FredStork

Thomas, 

it is most likely a model C. The unofficial home of Avid Flyer says 250-900 are model C. I don't know how reliable this is at front and back end is but with 466 in the center of the range I think you can consider it a Model C.

I have #479 and it is considered a "C"

Lycka till

Fred

The iron is for waxing skis... I'm sure BetterAircraftFabric will sell all you need when buying the fabric... I got mine from Oracover in Germany. Minor price difference from getting it off the web. Better Aircraft Fabric mention a stainless steel iron (mine is aluminum) that might be preferable as it leaves less trace and therefore reduce (but not eliminate) the need for protective paper when using it.    

I'm Swedish, living in France since 20 years working for a major US company last 15 years...

Hi akflyer,

my 3 blade Warp drive (excellent propeller for ROTAX 532/582) was 66 inches. Ground variable pitch that I had to increase radically to keep the maximum RPM on the much more powerful Simonini (92HP). Increased so much I had the feeling of flapping the air rather than carving it... I'm just exaggerating slightly...

My new 2 blade prop is 73 inches and 46 inch pitch. I would not have mind to swing an ever bigger prop (one propeller designer told me 76 inches would be optimum) but I wanted to stay withing the safety limits for ground clearance. Don't be fooled by the tundra tires, ground clearance is counted with flat tires...

Really no need for ribstitching 1 inch rib caps  using  Oratex if you clean the wood from the old varnish and glue...

How to get easy brownie points...

Pick up your 8 year old son in front of school at lunch with you plane on the trailer and take him out to the field. It takes good firetruck pick up to beat that..!

Yes, unless you have buckets of paint just sitting on a shelf my conclusion was that the difference in price should not be the decision driver... On my blog, scroll down to the October 28th post, you can see what I liked and what I think should be taken into consideration... 

Right... I'm not advertising for this or any other method.. and I have no other relation with Oratex than a good customer - supplier relation. I got free delivery from Germany to France but no other benefits or agreements. Just to be clear...
My only intention here is to share my experience using a rather new product that a lot of people are interested in but know little about.

"When you love you don't count"... but OK, I looked up the invoices and this is what I bought:

For everything except the wings:
24 meters of 900 mm white Oratex UL600. Cost 775 euros + 19% VAT

For the wings:
9 meters of 900 mm white Oratex UL600. Cost 290 euros + 19% VAT
9 meters of 1800 mm white Oratex UL. Cost 529 euros + 19% VAT

Total cost 1594 euros + 19% VAT (i.e. 1896 euros)

i.e.  2019 $US including VAT according to OANDA as of today 13:00 UTC

A liter of hotmelt glue is 75 euros and you need 2...

And remember, this should be compared to any fully painted alternative method....

In the end I had plenty of fabric left but it was Oratex who had been very generous when cutting the fabric. I can easily re-cover another tail plane is needed... I think I got an end of the roll...

I hope this helps

Fred

Is anyone else using a Simonini Victor 2 on an Avid Flyer or Kit Fox?

I changed from an old Rotax 532 a few years ago. At that time I found very little information and almost no first hand experience on this engine and, once I have decided  to buy it, I created a blog to to share my experience and eventually get in contact with other Simonini Victor 2 users.

2 years ago I made a hard landing and took the opportunity of the repair to completely rebuild my plane. My blog changed direction during this work and became the "Oratex adventure". However, I have now (finally) completed the restoration and my blog is now again the Avid Flyer Simonini Victor 2 adventure. I'll pick up where I left. i.e. at 63 hours of pure joy on the engine. At my last flights (2 years ago) I was consuming 30% less than with my old 532 and have had no issues (but 63 hours is nothing...). However, going from 60 HP to 92 I had to increase the pitch on my 3 blade warp drive so much that I think I lost efficiency. I now have a new 2 blade fixed pitch prop made specially for the engine and plane. We will see what difference it makes. 

I will continue posting my experience on my blog and happy to answer any questions.

No, the Cub stripe is Corsair blue Oratrim strips on the fabric and doors and Oracolor paint on the hood.

Edmo,

ORATEX appears ridiculously expensive by the meter but as it is "all inclusive" the total material cost was very close to the quote I got from Stewart systems. That obviously did not include the cost of the paint job unless you do it yourself.

6000 is 40% more expensive than 600 at the same width but a true overkill for an Avid Flyer or KitFox... 6000 has been used for a Antonov 2... and the 600 kg limit of the UL600 is more than sufficient for us. 6000 is also 30-50% heavier (depending on selected color) than UL600.
When I covered my wings I used 3 kg Oratex UL600...

White UL600 (900 mm width) ship from Germany at 38,45 euro a per meter. For US prices contact BettreAircraftFabric

The best way to calculate the Oratex cost is to buy a roll of brown-paper and pretend to cover your plane with it. That way you can see how you can optimize the length needed. You will also need ~2 liter of glue and some pinked edge band. And a good iron and a hot air gun, both with thermostats..

There are plenty of information and photos on my blog

regards

Fred

Sharing my films flying an Avid Flyer Model C, just getting away, helping father Christmas or trying do to that dream flight...

Fred's films

There are also a few films on using Oratex for those facing reality rather than dreams...

Using ORATEX

I have just finished covering my Avid Flyer Model C with Oratex. I have used UL600 (certified for aircraft up to 600 kg) with the exception of the landing gear where I used 6000.

I have documented the process of using ORATEX on my blog  "The Avid Simonini Victor 2 adventure" (initially intended for sharing my experience in installing and using a Simonini Victor 2)
I have also posted a few films showing how I did it... Using ORATEX playlist

I'll be happy trying to answer any questions.

No, I'm not working for or sponsored by ORATEX, I'm just sharing my personal experience...

Regards,
Fred