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I need a Kitfox 4 wing rib

15 posts in this topic

Posted

Hi all,  I'm in need of a Kitfox 4 wing rib if anyone has one they don't need.  Preferably with the flaperon hanger reinforcement, but I can glue in the aluminum if it doesn't have it.  I think that is the only difference between the ribs, am I correct on that?  Thanks,  Jim Chuk 

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Posted

There were thicker and thinner rib webbing weather there was a flapperon hangar or not.  7mm and 9mm, I think?  Not sure.

From the factory there were two different part numbers.

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Posted

I should have looked in the manual first, but there it says that you are correct Larry.  :-)  Jim Chuk

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Posted (edited)

Jim,  The rear spar height location in the rib may be a little different than the 1-3 ribs?    Check it out.   EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

The ribs are completely different on the 4 and later compared to the 1 - 3s.  This is for a Kitfox 4 airplane.  (the one I hauled up from Texas 2 or 3 years ago)   A young friend of mine (17) was by my place a week or so ago, and I showed him the Avid MK IV fuselage that I had just painted.  He said that if I was going to do some more of that kind of work, he would like to come over and help to see what it was like, and maybe learn something.  I got to thinking about it, and figured I had this plane on the back, back burner, and it wouldn't take long to do the wings, so maybe I would bang them out, and paint them at the same time as the Avid's wings.  Found out I needed to do some minor repairs once the cover was off.  The rib I need to replace is the one next to the fuselage.  It was blocked to keep it away from the fuel tank, but it's bowed in on top and bottom like the fabric was way to tight.  Don't know how it could have ever pulled that much, it was just 1.7 oz fabric with poly fiber system.  At any rate, I'm going to change that rib out, even though I didn't notice anything on the wing before I pulled the fabric off.  Maybe just didn't look that hard then either???   Jim Chuk

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Posted

PM Doug Holly, he has about everything!   BTW:  The latest price I saw from Kitfox was $78.   EDMO

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Posted (edited)

G'morning gents.

With the use of metal brackets for flaperon hanger hinges, there are no long and short ribs and KF4 each rib share the same profile and spar hole locations. Larry is correct in one regard, however, non-flaperon ribs are 5mm tails and flaperon ribs are 6mm tails. 

@Jim,

I -may- have an extra KF4 rib, not sure which. I also -may- be in need of a KF3 long rib if'n you care to swap. I don't have any extra hangar brackets though, sorry.

Edited by dholly

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Posted

Hi Doug,  I think I can come up with one long rib for sure.  I can take one off the Kitfox 1 wing I have, but I may have a loose one from a Kitfox 2, but I'll have to look.  If you have the lighter rib, I wonder if a person was to glue an 1/8" piece of plywood to the inside of the webbing if it would be strong enough.  I'm thinking it would be.  The other thing is this is the wing closest to the fuselage, so the flaperon gets support from the bearing in the turtle deck as well.  I'm sure that rib doesn't get near as much pressure as the other hanger ribs, especially compared to the rib on the opposite end of the flaperon.  See what you have, and I'll look at my stuff.  Thanks,  Jim Chuk

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Posted

@Jim - I thought I had an extra, unfortunately it is the 27001 rib. 

image.jpeg

image.jpg

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Posted

No problem Doug,  I ended up finding what I needed.  I did look for the early model ribs that I had, and all I have is one good long tailed rib that still attached to the rear spar.  If you really need it, I could probably get it off with out hurting it.  Thanks,   Jim Chuk

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Posted

Good show! It's not all that important to me really, but I noticed when doing the inventory of my model 3 Kit that the factory bundled 19 ribs together rather than 20. Someone was asleep at the switch that day I guess.

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Posted

G'morning gents.

With the use of metal brackets for flaperon hanger hinges, there are no long and short ribs and KF4 each rib share the same profile and spar hole locations. Larry is correct in one regard, however, non-flaperon ribs are 5mm tails and flaperon ribs are 6mm tails. 

@Jim,

I -may- have an extra KF4 rib, not sure which. I also -may- be in need of a KF3 long rib if'n you care to swap. I don't have any extra hangar brackets though, sorry.

I need to make up a set of KF IV ribs and have one non-flapperon rib to use as a pattern.  I can confirm that the one I have is made from 5mm Finnish plywood.  Can someone confirm for me that the flapperon rib is cut from 6mm plywood?

Thanks in advance.

 

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Posted

The flaperon ribs were made from thicker plywood.  Just looked at my manual, and it says the trailing rib web is made from thicker plywood on the flaperon ribs.   I believe you are right that it was 6MM thickness.   I may have a loose rib that I can measure.   6MM is pretty much 1/4" and you can get that from Aircraft spruce or Wicks in 12 ply.  I would probably use that on all of them if it was me.  JImChuk

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Posted

I am going to set up the CNC router when I get home to bang out a couple sets of these.  After flying the KF IV for Bob I think I might love this wing.  Plan is to rebuild the Avid and Coyote wing with this airfoil.

:BC:

 

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Posted

Night and day difference Leni. Do it.

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