1avidflyer

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Everything posted by 1avidflyer

  1. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Oratex covering   

    The 600 stands for fabric is good for an airplane with gross weight up to 600 Kilograms. 600 kg=1320 lbs.  Ed you are right on the VAT being 19% in England.  Maybe it was 15% in other European countries, don't know why I remembered it that way.  I'm not sure if the finish On the Oratex is as shiny as Aerothane, that stuff looks like it's wet. Jim Chuk
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  2. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Oratex covering   

    I was doing some more digging, and found a price list for 2014 for Oratex stuff from a dealer in England.  Way less than the price from Alaska.  At that point, the euro was worth more compared to the dollar, but I don't think that should matter for comparison purposes.  http://www.g-tlac.com/oratex.html  Jim Chuk
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  3. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic I've got it covered......   

    No Ed, I haven't.  The cargo door has a piano hinge on the bottom.  I don't remember that the top of the door rubbed on the fabric enough to be a problem.  I think these will be fine. If not, I'll put some fasteners on the front of the door or something like that.  JIm Chuk
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  4. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Mass Confusalence in Spokane....KF 1   

    TJay's has a cowl like the picture of this Kitfox, except for  that ugly radiator part on the bottom.  Jim Chuk
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  5. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Mass Confusalence in Spokane....KF 1   

    TJay's is # 11.  The one I got a month ago is # 151  Jim Chuk
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  6. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic 14 degrees and snow   

    Just looked at the weather , and it's 7 above right now here at 9:25.  Winter is coming, or maybe arrived.  I saw one lake about 4 miles from me was half froze over this morning.  Looks like you're almost ready for skis.   Jim Chuk
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  7. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Mass Confusalence in Spokane....KF 1   

    FAA lists that N # as being a Kitfox 1.  Jim Chuk
    PS,  just did some more checking, and the previous owner of this plane owned and sold my first Avid to the guy I bought it from.  Funny coincidence. 
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  8. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic I've got it covered......   

    Hi Ed, here are close up pics of my battery access hatches.  I'm thinking about camlock where the clecos are, but may just go with truss head machine screws going into nut plates.  Back hatch has a couple # 6 screws threaded into the tube there.  Only time it will probably be opened is when the battery is installed.  Front hatch has two clips that will lock over the front side of the opening.  Top clip is also touching the top longeron, so it can't go up.  Originally I was just going to have the opening be where the front hatch goes.  Welded in those pieces front and back of the opening to wrap the fabric around.  Tried putting the battery in using just that hole and it was pretty difficult.  I'll put an inspection hole ring on the opposite side just in case  a third hand is helpful as well. Hope that all makes sense.  Got the rest of the fabric on the plane today, next is tapes unless it gets put on hold for a while again.....  Jim Chuk





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  9. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Oratex covering   

    Hi Ed, we didn't talk about shipping prices.  In Europe, the price in dollars would be just under $40.  Lars is a bunch higher than that. If you look at my 'I've got it covered' topic, look back a few posts and you will see my electric fabric cutter.  Also more pics of my battery hatch.  Jim Chuk
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  10. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic I've got it covered......   

    I was a construction superintendent for the last 20 years I worked, and was able to take a pension through the carpenter's union at 55.  December 1st it will be 9 years.  Best thing I ever did.  My job was very stressful, overseeing subcontractors is worse than herding cats and I'm naturally rather high strung so I probably would have tipped over  if I didn't get out when I did.  My son is now a supe for the same company I worked for (funny thing is my father got me in with them when he was a supe for them also) and he will tell me about some problem he's dealing with and I feel so relieved to not have to deal with all that stuff any more.  Lots more fun to build airplanes.  Which I should be doing right now......   Jim Chuk
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  11. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Oratex covering   

    I ended up getting ahold of the USA distributor for Oratex.  Lars Gleitsmann.   He is in Alaska.  He also emailed me some prices for the fabric and glue.  Price is $54.95 per square yard for the 600 grade with is the lighter weight stuff.  $76.95 for the 6000 grade stuff.   They do have some that has a slight unevenness to the color that they will sell for 25% less.  Glue is $149 a quart, and he says it will take between 2 and 3 quarts to do an Avid/Kitfox.  Finish tapes are rather expensive, 2 wide is $149 for an 84' long roll, these have a sticky back, for a peal and stick application.  You can also use left over Oratex for tapes, you just have to coat the back with the glue and iron it on.   It  seems that you don't absolutely  have to use the tapes, but they will make seams prettier,  I told him about the electric fabric cutter I have and he wanted to see pictures of it which I sent him.  My guess is he is going to get one.  Bottom line he said was you could do an Avid or Kitfox for $2500 or so if you went with the least of everything.   That's with no tapes and the seconds fabric.  If you went all out on the recover, he gave a price of $4700 maximum.   There are lots of u tube videos about it, looked at one this morning where they were weighing 1 sq ft of different fabrics removed from planes to compare to Oratex.  Went from 78 grams in heavy painted ceconite to 9 or 11 grams in the lighter weight Oratex in white (natural) color.  Well I better get out to work on the Avid or at least something productive.  Jim Chuk
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  12. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Starting my kitfox 1 build pictures here   

    TJay, I didn't notice the third spark plug when I looked at it till just now.  Thought it was a 4 cylinder.  The sonex will really move with that engine in it.  If you can keep your Kitfox 1 at or under 450 lbs, I think the HKS would be a good engine for it also.  Mike Ricketts seems to have had good luck with his so far.  Jim Chuk
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  13. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic I've got it covered......   

    Ed, I'll get some more pictures of the hatch later today,  TJay, this is just the third plane I've covered so far.   I don't think anyone would want to wait as long as it's taking me on this one.  I started on it last March or April.  :-)   I have another one to do and the wing on the Kitfox 1 ahead of me,but they are under cover and not going anywhere, so it will be a while before I get to them.  I'm to busy being retired to even thing about going back to work for someone else.   Jim Chuk
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  14. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic I've got it covered......   

    Well I suppose I should up date this thread, rather than hijacking other ones.   Finished the second wing to the point of being ready to spray poly brush, and then wrapped it up and put it with the other one.  Started the fuselage couple of days ago, and have all but the verticle stabilizer covered.  Probably finish that tomorrow.  Anyway, it's progress.  Last pic is with the battery access hatch in place.  Jim Chuk



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  15. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Starting my kitfox 1 build pictures here   

    Are you going to put that Jabiru engine in your plane? What is the serial # on that engine?  2200s between around 450 to 1850 or so are better than later hydrolic lifter ones.  They are now back to solid lifters, from around serial # 3000 or thereabouts.  Mine is #903,  good you're getting something done.  I've been in the garage last few days also.   Jim Chuk
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  16. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Oratex covering   

    I called the guy in Alaska to try to get a price for the Oartex today.  He said he was in a meeting and couldn't talk just then, so I said I would email him and he could reply to it.  I did, but didn't hear anything back from him yet.  I did get the door made for the rear battery access and the fabric mostly on both sides of the Avid.  Under the watchful eye of my dog Molly.  Ever see a dog sit like this?  Jim Chuk


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  17. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Oratex covering   

    I should be out working on the Avid, and instead I'm wasting time on the PC.  I threw some more numbers into my calculator, and looked at Aircraft Spruce catalog for poly fiber stuff.  Their prices have gone up some, here is what I used and am not all that far off from the $2000 figure I quoted earlier. 
    35 yds. uncertified Dacron $4.90 per yd = $171.50   2 quarts poly tak = $55.00   3 rolls 2" wide uncertified finish tapes - $78.00
    5 gallons poly brush = $425  5 gallons ploy spray = $425,   5 gallons  white poly tone = $487.50  1 gallon colored poly tone = $117,   5 gallons poly fiber thinner = 230.70  1 gallon MEK bought locally $25.  That comes to $2014.70.  I know you would still have shipping on top of that, also I didn't figure any 3" or 4" tapes for the leading and trailing edges of wings, I'd cut my own from the wing fabric scrap.  Also, I didn't figure any ribstiching.  1 roll of reinforceing tape should just do it, another $60, plus cord = $45.  I know polyfibre  will have you buying other things for cleaning and such, but I never used them and things turned out fine on my planes. YMMV.   Jim Chuk
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  18. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Oratex covering   

    When I looked up the conversion rate on euros to dollars yesterday, they said 1 euro = 1.07 dollars.  I didn't figure the VAT, didn't think of that.  As far as the uncertified fabric goes, Aircraft Spruce sells it in all three grades/weights.  They call it peal ply if I remember right.  It's less than half the price of certified fabric.  You can also buy the uncertified finish tapes from them.  Here is a link to their 2.7 oz fabric.  http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/peelply2.php  Jim Chuk
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  19. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Oratex covering   

    Ed,  I got my figures from Fred's blog.  He said he glued one 1 meter wide strip to a 2 meter wide strip.  An Avid wing is about 13 feet long.  Oops, I just found an error in my previous post.  It would be about 12 sq. meters per wing, not 10.5 like I said.  Two wings is 24 sq. meters.  Fred said price was about 36 and change in euros per sq. meter.  Dollar and euro are about equal now, in fact the dollar is worth a bit more.  $37 X 24 = $888.  That does the wings for oratex not counting glue and other stuff.  Double the wings for the fuselage and tailfeathers, and you're at $1776.  Is my math wrong again?  Jim Chuk
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  20. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic HARLEY V-TWIN ENGINES?   

    When I was at Sun and Fun in 2003, a guy had a Harley engine display set up. Don't remember the name of his company.   Sounded nice, and blew the grass around a bunch.  Never saw it or any others on a plane though.  Back in the 1930s they put Henderson motorcycle engines in planes though, so I suppose anything can be made to work. Jim Chuk
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  21. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Oratex covering   

    I was just looking on Fred's blog, and if I'm reading it right, he used about 10.5 yds. per wing.  That's 21 yds. for both.  Double that should do the fuselage and tailfeathers.  Using the euro price verses dollars, that would be about $1550 for fabric.  Might be able to recover for a bit over $2000 at that rate, glue and reinforcing tapes included.  For now I'll stick to the polyfiber.  I have it already, and it's easy to work with.  I did start covering my Avid fuselage today finally, got the bottom done.  Just punched some numbers into my calculator, and if you use 5 gallons of brush, spray, and polytone, plus uncertified fabric, it will cost around $2000 to cover an Avid with polyfiber products.  I've used closer to 3 gallons of each when I covered my planes, but went as light as I dared.  Jim Chuk 

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  22. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Wings tomorrow   

    On the regular Avids, there is an attachment point just above and at the front of the horizontal stabilizer on the vertical stabilizer.  The holding tubes are 16" or so long.  Jim Chuk
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  23. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic KITFOX STRUT TUBE SIZES?   

    Ed,  I can't find the paper I copied to my PC just now.  I'll turn it up eventually.  Jim Chuk
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  24. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Silver and pink cleaning from frame   

    I don't think the MEK will lift the powder coating.  That might not work either, depending on what other type of paint you have on the tubes.  Like Ed said, try in a hidden spot. Jim Chuk
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  25. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic KITFOX STRUT TUBE SIZES?   

    I think the first wing is from a glider, here is Avid's wing test pic.  Looks like they are bending somewhat in the same way though. Jim Chuk

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