1avidflyer

Sadly, it seems that not many people on the site have experience with the Catalina.  Myself included.  As long as I'm here though, I'll make this comment as far as engines go.  I'm a real fan of the 912 Rotax.  I'm flying with an 80 HP in my Kitfox 4 and have the 100HP in my new Kitfox 4 build.  They are very nice engines and pretty light for the power they produce.  There are more used ones out there all the time, especially as people move to higher HP Rotax engines.  I would really look into them rather than an auto conversion.  In the end you probably wont spend any more money, and will have a lighter better performing airplane as well.  JImChuk

That is a nice looking Avid.  Has it been inspected by a DAR and got it's airworthiness certificate?  JImChuk

I shipped a single Kitfox 2 landing gear  from Mn to Or a couple of weeks ago with UPS.  The box measured 14 x 14 x 33 and weighed 10 lbs.  Shipping cost was $92.53.  The guy at the store redid it three times because he couldn't believe it was right either.  It was right, but for sure seemed all wrong.  JImChuk

Funny deal there,  I had a Sensenich 2 blade ground adjustable prop for a Jabiru, and ended up selling it the Sam Rutherford.  Had to ship it to England as I remember.  Never heard from him after he got it.  I think I remember reading the plane got wrecked at some point after that.  He had some kind of adventure company, and they did some pretty wild things.  I just googled him and pulled this up among other things.  JImChuk

Coming back to Labrador is like 'a pilgrimage' for pilot who crashed there last month | CBC News

Actually those look like MK IV landing gear to me.  They were two inches taller than the earlier models, and had the step on them  JImChuk

Your calipers look right as far as I can see.  They have to be able to move in and out on the pins to stay centered on the brake rotor.

I did a follow up on the hubs over in the Kitfox 4 section.  I finished them today.  I thought I had posted about starting on the hubs but didn't notice where it was.  JImChuk

Well I'm still putzing on the new Kitfox build, I bought a Kitfox cabane style landing gear for it, and it had a set of aluminum 1 1/4" axels.  I could buy new 3/4" axels from grove for about $225, or look for some 6" wheels that use the 1 1/4" axels.   I've seen a video where a 3/4" axel broke on a grove gear, and it messed up the plane pretty quick.  I ended up making my own hubs that will still use the 8" wheels I have, and the 1 1/4" axels.  Bought some 4" long, 3" aluminum tube with 1/2" wall, and some 4" x 1/2" aluminum circles, all on ebay.  Machined things down, and took them to the welder.  Got them back yesterday, trued them up on the lathe, and pushed in the bearings.   They are done now and I think they will work just fine.  I like playing on the lathe anyway.  The dirty hub is the factory kitfox one for 3/4" axels.   JImChuk

The Avid factory made them, but I suppose it's the old law of supply and demand.  Not much demand, so not much supply.  But I'm guessing that if a small shop made up a jig, they could sell a few pretty easily.  

The seat truss was a weak point on the Avids, and early Kitfoxes for that matter.  If it was me, I would infill the triangles in the seat truss with .040" thick steel.  Under the doors may not hurt either.  This is what I did on my Kitfox 4 and I think it was a good idea for me.  JImChuk

Most likely the hardest part would be finding a 912 motor mount.  Not many of them floating around.  Kitfox mounts are not the same.  10 or more lbs of weight in the tail to offset the extra weight on the nose from the heavier engine.   And ditto on what Doug said...  JImChuk

Dusty,  Am I talking with you on facebook kitfox.  Paul Godfrey ring a bell?  I started that post about getting rid of weight on my Kitfox landing gear.  (JimAvidFlyer)  JImChuk

Several points.  I don't think the Jabiru would be a good match for such a draggy airplane.  I don't think you need the fuel injected 912, the straight 100 ULS should do just fine.  And there are lots of used ones on the market for $10,000 or maybe a bit less.  Talk to Hal Stockman, he is the 912 expert, and usually has something available.  JImChuk

Some guys have put 912 Rotax on them.  100 HP will really make them perform I would think.  JImChuk

912 has lots of power for an Avid.  Harder to find an engine mount for it though.  Also, requires about 10 lbs of weight in the tail for CG purposes.  Those that have them like them.   JImChuk

The very early Jabiru engine had cooling issues.  Rotec in Australia (not Rotax)  makes liquid cooled heads for the Jabiru engine and that seems to be a good remedy.  Not cheap though, about $3000 for the 4 cylinder engine.  Are you sure what is causing the loss of compression?  

What is the issue with the Jabiru engine?  I put about 600 hrs on a Jabiru engine in my Avid MK IV.  What serial number is your engine?  I've seen these engines used on sale for $4000-5000 occasionally lately.  The Jabiru would be the simplest fix most likely.  912 will give better performance, but hard to find a mount, and it does move the CG forward on an already nose heavy design.

Hi all,  recently I got a Kitfox built cabane style landing gear.  It has the 1 1/4" aluminum axels.  I could buy the 3/4" axels from grove and then my regular kitfox hubs and 8" wheels would work.  A while back I saw someone with 3/4" axels on their kitfox break an axel, and it wasn't good.  So I got to thinking, why not build hubs that can use 1 1/4" bearings so I can use the larger axels I have.  I also didn't want to go buy expensive 6" wheels that fit the larger axels as well.  I bought two pieces of  4" long 3" OD, 2" ID aluminum tube and some 4" x 1/2 thick aluminum cutoffs.   So far, about $45 invested.  Had some fun on the lathe, and now I'll take them to the welder, true them up on the lathe, press in the bearings, and drill the bolt holes for the wheel bolts.  They should then be ready to go.  Think it will work?  JImChuk

The bearings push up against a smaller opening in the wheel hub (shoulder) so they can only go so far in.  There is only enough room  between the bearings and original washer and tailwheel arm on the other side so the bearings and wheel spin freely.  My washer has a 1/2" hole, so it goes up tight against the end of the 5/8" tube, so the wheel still spins freely.  

Not sure I can agree with the over torqued axle bolt theory,  The bolt is 1/2" diameter.  There is a 5/8" diameter bushing/tube that sits on the bolt and that the nut tightens up against.  The bearings sit on the tube, and are not pushed in by the nut.  The inside diameter of the bearings is 5/8".  JImChuk

Good solution for a safer installation, I wonder if Matco will use the knowledge you imparted. 

If bought in bulk, those washers would cost all of maybe $.25 each.  I don't see a downside for the safety added.  JImChuk

Hi all,  I was flying the Kitfox 4 this evening and after I landed the second time and was taxiing back to take off again, something didn't feel right with the plane.  Thought it was a bump first of all, then it wallowed real good and I stopped and checked what was going on.  Here is what I found.  Bearings blew out in the Matco 8" tailwheel.  I have 150 hrs on the plane, and some of those are ski time, so maybe 125 hrs on this tailwheel.  I think all I need is new bearings and that isn't to expensive.  But here is what I'm going to do to avoid having a wheel fall off in the future.  I will install a thin washer underneath the nut, so that even if the bearing balls all fall out like they did here, the washer will keep the wheel on the axel.  Having the wheel come off at full landing speed could make for a bad day.  I had a spare wheel so it was pretty easy to get it back in flying condition, but it could have been worse.  Just figured I would give a heads up to you all.  I'm including a picture of the spare wheel where you can see how much smaller the nut is than the bearing and why the wheel was able to come off.   JImChuk

PS.  I had some large thin washers, 1/4" hole, and 1 1/2" diameter.  I drilled out the hole to 1/2" and put them on the Kitfox and Avid.  Wont loose a tailwheel now.  I left the small diameter washer in place as a spacer between the bearing and the large washer so the large washer wouldn't rub on the wheel.

PS   PS  I did call matco and talk to their tech guy.  He didn't think it would hurt anything as long as the washer doesn't rub on the wheel.  I was sort of suggesting that this may be something they might consider doing as well.  I know if the wheel had flown off right as I touched down, things could have got ugly pretty quick.  

I see it on online metals for about $17 something a foot.  I have some spars from a Kitfox 1 and 2 but they have a full length stiffener in them.  That could be worked around though.  JImChuk

Chris,  the Kitfox 4 wing is a faster wing at higher speeds than the Avid wing as I understand it.  I know it's hard to push my Avid over 100 with the 80 HP Jabiru.  But I was flying in the Avid at 2880 RPM tonight at 84 MPH.  Verified that with the GPS flying two ways on the same stretch of road.   

Jack,  I have the standard old Kitfox radiator.  That is what I have in the other Kitfox 4 with the 80 HP and it does fine.  I never fly when it's very hot though.  When I took of this evening it was 78, but it had been up to 85 and I didn't feel like going in that.  I do have a new larger Kitfox aluminum radiator but it wont go on unless I need it.  You might end up with a radiator in the cowl, and one on the belly.  Better a bit of drag than overheating I would say.   JImChuk

Thanks Chris.  It should do pretty good.  I was flying my 80 HP Kitfox 4 this evening, and I was doing right at 95 mph at about 5150 rpm.  Verified that with the GPS flying both ways down a road.  I imagine the 100 HP should pick up 10-15 mph more at the same rpm.  JImChuk