Got her put on ski's

[akflyer 1427]

Yesterday was the first flight on ski's.  0 degrees and blue skys made for fun flying.  Engine and prop loves the cold air!

[kl7jw 1]

Looks GOOD!  :beerchug:

Sure would like to get back up that way so I could play in the snow with my KF IV.  Can't do it for a couple more years though.  Got some bone problems (knees) that have to be taken care of first.

John Hart

KF IV, NSI Subaru

Wilburton, OK

[akflyer 1427]

Hope you get the knees taken care of!  been getting in much flying?

   

[akflyer 1427]

few more shots from the other day

[akflyer 1427]

few more of us playing

[akflyer 1427]

last ones for now

[84KF 4]

Leni..., do I see VG's on the upper wings?  Any at the rear?

Do tell me more.

[akflyer 1427]

Leni..., do I see VG's on the upper wings?  Any at the rear?

Do tell me more.

you do you do lol... They are from www.landshorter.com  I put them on per directions and template they provided.  It was pertty close to a 5 MPH reduction in stall speed, the only thing it, you have to get the nose at a rediculously high deck angle to really feel and notice the VG's.  The stall, though very tame before the VGs is not pretty much non existant.  It just sort of mushes and wont really break.

I am WAY nose heavy according to Dean Wilson (thanks C5).  Right now I am around 12.5-13" and was plannin on going back to about 16".  Now I am going to move it back to 18" or so and try that.  Dean said I could go 20" and be fine.  He said short field will really improve if I move the CG back, and I probably wont be running out of elevator in the flair.

I have not put the Vg's under the stab yet, even though I have them in the tool box.  I will try to get around to that one of these days soon.  I will only be home about a week so I dont know if I will have time this trip in or not.

[Av8r3400 1179]

18" --  Seriously?  How, move the motor behind the seats a-la P-39?

I go 230-ish pounds.  For me to fly an Avid this may be what's necessary! 

[akflyer 1427]

18" is easily doable.  I was going 220-225 when I first started flying them... now down to 195 -200.  Move the battery further back in the tail, add lead to the tail spring etc.

Here is my take on what happend.  The avid was originaly designed with the cyuna 430 in the nose, very light air cooled.  As people kept wanting more and more out of hte plane to make it a CC cruiser etc, it got heavier, bigger engines inthenose, bigger gear boxes ect.  The 503, 582 912 and subies all added a shit load of weight up front.  To combat this, most guy added lead in the tail, or moved the battery to the tail etc.  Some stretched the fuse 16" to accomplish the same thing.  I have been looking at the majority of the specs guys have posted on the web and I see that most are running way close to the forward edge of the CG range that it published...... and they cant figure out for hte life of them why they run out of elevator in the flair.... cant figure out why the hell it takes 700' to get off the ground etc.  The published CG range on the "C" model is 10.2" to 16".  Mine is at 11.07" empty and 13" with me and full fuel.  Dean told me last week that they tested the CG to 37% with no ill effects, however, he figured there were going to be alot of low time pilots flying the plane so he put a VERY conservative CG range on it.  I am going to just use divers weights clamped to the tail spring to do some tests later this week and report the results.  Dean says ther will be a big difference in performace and stall with a more aft CG.  He did say he would not reccommend stalling the plane at 21" without having full flaps on.

I fly home tonight so weather permitting, I will get some testing done in the next couple days.  I will pu the hemet cam out on the wing so you guys can see what is going on with attitude etc in the stalls.

[C5Engineer 1170]

Sweet! Let us know the results. I'm curious as I will be doing W&B hopefully pretty soon.

[Torch 18]

So an Avid is not able to carry two standard FAA 170 pounders?  I just looked at one with  Cuyuna which I guess is an antique with parts not available. If I buy one I had planned to fly it solo now it sounds like thats all I could do. I need to search for some more W/B data.

[akflyer 1427]

NONONONONONO the plane was designed and will carry 2 adults.

Not sure where that came from.  I fly with 2 guys in mine all the time.  The avid will certainly carry them.  The issue is gross weight.  Did the builder puta full IFR pannel and auto pilot in it?  Dont laugh, it has been done!

Empty weight versus gross weight.  I have close to a 600# usefull load in mine.

[Torch 18]

I should have been more specific, will the airplane in standard form (no extras)carry 340 pounds of pax and be in C.G.?  Some of the original ads say 400 pound range of useful load. How many gals. is the behind the inst. panel fuel tank? Kevin 

[akflyer 1427]

I should have been more specific, will the airplane in standard form (no extras)carry 340 pounds of pax and be in C.G.?  Some of the original ads say 400 pound range of useful load. How many gals. is the behind the inst. panel fuel tank? Kevin 

YES,  atleast for mine, and my buddies A model you can put 2 people and fuel and fly safe.

The issue is not staying withing the published CG.  I am going outside the "published" CG to a more rearward CG for testing.  I am told by the designer that I can do this safely and that I will like the way it flys at the more rearward CG.  The plane is fine AS IS, I am just trying to get a little better short field performance out of her.

[Torch 18]

I can understand you wanting to have a grip on your shortfield performance and C.G. range where you live. Me, I will just be doing the EAA pancake breakfast STOL takeoffs.