1avidflyer

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  1. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Tail wheel weight?   

    Unless I'm confused, I think Jared picked up an Avid MK IV a week or two ago. JImChuk
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  2. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Radio   

    If you like the radio otherwise, get a 12 volt charger.  I'm sure Icom sells them.  Maybe one of these from ebay will work as well.  I have a Sporty's SP 200 in my Kitfox 1 that I run off of ship's power, and a Vertex Standard doing the same in my Avid MK IV.  I like a Vertex Standard Pro V VXA-220.  They are a good price and work good as well.  JImChuk
    https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=icom+12v+charger
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  3. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Tail wheel weight?   

    On the average Avid, the empty weight on the tailwheel when you are doing your CG calculations is probably between 45 and 60 lbs.  If my memory is correct, my MK IV came in at 53 lbs.  Distance for tailwheel back behind the leading edge of wing (datum) is 145.75" if I remember right.  Full empty weight was 602 lbs.  Fuel moment is 15", passengers is 16".  Main wheels were 3/4" in front of the datum.  Gross weight for the plane is 1150.  I think that would be enough info to figure what the tailwheel weight would be at various weights.  Brain doesn't want to focus that hard right now to give an example.  :-)  No drinks involved, just tired.  ;-)  JImChuk
    Thought a bit about it, and woke up a bit so I played with some numbers.  Still don't have the tailwheel weight at a higher given weight, but here are some more #.  If my memory is correct, my main gear weight is 549 lb.  Moment is -- 412  (3/4" in front of datum) tailwheel weight is 53 lb.  moment is 7725  (145 3/4" behind datum)  total moment is 7725 -  412 = 7313.   Empty weight is 602, giving an empty weight CG of 12.14"   If you add 150 lbs of fuel, moment is 15 x 150 = 2250.  398 lbs of people, moment is 398 x 16" = 6368  Total weight is then 1150 lb, total moment is 15931 which gives a CG of 13.85"  Now, who is the math wizard that can tell the tail wheel weight at the 1150 lb total weight.  I know it's easy to calculate if you know the right formula and such.  Right now it escapes me. 
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  4. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic How to keep the Catalina alive   

    There is the guy in Two Harbors Mn that has the Avid molds.  Maybe he has the ones for the Catalina as well.  JImChuk
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  5. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic repairs and mods to the Avid   

    I have the plane just ouside the door of the house, cause I just washed it.  Easy to run out and measure like that.  The elevator tube is 1/2" OD.  Trouble is getting it out of the plane.  It's one long tube all the way back to the elevator.  The Kitfox used a shorter steel tube, and then a long aluminum tube.  I think Avid just had a thick slug welded into the end of the tube, and the threaded rod was welded into that slug.  Maybe one could cut the last 1/4" off the tube, make a plug that would slide into the 1/2" tube with a threaded rod coming out of the plug.  Weld the top of the plug to the 1/2" rod plus a few rosette welds and I don't think it could go anywhere.  All the while being careful not to start the plane on fire.  JImChuk
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  6. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Wider gear options for the IV   

    I built a laminated wood spring gear one time for an ultralight.  I made a mock fuselage and tested the gear on that.  It was set up so the wheels landed on steel plates that sat on round rods, so they could move outwards.  The gear cracked when I dropped it.  I hated to see it break, but I was glad I tried it that way first.  Plane was still good, and I gave up on the idea of a wood gear.  Dropping will give a good idea of straight up forces, a trailer type test will for front to back forces.  Keep at it!  I like it.  JImChuk
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  7. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic What was i smoking?   

    Jared, You obviously have some skills and intelligence, I can see that by what you've done.  I would suggest you make up a mock up of the fuselage that can be pulled like a trailer, maybe behind a ATV or something.  Put increasing weights on it and pull it on rougher and rougher ground to see what it will take.  Better to bend up something besides the fuselage, maybe prop, who knows what else if it isn't strong enough.  On the other hand, if it is strong enough and you don't bend it up, you can put it on  the plane with confidence that it will work out.  Also, please video the testing.  You don't have to show it if it doesn't work, but would be great to see if it does.  Would be a great selling feature if this turns out to be the way to go.  Keep at it!  :-)  JImChuk
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  8. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic repairs and mods to the Avid   

    Looks like that to me to.  I think you need a stop on the joystick or somewhere to keep it from going to far forward and wrapping the heim joint around the cross tube.  I posted something about this just a week or so ago, with pictures of what I did.  JImChuk
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  9. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Wider gear options for the IV   

    I suppose a way to test it is to mount it on a trailer like thing, put a bunch of weight on it, and pull it up and down a semi rough field at various speeds and see if you can wreck it.  I like it though!  JImChuk
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  10. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic What was i smoking?   

    Where did you get that big shock absorber?  I was thinking about something somewhat similar a while back.  Not quite as extreme though.  Sure will have lots of travel.  You must have seen the Just aircraft video.  Would like to see how it works.   JImChuk
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  11. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic repairs and mods to the Avid   

    Good to see someone else reporting on their projects and such.  Have fun Leni!  JImChuk
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  12. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Wider gear options for the IV   

    One thing, if you go to the Avid wider bungee gear, you want to at least infill the triangles on the seat truss with plywood to strengthen it.  The seat truss is a weak point even with the narrow gear.  Even more so with the extra leverage the wider gear will put on it.  JImChuk
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  13. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Kitfox 4 rebuild   

    Thanks for the link Larry.  Just looking at their website, and noticed on the powder coating page, they say their oven is 28" wide, 70" tall, and they can paint parts up to 24' long.  How did they fit the fox in there?   They are 330 miles from me.  JImChuk
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  14. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Kitfox 4 rebuild   

    Well, I fired up the spray gun and shot some paint.  Should be safe from rust now!  And Larry (Av8r3400) if I ever start talking about sandblasting and painting another fuselage, drive up here and kick me in the rear.  I'll buy your fuel.  I should have hauled the fuselage and parts down to the place you used for sandblasting and powder coating on your Mangy Fox.  I would have spent less time driving than I did in sandblasting and painting.  I still have the controls, struts, and tailfeathers to do.  Anyway, I can always say "I did it my way".  (add music, and I think I could have a song :-)   One concern about the powder coating route, when I was almost done with my Avid Flyer fuselage, I found a rusted through tube near the back on one longeron.  Had to splice in a foot of tube to fix it.   Never noticed it till the tube was clean.  If I had it done somewhere's else, and they found a tube that was bad, that would complicate things for sure especially if the parts were 300 miles away.  Or maybe they didn't notice it and just powder coated it.  Didn't have any bad tubes on the Kitfox though, so it wouldn't have been an issue, at least not on the fuselage.   Maybe Larry, if you read this, you can send me the name, and number of that place you used.  JImChuk

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  15. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Help with Fuel lines, filter, gascolator please   

    I forgot that we had talked about this a few months back and you posted this paperwork then.  However, in the discussions with Steve Winder in 2008, his opinion was just the opposite in regard to filters in the lines before the header tank.  Tried again to find those messages, but couldn't.  I think some of the earliest archives are lost.  To each his own on where you want to put the filters, I know what I'm doing.  JImChuk
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  16. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Wider gear options for the IV   

    The second picture is my Avid MK IV.  It has the standard MK IV gear.  If my memory is right, it's 2" taller than the earlier standard gear.  As far as wheel alignment goes, most say 0 to 1/8" toe out.  JImChuk
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  17. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Wider gear options for the IV   

    MK IV standard gear was just taller than earlier models but not wider.   Agree completely on wheel alignment.  JImChuk
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  18. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Step 2, Build Magnum!!   

    Wow! you are moving right along.  What do those rods on the passenger's rudder peddles do? They show up in the third, fifth and sixth pictures.  Mounted where a brake cylinder is on the pilot's side.  JImChuk
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  19. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Help with Fuel lines, filter, gascolator please   

    Avid's fuel outlet was about 3" up from the bottom as well.  JImChuk
     

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  20. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Kitfox 4 rebuild   

    Thanks again for the suggestions guys.  Worked a bit more on it today, the head cold is letting up and my back wasn't hurting as much either so I was able to make myself somewhat useful.  Hopefully I'll paint tomorrow sometime.  I still have a few missed areas, but I'll get them with a wire wheel on the 4" grinder.  Added a couple more tubes for the fuselage widening, they act as a bit of a brace, and also give me a place to end the side fabric.  It will come down the back side of the door and follow the brace at the bottom, back of the door to the longeron.  Then a scrap piece of fabric can go under the door.  2 yards of fabric saved just like that, and the brace is good to hold the tubes around the door in place.  Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  JImChuk



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  21. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Help with Fuel lines, filter, gascolator please   

    I had to land in a neighbor's field because of fuel filters between the header tank and wing tank.  I won't use them there anymore.  No doubt, you have screens in your fuel outlets on the tanks.  That will take care of the big stuff.  The header tank should take care of the rest, but in my case, I run a filter after the header tank just in case.   I see no point in having a second gascolator, with the header tank acting as one.  JImChuk
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  22. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Headset hanger   

    You have a bar in your plane?  Just for the passenger I hope! JImChuk
    PS  just kidding of course.  My mind went funny when I first read your message.  I just learned how to do the emogies though.
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  23. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Step 2, Build Magnum!!   

    I know for sure that you can't have to much light when painting or probably anything else you do in the garage for that matter.   And don't be surprised if you keep finding spots you missed for a while.  I know I did, and I painted with white.  Keep pounding away at it, and one day you'll have an airplane. :-)  JImChuk
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  24. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Message storage full ???   

    I wonder if there was a way to delete just some of them.  I know you can do it one at a time, but that's pretty slow.  JImChuk
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  25. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic 912, Late Kitfox Weights and ??? Parts   

    Think you are to late on the air filters Larry.  JImChuk
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