Luked

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Everything posted by Luked



  1. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    No problem Allonseye. I hope to finish up the welding this weekend. Should have some more pictures them. I decided to replace all the tubes in the front floor / lower firewall areas, and remove the nose wheel socket to reduce clutter and a little weight.
    Not sure if I should have obscured my tail number or not. I don't imagine there's much harm showing it though. The reports on the accident are interesting. Sounds like the gear driving the oil injector broke.
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  2. Luked added a post in a topic Some random pics   

    Great pictures as usual Joey. The one above looks like it should be on a calendar.
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  3. Luked added a post in a topic Replace leaking wing tank. Adding tank to wing with no tank. Need help.   

    This is a great thread. Thanks Bandit for showing us what you did.
    I've got some personal experience with rivnuts since we've been using them in the products our business makes for about 12 years now. I'd suggest using the type that have the ribs (splines?) on the barrel like Knuckldragger posted. They grip better and help avoid spinning in the hole. I think the only kind you can get from spruce are the smooth kind. You can get the gripping kind from Mcmaster.
    http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-rivet-nuts/=10haaay
    Nut plates are definitely better since there is no way they can spin, but they are a little more work, and in some cases can increase weight if there are very many of them.
    Edit: can't get a direct link to the specific kind of rivnut to work, but just click on "Heavy Duty Rivet Nuts" from the link above.
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  4. Luked added a post in a topic Question about small tubes on fuselage structure   

    Okay. Thanks guys. I won't worry about them. I just always wondered about them.
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  5. Luked added a post in a topic Question about small tubes on fuselage structure   

    Thanks for the reply Fred. I figured that was it.
    Good thoughts on the holes. The original builder thought it was a good idea to pop rivet quite a few things to the tubing. It was built in 1988. The holes had rivets in them until I drilled them out. I inspected the insides of some of the damaged tubes that I replaced where they had rivet holes. They had no rust inside. My plan is to weld all the holes shut. I will be welding mounting tabs for anything that I need to attach to the fuse structure. 
    I don't think any moisture got inside the tubes. What do you think? Replacing some of the tubes with holes would require cutting apart significant parts of the fuselage.
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  6. Luked added a post in a topic Starting my kitfox 1 build pictures here   

    Looks like you are making great progress TJay. Thanks for posting all the pictures. Nice to see what other people are working on.
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  7. Luked added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Question about small tubes on fuselage structure
    Here's a dumb question. What are the little tubes welded into the fuselage at some of the tubing clusters? I'm guessing they have something to do with the factory jig. Here is a picture:

    The reason I ask is because I'm going to cut out one of the tubes next to one. I'll probably cut out the small tube also, and I want to make sure it's not important for anything.
     
    Thanks,
    Luke D.
    • 8 replies
    • 945 views


  8. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    Thanks IFMT. It's actually kind of fun putting the broken parts back together.
    No problem Sed. I've learned a lot from what others have posted. Hope this helps, or at least entertains someone else. I've been trying to remind myself to use the simplest jigs possible, and just get the job done. Hoping to get this plane back in the air in a reasonable time.
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  9. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    Got some work done on the project this week. Not too much left on the major structural repairs. My attempt to repair the front spar carry through didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, so I ended up making a new one. That was a lot of work. Here it is in a simple jig I made.

     
    Old front spar carry through removed.

     
    Doing some grinding to fit the replacement.

     
    New front upright tubes, spar carry through, and center diagonals all in. About 50% welded at this point. You can see the simple square tubes I used for jigging.

     
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  10. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    I got a little work done here and there over the last week. I think I'm about half way done with the repairs. Here are a few more pictures.
    I thought I took better pictures of this, but I guess not. I replaced the diagonals at the back of the door openings on both sides
    . The lower joints have internal sleeves, and rosette welds.


    Next I worked on the uprights on either side of the windshield. The clecos are where the rosette welds will go later when the holes are enlarged.




    Well, out to the garage to see if I can get a little done tonight.
     
     
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  11. Luked added a post in a topic heavy hauler with VW   

    I can't give any first hand experience because I've never flown an Avid of KF with a VW, so take this for what it's worth. I talked to a KF IV owner that had a VW with the Valley Engineering Redrive. He had a 3 blade IVO ground adjustable. He was very happy with the combination. He said it did take him a while to get the cooling figured out. He also had some weight bolted under his tail spring. Not sure how much. Maybe if I make it back that way, I'll see if I can get a ride to see what performance is like. Just another (limited) data point.
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  12. Luked added a post in a topic Where are F7A drawings?   

    Hey Ed, is this what you were thinking of?
    http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/index.php?/topic/1066-avid-flyer-f7a-mixer-mod/
    Actually, this one looks better:
    http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/index.php?/topic/3474-f7a/
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  13. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    Next I worked on the cabin structure and firewall.

    Since the trusses under the doors were bent up, and the upper roof structure was also bent upward, I had to pull everything back into shape. I knew it would take too much force to do it all at once, so I cut the four tubes in the windshield area, so I could straighten the lower structure by itself.






    After a lot of adjusting, the front tubes started to match up.

    Next step is to start replacing all the bent tubes. I started last night, but ran out of time. Maybe next weekend.
     
     
     
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  14. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    I worked on the budget plane yesterday, and got quite a bit done on the fuselage repairs.
    I started with the right side strut attach point. It was bent up slightly.



    Then I worked on the other side. It was a little worse.

    After some work:

    I plan to add some reinforcement to the areas that got bent.
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  15. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    Luckily on this one I don't have to worry about struts. I have a set of stock Avid Mk4 struts that came with my first project, and have never been used. I wasn't going to use them on that plane because I'm adapting Kitfox wings and they won't be compatible. I'll be scratch building struts for that. I do like the idea of using streamlined tube. Might do that on the MK4. I think it would save weight too.
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  16. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    Here are a few more pictures from tearing it down. Struts are no good. I'll be using the struts from the Mk4.



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  17. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    If this plane wasn't as close as it was, I probably wouldn't have been interested. Also, the price was hard to pass up. I think I'll have a flying airplane for a pretty low cost and a fairly short amount of time. Then I can have a plane to fly while I take my time getting my Mark 4 project exactly how I want it.
    I took a bunch of pictures of the tear down. I'll post a few later when I have a USB cord for my phone.
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  18. Luked added a post in a topic Classic IV Restoration   

    Whoa, that's awesome Larry! Looks like you're almost there.
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  19. Luked added a post in a topic Budget Avid   

    Yeah, it wiped out the gear completely. The previous owner put on the Kitfox gear in the pictures so he could move it.
    I got quite a bit done today. Not sure when I'll be able to work on it again. Here's how it looks.

    Garage is a mess, but we've got company coming, so I've got to quit for now.
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  20. Luked added a topic in Avid Model C   

    Budget Avid
    I haven't been on the forum much lately because of work. Also, I realized that I don't have the money right now to finish the Avid the way I would like. Then last Wednesday I saw a wrecked Avid on Barnstormers for a really good price that was pretty close by. I called the seller and drove down to check it out. I picked it up on Friday. I think I can rebuild this one and stay within my current budget.
    From what I can tell It's half way between a model C and a 4. It's got a 582. It lived on the coast while the last owner had it, but rust doesn't look too bad. He had an engine failure and put it down in  the dunes.
    Here are some pictures.
     
    The tail was full of sand, so the owner cut the covering to empty it.

    Rudder supports and lower firewall are bent up.

     
    Prop was stopped when it kit.

     
    Rudder pedals are pretty busted up.

     
    Diagonal at back of door  is buckled both sides. 

     
     
    • 50 replies
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  21. Luked added a post in a topic Questions about a 582   

    I talked to the seller a little. He seems like a nice guy. I won't know too much until I can look at it. It's been sitting for 2 years since the accident. It's actually over at the coast, so I don't know what salt air might have done to it. Sounds like the firewall area and cabin sustained the most tubing damage (aside from the gear). The flaperon hangers are all broken off. He said he put it on some Kitfox gear legs to move it around the shop for now. Might work out for me because I could use some of the parts from my other MKIV that I wasn't planning to use.
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  22. Luked added a post in a topic First trip out after deployment   

    Nice video! That last picture looks cool too.
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  23. Luked added a post in a topic Questions about a 582   

    Yeah, that's the one. Looks like the exhaust is already off. I'll bring my flashlight.
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  24. Luked added a post in a topic Questions about a 582   

    Thanks Joey. That helps. Sounds like the best I can assume to start with is that the gearbox may be usable. I don't know how long it ran after the injector failed. He said it turns over easily.
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  25. Luked added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Questions about a 582
    Hey, I've got a question for the Rotax 2 stroke experts. I'm planning to go look at a project plane with a 582. The oil injector failed. Owner said it turns over. That's about all I know for now. Is it likely that it could be rebuilt? What should I look for? Exhaust is removed. I'm thinking of getting this plane flying for some inexpensive local flying while I work on my other project.
    • 6 replies
    • 890 views