TheDeltaFox
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TheDeltaFox added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar
Sold my Avid :(Its a sad day today. I sold my Avid last night with mixed feelings. It was a great plane but I think selling it was the motivation I needed to finish rebuilding my J3 that I bought a couple years ago. I haven't decided against selling the J3 but I want to get it to the point where its worth a bit more money before I part with it.
Don't count me out of the world of Avids just yet though. I know where there's an Avid that's seen better days just waiting for someone to come save it. The guy is very high on his price for the shape its in and it has none of the mods done to it. So when i'm done my J3 or sell it off, i'll make a trip and see if he's ready to part with the old girl.
Till then i'll still be lurking on the forums here once in a while. Take care out there.
Darcy
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic Door Latch
My magnets are just for holding the doors open on the ground. Never did try opening the door in flight but I suspect the magnet won't hold it open. The magnet is friction fitted into its holder and underneath is a small bolt with a nut on the other side of the door frame to hold it on. I assume the wing just uses an avex rivet. I'm not a big fan of ever drilling holes in spars so if I was building, i'd put the gas shocks on the doors.
D
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic D#@& Isocyanates !
I'd recommend Endura. Its a two part expoxy that has been used for years on crop dusters. It does a great job on metal fuselages, is chemical proof and remains somewhat flexible in the cold. Its not approved stuff but I know of a lot of planes using it as a top coat over poly-spray to finish off their planes as well. Only thing is that it takes a lot of scrubbing like mad with MEK to get it off if you have to make a repair to fabric. But for the fuselage tubing its the cats meow. I'd recommend against powder coating the fuselage because i've seen it hide rust and other problems under that shiny candy coating. This is the stuff I bought to coat my J3 fuselage with. http://www.endura.ca...imers/ep2c.html I'll use this on the fuselage and then the Stits/poly system for fabric and paint cause i'm use to it and i find it easy to use and forgiving.
Be careful what you choose as a primer/paint so that the fabric product you use will still hold to it. A regualr zinc chromate spray can primer will sometimes goo-i-fy (technical term) when poly-tak is applied to it for attaching fabric.
Just my two cents.
D
*Edit - After checking the MSDS sheets, part B does contain polyisocyanates.
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic Congratulations Leni!
CONGRATS!!!!
Best wishes on a long an happy life together from a guy who just got hitched a couple months back.
Now you need to get another Avid for her to fly in formation with you. I tried this speech on my wife, shes a glider pilot but loves flying in the Avid.
Darcy
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic tail up
I second that. The only off runway adventure I EVER had so far was with high speed taxi tests with the tail up. Go balls to the wall and take it for a 500' circuit. Then land with no sideways drift. The Avid has plenty of control surface authority to keep you from drifting. No one says you have to land on the silly center line. You can land at a an angle on the whole runway if its more into the wind. Personally I decided to learn to land the Avid without using my brakes until the aircraft slowed down to a point where if I nailed a brake and full rudder, I wouldn't hurt the plane. That's only my opinion though and there's guys on here with a ton more experience that will surely pipe up. My logic was that i'd learn to stay ahead of the plane without relying on the brakes to save me. Again, I have cable brakes and they're about as useless as could be, except maybe for maneuvering between planes on the ramp.
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic Wire feed welding
Go hard core and use an oxy acetylene rig like I did. Sure it may be the slowest of all forms of welding but it makes a darn good fusion. I welded up some scrap 4130 tubes I had and then crushed them in a vice and bent them over with a hammer. Even a shitty oxy weld is incredibly strong. I guess it should be cause you're melting the two tubes together and adding a little filler.
Although to admit a silly mistake, when I was making my all lexan doors I broke the handle while adjusting it. Adjusting it with a pry bar and a bit of attitude. I had no choice but to weld and being the optimist decided to weld with the lexan on the door.
I surrounded the area with scrap lexan and sheet metal then ATTEMPTED to weld fast. It was at that time that I was wishing I had a MIG rig for small little jobs like that. I now have a nice little painted white square in the corner of the lexan at the door handle. Surprisingly though no one has noticed that one of the doors has that white patch. I angled it to make it look like it was on purpose. But now, don't we all have those fun little spots on our planes.
Darcy
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic metalized wings
I swear that there is some truth to that. A friend's Cessna 150 sat thru a hailstorm and was very evenly dimpled across the entire plane. That was probably the reason he got it cheap. It flew faster and landed slower than any other 150 i'd flown and except for resembling a golf ball it was a great plane.
Darcy
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic Full Lexan Doors
There's a magnet attached to the spar that it grabs when you open the door. Its great cause it works right through the wing covers. I'll get a better picture of it open and closed for you.
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic Full Lexan Doors
The magnets work great. It takes a good tug to get them to release and they hold the door at maximum open. I've been contemplating putting the struts on but that takes effort.
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic Full Lexan Doors
Sorry it took forever to get an update to this post. I tried to make the full lexan doors in one piece using a mixture of pressure and heat to form the door over the frame. That was a fail. So I made the doors in two pieces.
I took the doors off and cleaned then primed and painted them. Then using the old lexan and lower door half as rough templates drew the outlines on the lexan. The .060 cut easily with some large smooth tin snips I have for making nice straight cuts in aluminum. A regular file and emery cloth helped smooth the edges and make a nice radius on everything so hopefully there are no sharp areas for a stress crack to start. I also bought a special $9 bit for drilling the holes in the lexan for the rivets. It was just oversize of the rivets and should give a expansion and contraction buffer. Now I just need to hide where the old metal door half was rubbing on the cowling. Anyways, here's the final product installed on the pilot side. Its so clear compared to the old glass that you can barely tell its there. Its an amazing view sitting in the plane looking down at the wheel and everything below.
Darcy
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic handheld problems
Warning!! Highjacking thread to Welcome Norm to the group.
On a side note, I was driving thru Vulcan this past weekend on my way from Lethbridge to Vermilion and naturally stopped to check out a new airport. I spotted an Avid with the registration C-IJIJ. Tonight I looked up on registry to see who owned it and then came onto the forums and saw your post. If you happen to be the same Norm then the world of Avids is small indeed.
Darcy
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic handheld problems
Have you tried borrowing a headset from a friend just to make sure its your mic? I'm using a DC 13.4 with a foam mic cover and an ancient panel mount radio and never had an issue with noise according to my buddy who's usually out flying whenever I am.
Also, if you have a fixed antenna, where is it mounted and does it have a good size metal plate under it to fire that signal off of? A few of the fabric planes around here needed to put in a circular metal disk about 5 inch across under the fabric at the antenna to help out. This again is more for weak signals than noise interference.
Cheers.
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic Site offline or unavailable
Just replying to add to the traffic stats ...
GO AVID FLYERS GO!!!!
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TheDeltaFox added a post in a topic Alaska Flying Envy
Canuck here,
No transponder is required if flying outside ATC zones. Some FSS sites have radar and might ask you to squawk a code for traffic purposes but you can easily transit Canada without one. Be sure to get a Canadian map and find all the little airports along your intended route. My suggestion is to cross the border in Saskatchewan or Alberta and clear customs at the closest FSS serviced airport provided that has customs.
FSS is a little different up here. At Canadian airports service by FSS you contact them as "(Airport name) Radio" and they provide traffic information and airport advisory services like prefered runway, wind and altimeter. They're usually quite helpful. Well, I am cause i'm of the few FSS that have my own plane and enjoy my job. Just be sure call 5 minutes prior to entering the CZ (usually 5 miles for FSS airports in Canada) and give your aircraft type, full N-number and ETA.
My route if going from the states would be to cross the border in southern Saskatchewan rather than Alberta because of the unpredictable weather and winds coming off the rocks in Alberta then head up through Kindersley (I used to fix planes there and it has cheap fuel and nice people) then on to Lloydminster to stop and refuel/visit the super guys at the Flight Service Station there and see my Avid. Then skirt just north of the Edmonton control area over to Whitecourt or Valleyview or Grande Prairie depending on fuel. Then to Fort St. John, BC for fuel and weather check. Then up to Fort Nelson and on over to Watson Lake. From there you can make Whitehorse and you're off to AK.
Just my thoughts. When i'm done restoring my J3 i'm planning a trip along this route. I worked in Fort St. John FSS and have seen a lot of people try to take the trench route to the west claiming it was faster. Well its a couple hundred miles of steep narrow pass with only water to land on and its a big channel for air masses moving south. Don't let anyone convince you its a good idea unless you like sitting and waiting out weather. My route keeps you west of the rocks and over the Alaska highway. Its a beautiful route with many airports and tons to see and do. Best of all you don't need a transponder till you get to Whitehorse and even then if you call them ahead of time, it shouldn't be an issue. If you fly, be sure to stop in and talk to some of the FSS guys in the towers. We love to chat unlike most controllers who don't like many visitors lol.
No firearms that haven't been declared and no pistols or revolvers can be carried on you. Everything must be unloaded and locked up. Give the border agency guys a call. I'm sure they can easily answer all those questions.
As for the aircraft, I've never heard of anyone checking size of N-numbers or for rubber fuel lines. Remember that most of these border guys are more excited just to see an airplane. We have home builts up here as well and I've seen some scary stuff flying the skies. As for gas cans, i've seen local guys rig up in flight refueling from a gas can strapped to the seat beside them. Even if someone frowns on it they can't do a thing about it. We have some amazing freedoms when it comes to flying in Canada. Just remember to file a flight plan and ask to make sure its open and for sure closed when landing. You don't want the fuel bill for that Herc that comes looking for you cause you're overdue on closing.
Hope this helps,
Darcy
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TheDeltaFox added a topic in Avid fox flyers pics and vids
Fathers Day Fly in BBQThere was a Fathers Day fly in / drive in BBQ in Lloydminster today. The forecast was terrible and I woke up to pouring rain. I went back to bed and when I got up later it was clearing so I thought lets go for lunch.
I chased the rain to Lloyd and got to play with come Strato Cumulus clouds on the way. Rain was heavy to the north and good skies to the south. Was a fun day and the local flight school gave cheap rides and had about 150 people experience the thrill of flight. They got shut down for about 45 min while a thunderstorm rolled through but other than that it was a good time. Due to the forecast and bad weather early on, I was one of about 5 aircraft that flew in. I thought it was great that this little Avid flew in and all the expensive planes hid in their hangars for fear of rain and low cloud.
Here's a short video of me skipping over the edge of a straggling stratocumulus cloud.
Darcy
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=jsM160iuGwk
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jsM160iuGwk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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