EDMO

We have seen 3 different tips on the Magnum plans.  The trailing edge on one is slanted a little forward, the next is a short pointed tip, and the most radical is the long pointed "Finch" tip which could be a real "eye-poker".  I guess the pointed ones could be modified in most any way you wanted to make them.  There is only a slight wing adjustment on one rear strut which will help to correct any "wing heavy" tendencies in flight. 

I don't like tip tanks - I think if you need them, they would be better located near the main tanks.   EDMO

Simple way is to post:  SOLD - SOLD - SOLD.   EDMO

Doug,  Congrats on both!   See my post in Good News - Bad News.  EdMO

I've got the 1500 Grove gear on my reinforced nosedragger fuselage - Maybe the next pilot will not do as much of a "drop test" as my landings might be!  Ha!  EDMO

Nick,  I didn't know there was a drop test shown - I just saw the Zenith landings with the Grove gear.  Yes, I agree that Grove has priced its gear out of the market, except for the Kit makers who evidently can afford the gear with the increased prices they are getting for the kits.  I would have made the same decision as you did.  EDMO

I second this good suggestion - show them how it is built - or at least parts of it.   Strip the fabric off of one side of the fuselage too, and maybe one side of the cowl.  EDMo

Booze, and anything else, is probably 2x the price of anything down South!  EDMO

Go to Grove site and watch the video of the Zenith landing.   EDMO

Sad to hear that this bird will not fly again, but that could change with time.  Your advertisement tours to boost the Homebuilts and Aviation field is to be commended.  I'm sure that our members would like to see some photos when you repaint the Avid. 

Thank you for posting here.  EDMO

Here are some numbers for you to work with:  "The AC (Aerodynamic Center of Lift) is approximately at 25% of wing chord." 

The CG range is usually 20% (Forward) to 30% (Rearward) of wing chord, although some makers - (Kitfox?) - use 33% as Rear limits. 

If you are working with the standard early wings with short flat flaperons, then 25% of 51" chord is 12.75" - Adding 4" to leading edge makes it 55" chord and 25% of that is 13.75".  So by moving the leading edge forward 4", you have moved the AC forward about 3". 

 I think you can do all your measurements and calculations, (20% and 30% chord CG range) from the new leading edge as your new data point, and be accurate to 1/2" or less.   If you have figures different than this, please post them.   EDMO

I have some MC-4s, MC-4A, and an "unknown" set of what I think may be MC-3 with external reservoir, and don't know anything about them.  I have had MC-1 and MC-5 sets, so I know this is not either of them because they had internal reservoirs.    Was there also a MC-2?  Anyone have info on these?  EDMO

Dave Prizio wrote an excellent article with photos about rebuilding the MC4 master cylinders with a kit that Matco sells for about $11 in the April 2018 Kitplanes mag - Everyone, I guess that is about 99.9% of Avid and Kitfox flyers, who uses Matco MCs should read it.  I wouldn't know how to download it to our site, but I think that might be a good idea if someone gets the computer version of the magazine.   EDMO 

Check out this ad on ebay.   Don't buy any Russian lights - they are 27 volt and our American bulbs dont fit them.  EDMO

https://www.ebay.com/itm/112809941688?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Doug,  I realize that you posted this for the nose gear drawings, but just for info:  The main gear attachment drawings are obsolete - Kitfox no longer uses that Rube Goldberg (Skystar) design for the mounts - They use two radius blocks on each side.  I don't know if the nose gear mounts have changed since then.  EDMO

Here is photo of my nose gear - As I said, "Not Finished' - The side brace tubes are not welded on it - they bolt to fuselage at lower front corners, and the spring probably has to be changed to a heavier one, and the pivot tube shortened.  The angle of the pivot tube to the ground is 5 degrees.   It may need a shimmy dampener?   It has to be clear of your engine.  Buying one is a lot easier.  EDMO

Steve,  I don't think the RV - Kitfox nose gear will fit anything you now have on the Avid - There were two types of these - one attached to fittings welded to the front frame, and the other attached to the engine mount.   I will look for a photo or two of my homemade gear, but as I said it is unfinished and untested.  You might have a better idea.  EDMO

Position Lights = FAR 23.1389,   Strobe Lights = FAR 91.205c.   Whelen also has a chart in Spruce Catalog that is easy to understand.  Other instruments are required for night flight for all airplanes.  I guess Alaska still has its own requirements for lights, which included daytime flights.  EDMO

I keep going back to your original post before the RV type nose gear subject got started:  The bent tube must have been by a lot of excessive force on the pedals and was probably not bent that way by any normal external force on the nosewheel - Either there was some mis-handling or someone has strong legs!   Secondly,  the 3/16 threaded connector seems too light for that part - I would have used a 1/4-28 threaded tube connector like is used on the elevator push-pull tube which does not have that much pressure on it.  I think if you replace your bent & broken parts you should not have any more problems with the nose gear.  I would also inspect the rudder cables and attachments for too much force before flight.   EDMO

Unless you can find one on Barnstormers or some site, I guess Kitfox would be the only place to buy one?  They were $1500 the last I heard.  I made mine with Walmart mountain bike parts I got out of a trash bin!   ;<)  It is not finished or tested - I still need to weld the side support tubes on it.  EdMO

Your Post was put in the wrong category, but I will answer it anyway - Maybe an administrator can move these?

"Are there any issues moving the front portion of the three wheel base rear a bit?  Stability?"

I have some info about that in one of my books - the more angle from main to nosewheel, the more chance of flipping over to one side - in other words, the shorter the triangle from mains to nosewheel, the less stabile it will be.   The Avid is an already short triangle, so you don't want to shorten it more.   The Kitfox / RV / Grumman type nose gear puts the castering wheel farther forward than the original Avid.   EDMO 

I can read those dimensions - What's wrong with this one?  EDMO

From what I understand, they will accept even a hand-drawn picture - Cant you write in your own measurements on the drawing?  EDMO

Doug,  How many gallons do each of your tanks hold?  I can see a huge twisting stress difference in your short tanks and the long tanks that Avid showed.  The long tanks don't look like a good idea.  I second the motion for short plastic tanks - weight difference should not be a problem - just cost of tooling up to make them.  Somehow, other kit makers have managed to do that. 

Kitfox and Avid used to buy their tanks from the same maker - Ron's Fiberglass.   EDMO

I would be totally happy if someone kept good records of their Kitfox performance with either droop trips or the Hoerner tips, and then took them off and put flat plates on - then recorded the new performance.   I think it would be somewhat like shortening the full-length wings to make speed wings.  EDMO

No reason not to try for the best of both types of performance - Guess that's why Kitfox changed to the Riblett airfoil and gained cruise speeds while STOL remained the same.  EDMO