EDMO

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Posts posted by EDMO

  1. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    If you know Avid wing tips, they are rounded and the trailing edge kind of turns up.  Really sucks for additional lift.  If you run one more rib with a flat plate on the end you will be better off than with the KF drooped tips.  I know that Steve Henry has done this on his planes with good results.  Well, it must do something good because he seems to keep doing it on subsequent rebuilds.

     

    :BC:

     

    Extending spars and adding another rib with a flat plate 12 or 18" outboard keeps you from losing wing area, so it should be the same as adding squared tips, although the drag factor is maybe not as good for cruise speeds.  I think Steve is more interested in STOL performance than tip drag.   I agree,  the Piper-type Avid rounded tips are not good performers.   EDMO

  2. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    I forget how long the droop tips are, but let's say 16" each, so you are losing 32" of wingspan which will decrease the amount of lift - there is also a drag factor involved.  A tip like the Hoerner tips, or an extension cut at an angle on the bottom, would be better than just a flat plate which does nothing for lift or shedding the vortex away from the top of the wing to reduce drag.  There have been wind tunnel tests to prove this.   If the flat plate was better, then the short-wing Pipers would have done that long ago instead of adding the expensive squared Hoerner type tips on their birds to get better performance.  See my post about their findings.   EDMO

  3. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    You know I wasn’t gonna let you get away with that one hahaha

    I think I must be related to Sgt. Schultz:  "I know Nuh-thing!"  Ha!  Sometimes I need someone to help bring me back to what I should know already!  EDMO

  4. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    My Big One Joey - somehow totally forgot that there was FG under the fabric on Avids - I even owned a pair at one time and sold them!   Must have confused them with Pipers!  Thanks,  EDMO

  6. Posted

    I am going to guess the wing tip.  Don't remember there being a fiberglass flaperon tip.

    Avids didn't have FG tips - Is he wanting to use Kitfox tips on an Avid?  I've got a set of used droop tips.  EDMO

  10. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    So what are your thoughts on using the US35b (mod) airfoil like a cub on these planes?  Or have you come up with a better airfoil that would not have a nasty stall, give lower stall speed yet still have a higher cruise?  Something like the Sherpa uses?  That has a very impressive speed range on it.

    :BC:

     

    Leni,  I know folded width probably wont matter to you because you don't trailer - But, have you figured how much you would have to shrink the 35b, or if you do, to fit your bird?  I think those are about 10" longer chord than the 51" Avid including the flaperons/ailerons.  I've got about 14 aileron ribs for the Pipers/Maule - Maybe D&E made - ridicules how much they want for those!  EDMO

  12. Posted

    What I like about the Ivo prop is if you have a 3 blade and you ding one you can change it to 2 blade really easy

    Don't you have to have a 2-blade hub to do that?  You could do the same with Warp Drive and 2 hubs.  EDMO

  13. Posted · Edited by EDMO

         Would the horn itself (being in front of the hinge pivot point) catch air and lighten the elevator/stick and rudder/ peddle forces

    thx rjg 

    Yes - There have been instances where air pressures on large unshielded horns have even reversed the forces on the controls - This becomes more critical with faster flight - Usually this is corrected by cutting back the horns shorter, or also putting a solid part of the stabilizer in front of the horns to make them sheilded.  The weights in the horns may help prevent this.  EDMO

  14. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    Ok, so I turned on the master and then one by one all of my accessories. The needle went down a tiny bit for everything I turned on, so I guess its working. Guess Ill start up the plane this week and see if I can get the needle to move up with some RPMs. I started this plane for the first time a few days ago and noticed the needle didnt move but maybe my accessories were sucking up as much as the little generator puts out at relatively low rpm. 

    Turn off all accessories before you start the engine - the ammeter should move to positive as soon as engine starts, then as soon as the battery catches up on charging it should move back to about neutral or a little above.   EDMO

    ahhhh, so it only will show charging if the battery is a bit low? It has been on a tender all along so Maybe its fully charged and not charging then

    The starter takes a heavy amperage - the battery will need a quick charge from the alternater after you start engine.   The length of charging time depends on how long you have to use the starter to start the engine.   Disconnect the tender before starting.   EDMO

  15. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    They should be same height as main ribs - guess someone didn't measure when gluing them in - it should fly OK that way, but shrinking fabric may possibly put enough pressure on them to bend or break them.   The easiest solution that I can think of is to glue some 1/8" thick capstrips on the tops of the main ribs to make everything even.  The nose ribs break very easily - just how do I know that?   I have mended lots of them!   EDMO

  16. Posted

    Ok, so I turned on the master and then one by one all of my accessories. The needle went down a tiny bit for everything I turned on, so I guess its working. Guess Ill start up the plane this week and see if I can get the needle to move up with some RPMs. I started this plane for the first time a few days ago and noticed the needle didnt move but maybe my accessories were sucking up as much as the little generator puts out at relatively low rpm. 

    Turn off all accessories before you start the engine - the ammeter should move to positive as soon as engine starts, then as soon as the battery catches up on charging it should move back to about neutral or a little above.   EDMO

  17. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    Seems like I usually needed 2 rings instead of 1 - One to put my hand thru and one to look thru to see what I am doing, or see how bad the bleeding is!   In Avschool we had to safety a turnbuckle inside of a pipe that we couldn't see thru - They had to sterilize mine from all the bleeding I did!  ;<)  I love the new turnbuckles with clips instead of safety wire!    EDMO

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  19. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    And more thought goes into the gear design. 

    While perusing parts on Aircraft Spruce I saw all the bolt on axles that Matco makes.  It would take a ton of jig work out of the equation if I built the gear to accept these bolt on axles then you can easily decide what wheels and axles you want to use.  1.25", 1.5" or .75".  For guys that want to go with big tires and are not wanting to be replacing axles all the time you can pick up a set of used clevelands or even new Matco wheels pretty cheap and have a complete bolt on upgrade for better braking power and axles that don't bend.

    Your thoughts?

    :BC:

     

    Grove makes several sizes of bolt-on axles with different bolt patterns too - Not to mention that there are used Cessna, Piper and other bolt-on axles you can use with their wheels or Matco.  I totally agree that the original 3/4" axles are not going to last if you are heavy and bumping rocks, etc. 

    BTW:  I have some new Kitfox 3/4" axles if someone needs them - may have a set of Cessna or Piper axles too - forget what size.   Check Kitfox prices and send me a PM.   EDMO

    Grove gets theirs from Matco.  So does Rans.  I talked with the folks at Matco today about the axles.  Of course, they don't make the various axle sizes with the same bolt pattern so little adapter plates would be needed for anyone wanting the bolt on 3/4" axles.  Can use the same bolt pattern for 1.25" and 1.5"

    Yes, you can get 1.25 and 1.5 with the same bolt pattern - But those size axles on factory planes may have different bolt patterns - usually the 1.25 (Cessna?) are a square pattern, and the 1.5 (Piper?) are a rectangular pattern.   I have had both patterns.   Check Grove catalog for patterns they sell.   Should be simple to make mounting plates with no holes and let the buyer drill them to match their axles if they choose to do that?   EDMO

  20. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    And more thought goes into the gear design. 

    While perusing parts on Aircraft Spruce I saw all the bolt on axles that Matco makes.  It would take a ton of jig work out of the equation if I built the gear to accept these bolt on axles then you can easily decide what wheels and axles you want to use.  1.25", 1.5" or .75".  For guys that want to go with big tires and are not wanting to be replacing axles all the time you can pick up a set of used clevelands or even new Matco wheels pretty cheap and have a complete bolt on upgrade for better braking power and axles that don't bend.

    Your thoughts?

    :BC:

     

    Grove makes several sizes of bolt-on axles with different bolt patterns too - Not to mention that there are used Cessna, Piper and other bolt-on axles you can use with their wheels or others.  I totally agree that the original 3/4" axles are not going to last if you are heavy and bumping rocks, etc.  Isn't that is what Bush Gear is for?

    BTW:  I have some new Kitfox 3/4" axles if someone needs them - may have a set of Cessna or Piper axles too - forget what size.   Check Kitfox prices and send me a PM.   EDMO

  21. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    .But still, not near as strong as a chrome moly cage.

    That could be a good discussion. 

    Why is it that all of these aluminum bold or rivet together air-frames that I see all have a gross weight of 1320 but the old 4130 frames like all our early kitfoxes and avids stop at 1200 Is it usually the landing gear that is the issue

    TJay,  I will be interested to know what you fly your "KF1HH" at during Phase 1 - (Have you thought about using that model number?) - I think it should handle some heavier loads than the standard.  Guess you will put it up to some safe and practical weight? 

    Have you got an empty weight on it?  EDMO

  22. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    Isn't the SkyRanger the other one that gets put together with a hundred bolts?  I would always worry that I forgot to tighten one!  I wonder how they hold together in case of a crash - cant be as strong as welded 4130?   EDMO

  23. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    That could almost double your yardage compared to a running yard.  With the 70" fabric I would have figured 35 yds.  I'm trying to remember if anyone who had done a complete Kitfox or Avid in Oratex posted what it cost them complete.  JImChuk

    Fred should know.   The cost of 70" is almost double the cost of 35", so guess it is running yards?   I was thinking it would cost about $4K including tools, tapes, glue, etc.?   EDMO

  24. Posted · Edited by EDMO

    TJay,  Looks like I struck out on finding anything to post.  Kitfox 1 manual says it is on page CF-23 (Cover & Finish), and the last page I have is CF-20.  I know I have read that, and my KF2 had those pads on the heads of the lower bolts which are right against the outside fabric.  From what I did see, the KF1 brackets may take a 1/4" bolt.  Maybe my KF2 bolts were that size too? 

    No beer for me!  ;<)  EDMO

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  25. Posted

    TJay,  I guess you have the instructions to glue a 2" diameter piece of leather or similar material to the head of the bolt that holds the outside lower part of the seatbelt to keep the bolt from rubbing on the fabric.  Mine were just held loosely by a (5/16?) bolt & washers that was too long to tighten down snuggly with a castle nut.   EDMO

    I don't have any directions?

    Stand by and have your beer - I will see what I can post.  EDMO

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