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Activity Stream



  1. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic 16-Hour E-LSA Class   

    The two Kitfoxes I own, the 1050 model IV (yellow one) is registered E-LSA, the 1200 (kind of white one - the rat bird) is registered experimental, amateur built.
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  2. akflyer added a post in a topic 16-Hour E-LSA Class   


    Good Luck! Is yours registered as an LSA


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  3. akflyer added a post in a topic About at wits end rigging flaperons   


    Ahhh grass hopper, you be tinking creary shorten the reft rear and you will find ritenment on the stick


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  4. Av8r3400 added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    16-Hour E-LSA Class
    In a couple of hours, I'm off to Oshkosh to do the 16-hour E-LSA Class.

    I'll be off the air for this over the weekend and will report back any interesting information I get. Wish me luck.
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  5. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic About at wits end rigging flaperons   

    That would work, theoretically.
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  6. C5Engineer added a post in a topic About at wits end rigging flaperons   

    Sounds like all I need are wings with "Freaking Laser Beams attached to their heads"....Austin Powers Thanks for the info. I'm going to double triple check my wing alignment and maybe put a turn or two on the rod end and try that. I never thought about just tweaking the trailing edge of the flaperon. Out on the tip I bet that would be pretty effective. I know the Cessna guys do this on the corrugated trailing edge of their flaps and ailerons for rigging issues.

    So I need more lift in my left wing..that would mean more washout correct? To pull the trailing edge down I should SHORTEN the rod end??? Can anyone verify or am I thinking back ass wards.
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  7. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic About at wits end rigging flaperons   



    With the flapperon design that we all use, you can trim them without a tab by tweaking the trailing edge with a large flat sheetmetal pliers. This was recommended to me for my heavy wing situation by my CFI/1600 hour Kitfox buddy.

    I've seen this done, but as Leni and Doug have said, adjusting the wing angle sounds better and more effective.
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  8. dholly added a post in a topic About at wits end rigging flaperons   

    While I don't have the practical experience to say with certainty, I think wing twist may be the issue as well... even if your quick measure suggest they are in spec and equal on the sawhorses, that strut adjustment can be crucial. I had an offline chat about this when I was building my old Mk-IV wings with another gentleman from the Yahoo Avid Group. I would break out the laser(s).


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  9. akflyer added a post in a topic Warning: F-Bombs   


    hmmm, I am thinking a few beers could get the stories flowing... ahhh dreaming of oshkosh, beer tents, and good bullshit sessions!



    oh, and the Farve fading at 40 remark caused me to spit Captn n coke on my laptop... thanks


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  10. akflyer added a post in a topic About at wits end rigging flaperons   

    without trim tabs on the flaperons all you are doing is moving the stick position. The flaperons will fly level side to side, but will be neutral, reflexed or extended... The only way to correct roll is with trim tab on flap, or as designers inteneded, adjust the one strut end to add washin or washout.


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  11. C5Engineer added a post in a topic About at wits end rigging flaperons   

    A pretty good discussion from Backcountrypilot.org

    I had the same problem on my Tundra. Hands off roll to the right. Ailerons are not the problem. They will always work opposite each other and find neutral to the wing air flow by themselves. Return the stick to center and readjust the aileron cables to that position so you have the ailerons neutral with the trailing edge of the wing and the same stick movement both left and right. You need to check the washout.

    On a two strut aircraft that has washout in the wing you will need to adjust the rear strut length to equalize the washout with the other wing. Unequal washout (twist) creates unequal lift on each wing causing the hands off roll. On my stepdads L4 I can just count the threads in the adjustable clevis at the bottom of the rear strut to see they are the same. They were not and it had just been annualed when he bought it. One wing would stall before the other and drop a wing at landing. Also note that the front strut length on a two strut aircraft is only for setting the dihedral but that is another discussion.

    Since yours is an experimental you might actually have to measure the washout on each wing then adjust the rear strut length accordingly. Raise the tail until the aircraft is level and block it. The bottom of the inner rib of the wing should also be level at that point. Then put the level on the last full outer rib on the underside of the wing. When the bubble centers measure the distance in the gap from the end of the level up to the bottom of the wing. Check the other side, then adjust the rear wing strut length with the clevis until that distance is the same.

    If after adjusting the washout it flies level but flies in a crab with nose left or right, then adjust the flaps to be sure one is not down in the airflow more than the other creating unequal drag on one side more than the other. That should take care of it. If it doesn't take all of the crab out don't feel bad. You will then have to put a trim tin on the end of the rudder and it will be just like a lot of Cessna's and other certified aircraft out there. With patience you will get it adjusted out. Good luck.
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  12. C5Engineer added a post in a topic About at wits end rigging flaperons   

    Couple of other facts that I'm sure you guys will ask. I leveled the airplane at the third rib hinge outboard which is just inside where the strut attaches. BOTH wings are level in this place. I also confirmed the washout while the wings were on sawhorses before reinstalling them after the recover. Not an exact measurement there but they were both really close.

    I set my flaperon angle using a Warp Drive prop pitch tool. I measured the angle on the inboard ends of the flaperons.

    I've been pondering this all day and came up with a theory... somone tell me if I'm being silly.

    When you ad reflex i.e. more negative angle the airplane pitches up right?

    Right now I have -5 degrees on the right and -2 on the left and it's still rolling left. If the flaperons worked exactly like ailerons then this correction should have caused it to roll right.

    I'm thinking that because there is more reflex on the right that maybe the right wing is creating more lift and that is what is causing the roll to the left. This would partially explain that the roll tendency diminshes some when I add a tad of flap because it's getting rid of some relex.

    Either way I don't know why it has a rolling tendency with them both set to -5 anyways. I guess every airplane needs some trim to fly level though right?

    My next move is to take out some reflex on both sides and make the left one or two degrees more than the right to prove or disprove my theory.

    Currently Left -2 Right -5

    Going to try Left -4 Right -3... I like the stick forces better at -3 than -5 anyways.

    I will report back with the results of this test. Also just to verify can someone please take a picture of their F7A's just so I can idiot check that I have mine in the right way??

    Thanks as always
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  13. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic About at wits end rigging flaperons   

    I've been waiting and thinking on this one, Joey.

    Waiting for Leni or Bob to pipe up because they have rigged planes before. My plane too, has a bit of a heavy wing and a heavy nose. I was waiting on some good ideas that may help me, too.

    Just a thought (the thinking part) did you level you plane and check the washout and angle of incidence on the wings when you were putting it back together after recovering, to see if your lift struts need to be adjusted?

    Also, don't discount the rudder's effectiveness at lifting a heavy wing, too.
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  14. C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    About at wits end rigging flaperons
    I flew a 125 mile round trip this afternoon and my flaperons were driving my nuts. I knew I had a very slight rolling moment to the left but I've just been flying it as is because I'm rarely straight and level long enough to even notice it. I really noticed it today flying a GPS line for an hour straight.

    I have a slight rolling moment to the left and my ball stays about 1/2 width to the left. If I center the ball with the rudder it feels like I'm crabbed. However if I put just a tad of right stick in adverse yaw centers the ball and it feels like I'm flying with my butt centered.

    After I got to my destination today I did a tweak to them and I went the wrong damn way so it was even worse all the way back. When I got back to my hangar I leveled the plane and set them at +5 and rechecked them a bunch of times. I went flying and it was better but the left roll was still there. I started messing with my flaps and noticed that if I put in just a tiny amount of flaps it seemed to get better.

    I left the flaps in and landed and then checked where they were at. The right side was at 3 and the left side was at 1....oooookayyy. So I put the flaps back up and they were both back at 5. I then set the left one at 3 degrees to duplicate the 2 degree difference. This seemed to help some so I landed again and put the left on at 2 degrees with the right side still at 5. It didn't seem to help I'm still holding right stick pressure.

    I'm going to double check that I didn't put my F7A's in backwards although my stick pressure is fairly light. Any chance that I'm masking a Yaw issue... sure doesn't seem like it but trim can be weird sometimes. I ran out of time to screw with it anymore.

    I did put 2.5 on the hobbs today though...this issue is pretty small but I'm really anal about this stuff..I can't stand it when I drive a rig that pulls either. I can't imagine doing a really long trip with it like this so I'd like to get it resolved...Any thoughts on what I might be missing??

    Short vid..kinda crappy but might help

    http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z186/NKAWTG/?action=view&current=MVI_5586.flv


    Snapped a few pics along the way but nothing real spectacular

    We just had some real heavy rains for a week straight...quite a bit of water



    This was a huge cloud of birds..it looked like a moving cloud...you would be in bad bad shape if you flew into something like this.

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  15. SkySteve added a post in a topic Gap Seals   

    Here are some photos of my gap seals. I used a Duct Tape product that is clear and made for outdoor use. Very tough and pliable. Heat, cold, sun, etc do not affect it. I also used the full up and tape, then full down and tape method. It does make a difference.


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  16. akflyer added a post in a topic Gap Seals   

    We used snowboard tape. Clear. sticky and heavy duty! Just as Larry said, go full down elevator and put it on the top. It will seal the gap and lasts a couple years atleast. Made a HUGE difference on floats. I am heading out to the plane today so I will take a pic of the gap seals.


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  17. flattie45 added a topic in Files and Forms   

    Maule Tailwheel Inspection & Set-up
    Maule_Tailwheel.pdf
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  18. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Gap Seals   

    Joey-

    I used duct tape to gap seal my KF. My technique:

    with elevator full nose down I put the yellow duct tape across the top of the gap then with the elevator tied full nose up I put tape across the bottom gapCenter the elevator and smoothly stuck the center of the gap togetherThe difference was definitely noticeable, especially on flair to land. I'm able to use more flap and still fully flair.

    Photos.
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  19. dholly added a post in a topic Warning: F-Bombs   

    Thanks but no thanks! 30+ years ago I got stuck in some God-forsaken cow fart of a dry district town on the pan handle called McLean, TX. My '56 Nomad ate a rear axle bearing driving from CA to NY and I had to wait a week for a replacement to get bussed in via Greyhound from the big city. Got shot at by some speed crazed cowboy with a 12ga. on the way out of town after he found I was keeping his girl friend warm while he was working at the burger flip every day. Wish I could have seen his face when he realized I stole the high-rise manifold right off his precious POS pickup too, hehe. Lets just say I have more than a few skeletons in the closet from a prior life but have calmed down considerably since then.

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  20. akflyerbob added a post in a topic Gap Seals   

    He is saying to stick two strips of tape together with the sticky side and over lapped,
    Then stick one side to the top of the stabliser and go thru
    the gap and stick the other tape to the bottom of the elivator, This is the S shape he is talking about.
    Can't do that up here, low area will fill with water and
    freeze, could be ugly
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  21. C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Gap Seals
    Any of you guys done the duct tape gap seals mod? I was reading a discussion on the group and would like to do my elevator at least. Someone attempted to give me instructions but it was confusing as hell ...anyone want to try and interpret this?


    Sealing the Gap :

    Take some 2 inch wide sticky tape of a suitable colour and texture. I use
    yellow duct tape on the "Wattle Witch").

    Take two lengths somewhat longer than the gap section you want to seal.

    Reverse one length and stick it to the sticky side of the other with a 1 inch
    overlap. Your tape will look like this :

    xxxxxxxx = Sticky Side

    -------- = Dry Side


    -------------------
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    --------------------

    Trim the joined tape to the length of the gap section less a little to avoid the
    hinges.

    Now using this tape 'S' it around a gap thus :

    Where :

    TTTTTT = Tailplane

    EEEEEE = Elevator



    ---------
    xxxxxxxx!
    TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT ! EEEEEEEEEE
    ! xxxxxx
    ! ------

    It's a bit fiddly to avoid the tape rolling up on you until you get the knack.
    Use a sheet of perspex or similar to work on.

    DO NOT WORK on your elevator top surface when joining the tapes. You will end
    up loosing paint - been there - done that
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  22. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Warning: F-Bombs   

    The guy in the hangar around the corner from me has a Kolb. (100 hp)

    I never flew in it but I can't get enthusiastic about a center stick...




    (And for the record, Doug, you need to get your a$$ out of NY!! Move to Texas, I hear it's nice there. )
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  23. dholly added a post in a topic Warning: F-Bombs   

    Well Larry, none of those stupid MegaMillions stubs had the right numbers so I've been working my azz off trying to keep my head above water. Two years of sour economy and the current financial uncertainty out of D.C. is really beginning to wear on my business and nerves. Expenses are up 30% (over half new mandates by fed or state agencies) and net income is down 30%. And it has taken -many- extra hours lately just to keep those pesos rolling in. That is a big lifestyle changer and particularly challenging with 2 in college and #3 starting pre-med in less than a year. Not to mention aging parents hit with serious health issues last year, or an expensive legal battle with the assclown neighbor who decided to improve his view by removing trees from our property. Who knew the only thing more expensive than replacing stolen trees is the lawyer needed to make it happen. Man, I was hoping once the kids were out I'd finally have the opportunity and resources to get busy, finish and enjoy one of these projects. Instead I'm exhausted, working harder than ever, enjoying what my wife jokingly dubbed our "lean years" as she was clipping coupons one night. Uggh! Please don't get me wrong, we continue to have many, many blessings but I am damn happy to slam the door on 2009 and move along! Hopefully 2010 will be better and an office property I put on the market to raise cash will sell. So far though, all offers have me holding the paper. Seems commercial banks remain content to suck up all the taxpayer funds they can thru the Fed window at 1/4% of 1% and buy US Treasuries, to pump-up their own balance sheets with a risk free return rather than extending credit to help Mom n' Pop keep American Business alive. What good is owning property free and clear if you can't sell it? What good is having impeccable credit if lending institutions aren't lending? Newsflash to Washington >>>>> I have never ingested a penny's worth of public assistance, but if this B.S. goes on much longer I will walk away and start sucking on the big Gov't boob before I exhaust my retirement savings or stress myself into a heart attack.

    So today I will sling a full planeload of F-Bombs at my clueless elected representatives with hope the mid-term election causes them to fade faster than Favre at 40!

    Why yes, thank you, I feel much better now. On a lighter note, I just heard there is a Kolb Mk-III Classic with 80hp 912 for sale locally and might go look at. I could use an attitude adjustment and wouldn't mind having something cheap and foldable to fly while I finish the Avid+. Of course the engine would be a great transplant when the time comes too. Curious if anyone here is flying one of these Kolbs? Thumbs up, thumbs down or a big F-Bomb?
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  24. akflyer added a post in a topic Warning: F-Bombs   


    yeah.. my mom is from baton rouge and dad was from the swamps... I was born and raised here in AK but have spent a couple years off and on down at the family farm in the last 38 yrs. Fn Texas.. I now owe you a good solid junk punch when I drag my ass down there for Oshkosh.. just me looking for the pissed off midget wearing the "Alaska.. pissing off Texas for 59 yrs" tee shirt and sporting brass knuckles


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  25. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Warning: F-Bombs   

    I thought that was either a east Texas or west Louisiana accent you had, there Leni...

    No, I did not shed a tear when he choked (as usual) on the big game. He's Minnesota's problem now. Come back or not come back -- I could give a schmidt. Go Aaron Rodgers!!

    How you doing out there, Doug?? Haven't heard much outta you lately.
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