Broken Kitfox Drag Brace

[C5Engineer 1170]

Logtruck driver sent me these pics. He recently acquired a Kitfox and noticed that one wingtip seemed to twist rather easily. The previous owners had been flying it this way. Variable washout...cool! Kinda scary.

 

 

 

 

[1avidflyer 1983]

Any ideas on how it came to be this way?  Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Anyone ever see ribs broken like this? Impact? Ground loop? Transporting without braces? Twisting?

Those ribs acted like the grain was going all in one direction - Plywood does not usually break clean like that...

I have a hard time believing that the broken drag tube did all of this - maybe it all happened from the same cause at the same time?

The newer Kitfox drag tube to spar brackets are a big improvement over this old type.

EDMO

Edited 22 Feb 2015 by Ed In Missouri

[C5Engineer 1170]

Jack said it looked like it had been in an accident at some point due to some patch work. What's scary is it was being flown like this.

[EDMO 1078]

Amazing that it didn't flutter in flight. Guess this shows how good our round spars are.

EDMO

Edited 22 Feb 2015 by Ed In Missouri

[C5Engineer 1170]

Ed do you have pictures of the newer construction? Jack said he was not at all impressed with this early Kitfox wing construction vs. an Avid. No triangulation on the drag braces, less ribs, etc.

[TJay 1041]

I really like the beef up on that drag tube, that will be real strong. Think maybe i might do that before i cover mine. Wonder if a guy was to hysol in a triangle piece of plywood between the drag tube and the spar if that would do that same thing.

[akflyer 1427]

That was one of the fixes way back when was to glue in triangles.  I know of more than a few that were fixed this way.  I like the new ends that KF uses on the drag tubes.

 

[TJay 1041]

Sweet then I will do it too. Yeah I like the new style stuff too I just get sick of buying it all the time. Im sure everyone on here will second that ha.

[EDMO 1078]

TJay,

I am sure that I have the Kitfox 4 drawings of the drag tube brackets, and the price a while back, although they could be made at home with a welder - you just have to figure out the correct angles.

The later models also have steel drag tubes.

I will try to post you something tonight.

EDMO

[TJay 1041]

its OK ed i'm not taking my tubes back out back out 

[Luked 71]

I bought the brackets from Kitfox, and they are very nice. Top notch manufacturing, and plated (zinc or cad it looks like). The only thing I don't like is they are steel, and seem kind of heavy. I should weight them though. I could just about guarantee they won't be a point of failure though.

[EDMO 1078]

its OK ed i'm not taking my tubes back out back out

The wood triangles are a lot cheaper.

Luke, I was using your bill of sale. Thanks,

EDMO