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Please thank your wife for writing it up Kenneth.  She did a great job and really brings out your calm skill and of course God's providence in putting all the factors together so you guys could walk away from it. 

Sure hope you decide to rebuild it.  I have looked a a few Just Highlanders and STOL's now and they look very close to my Avid+ dimensionally.  If that frame of Ed's is dimensionally close, it sure sounds like it could be a good starting point.

That would be just a blast to get as many of us together as we can there.  We have got to make that happen.

Have fun at it this year and post the pictures!  Be safe.

Thanks for posting the video Leni.  Big Rocks, Long Props here we come. LOL.  It is a lot of fun to see what it looks like from the outside.  The water can very effectively shorten your landing roll; just don't want to get too slow or it will seriously shorten it

Nice car!! I can totally relate as I have been building a 69 for my daughter- I think ours was a little rougher than yours though when we started. My friends always gave me a hard time when we were building it(took a little over 2 and 1/2 years) that I would never let her drive it- the last pic is it sitting in the high school parking lot!!!

More progress on the Mustang






Before..No seal... dried up seam sealer



New seal and new seam sealer on only the seams



Battery Tray... Solid but needed some help

What the overall engine bay looked like



Current shot from tonight...wiring going back in, hood rubbers in, heater box back in, and lots of small stuff that you guys know eats up time.






I've also rebuilt the front end and put in a 1" adco swaybar and new shocks.

One of these years we are going to make the trek down there for the jc flyin.. But it's probly going to be a couple more years out before we can do it. Randy and I were just talking about that last Saturday. Hope you guys have a great time and stay safe! Don't forget to take tons of pictures and post them up!

I'll go west when you come south.  Meet ya there…  

I think I would like to fly down ,my wife will have family in town and said I could sneak out for a few days. the 12th is a Thursday isn't it?

One of these years we are going to make the trek down there for the jc flyin.. But it's probly going to be a couple more years out before we can do it. Randy and I were just talking about that last Saturday. Hope you guys have a great time and stay safe! Don't forget to take tons of pictures and post them up!

I know of no Kitfox setup that ever put the 912 oil tank behind the seat.  Only the Avid.  The Kitfox 1-4 FWF puts the tank (too) high and behind the engine, requiring the reversal of the intake manifolds.  Birddog, what are the specs for distance on the oil lines?  I never knew there was a spec for that.

 

I hope you can get more than 150º on the oil once you are flying.  You may need to actually insulate the oil lines to keep heat in.

 

One of the theories why my friend's setup failed is that he was never able to get the oil up to temperature.  The thick cold oil would not pump easily and bubbles formed in the pump causing cavitation and eventual erosion on the impeller which finally failed.

 

He has since converted to a newer Airdale built motor mount which puts the tank under the cowl on the right side of the engine.  No more problems.

In the May 2007 Rotax 912 installation manual (page 71) the max distance from engine to oil tank is 10 feet using a 13mm line or roughtly 1/2"

Yes,  Looking for a HID landing light that about meets the specs of the 35 to 50 watt aircraft HID lights.  I don't know how this is going to work out - going to try to take photo of one of these mini-spotlights in the daylight from a distance, and another at night of the opposite way to try and show how much light they put out.

They might also make good courtesy lights?

EdMO

yes, but you also said "I'm still looking for a HID landing light at a reasonable price, and I wont find one in "aircraft lights"..... so I asked if you looking for a sure enough landing light, or more of a recognition light... I know those little spot lights are not gonna be enough for a landing light

A few planes out of Casper are planning to head up to 3U2 on Tuesday June 12-16 for some camping and strip hopping. Anyone else headed up there at that time. Not sure if I will take the Avid this time looking like we will be in the Husky.

Cold oil probably won't be an issue, mine runs 230-260F with the same setup. Planning on an oil cooler when I decide where to put it.

Leni,

     I said, "They sure as heck wont make landing lights".

I will see if I can get a photo of the light is puts out - next week - got medical tests this week.

EdMO

http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/index.php?/topic/257-elevator-trim/?hl=trim

This thread has an easy trim system in it.

I would really want to put toe brakes on the pedals.  That way you can use rudder and brakes at the same time and still do what you like with the throttle.  Have you tried trimming the plane with the flaperons?  2 of my 4 Avids didn't have trim tabs and using the flaperons just a bit would trim it nice for level flight.  I never set the trim different for landing or takeoffs on the other 2 Avids, just used it to fly hands off straight and level.  Jim Chuk

I'm looking for a Propeller for my Avid Flyer. Prefer a Warp drive two blade, left turning prop. Powerfin also. Let me know what you have.

Thank you

Vance

vancesimons@gmail.com

Thank you for the input. I did reinstall the removed weight from the tail and flew it again. I started with 5 pounds. It helped some and I was able to raise the nose at full power but as soon as I decreased the power at all the nose would drop again. I installed the other 5 pounds and flew it again. This was the magic number. Now I can climb at full power, maintain level flight at cruise, and descend below 5000 rpm.

High Country, I have a Rotax 503 DCDI / 2.58 to 1 gear reduction / rear mounted starter. Good advice on the tailwheel. I will take a picture of my tailwheel and post it. Its a nice tail wheel but hard to break free to turn sharp on the ground. I have read that tailwheels that break free easy can get you in trouble with these small coupled taildraggers but I still feel it needs an adjustment. When I was flying yesterday on my second flight the wind kicked up. The wind sock was sticking straight out on approach. I got it on the ground with no trouble at all but got hit with a side gust which pushed me right. I got on the rudder and was able to correct the pending swerve. If the tail wheel would have broke free under the side load it would have been a fun ride. Brakes and throttle would have been my only other option. My brakes are different. The are Maco drum brakes which are activated with a dual handle system on the floor just under your left leg. I did not like the looks of them at first but the work well. They also have the option of pulling both handles all the way back at which time they cam over and work as parking brakes. Great for starting the plane....not so good for controlling the plane during landing because you have to take your hand off the throttle to actuate the brakes.  

I have looked at the battery and it is possible to move it back quit a ways. It's mounted right behind the seat. I'll have to build a mount and extend the leads. I should be able to remove at least 5 pounds of weight from the tail. I'll fly it like this for the summer then move the battery as an off flying season project.

This bird has a very small trim tab on the elevator (4"x4") and it is already bent way down. I would like to install an adjustable trim tab. Can you guys share what you are using for an adjustable trim tab?? I installed one on a taildragger Phantom Ultralight I built years ago. I bought the kit from Phantom and that was the best mod I ever did to the plane. Easy to adjust for climb or decent and took all pressures off the stick in flight. I am considering installing the same kit of this Avid. Thoughts???

Shoot me an email or phone call of you like. vancesimons@gmail.com / (509) 599-9477

I'M ALSO LOOKING FOR A CARBON FIBER OR FIBERGLASS PROP FOR THIS SETUP.

Thank you

Vance

Post Falls, Idaho

Awesome video! Looks like a lot of fun.

      The news this morning says 200,000 acres now burning there - same old story - too little, too late with responses. 

EDMO

Latest figure I saw just a few minutes ago was 192,000 and some change, with 46% containment.  A few historical structures and one lodge are in the line of fire now, but they are sending out crews to defend them as they are on the edge of the two lakes and should be pretty easy to set up pumps and defend them.  Hopefully with the cooler temps, calm winds and the little rain we are getting they will be able to get a handle on it in the next few days and snuff this one out.  The misting rain is helping, but we a good down south gulley washer to knock this one out and get some moisture in the ground, it is SUPER dry here and even the swamps are pretty dry.

Awesome photos and video! You guys are getting it done!

By landing light, do you really mean a light you want to use to fly at night into an unlight strip?  If so, good luck.  If your more wanting it for recognition, then there are quite a few pretty cheap options out there.

how about a shot of your little spot light plugged in??

mine flys with the ball slightly out of center.. The instrument was not put in the panel square so it always shows a slight skid when at rest and flying.  A fast check is to fly with the ball in the same place as it shows on the ground.  Now center the ball.  Watch the airspeed.  If you gain airspeed when you center it, you probly have a rigging issue.  If you loose airspeed when you center it, you need to rotate the instrument to get the ball in the center when at rest.

Hopefully the video shows up here.  I did not edit it as I am at work.  This is Randy having fun on a little gravel bar.  Note the airplane killers on short final.. you did not want the prop to stop turning on this approach!

EDIT:  I dont know why it is saying the video is moved or deleted.. if you click it, it will take you to the video and play it.

I am back at work doing a long hitch.. well, This hitch is actually short, but then I fly to Houston and New Orleans for a class then a test, so for all practical purposes, I probably wont get to fly again until mid July.  Its a pisser to miss the first half of summer, but I should be home in time for some awesome King Salmon fly out fishing then roll right into slaying the Silvers and rainbows on light fly rods.  Nothing like catching a 40 pound king on a 5 wt fly rod on a crystal clear stream.