akflyer
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Everything posted by akflyer
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akflyer added a post in a topic Short video of air to air
cool vid. The ole 912 sounds alot quieter than my 582.... now I cant wait to hear the 800 with a can on it... should sound about like a 185 on take off
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akflyer added a post in a topic Rotax question from a newbie
The tach is getting the signal off the stator..I would lean towards the normal issue of the needle tach just being fully screwed. Tiny Tach, or an optical tach on the prop and you do the math for engine RPM.
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akflyer added a post in a topic Rotax question from a newbie
What do you consider real nice? At wide open throttle, straight and level you should be getting 1150 or so.. anything under 1100 and your mains are too rich, or your over propped. What is your static max RPM? ( on the ground, run up) What do you turn on climb out? What do the plugs look like?
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akflyer added a post in a topic Rotax question from a newbie
Joey is all over this one.. You should be running both mags at all times except for the mag check before takeoff. The needle tachs are notorious for being way off. You can use the Tiny Tach and wrap it around one plug wire on each mag so it will show both sides during a mag check. Alot of guys were trying to figure out why the performance of the plane was so bad.. Like taking 700' to get off the ground and 400 FPM climb etc. Turns out that they were only running 5500 RPM or so on take off.
What are your EGT's looking like. If you are over propped they will be reading low.
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akflyer added a post in a topic Buying my new Avid
This is the same "POH" I had. Just remember that this is for the model A or B and that our planes are a bit heavier and wont fly quite as slow or get off quite as fast. Still great performers, but not like the really light model A.
Avid checklist?? CIGAR and GUMPS turn the fuel on and fly it.. on mine I have to check mixture and prop, other than that, make sure fuel is on, there is plenty of oil in the tank and fly the heck out of it! The only time I look at the Air Speed is when I am setting up to come in real short, then it is just feel as you dont have time to be looking at instruments. getting out short I glance to see 40 MPH indicated then pull full flaps and ease the stick back.. slowly bleed flaps till you have the climb established that you want.
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akflyer added a post in a topic Building an Instrument panel
AKFLYERBOB put a new panel in his out of .060 aluminum.. very light! mine is the same heavy aluminum as yours with the wood veneer crap on it that weighs a ton by itself. I picked up a fiberglass one but have not installed it in my plane yet. It is ALOT lighter than my stock panel
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akflyer added a post in a topic Hey Leni!
I will get some pics of them when I go over to Bobs today... I'm thinking that will be the "ticket" Next time home weather permitting, we will have to hook up and fly someplace!
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akflyer added a post in a topic Announcement
well post up pics and stories! I am into all types of flying, not just Avids n Kitfox! if it floats, flys or well you know the rest post em up
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akflyer added a post in a topic Buying my new Avid
YL-FLY (probably taken) YL-AVC or since you have the upgrades YL-AVD
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akflyer added a post in a topic Hey Leni!
Just got home from a flight to my cousins for a weekend crawfish boil... not too shabby, had 114 on the ground flying under some 747 on the approach into ANC. Gotta love floats in the winter time.. cross the inlet at 200' and go direct to home staying out of the big boys airspace... but it does make you pucker a bit when the heavies are directly over head
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akflyer added a post in a topic EAA Chapter Chili Feed
Randy,
I am flying up to Big Lake this afternoon for a Craw fish boil at my cousins place. He lives right off the end of schooner drive, not too far from the boat launch on the south side of the lake. In fact, I think he is just West of the Big Lake airport. I plan on taking off from here about 2:30 or 3:00 and wil be there all day tomorrow and head back this way Sunday mid morning. I will give you a shout and see if we can hook up. I can run over to your hanger and check out the new bird!
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akflyer added a post in a topic Got my Kitfox gear today!
If you are going to try that, use super coverite. It is fabric and will last alot longer! You can cover a tennis ball with it if you take your time and work the wrinkles out with the iron. I would be willing to bet that the ultralight covering is about the same weight as the super coverite. You can get it in colors that will come damn close to matching your current covering too.
Monocoat will shred on the first flight or first ding, the coverite is good stuff cause when you crash a model with it, it turning into its own hefty two ply and keeps all the powdered pieces in the covering making it easy to toss it all away in one shot
I would cover the whole damn gear leg in it because you dont have the fairing on the front leg.
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akflyer added a post in a topic Got my Kitfox gear today!
Do what ya want, but this is very well documented on damn near every aircraft out there. Cubs, Avids, Kitfoxes etc, the drag is way more than you would think. The unfaired gear and the larger tires will make you pay a speed and climb penalty. I am going to cover mine before I put them back on.
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akflyer added a post in a topic Where did you fly today ?
Coulda tested those babies out for ya yesterday.. landed in a big ole swamp to watch some of the Iron Dog racers come through. It was Wagon Master in his Mk IV with my skis on it, my brother in his Pacer on ski's and 2 guys in Cubs on skis. The cubs sunk in the wet heavy stuff to the belly pod. Wagon master stayed up on top pretty darn good with the exception of his tail which was sunk in almost to the stabilizer. One of the cub drivers had to pack a good runway to get him and his passenger off... this is in a bad ass 200 HP 170,000.00 cub that has every mod known to man on it (including a glass panel)... The Avids kicked everyones ass in the deep snow!
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akflyer added a post in a topic EAA Chapter Chili Feed
I am not sure the date on the breakfast.
I got a call yesterday morning about 9:30 that I needed to head out to the plane... Loaded up and flew up for the start of the Iron Dog.. we made it to the river about 20 minutes before they broke out off the iron dog trail and hit the river so we got some good shots of the first 8 or 9 teams. We jumped back in the planes and followed them for awhile but the light was VERY flat and the guys were only running 45-50 on the river... normally we roll through there at 100 MPH. We cruised up ahead and landed in the big swamp past sqwentna and got some shots of the guys coming through there. Loaded back up and headed to Fish creek lakes and spent the night at a buddies cabin. If I would have been thinking I would have given you a call from the air letting you know what we had planed. Was a nice day for flying.. I think I put on about 8 or 9 hrs.
Should have some good shots in the next few days from on of the other planes that was in formation with us. I left the house in such a hurry that I did not even grab my camera.
I think they got some shots of some tracks I put down on the lake... there was a nice big open hole and the river running between fish creek lakes was open... so I had to land, taxi in the water, and come in and out of it a few times... I wonder what the next guy that flys over and sees those tracks is gonna think
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akflyer added a post in a topic Got my Kitfox gear today!
Cover them or you will loose cruise and climb. Round tubes are 60% more drag. Most guys reported that they gained 5-7 MPH in cruise when they did fair them. Climb will take a hit also. I did not fair my gear.... but when I took off the 24" tires and unfaired gear, went to 14' long floats that weight 100# more than my wheels and gear legs, I gained almost 15 MPH in cruise and about 150-200 FPM in climb.
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akflyer added a post in a topic Gearbox Clutch
AKFLYERBOB and myself are running them. I love it for cold starts or warming up on floats. The engine starts and idles MUCH better without having to get that prop swinging. Idle is rock solid at 1500 RPM. The down side is you cant stop the prop in the even of an engine out so the glide suffers alot.
Having a dead battery out in the middle of nowhere is another big issue, but so far I have not had any troubles. You can change out to the clutch real easy even if the engine is mounted so it is something you can upgrade to real easy later on if you want to.
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akflyer added a post in a topic Phase I complete!
congrats! now the fun begins when you can take the kids and wife up for rides and share some of the good times!
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akflyer added a post in a topic Opinions on Matco TW's?
try compression springs.. they will give you alot better ground handling and will help with the release.
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akflyer added a post in a topic Couple Air to Air shots of my plane
looking good! The plane will look good with the bottom side blue to match the cowling.
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akflyer added a post in a topic Buying my new Avid
I wont admit to taking off over gross... i will however say that there have been times (most flights) where I needed full fuel and 2 people (200 + each) and our shot guns, decoys, gear bags etc. Now I did not run the exact numbers on them, but I am sure that if you can get it inside the plane, or strapped on the float, I can get it off the water and fly.... I don't do so in conditions that are condusive to turbulence, but have gotten bounced around a bit at "maximum weight"... In the U.S. if ever questioned or ramp checked, I would challenge the fed to show me where there is a "gross weight" on my paperwork or certificate
It is all what you feel comfortable with once you get to know your particular plane.
EDIT here is a file for your plane. I did not add the "unusable fuel" to the empty weight, but the numbers work out to 10.99" versus 10.97" close enough that you wont ever know the difference...
Jezz Weight & Balance.xls
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akflyer added a post in a topic Buying my new Avid
I have an excel file for W&B. takes only a few seconds to plug in the numbers. You will have to double check the #s for the datum line etc and use what they have on your existing W&B sheet.
Avid 61PW Weight & Balance.xls
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akflyer added a post in a topic Buying my new Avid
The standard tanks were 14 gallon and the long range tanks were 18 gallon. Some people put a 14 or 18 gallon on one side, and a 6 gallon on the other side with the wing locker. I figure 5.5 GPH cruise for my 582 at 5800 RPM If I back down to 5600 then I may get into the 4.5-4.7 GPH range, but on floats, it really like to fly around 5800 rpm.
Pics look good!
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akflyer added a post in a topic 10,000 and climbing and some formation flying
10,000 you were running way rich and leaving lots of power on the table. I have the Arctic Sparrow in flight, and one turn on them is about equal to changing one clip position on the mid range needle. Even at 5000' and say 5800 RPM I can crank it in 2 or 3 turns to keep the EGTs the same and keep the fuel burn under control. you just have to remember to crank them back out on the way down or look for a place to land real quick when the whirly gig quits turning. I dont think I have had mine over 6000 yet and that was only to clear a mountain cause I wanted to go direct and not through the pass. Me thinks I will take her up and see what I max out at when I get home this time.
Cool vid and pics too
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akflyer added a post in a topic Skis
better get it short short listed... looks like there are more than a few guys who are awaiting the new ski! If it is reasonably priced, I will get one instead of spending my time making one... damn I am getting lazy these days
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