marshawk

Very Nice Randy ,keep posting pictures of that Avid , it provides some great motivation to get mine flying. Just pulled the skis of the kitfox last weekend

Nice looking plane there Doug, I have no idea on the paper work but hope it works out for you, still plugging away on my Avid ,once I get the cowl finished I'll post a picture

Wow Thanks for taking the time to do that Chris!!

Yes thanks for the rotax manual ,I'm sure I'll need it sooner or later,btw the cowling is coming along pretty well on my other project

Don't know if it will fit your throttle body, unless it is same size as a Holly 2 brl: I read in Mick Myal's book, (I think), that a Chrysler / Dodge / Horizon? carb intake cover with the snout on it, can be cut down to about one inch or less in height, and the heat tube connected under the bottom of it. It said that the filter is in the snout? again, can't verify this until I go back and check the book.

Mine has a slightly different setup, and not sure what it is. I could check dimensions and get photos later on if really needed to help you. Don't know how you would shut off heat with the Horizon setup, unless you built a box under the cover or made a sliding valve setup. On second thought, My old machinist wheels turn slow, I worked for Chrysler from 65 til 91, and remember some of those snouts had heat riser tubes on the bottom and a flap controlled by a thermostat. Try scrounging the junk yards for one.

Hope this helps some.

Ed in MO - Reductions EA81 in Highly Modified Kitfox Clone

Thanks For the info Ed, I really appreciate all the input.I would have to modify the way the k+n filter would attach to the TBI .If you have a picture of your set up I would diffently like to see it if you get a chance. This is all new to me but I am lucky to have a friend thats a pretty good mechanic but this is the first aircraft we are building. Do you have carb heat on your Kitfox and how do you like the performance of the soob in it. I will be looking at the local wreckers for a intake cover that may work better.

Thanks again

Hi Willis,

I decided to run carb heat on mine and spent quite a bit of time setting it up. That said; in a year + of flying from 70 degrees in summer to -25 degrees in winter and some 30's to 40's degrees in rain I have yet to need it. I think the fact that the airboxes are inside the cowl make the intake air warm enough that it will rarely be needed. I have about decided to add NACA air inlets for outside air to the airboxes to get cold intake air and will probably need the carb heat then.

I used separate carb heat/air boxes; one for each carb and used a cable splitter box to run the separate cables from one push/pull knob. I added the 2.75" flanges to fit the air filters and fabricated the cable clamps to hold the cable housings at the gate lever. I built the heat muff on the exhaust pipe and used 2" scat hose from the heat muff to the carb heat/air boxes and from the boxes to the carbs. The pics are attached.

Thanks for the reply Randy,nice job on the airboxes. My setup is a little different. I just have one Throttle body Injection carb that I just bought that sits in the center of the intake.The problem I am running into is I only have about 1 1/2" clearance from the top cowling.I probably have enough room for a k+n air filter but building an airbox would diffently be tight. I was told because the TBI is sitting on top of the intake that there should be enough heat off the

engine to prevent iceing but just looking for any advice.

Thanks Again

Just wondering if you guys that are running the Subaru's have carb heat on them,if so if you have a picture of your setup that would be great .

Thanks

Today while changing out carb boots with new ones from JBM industries I discovered something that could have led to an engine out. While moving my carbs around the T fitting in my primer line right before the carbs completely fell apart. I barely moved the lines too. I'm thinking vibration would have gotten it before much longer. That fitting came with the primer kit so I assumed it was fuel resistant. I'm using the blue 1/8" lines for primer line. I replaced it with a brass fitting from a petstore used on fish tank lines.

Best case if it would have let go in flight I would have just shot raw gas all over my engine bay the next time I primed it. Worst case it would have sucked air through the plunger leading to an engine out. Glad I found it in the hangar. There is another plastic T in my main fuel line where the primer taps off it. It's a 1/4X1/4X1/8 I'm going to be looking for a metal replacement for it too!

Thanks for the Heads up Joey ,mine are plastic and I'll be checking them asap

I know its a bit old but it thought i would give from the responders side of things. I'm an emergency dispatcher for sheriff, fire, and Mountain Search and Rescue. It seems like we send out search parties several times a year usually in fall hunting season or winter. Many times it will take us days or even weeks to find the person(s) but every time we have gone after a person who set off their SPOT we were there within hours. I'm definitely going to get one once i get my bird off the ground. It would be nice to be able to set it off from another source ie. you've been missing for a day and your wife could set it off to start a search just in case something really bad happened and you couldn't set it off your self. hmmm maybe i should suggest this to the SPOT company.

-Robert-

I have the old spot and it works great except I think it marks a waypoint every 10 minutes,which means you can put quite a few miles on between the waypoints.Can you adjust the time they are sent on the new ones and do you need cell phone service in order to send a text message.

Thanks

Hi Darcy, I am building and Avid + right now and Randy and everyone else on this forum have big help. I fly a kitfox 2 now while building and it is a good idea to keep your Avid for flying since the building process can be kinda long. The Avid + like Randy says has a huge storage behind the Folding seats. I am presently trying to fit a Kitfox 5 cowl on the front and after that step is down things should move alot faster.

Good Luck Willis

In the winter time when it gets around - 15c or -20C my battery doesn't seem to have enough juice to crank over the 582 fast enough so I just hand prop it,it starts fast. Just make sure its tied down.

Thats really cool Joey, my buddy I fly with wants to go land on some of the ridges up here this winter with ski's ,there about 7000 ft so that should get the heart pounding,hopefully there fairly flat since the brakes don't work to well. He used to be a heli ski guide so I guess he's got some good areas to check out.

Willis

The valley floor below is almost Sea Level. The tops of my playground run from 2500 to 5000ft. This landing spot was at 3000 ft. There's another group that I fly with in the Sierras that do the same thing only their playground is 9-11k. The plane is a dog up there but still gets off shorter than anything else up there.

Looks Like you have a very cool play ground, the pictures look great. What is the elevation on top of the ridges.

Happy holidays, Willis

Merry Christmas Joey! How long is this deployment?

Chris Bolkan

Merry Christmas Joey and everyone all the best In the new years, looks like you'll have no problem tracking santa with all them instruments

Hi Chris , I am the avid builder you sent that cowl too ,thanks again and Merry Christmas

Great explaination Doug, I couldn't figure it out either. Heres a couple pictures of my kitfox in late october if I did all the right steps Doug I received the 3 piece kitfox 5 cowl from Chris for the fat avid, what a great guy. It looks like my avid will be getting even fatter, the cowling is about 6" wider at the firewall(lots of room under there for the soob) but I think I can make it work.We just finished fabing up some brake pedals so now we can work on windsheild ,firewall etc.and get a better idea how its going to work out. I post a picture if we get looking ok.

Thanks again guys for the great site

Willis

Hi Willis,

I set my nuetral stick, flaps off at negative 3 degrees (flaperon nose down) and flaps on at positive 26 degrees (flaperon tails down). I would change this to about 1 degree negative since it flies at a better attitude with about 1 notch of flaps. Getting the side to side full stick deflection to be equal is the real challenge and I was only able to get them within about 3 degrees of equal side to side. I ended up with about 14 degrees positive on one side and 7 degrees negative on the other side (and vise versa) with full stick deflection if I remember correctly.

Randy

Thanks again Randy,I'm going to owe you guys a bunch of beers by the time I get this Avid in the air

Willis,

I set mine pretty much horizontal to the airplane axis in my Avid+ rather than at the upward angle they were at in my MK IV. Since you have to disconnect the push/pull cables to fold the wings it is not important to get them to fold correctly (just be sure to position them before folding the wings). I did have some contact with the horns hitting the turtle deck on my MK IV.

When you set them horizontal it gives you the most mechanical advantage on the flaperons. Be sure the push/pull cable don't bind as they move forward and back with the arc of the horn movement

Hi Randy thanks a bunch for the reply, I counldn't see the reason for having them up so high ,but it makes sense now that you mentioned the folding of the heavy hauler wing. I will set mine horizontally as well and that should solve my problem.Randy one more question, do you remember the up and down degrees that I should be getting on the flaperons?

I read somewere that on a kitfox they were shooting for 25 degrees up and 12.5 down I think, is this close to the avid plus?

Thanks again ,Willis

Take Care,Willis

I am working on lengthening the flaperon horns on the fat avid and was wondering if you guys have had any problems with the flaperon horn hitting the turtle deck.I want to make sure I get them at the right angle before I rivet them back on.

Thanks Willis

I am slowly making some progress on the avid,but have another problem I could use some advise on. I have to extend the flaperon horns but the right horn is at least 1/2" higher above the fuselage than the left one. It looks like there was a repair done on the right flaperon rib nearest the fuselage and I figure that must be why it is so much higher. I know there is some adjustment on the cables and linkage but does anyone know if this is going to be a problem. Should I try and compensate the difference when I lengthen the flaperon horns? I will attach a pic but its kinda hard to see.

Thanks Willis

Thanks Guys,I'll burn it into my brain, I had a bush master 2 Ultralight and the gas shut off was on the bottom of the tank,under the dash, right beside the Rip cord (no electric start on that beast). I got a surprise shortly after take off when the engine died ,I made a safe landing since this happen on the praires. After some hair pulling I realize that the cord was slapping the shut off valve and closing it. I am just Glad it was in the flat lands and not out here in the mountains.

Willis

I feel like a dumb ass but I gotta ask what the GUMPS check list stands for, I know a couple of the obvious but it sounds like a good way to remember them and I can use all the help I get when it come to that.

Thanks Willis

Willis,

I added a few comments on the cowling, but placed it above the conversation. Might be some helpful info for you.

Jack

Hi Jack, I am hoping to make it to Arlington for the Friday, Saturday but still not 100% sure,If you stop by the Bush Caddy Booth and talk to Willy Trinker he will know if I'm there, if you want to shoot me an email I could also give you my cell # marshawk@shaw.ca

Later Willis

Willis,

I added a few comments on the cowling, but placed it above the conversation. Might be some helpful info for you.

Jack

Thanks for the heads up,Jack. I haven't heard back from Brett yet about a cowl,so I may just hold off and hopefully go to Arlington and check up on the Kitfox 5 or 6 cowl. A good friend is setting up a booth for the Bush Caddy over there.He is currently on his way back from FLorida right now in a Zenair 701 that a fella purchased down there. I think he said it carry's 3 hours of fuel so he'll have a lot of stops and stories to tell.http://willytrinker.blogspot.com/

I was told I can get a low profile carb to keep the cowl a little lower so i'll check into that too.

Thanks for checking Jack,Unfortunately I live in a small town,I checked around with no luck,I'll phone aircraft spruce and see if they handle it.On a side note ,would you happen to have a picture of your bungee cord set up. I'm wondering if the previous owner allowed enough room for all the bungee wraps needed to pass threw the fabric but I don't want to widen the hole if it's not needed.

Thanks again for any help

Hi guys ,would any of you's have a extra 3 1/2" length of the 1.375 x.049 tube for adding on to my control column, seem to have that too short thing happening here too. I didn't have a caliper for measuring but I imagine it would be the same diameter as eveyone else .It came out of a heavy hauler C model. If someone has a piece they want to get rid of ,I would be happy to pay for it plus the shipping and handling.

Thanks Willis