AVID Flyer Belly Cargo Pod

[lv2plyguitar 172]

I noticed on this forum some of you desiring a cargo belly pod. I have the original belly pod for the AVID Flyer. One thought is that I could take the belly pod to CAC Plastics in Wasilla and he could make a form if enough of you Alaska AVID enthusists committed to buying one. Now would be a good time because I have not painted it yet and it is just raw fiberglass.

On Another note, he has fiberglass forms for skis and floats that CAC says will work on AVIDS. The ski form I looked at seemed very nice and large for good flotation.

Just a thought.

Edited 29 Nov 2012 by Avid Heavy

[6320012s 12]

I am a bit interested, but have'nt seen pictures of one in forever. Do you have pictures?

[lv2plyguitar 172]

I am a bit interested, but have'nt seen pictures of one in forever. Do you have pictures?

I will take some pics tonight and post tomorrow. I have the hardware as well from AVID to mount it. Anyone that wanted to minick the hardware could borrow mine.

Thanks

[dholly 718]

Not sure I've ever seen an Avid made cargo pod. Is it similar to the Kitfox cargo pod? Curious now for the pics...

[Av8r3400 1183]

Avid made a couple of different belly pods. I have the old promo videos from Avid that show them - even a crop spraying option!

Bullet style:

I can't find a photo of the "pregnant guppy" style pod...

[dholly 718]

I'll be darned. I would look at my Avid promo tape but I dumped the VHS a loooong time ago!

[Av8r3400 1183]

I'll be darned. I would look at my Avid promo tape but I dumped the VHS a loooong time ago!

I got copies of them on DVD from Seehafer...

(Am I the only one that the emocons don't work for??)

Edited 30 Nov 2012 by Av8r3400

[EDMO 1078]

I got copies of them on DVD from Seehafer...

(Am I the only one that the emocons don't work for??)

I remember when they were touting the Avid as a crop duster! After growing up in a CD crowd, with Stearmans and Snows, I got a chuckle when I saw it - wondering how big a garden they could dust!

ED in MO

[dholly 718]

(Am I the only one that the emocons don't work for??)

No, looks like a bug or two remains after the recent scrub down.

[lv2plyguitar 172]

Okay here is the pictures of the Cargo Pod. I just hung it on the front bracket because I didnt want to go through the whole process of hooking it up. There are four contact points.

Edited 30 Nov 2012 by Avid Heavy

[lv2plyguitar 172]

I remember when they were touting the Avid as a crop duster! After growing up in a CD crowd, with Stearmans and Snows, I got a chuckle when I saw it - wondering how big a garden they could dust! :lol:/>

ED in MO

These cargo pods make me think if they are going to hatch a baby AVID.

[6320012s 12]

That looks like a great design. How much does it weigh?

[lv2plyguitar 172]

That looks like a great design. How much does it weigh?

With the hardware and cargo pod on a bath scale it looks to be 18 pounds.

Edited 4 Dec 2012 by Avid Heavy

[6320012s 12]

Any Idea What kind of cost we are talking? This is pretty cool but I want an IFA prop first.

[lv2plyguitar 172]

Any Idea What kind of cost we are talking? This is pretty cool but I want an IFA prop first.

You know at this point I do not have a clue. I would call Airdale as Brett may have the original mold. If he does not have the mold then I can go to CAC Plastics and lay out a proposal for him to make a mold with a minium number of orders. I think the original cost of the pod was 350 to 500.

So, I think our first stop may be Airdale and then pursue having a form made in Alaska.

[SuberAvid 626]

Jeff,

A buddy of mine is good friends with Randy Appling of Plaschem in Wasilla. He has been making a lot of experimental carbon fiber Cub parts an is a real nice guy. We should take your belly pod over there and see what he would do a run of say 6 of them for. With yours as a mold plug it would be much easier and faster for him to build the mold and carbon fiber would be much lighter than fiberglass. I think he would give us a price and we could then see who would want them.

Randy

[lv2plyguitar 172]

I would be happy to lend him the cargo pod. Just let me know when you want to coordinate.

[dholly 718]

I'm gonna be real jealous if this pans out, I like the overall size/shape and the openings of this belly pod better than any other that I've seen. I would LOVE to have one belly pod to swap between my three planes if mounting tabs were positioned with both bungee / aluminum spring gear and trigear / taildragger in mind. Ideally, it would also have to work with the standard belly radiator and float rigging. If you can give me all that, I would very strongly consider going in for one even though I suspect the shipping from AK to NY would be a killer.

[ChrisBolkan 134]

Not quite the same as a cargo pod, but couldn't resist since it is similar. My other favorite activity besides flying is whitewater kayaking. Turns out the two hobbies mesh perfectly for me as a lot of airstrips are in the bottom of river valleys. There is nothing better in the world to me than flying somewhere to kayak. It makes the trip there and back awesome, and the activity while there awesome too. Just doesn't get any better than that! Thought I'd throw a few pics of my kayak mounts in case it might spawn any cargo pod ideas. Turns out kayaks make great cargo pods. One of the shots is one someone took at the Arlington Fly-in where I took my kayak just to show the possibility. It ended up in an advertisement the following year!

Chris

[Sam Rutherford 2]

Hi, any news on this - I would love to have one for my IV Stol.

Thanks, Sam.

[briankbski 18]

DITTO  any word on cost and possible delivery?  Add me to the list, I would like one,

[EDMO 1078]

I don't see why this cant be easily made by one of the fiberglass inclined guys (I have the experience, but not the urge, and that leaves me out).  There are no absolute specs on it other than matching the fuselage connections.  I would be more inclined to make it look like a wing or a streamlined suitcase instead of a bomb, and would have more room in it that way.  Just look at the huge belly pod that they added to the Cessna 208.  Someone could make a "Universal Model" that would fit both Avids and Kitfoxes (and Others?), and let each buyer add the fittings to match their plane.   EdMO

Edited 27 Jun 2016 by EDMO

[lostman 198]

If there are a few of you that would like these I may be inclined to make them for the right price. I know what they are going of on the open market and believe I can do them for much less. I won't be able to make them until this fall though due to going out of state for at least the next 6 weeks. I have some ideas on them but if anyone wants to have some input on them I'm open to the idea. Not trying to step on anyone's toes though so I'll make them if the original poster either doesn't respond or says he doesn't want to make them now. 

I don't see why this cant be easily made by one of the fiberglass inclined guys (I have the experience, but not the urge, and that leaves me out).  There are no absolute specs on it other than matching the fuselage connections.  I would be more inclined to make it look like a wing or a streamlined suitcase instead of a bomb, and would have more room in it that way.  Just look at the huge belly pod that they added to the Cessna 208.  Someone could make a "Universal Model" that would fit both Avids and Kitfoxes (and Others?), and let each buyer add the fittings to match their plane.   EdMO

Ed, if you notice this one is actually made from two wing tips. I used some tips I had as molds and then filled in the center section. I've flown with it once and didn't even notice it was there. However I would like to do more testing with it since my aircraft is so small. I'm sure it wouldn't be noticed at all on the Avid/Kitfox airframe.

Here's the pod I just built for my experimental. I'm planning on making myself another one later anyhow so if I make a mold I could produce quite a few of them. The next generation will be more rounded like an old WWII drop tank though. This one was just a proto-type and for fun. It works really well but I'm sure I can get more space out of the same amount of materials. It weighs 4.8 pounds and I know it's at least a pound heavier than it needs to be due to the manner in which I built it. 

Kenneth

[EDMO 1078]

Lostman,  I was thinking about a much larger one that would fit under the 32" cabin of the Avids/Foxes.   Yours looks good for your tiny plane.   EDMO

[Buckchop 481]

I picked this up from a guy in Texas last month, sending it back to Alaska to put on my KF1