Avid & Kitfox wings interchange?

[birddog486 21]

Did the Kitfox 1, 2 or 3 use the same liftstrut distance as the Avid? Just wondering if there's a way to use the early Kitfox wing on the Avid.

[EDMO 1078]

Did the Kitfox 1, 2 or 3 use the same liftstrut distance as the Avid? Just wondering if there's a way to use the early Kitfox wing on the Avid.

Travis,

      The strut attach fittings on my Kitfox 1 and 2 were ABOUT 85 or 86 dot something inches on the spars.  I can measure my KF3 fittings tomorrow.  What are the Avid measurements?

I can look in my KF1 manual if you need exact numbers.    The later, (I have the  KF4 manual) fittings were about 10" farther out.

Kitfox 1 & 2 had one rod end on one strut - My Kitfox 3 has rod ends on all 4 strut ends and the fittings are narrower on the spars.  But, as Leni did, you can put washers inside the fittings to take up the space of the old fittings.

Let me know if you need exact figures - I am sure that our "Library Doug" has them too.

EdMO

Edited 11 Oct 2015 by EDMO

[EDMO 1078]

Did the Kitfox 1, 2 or 3 use the same liftstrut distance as the Avid? Just wondering if there's a way to use the early Kitfox wing on the Avid.

I've got a pair of KF3 wings for sale. Bring truck or trailer!

EdmO

Edited 11 Oct 2015 by EDMO

[EDMO 1078]

Travis,

     someone with computer trig could figure the difference in angles between the 80" Avid fittings and the 86" Kitfox.  I don't think it would be much of a change, and you could probably modify your struts to fit.   They could figure it faster than I can go find my trig books and tables.  Leni sent me the angles for my longer struts.

EdMO

Edited 11 Oct 2015 by EDMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

Kitfox 1 and 2 are the same distance out.  The 3 is further out, I think it's the same as the 4.  Would have to go to the hangar to measure the Avid and Kitfox 1 wings to compare if they are the same.  Wouldn't surprise me if they were.  I'll try to remember tomorrow.   The bottom of the struts are different though from the Kitfox to the Avid.  Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Kitfox 1 and 2 are the same distance out.  The 3 is further out, I think it's the same as the 4.  Would have to go to the hangar to measure the Avid and Kitfox 1 wings to compare if they are the same.  Wouldn't surprise me if they were.  I'll try to remember tomorrow.   The bottom of the struts are different though from the Kitfox to the Avid.  Jim Chuk

Jim,

     From looking at some old posts, Avids are supposed to be 80", and my KF 1 & 2 are somewhere around 85 or 86 dot something - I forgot to measure my KF3 today, but will try to remember tomorrow.   Sometime later than the 2, they moved it out 10 inches, but think that is KF4.

EdMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

Ed,  I had a set of 2 wings and 3 wings side by side, and the 3s are further out than the 2s were. Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Ed,  I had a set of 2 wings and 3 wings side by side, and the 3s are further out than the 2s were. Jim Chuk

I just hung a set of 3 struts on top of my 2 struts, and I thought they were exactly the same length.  I will check on that tomorrow too.

I know that the fuselage fittings are different between Avid and KFox.

EdMo

[1avidflyer 1983]

Maybe they went to longer struts on the later Kitfox 2s, or maybe someone just used longer struts on that particular 2.  Jim

[EDMO 1078]

Maybe they went to longer struts on the later Kitfox 2s, or maybe someone just used longer struts on that particular 2.  Jim

I was wondering if the floor of the 3 was a little wider and they used the same length struts as the 2, and moved the fittings out?   

  Tomorrow will be a new day for discoveries!

EdMo

[1avidflyer 1983]

I don't think the fuse was wider on the 3, but can't swear to it.  The strut attachment brackets on the wings were probably 10" or so further out on the 3 than the 2 wings that I had.  I'll try to remember to measure the Kitfox 1 bottom of the fuse I just got and you can compare it to your 3.  Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

OK Jim,

      Do you or anyone know when they ran out of the integral web spars?  My 3 don't have them, but my 1 and 2 had them.   I think I may cut some KF1 spars into 6" chunks, and sell them to Kitfox collectors someday !

EdMo

Edited 12 Oct 2015 by EDMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

The Kitfox 1 that I just got has them.  There is a nice write up that Kitfox put out on my new plane and in there it says that the original spars weren't shipped with the rest of the kit, and the builded ended up getting the integral web spars and that raised the gross weight to 950.  I need one wingspar.  Do you have any good ones left that have that integral web?  Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

The Kitfox 1 that I just got has them.  There is a nice write up that Kitfox put out on my new plane and in there it says that the original spars weren't shipped with the rest of the kit, and the builded ended up getting the integral web spars and that raised the gross weight to 950.  I need one wingspar.  Do you have any good ones left that have that integral web?  Jim Chuk

I don't quite understand that Jim - If it was a KF1, I thought it came with integral web spars, and the GW was 850, so how could that change by using the original spars?  Did they possible start with plain tubes?  I think my KF1 was SN 139, and it had the webs.   They still had those spars when the 950 gw KF2 was made, but the cross tubes were larger, and maybe the struts.  All of my KF1 wings were scrapped when it hit the tree and I just have some cut pieces left with strut fittings on them.  What is SN on your KF1?

Probably don't matter, as long as it is in writing?  No wings have ever broke in flight that I know of.    EdMO

Edited 12 Oct 2015 by EDMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

I did some measuring in the hangar today, and here is the results.  Measured from center of front wing attachment bolt to center of bolt hole on lift strut attachment bracket on the front wing spar.  The Avid MK IV measured 79 3/8" ,  The Kitfox 1 measured 86", and the Kitfox 4 measured 95 7/8".  While I was at it, I measured the length of the front liftstrut, center of bolt at fuselage to center of bolt on wing.  Avid MK IV is 91",  Kitfox 1 is 98",  and Kitfox 4 is 108".  Also snapped a couple of pics showing the differences in the bottom of the lift strut from an Avid to a Kitfox.  (they aren't interchangeable)  First 2 pics show measuring Kitfox 1 liftstrut, next 2 are Kitfox, then Avid bottom of lift strut, next 2 are Kitfox than Avid fuselage strut attachment fitting.  Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Jim,

Good Post - Interesting to me is that the strut tubes at the Kitfox 1 fuselage fitting don't have the "cap" over the ends, like all of mine 123 had.

EdMO

 

Edited 13 Oct 2015 by EDMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

Not sure what you mean Ed.  I think the Kitfox 4 looked pretty much the same as the 1

[EDMO 1078]

Not sure what you mean Ed.  I think the Kitfox 4 looked pretty much the same as the 1

Jim,  I don't have a photo right now, but where the strut tubes are welded to the fuselage end fitting, mine had another flat metal piece welded on top of the ends of the tubes, and a piece welded on each side of it, making a box around the end of the tubes.  Probably don't matter much.

EdMO