Bush Gear guys I need a favor!

[akflyer 1427]

Dont panic, fly the damn plane.  No way in hell there would have been any flutter if he just slowed it down and went around the pattern and did a normal landing.  Pilot error not fastening the turtle deck down to begin with, pilot error for not following the service builletin and have 1.5" of skylight covering the turtle deck (that would have held it on by itself) and pilot error for panicing and jamming a perfectly good airplane into the run way and bending it up... AGAIN.

 

I am not saying that I would have done any better, who knows what any of us would do in that situation when you are startled like that, but I would hope that previous issues I have had would have made that a non event for me.

 

[High Country 69]

not to change direction of the conversation but why not just use bungees with a wider bush gear, this is the way iv'e been leaning https://plus.google.com/photos/112659077316291353600/albums/5663171493903508977?banner=pwa

[EDMO 1078]

The difference there Joey is that the grove gear gave way, but the fuse is not buckled..

 

The turtle deck issue is something else all together and was the reason for me being banned on the matronix site the first time

 

I would like to hear a little more on that "banning" - I've been on a couple of sites where you couldn't say shit if the color wasn't approved - You have no idea how thankful I was to have found this site where you can speak your opinion and let others say whatever they think. What is a matronix site?

THANK YOU LENI, AND ALL AVIDFOXFLYERS!

EDMO

p.s. There was a caution on the Ercoupe about the rear windows blowing out if you flew too fast with the side windows open - don't know if it ever actually happened - Once I installed the Skylight, I flew with the windows down and max speed a lot, and never had a problem. Anything that is not really secure will let go at some speed.

Most importantly, is not to panic, and fly the plane - slowing down is a good option, IMO. I totally agree with Leni - I've had hatches blow open, window blow open, and doors that were not latched - some on takeoff - stay calm and fly the plane!

Edited 11 Jul 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[EDMO 1078]

not to change direction of the conversation but why not just use bungees with a wider bush gear, this is the way iv'e been leaning https://plus.google.com/photos/112659077316291353600/albums/5663171493903508977?banner=pwa

Robert,

This might be feasible - but remember that changing the width puts more strain on the bungees and surrounding structure - Surely it would take some good engineering to figure all that out - Just like the guys are trying to figure out how to make the spring gears work.

EDMO

[akflyer 1427]

I would like to hear a little more on that "banning" - I've been on a couple of sites where you couldn't say shit if the color wasn't approved - You have no idea how thankful I was to have found this site where you can speak your opinion and let others say whatever they think. What is a matronix site?

THANK YOU LENI, AND ALL AVIDFOXFLYERS!

EDMO

p.s. There was a caution on the Ercoupe about the rear windows blowing out if you flew too fast with the side windows open - don't know if it ever actually happened - Once I installed the Skylight, I flew with the windows down and max speed a lot, and never had a problem. Anything that is not really secure will let go at some speed.

Most importantly, is not to panic, and fly the plane - slowing down is a good option, IMO. I totally agree with Leni - I've had hatches blow open, window blow open, and doors that were not latched - some on takeoff - stay calm and fly the plane!

 

There was a disscussion on the kitfox list on the matronics site about how much over hang was needed on the sky light.  Some guys were saying it was 1/2"  some said they only had 3/8" yada yada.  I think the construction manual called out for 1/2 or maybe 3/4"... I pulled out the service bulletin that came out saying you needed either 1.25 or 1.5" I dont remember now at the time... A few guys jumped my shit cause it was over kill... so I jumped right back asking which one of them was the rocket surgeon who worked at the factory, did the tests, and came out with the service bulletin, becasue OBVIOUSLY the jackass behind the keyboard was much more qualified to answer the question than the factory service bulletin. 

 

  Then they tried to pop back with ... well that is an Avid service letter, not a kit fox (mind you at the time we werte talking about the overhang on a model II kitfox on that site)  So I may have questioned thier lineage, if they knew who their father was, and if their mother may have done drugs while pregnant, because the KF II was damn nearly a DIRECT copy of the Avid and  if it was determined to be needed on the Avid, the same should apply to the KF... since OBVIOUSLY the guy that had originally biult the plane had followed the damn KF build manual and the damn turrtle deck blew off on him, so perhaps, just FN maybe, it would be a GREAT idea to spend about 3 more bucks in lexan and follow the service bulletin from AVID and make the plane safer for him... They did not see my sarcasm as a good thing over there.... This led to me learning about proxy servers and how to hide my IP so I could make uyp new accounts and jack around with the moderators making their lives exciting trying to catch me

 

Robert,

This might be feasible - but remember that changing the width puts more strain on the bungees and surrounding structure - Surely it would take some good engineering to figure all that out - Just like the guys are trying to figure out how to make the spring gears work.

EDMO

 

The Avid wide bungee gear has been used and tried and tested for many years now.  The "bush gear" has the same track as the Avid wide bungee gear, but was an attempt to do away with the bungees.  Nothing personal, but alot of the older crowd did not have the strength to get all the wrapps on the wide gear (larger bungees, more wraps) so when the spring gear came out alot of guys went to it who really didnt need oit, and who dont ever leave the grass or pavement, they just didnt want to deal with bungees anymore.

 

I dont want the bungees either... they sag when its really cold and it takes two people to do them (my wife has helped me to do mine, its not hard, you just need 3 hands   )

 

so, at any rate, I was a smart ass on the other forums... no really, I was ( yep, hard to beleive, but I was   )  and I got banned... got it from TKF at one time too if I remember right   when you got guys asking how to put air in the tires, or some other really , ummmm ... preschool question like that, over and over and over, I have a hard time not asking some simple questions... like, are you older than 7, can you count past 10, is your dad in jail, does your mom know your playing on her computer again etc...   I find it ammusing, other dont

 

[C5Engineer 1170]

That is my good friend Emmet's S-7 with the Robertson Bush Gear conversion. Leni hit the nail on the head the reason they didn't use bungees was do away with having to wrap and change them out and worry about them breaking. OverallI think they are more versatile and offer a softer ride and more travel than springs do but the majority of people running them are your normal type flyers not the guys out there landing off airport. Ed I was perma banned from TeamKitfox for telling a gentleman in what I thought was a straightforward way what I thought about installing a 3 axis autopilot into a Kitfox and using it to communte with.

[EDMO 1078]

I wasn't banned yet, but quickly shunned, at TKF as soon as I used the words, "Clone" and "Flaps". Somehow, they seemed to be insulted when I said, "The Kitfox is an Avid Clone", and I think I gave Dean Wilson credit for designing it.....

That's OK - I found a home here! I hope I have helped someone in some way here, and want to thank you all for being tolerant of my "Clone and Flaps".

EDMO

Edited 11 Jul 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[C5Engineer 1170]

It's amazing how quickly the die hard Kitfox fans will get their panties in a wad when you mention Avids or Dean Wilson. I made the mistake of going to the Factory Fly-in in 2010. I stayed the night with an old friend and took off as soon as I can could get my plane loaded the next morning. If the main reason I stopped in hadn't been to see my buddy I would have left that evening. Everyone was really nice unitl that question of Which one is yours came up.... Sitting next to a Kitfox one or two with the smooth cowl you can't tell the difference. Between my plane and being half the age of 90% of the people there (no offense Ed ) I felt really out of place.

[akflyer 1427]

I ahd the engineer look at the design differences, and he said for sure, going wit hthe lower cabane vee like the cub would do wonders to spread the load and not put as much compression forces on the fuse side.  It would put a more equal tension load on it.  Without having actual measurements of the gear legs and the cabane vee, he can't run the numbers to see what the true loads are, but first reaction is..... GO WITH THE 70 yr old design... it has always worked

 

Once I get the gear in my possesion, I can get measurements and have him run the full numbers, or, if one of you have a set of the gear handy and would like to pull some numbers for me, it would get this going alot quicker.

 

[akflyer 1427]

It's amazing how quickly the die hard Kitfox fans will get their panties in a wad when you mention Avids or Dean Wilson. I made the mistake of going to the Factory Fly-in in 2010. I stayed the night with an old friend and took off as soon as I can could get my plane loaded the next morning. If the main reason I stopped in hadn't been to see my buddy I would have left that evening. Everyone was really nice unitl that question of Which one is yours came up.... Sitting next to a Kitfox one or two with the smooth cowl you can't tell the difference. Between my plane and being half the age of 90% of the people there (no offense Ed ) I felt really out of place.

Joey,

 

I too have noticed on other sites.. Even though the KF and Avid are mississippi cousins (you know, kissable ones ) the KF drivers tend to get a bit snooty when an Avid driver enters the mix... even though, without the Avid, there would ahve never been a kitfox.  Hows that for gratitude

 

The biggest improvements that the early KF has over the Avid is the longer wing and less washout.  From the MK IV on the KF has made ALOT of good changes for certain, but it still does not have the feel and the low and slow capabilities of the early mod I-IV.  To each thier own though and it must be working for them because they are doing a hell of a good business!

 

[EDMO 1078]

Dean Wilson is a good designer, but Dan Denny was a good salesman - That was the difference, IMO.

Reminds me of Iacocca who made millions selling Chrysler when we (the workers) actually financed it, and got screwed!

EDMO

[Av8r3400 1179]

Looks like somebody over on the antique Yahoo Avid list is going to start copying the Airdale gear...

[akflyer 1427]

Larry, I saw that... and for 400 bucks.. Sum ting wong wit dat guy!