaperons    13 Jul 2011

    I would kill for 550 a year hangar rent. That is what they want for a month here!
    

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    Trackwelder added a post in a topic First Flight    13 Jul 2011

    You are an inspiration to those of us still building, many happy flights to you.
    

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    Trackwelder added a post in a topic Hanger rash on Flaperons    13 Jul 2011

    Well, I guess it is time for me to learn to post pictures, I have the fuselage at home and the wings at the hangar. I will try and get pictures of both today and show my progress, This pe that I flew in before I bought it, Scared the crap out of me when I washed it and the paint came off, so I figured a simple recover took the time to learn how to fly and now I am getting ready to put the cover on. I am 30 miles away from my hangar but at least Ihave had a garage to work in, now I am moving 50 miles north and buying a new house across the street from the school my wife works at but no garage yet. On the good side the closest airport with hangars available is only 15 miles away and the hangar rent is less than half $550 a year, and it still has a grass runway as well as a concrete to bad not to many people are flying, it is sad watching a cherokee six sit tied down outside for 10 years, the owner moves it every 3 or 4 to a different airport but that is the only time it flies.
    

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    Russ. added a post in a topic First Flight    13 Jul 2011

    
    Congrats on your first of many flights. I also know the feeling. Russ.
    

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    saskavid added a post in a topic First Flight    13 Jul 2011

    Congrats on getting it all fixed and flyin.First look at your pics I had to do a bit of a ddouble take. our planes look a lot alike.
    
    
    
    
    

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    akflyer added a post in a topic Hanger rash on Flaperons    12 Jul 2011

    Without pictures it is hard to say, but mine have a good bit of rash on them from gravel and a couple ventures off the runway . They were not gouged, but were beat up pretty good on the outboard tips. A lil body work and I flew them. No problems in 180 Hrs of flying since the rebuild.
    
    
    

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    akflyer added a post in a topic First Flight    12 Jul 2011

    I will never forget my first flights in the avid and kitfox. Like you, it was more fun flying than I had in a long time!
    

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    4aplat added a post in a topic First Flight    12 Jul 2011

    
    
    well done
    
    MicheL
    

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    TheDeltaFox added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar    12 Jul 2011

    First Flight

    After much waiting, the Avid has finally flown!!!
    
    It was a near calm evening in Vermilion yesterday and after a few test runs up and down runway, I poured the coals to the Avid and she lept off the ground and climbed like a rocket. It was most fun i've had flying in a long time. All that time spent inspecting, repairing, and painting has finally paid off. What a great feeling to fly a new plane for the first time and to do it solo. I feel a little like how a test pilot must feel after they hop in a new plane and take it skyward for the first time. I've included a couple pictures from last night.
    
    
    
    

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    Trackwelder added a topic in Avid Model IV    9 Jul 2011

    Hanger rash on Flaperons

    I wish I had a camera, but my wife is the only one who understands enough about posting pictures anyhow. How much hanger rash can we get away with on the Avid Flaperons? I have a few slices that I think I could patch with epoxy and a couple of small dents, These came off a flying plane, but, I don't know what margin I can get away with, Any ideas?
    

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