Kitfox 4 rebuild

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Posted


Hey Jim that looks really nice.

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Posted

Not as much as there should have been.  Finished the firewall,  really ready for wiring and instrument panel.  I let to many other things get in the way.  JImChuk

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Wow, is this the plane that will never be finished?  Well I hope not.  Got back to working on it in the last week or so, firewall, oil cooler, radiator were all done last fall.  Got most of the fuel lines done, and today started laying out and drilling the instrument panel.  Good to see some progress being made.  Forgot the trim indicator light, and trim switch, but they can go to the right of the last row of holes (circuit breakers)  Hope fully I'm not forgetting something else big.  Don't want to do another if I don't have to.  Nice for me to see the progress.  Hopefully it will motivate me to stay at it.  JImChuk

 

inst pan 4.jpg

inst pan 2.jpg

inst pan 3.jpg

inst pan 5.jpg

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Posted

Very nice! 

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Posted


Very nice is this one for sale too. Or is she a keeper?

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Posted

I think it will be a keeper.   It should do what I need for a good long while hopefully.  JImChuk

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Posted

Today's efforts.  Hope I didn't forget anything....:wacko:JImChuk

 

inst pan 6.jpg

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Posted


Lots of room on the right you could blow at least ten thousand more in that area ha.

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Posted


Lots of room on the right you could blow at least ten thousand more in that area ha.

Ten thousand?  Amateur! :lmao:

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Posted

The right side will have a space for the passenger warning decal, and a 7 or 8" tablet running that super expensive Avare GPS software...  No expense spared with me.....  :lmao:JImChuk

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Posted

Here it is today.  Temporary screws and such.  It is motivating for me to see it in place though.  JImChuk

 

inst pan 8.jpg

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Posted


Is that red knob your fuel valve? Where did you source that from, I like that and it just so happens my fuel valve is shot so Im looking for a new one.

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Posted

Electric trim and the whole works, you are making a keeper.

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Posted


Is that red knob your fuel valve? Where did you source that from, I like that and it just so happens my fuel valve is shot so Im looking for a new one.

The fuel valve was in the plane when I got it.  It's got Imperial stamped on the handle.  It's kind of a heavy brass valve but what was used on the old Cubs and such I think.  It does have a 5/16 bore.  I painted the handle to clean it up some.  JImChuk

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Posted

Are lights in the panel anything like light at the end of the tunnel?  Maybe.  Starting to feel that way.  :-) JImChuk

 

inst pan 9.png

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Posted


Looking good!

:BC:

 

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Posted

All lit up  JImChuk

 

inst pan 10.jpg

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Posted


Mine originally had the trim on the panel like yours.  I figured out pretty quickly that on landing I like to keep a hand on the stick and one on the throttle.  I moved the trim to the stick with a ray allen grip so I can bump it as speeds change and keep my hands on the main controls.  I used it a lot more than I thought I would.  Its nice having the PTT wired in as well so nothing is hanging down on cords to get wrapped up in.

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Posted

Got the parking brake in and fluid in the lines today... Have to wire up the engine monitor senders, and tie off the wires and such, and then the panel will be pretty well done.  Maybe I will finish this plane some day yet!   JImChuk

PS  had to come out of the side of the valve on the closer line cause the elbows I had didn't clear the lever.  It works though.

brake valve 1.jpg

brake valve 2.jpg

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Posted


 I would like to have a parking brake as well

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Posted


 I would like to have a parking brake as well

It is handy to have.  I did the same thing on my Avid.  I can leave it running and not worry about it moving.  Usually when I start it for the first time, I do it from out side the plane.  I can reach in, work one brake with my hand, and set the parking brake.  That will hold the plane just fine to let it warm up and such.  JImChuk

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Posted

Well today I put coolant, oil and gasoline in it, and drug it outside.  The pictures tell the rest of the story.  I'm one happy camper!!!  JImChuk

912 runs 4.jpg

912 runs 3.jpg

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Posted


You'll shoot your eye out kid.

You gonna fly it this summer?

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Posted

Sure hope to.  Hoping to be ready in a month or so.  It's covered and painted except for the cowl and access panels.  JImChuk

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Posted

Well a little more progress to report.  I had picked up a smooth cowl a while back, and was going to copy a mold off it, cause at some point I'm going to need another Kitfox 4 cowl.  Today, I was ready to make the mold, but when I sprayed the mold release on, it acted like it had oil on the surface or something.  All kinds of fish eyes and such.  I said that's it, I've wasted enough time on this already, if need be when the time comes I'll buy a cowl.  Cleaned off the fiberglass mold release,  and went to work installing the cowl on the Kitfox.  Made some headway.  I'm going for as good a view over the nose as possible, and I think I'll get it.  Actually could have had the fire wall an inch higher and not lost any view over the nose.  My panel is also lower then standard.  Last picture is right at my eye level, I'm 5'8" or a bit more.  In taxi attitude, I will probably be able to see the ground about 50' out over the center.  I think that's better then my Avid, and way, way better then the Kitfox round cowl.  Anyway, progress is being made.   And another high lite of the day, I saw two timber wolves out on my strip, a black one and the other was grayish brown.  They were tall and thin.  JImChuk

smooth cowl 1a.jpg

smooth cowl 1b.jpg

smooth cowl 1c.jpg

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