tcj

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Everything posted by tcj



  1. tcj added a post in a topic Anti-chafe tape   

    Yes the anti chafe tape will show.  Any imperfection however small will show through.  Even a hair off a paint brush will show.  Here's a photo of my wing tip.  You can see the little squares of anti chafe tape covering each rivet.  This is polyfiber medium weight fabric.  

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  2. tcj added a post in a topic Avid Strut to Fuselage attach bolt   

    AN 5 is 5/16.  That seems small.
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  3. tcj added a post in a topic Tailwheel training has begun!   

    Are you in the front seat or in the back?  I got my tailwheel endorsement in a 1940 J3.  He made me sit in the back seat.
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  4. tcj added a post in a topic Rib lacing cord   

    I used round lib lacing cord because I wanted that "Vintage" look of a fabric airplane.  It took a lot of work with the tip of the iron to make the finish tapes lie flat next to the cord.  If I did another I would use flat cord.
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  5. tcj added a post in a topic Flying for Santa   

    That's a clever video!  You made Santa Happy in Ellensburg this morning.  Merry Christmas.

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  6. tcj added a post in a topic FLAPERON TRAVEL?   

    Yes the flaperons are very effective ailerons.  The only time I push the stick all the way to the stop is forward slip and then it seems the plane is flying sideways.
    The horizontal stab front mount bolt is in the middle hole which is 2.8 degrees down in front.  The top hole is 1.5 degrees down.  It flys level hands off in the middle hole.  By the manual the flaperons are rigged in relation to wing incidence.
     

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  7. tcj added a post in a topic FLAPERON TRAVEL?   

    Mine is a Kitfox classic 4 with the aileron differential.  Going by the builder's manual to rig it as careful as I could then using an angle finder to measure travel I get:
    Neutral 0 degrees
    Up 21.5 degrees
    Down 12.5 degrees
    Total travel 34 degrees.
    Edit: Measuring to 0.5 degrees I'm probably implying some accuracy not true here.  A wag in confidence I would put on these numbers is plus or minus 2 degrees.
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  8. tcj added a post in a topic Flying With The Doors Off Avid Mark 4   

    Flying with your elbow out the window wearing a short sleeve T shirt with a pack of Lucky Strikes rolled up in the sleeve.
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  9. tcj added a post in a topic firewall to cowl seal?   

    Mine is a lot like Birddog's.  It is regular black foam weather stripping.  I coated it with Red RTV which is fire resistant.  I smeared it on by dipping a gloved finger in alcohol.



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  10. tcj added a post in a topic What throttle setup do you use?   

    I sense some confusion about reversing the push throttle.  Rotax two strokes require a bell crank to reverse the standard aircraft push throttle to pull the carb slides open.  To eliminate the bell crank on a two stroke set up a throttle like the one at the top of this page would be needed http://www.aerocontrols.net/Throttle Quadrants.htm#THROTTLE_QUADRANTS
    You would still need a splitter to convert to two cables.  Without oil injection, two cables  http://www.aerocontrols.net/ac__200__series.htm
    or with oil injection, three cables  http://www.aerocontrols.net/ac__300_series.htm
    I know nothing about the 912 engines,
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  11. tcj added a post in a topic Windshield attachment Model C #378   

    This is Kitfox, not Avid.  Screws with washers and nylock nuts on the under side of the fiberglass instrument panel cover.

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  12. tcj added a post in a topic Pushing with a tail wheel dolly   

    One key to easily move the plane with the wings folded if you are on gravel or grass is big pneumatic tires like my tail wheel scoop.  If you have concrete or real smooth pavement the small hard dolly wheels are okay.
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  13. tcj added a post in a topic Wing Loading Question   

    Tjay, did you clip your wings?  The spars should be 13.5 feet plus one foot wing tips for 14.5 foot wing length.
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  14. tcj added a post in a topic Wings tomorrow   

    Put a saw horse under the tail to level it then attach one wing with the rear spar and lower strut bolt then swing it back before attaching the other wing.  Or leave the first wing spread but put a support under the tip or have someone hold it or you could very well tip the plane over.
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  15. tcj added a post in a topic Odd to Me 2-Stroke Running Characteristics   

    My 1996 670 Ski Doo has a factory High Altitude Compensator (HAC) system installed on the carbs.  I don't understand the mixture knob on the aircraft aftermarket systems.  The Ski doo HAC is automatic and works great with the RAVE valves.  My clutch is set to hold the engine RPM at 7200 with wide open Throttle.  It pulls like a freight train.
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  16. tcj added a post in a topic Classic IV Restoration   

    Kitfox sells them as a noise filter for the radio to be installed between the regulator/rectifier and ground.
     When I finished my kitfox 15 years ago there was a lot of miss information on the internet that preached you could not use resistor spark plugs if the engine had resistor spark plug caps.  Mine had the resistor caps so I installed non resistor plugs.  There was lots of engine noise on the radio so I wasted about $25 on a capacitor.  After it blew up like a stick of dynamite and filled the plane with dense toxic stinking smoke I put resistor plugs in and the radio noise went away. 
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  17. tcj added a post in a topic Classic IV Restoration   

    I did that too.  I looked at it very thoroughly to see if there was any positive and negative markings on it and couldn't find any.  Only after it blew up while I was starting to taxi did I see those enourmous  minus signs all down one side and pluses down the other side.
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  18. tcj added a post in a topic Odd to Me 2-Stroke Running Characteristics   

    Here's the Mike Stratman article on aligning the marks on the oil pump arm and pump housing for proper oil injection ratio. http://www.cps-parts.com/cps/pdf/Part45.pdf 
    A bump felt in the pedals every couple seconds sounds like the mid range is too rich.  To lean it raise the clips on the needles one notch.
    It is recommended to run premix in the first tank of gas after an overhaul.  That gives any air in the injection time to work out and you also can check the oil ratio the injection pump is using.
    For what its worth.  I pull the power all the way back to idle when abeam the numbers on down wind and leave it there for the rest of the landing approach.  Usually have to use a lot of forward slip on final if I want to touch down on the numbers.
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  19. tcj added a post in a topic Flaperon behavior in a stall   

    I couldn't get the nose to drop on my Classic 4 until after I installed a shelf paper gap seal on the elevator/horizontal stab.  Power off with stick back it just continued a nose high descending mush.  All controls remained effective.
    If you try a power on stall be ready for a very high angle of attack. 
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  20. tcj added a post in a topic EGT Instrument Recommendations?   

    I bought my kit complete with a 503 Rotax.  The old Skystar substituted a Cylinder head temp gauge for the water temp they supplied with the 582.  Cylinder head temperature is critical on air cooled engines.
    Side story.  I attended a Rotax two stroke engine forum at Arlington a couple years ago.  The speaker was Phil Lockwood.  During his talk he asked "What is the minimum Cylinder head temperature needed with a 503 before take off".  I wondered, this must be a trick question, everyone knows that, so stayed quiet.  Everyone else in the crowd did too.  So I figured what the heck and answered, 200 degrees.  He didn't say a word, reached under the table and pulled out a fancy $25 Rotax hat and tossed it to me.
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  21. tcj added a post in a topic WORRY-FREE GAS CAPS AND PITOT TUBES   

    I have the Kind Ed has.  I still have the box they came in and checked the part number at Spruce and it comes up with the heavy duty ones shown in his Spruce link.  I like the looks of those better but they are high dollar items.  I think I paid about $1.50 each 10 years ago.  I trailer my kitfox for each flight so didn't put one on the pitot tube.  My pitot cover is a length of 1/2 inch climbing webbing with the end melted shut.  I left a wing tank fuel cap off one time so make it a habit to reach up and tighten the cap on my preflight walk around.  I guess I should give the flapper a flip too.


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  22. tcj added a post in a topic Fresh Engine First Time Out Suggestions   

    For the first flight with the airplane just out of maintenance it is always a good idea to stay above the airport for about 1/2 hour at least.  Climb up a couple thousand feet above the pattern altitude and circle around up there while you watch (the gauges) listen and smell for anything amiss.  Then land and do another thorough inspection of the engine for anything loose, leaking, chafining etc.
     
    I am assuming if they broke the engine in they retorqued the heads, exhaust and intakes afterwards.
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  23. tcj added a post in a topic Who's running a 406 ELT?   

    I don't have a 406 ELT but do carry an ACR resqlink Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).  It is still a compromise.  It does not automatically start transmitting with an impact like an ELT.   You don't turn it on until you need to be rescued.  No subscription required and is monitored by Search and rescue world wide.  I wanted it to also use when hiking and snowshoeing out in the backcountry.   Spot is just a tracker/messenger and requires a subscription.
     
    I don't believe the AK-451 has an internal GPS, you need to hook it to an external GPS to get that feature.  This whole thing about the GPS part is kind of confusing to me.
     
    Have you looked at the ARTEX ELT 345 GPS.   They now have an ELT with GPS for less than $600.  http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/artex11-13989.php?clickkey=2578691
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  24. tcj added a post in a topic Trailer loading (wings closed or open)   

    Every inch you raise the tail before folding makes folding wings easier.  A short piece of climbing webbing with a loop on each end attaches the winch line to the tail wheel spring. 
    Set the tail on the trailer deck
    fold the wings
    winch it up
    tie it down






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  25. tcj added a post in a topic Qestion about installing my spar Inserts   

    TJay, do you have the instructions for fish mouthing and installing the I beams?  Are your strut attach brackets already drilled?  My concerns are that if you don't install the I beams vertical you will not have the correct edge distance to drill holes in the strut attach brackets and the flanges on top and bottom of the I beams.
     
    Besides 4 of the the 40 rivets that attach the rear strut bracket and 10 of the 40 on the front bracket that capture the I beam flanges, there are 4 or five rivets that attach the spar to each flange ( thats 8 or ten on top and 8 or 10 on bottom (16 to 20) additional rivets attaching the I beams to the spars.
    Does this help any with your decision?




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