Allen Sutphin

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  1. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Fabric touch-up   

    Question, my model 2 (which I think is original) has Matco master cyl's which I think are M5's. Along with Tracy O'Brien brakes which appear to be C-90's. The model #'s are worn or unreadable but appear to be M5's. Does theses correspond with the original equipment of a model 2. My model 4 had Cleveland master cyl's but am sure these are Matco's.
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  2. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Upholstery   

    I dug out my old seat upholstery and my wife cleaned it up nicely. It is the original Dan Denney Aircraft Kitfox upholstery that came with the kit in the eighties. Wonder how many of these are still around. Most I would guess would be worn out by now. Since the one I bought was a hangar queen, it was like brand new, hardly sat in.
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  3. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Susitna River Gravel Bar Landing.   

    Now I know I am not the only crazy hillbilly! Nice video, rough terrain. 
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  4. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Susitna River Gravel Bar Landing.   

    I think that's great! A question for the mountain pilots. Do you routinely fly over terrain that you can't land on? I ask this question on my old group when I had my challenger and the major percentage said 'NO'.  I have to fly over stuff that I can't or wouldn't want to land on or in. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to fly. I do put the odds of risk in my favor as much as possible when possible. But sometimes its unavoidable.  Am I the only crazy hillbilly that does this?  I am a perfectionist when it comes to maintaining my engine and aircraft and engines are like wives, if you don't trust them, they aren't worth having. (my opinion, not my wife's). Don't tell her!
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  5. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Kitfox 1 questions   

    You guys are definitely good for one's motivation!   As long as there are groups like this, older Avids and 'Foxes' will still be flying off into the sunset. I tip my hat to you!
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  6. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Kitfox S/N 1000 Restoration! N73BH   

    Only thing doing a runout test on the flange tells you if the flange is bent. Its the gear train that gets damaged usually on the rear of the engine with the drive systems. With a gearbox, damage to the engine is usually nil. Just a minor prop strike normally just damages the prop. A sudden stoppage can do major damage to the other parts of the drive train which can run normally for a while up to failure.  Any sudden stoppage SHOULD require a teardown at the least. That's why one should use caution when buying a used 912.  An engine turning 4-5000 rpm's gets stopped suddenly, its not rocket science as to what keyway's get sheared or gear bolts get overstressed including the accessories that are bolted to the rearend.  Bad thing is, teardowns are not cheap and are usually put off till its too late or the engine is passed on to the next buyer.
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  7. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Bringing a Kitfox 1 back to life   

    Plus, its good to see these older Avids and 'Foxes' brought back to life. Way too many of them rusting away hidden in the weeds.
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  8. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Bringing a Kitfox 1 back to life   

    I hope you get it flying in a month, would give me incentive, too.  I ran a Tenn wood 2 blade on my 503 for about 6-7 years. It is easy to nick and damage unless you have the hard leading edge. I am interested in the performance of a model 1 with a 503.
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  9. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Bringing a Kitfox 1 back to life   

    If you make it airworthy within a month, I'll just quit on mine! I figured the winter at the least on mine. I've got mine for sale on barnstormers but if it don't sell, I'll continue to restore it to new condition. And start with new logbooks and a new aircraft. Did get the airframe sandblasted and primed with epoxy. Got the new wing tanks from Stace and installed so about ready to cover. Haven't decided on an engine yet, but that can wait till spring. But I do think the model 1, 2, or 3 is probably the best for the money. And probably the most fun. Same with the older Avid's.
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  10. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic New Rotax 670 Install   

    Just got offered a sweet deal on a Hirth 3202 fuel injected 55 hp engine that's hard to pass on. Since a lot of model 2's fly with a 503, it should work fine. It has less than 50 hours on it and I've seen or watched most of the 50 hours being put on it.  Air cooled so no plumbing or radiators involved. Weight is approx. 98 lbs flying weight.  In a lightly built model 2, it should have plenty of power and max RPM is 5500 instead of the usual 6000 +.  It sounds quiet and smooth thru all RPM ranges, a lot quieter than my 503 was. maybe I got lucky.
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  11. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic covering process   

    I've always had good results with poly-tone. And it holds up well for years. I just want to try the SS glue and UV protector. Don't think poly-tone and stewarts are compatible.
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  12. Allen Sutphin added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    covering process
    Opinions from the group. I've used the poly fiber system for almost 40 years and this time I am thinking of using the Stewart System this time due to it being more user friendly to my old worn out body. Anybody have any opinions, good or bad, on this system.  I have intentions of using the glue, the UV coating and then using some form of latex as a final color.  The Stewart System final paint is rather expensive, well, it all is, but $300 a gallon is rather steep for a hillbilly. A good name brand latex paint at $50 a gallon is more reasonable and since it is all water based, it is compatible to each other.  I've breathed enough MEK based stuff in forty years that I can pee on something and strip the paint.
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  13. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Sandblasting   

    Today I found a commercial blaster at a tool shop that was going out of business and it was new. Got it along with a few bags of Black Diamond media for a good deal so I should be good to go.
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  14. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Sandblasting   

    This was built in 89' so its possible that it is the original factory powder coating. Add many, many layers of paint and then a cheap coat on top and anything is possible. I did manage to remove the cheap top coat so I may be able to recoat the original coating with a good primer/sealer. From close inspection there is no rust or corrosion on the airframe. It evidently has been in a dry hangar all of its life and not flown very much at all.  Oh, I will succeed just may take a little longer, but its going to be a long winter anyhow.  A like new remanufactured model 2 built light and right could be the perfect aircraft for the type of mountain flying I do. I rebuilt a Funk from the data plate up and this is no different.  I did like the gear arrangement on the funk, you could drop it in from 15 ft and it would stick. Not that anybody would ever do that, though. We all make perfect landings, don't we?
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  15. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Sandblasting   

    Don't think its powder coating. I've seen that many times and this stuff is tougher than Chinese math. But I will try the alum oxide media. I even used the old trick of heating it with a torch prior to sandblasting to soften the paint, no cigar, just turned it darker. May just scuff it up with sandpaper and a wire brush and paint over it as a last resort.  Just would like to clean the glue off first.  Thinking about trying the Stewart System this time instead of poly-fiber. Have never used it before.
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  16. Allen Sutphin added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Sandblasting
    Jim, or anybody else for that matter, what media do you use in your sandblaster? I tried walnut hull media but they wouldn't even scratch the paint and the glue that was used must be from NASA since it is the hardest stuff I've ever seen. MEK, Acetone or anything I've got won't cut it. Pure sand will barely rough it up.  Its not poly-tak so it must be some kind of epoxy two-part glue. No wonder it weighed over 700 lbs empty weight.  Add 3 layers of fabric (yes 3 layers) and the vinyl coating and this thing was a hangar queen, looked great, but never flown. I weighed the fabric when I removed it and it was over 50 lbs in fabric and paint alone. Yikes!
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  17. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Bungee questions   

    Just a thought, has anyone tried or measured the standard GA shock cords as used on Pipers and T-crafts and such. They come in several different diameters and lengths and different strengths.  I've installed dozens of them and have yet to see one break on a hard landing. Never installed any on Kitfoxes, though.
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  18. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Kitfox/NSI   

     Haven't really considered the Jab engine. As always have heard some negative reports on them but that is true for any engine.  You know the story, my brother n law's friend's sister's husband had one and if failed several times.  I am going to wait till it is completed minus engine and weigh it to see how I stand. That may be the deciding factor as to what engine gets hung on the nose. At 950 gross, you don't have too much room to play with.
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  19. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Kitfox/NSI   

    Thanks, Jim. Maybe I should put the 582 on the short list also.  With only so much money in the engine budget one has to choose wisely. The 0-100 that is coming on the market sounds good but isn't established just yet.  And cont parts are painted gold for a reason due to their prices.  I cut my A&P teeth on old 65 hp thru 0-200's but the weight puts them  out of the market for a model 2. Seems like the 582 is the go to standard engine for the older Avid's and Kitfoxes.
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  20. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Kitfox/NSI   

    Going to ask for opinions before I make a final decision. A Kitfox model 2 built light, what engine would anyone recommend from their experience? I am leaning towards a Hirth 3202 55 hp two stroke, but question the performance with 55 hp. A 3002 80 hp is also in the short list but at 140 lbs it takes away from the 950 gross weight. The 3202 comes in around 100 lbs flying weight. A 582 is up pretty close the 80 hp in weight, though its a great engine.  I know or think the original model 2 had a 503 or 582 as a choice from the factory but that is here or there. Anybody that is flying a model 1, 2, or 3 with a 503 engine be willing to discuss the performance on the phone?  I hate to invest in a 55 hp engine and then find out its not enough oomph to it.  If one studies the power curve of the 3202, it, at  normal flight power has more torque and hp than the 3203 65 hp.  Thanks for at least considering this.
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  21. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Another broken flaperon hanger   

    After listening to you guys talk about the tail ribs, I went ahead and bonded alum strips to mine as a added precaution. All the tail ribs were in good shape but a little extra strength wouldn't hurt. It does make them stronger and very stiff. No flexing anywhere. I also used .032 strips 1"X8". But I also added about 4 rivets per hinge along with the bonding.
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  22. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Perfoming oil injection delete on Rotax 582?   

    Just a idea to think about. The oil injection nozzles on a Bing carb sit about 2-3 inches from the crankcase chamber. The oil does not have time to mix with the gas from the jet. The gas gets circulated throughout the crankcase, but the oil being heavier does not get circulated as well as the gas to the end bearings. With oil/gas premix, it is mixed prior to going thru the jets so it gets circulated to all nooks and crannies. The oil will not get atomized as fine of a mist as the gas, so it doesn't get circulated as well as with premix. Most 582 failures are with the end bearings wearing, and since most 582's are oil injected, this might play into it. 503's are generally not oil injected (though many are) so they tend to last or at least the end bearings, a little longer. I am not advising oil injection or am I against it, just giving my take on the subject.  I, for one, will not use oil injection on any of my engines for this reason. I have no proof of any of this theory or claims to back it up. Just my worthless hillbilly opinion!
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  23. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Buying and towing a KF1   

    Nice airplane, willing to share any info on it? Like engine, empty weight, performance? etc.
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  24. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Buying and towing a KF1   

    "Older" really doesn't apply to airplanes.  Some of the best out there are "older" by anyone's standards. Your Kitfox model 1 is just as good as a 2, or 3, or 4 and so on. Just different limitations for each.  Your model 1 or my 2 can be rebuilt many times over and still carry on.  And you'll have just as much fun with a whole lot more money left in your pocket at the end of the day.  If it gets your tail in the air, no matter what it is, you're welcome here! As a matter of fact, some refer to me as "older". I prefer "seasoned".
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  25. Allen Sutphin added a post in a topic Buying and towing a KF1   

    Every experimental I've ever built or owned, somebody has always told me to "leave that model alone". And I've flown every one of them with no problems. Like I said previously, the model 1,2 or 3 is probably the better STOL airframe. Every kit provider wants you to buy the one they're selling because its the greatest thing since canned corn. Next year, their new model is better yet. And it continues.
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