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I think all the 2 stroke Avid engine mounts were designed to be inverted.  I would think you might be better off to get a Kitfox mount, and adapt it to fit the Avid firewall mounting points.  Or at least copy the way Kitfox did their mount.  You also might have difficulties with the muffler.  Kitfox modified the muffler to fit under the cowling.  That cost a few HP with the 582.  I do have a nearly unused Kitfox muffler that I've been hanging on to.  If you get that far into it and need a different muffler, maybe I'll part with mine....  Jim Chuk

PS  I believe the 503 and 582 mount the same. (bolt spacing)

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PS PS  you might also want to make sure that the engine fits under the cowl.  I think the Kitfox cowl is higher for a reason (if you get my drift.....).

Anyone know where I can get an engine mount for a Avid flyer/Rotax 503. I want to un-invert this engine. This is the second inverted Rotax I have had and now I remember why I hate inverted engines.

Thanks

Vance

Oh here is a picture of the Avid.

Some of you might remember my father buying a Avid flyer. Dean Wilson repaired the wing. He found two rear ribs that had broke loose from the spar and repaired the aileron rib ends. He also rib stitched the rear section of the wing, tightened the skins and painted the wings. All said and done it cost 3k.

We got it home and I went through the engine. The Carbs were all gummed up so I rebuilt them, the fuel pump, changed out all the lines from the gascolator forward, and cleaned the cowl tank with fresh gas until it looked clean.

After getting it running good I took it to a local private strip and did some taxi testing. Static runs looked good so I took it for a flight around the pattern. All went well so I took it around again with good results. On the third flight I was going to climb up and check some performance stats. After take off I climbed to pattern altitude and leveled off. I was just about to pull the power back to cruise when I felt the engine lose power. I looked at the RPM gauge and it was reading 4650. I turned the plane around and brought it back in with no issues. The engine ran fine under 4500. Once on the ground I did a static run and could not get more than 4700 rpm. I pulled the cowling and noticed the pro-line fuel filter did not have any fuel in it which was not normal. I pulled the gascolator and it was full of brown chunks. I pulled the line coming from the tank and nothing was flowing. I blew back through the line and felt it break free. The fuel ran out for 2 seconds then stopped again. There was crap in the tank and a lot of it. We had sloshed the tanks with fresh gas before flying it but there must have been some stuff caked to the inside of the tank that decided to break loose during taxi testing. We siphoned the fuel out and it was full of old tarnished fuel. The tank was plastic so we used carb cleaner to melt the rest of the crap out. A bore scope was used to check the final cleaning. After I knew the tank was clean I changed out the rest of the lines from the tank to the gascolator.

I'm happy to report that this weekend I put almost three hours on it with no trouble. All I can report is the wood prop is not tracking right and causing some roughness/vibration. A warp drive is on the way. This plane needs some weight in the tail. Its not super bad but more than I like. It had weight in the tail when we took it to Dean but he removed it. It's going back on. At this point there would be no recovering from an elevator failure. Has anyone installed a mechanical trim tab on one of these?

Thanks

Vance

Out again today.  I was in a group of six planes that went to 68C for lunch.  A total of 54 planes in attendance for a lunch of pork spare ribs, smashed spuds and veggies.  Good times...

Looking north...

Northwest...

West...

Southwest...

South

This flying thing is kinda fun...

Sorry Brother, you know I cannot part with the floats, but if I find some for sale, will pass that info along.

Thanks,

That's why I said enjoy them!  I thought there were more honest politicians than amphib Avid floats, but you proved me wrong! )

Mark

Well,

I would say if you decide you don't like the floats let me know. But since I know that won't be the case, enjoy them!

Mark

Sorry Brother, you know I cannot part with the floats, but if I find some for sale, will pass that info along.

Great pictures Joey, looks like a blast.  Nice that the owners share it like that.

Well,

I would say if you decide you don't like the floats let me know. But since I know that won't be the case, enjoy them!

Mark

Chris,

That makes two of us on flying or riding in a float plane. I found out it was for sale, and said to myself, " I gotta have that" lol, My float instructor is up in Alaska. He will return in August. He has flown this plane many times, and said it is a great little performer on the water. Since he will not return until August, I will remove the floats, and put the "bungee" gear on her, then see if I still can fly a tail dragger. This will give me a chance to look the floats over, weigh them, make any repairs, grease the bearings and such.

Robin

Hope it don't get worse in Alaska - I remember one year when 9 Million acres burned there - California is getting burned badly.

EdMO

If you get up around Wasilla, the smoke could make you giggle, and sooo happy!   "High-Flying"!  

Hope it works out for you,we have a couple fires here already also and my son lives in Northern Arizona and they also have some fires.Good luck Leni.Randy

that´s a Beautiful--cough---cough--- Avid Flyer!! 

why would you go with bigger tires? just for the look or are you afraid you won´t have anything else to build??? still good job with the plane, I´m impressed, good that you choose to wait for a year!! this cowling doesn´t look as bad as long as you remove that cheek on the right hand (harrier air intake) side of it look good, Joey is still flying with same cowling, very distinctive of avid, unfortunately mine came with a "modified stone heavy cowling"

Regards

Dimi3

Robert,

      You definitely need bigger tires - It isn't as tall as a Storch yet! - Looks good tho - and the porch building is a story in itself.

EDMO

Never even ridden in a float plane much less flown one, but I would feel lucky to be based out of Martin field because you have the grass to land on. Doesn't look like there is much suspension to absorb any small error one might make landing on pavement!

Seems like it would be easy to stress and bend things if every landing on pavement isn't a perfect greaser.....

Probably really showing my ignorance here, but hey, when it comes to floats I am )

Chris

Looks like they guys are back and making movies again.. View from the yard this morning. Got a fire burning on the outskirts of town that's gone from 700 acres to 20,000 in under 24 hrs. Hope the winds start blowing out of the north west and send it to the mountains away from town and homes.

Hi Bryce,  I found those rubber bushings.  There are 8 of them.  seems he didn't do the best job cutting them in a nice circle, but I think they will work.  If you took a short piece of 3/8" all thread rod, some washers and nuts, you could make a clamp that you could put in a drill press or lathe and spin them against some sandpaper to round them out if you like.  I need your address to send them to you if you still want them.  Jim Chuk

Kenneth,

Good to hear from you again!  I have gone to Florida twice this year, and both times went to Tavares to get an hour of float time at his business (Jones Brothers Seaplane Adventures) in this airplane.   He posted on facebook in April offering the pilot privileges for the 8 hour trip for less than 1/3 the price the 8 hours would cost normally, which basically paid for the gas.  I responded first, so I 'won'.  We had already planned to go to Florida again the week he was flying it to Missouri on Friday, so it worked out for me to have no additional travel expenses.  Various things including weather caused it to be delayed until Monday, which meant I had to stay on the lakefront at Tavares for 3 days watching boats and seaplanes, it was really tough!    .

Since we are looking for a home to buy in Florida, (that's why all the trips) it was also a good opportunity for me to do the cross country to/from the Midwest with another pilot in the plane.  My cross country skills were a little rusty, so it was good all around.

Mark

We got the brakes and tires mounted up last night! really happy with the stance it has now. My wife did say "those tires look small with that gear" I heard " lets get bigger tires" but the budget says no. I'm going to start taking the porch apart tomorrow to get it off . will have the tail and wings on by Saturday and its headed for the airport Sunday afternoon to be completed there. I asked my wife for a picture to see the relative height and Scout thought he should be in there to.

-Robert-

[edit] the new gear sits 72 1/2" inside to inside and 8' outside. I don't think its quite as high as Bretts though but should be good for my wife to learn ground handling with. at least she can almost see over the cowl.

Inverted Landings - also happens to those with the little wheel in back too.

A friend of mine ran out of runway in Alaska, and flipped his new plane - somewhere I found a photo of a plane with wheels on top of the wings that the pilot could land upside down - I sent it to him - don't think he took my suggestion --

EdMO

I have... its when the nose wheel folds under and suddenly the front of the plane and the nose wheel is now pointed 180 from where you wanted it and you get to replace the plane most of the time

 

Not just pointed 180º the other direction, but usually inverted, too...

Ah - memories of tailwheels wanting to be nose wheels! 

Never saw a nosewheel that wanted to be in back tho!

EDMO

I have... its when the nose wheel folds under and suddenly the front of the plane and the nose wheel is now pointed 180 from where you wanted it and you get to replace the plane most of the time

It was a combination of the gearbox and carb troubles.  I really don't know what I fixed on the carbs...

95% of the vibration is gone now.  So we're back in the air.

ChrisB,

Hangered at Martin field. Yes sir would be awesome to meet up.

Robin

Very nice report. How did you manage to get the flight along with the owner? Glad to see you're using that new seaplane rating.