Kitfox 4 rebuild

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Posted

Jim, do you know for sure which specific application model and fwd smooth cowl that is? Ie., KF 3/4/5 for 582, 912 Sube, Cont, Lyc? Looks real good to my eye, so much better than the round cowl IMHO. You have about an inch on me and visibility was about the only thing I strongly disliked on mine. When you start adding seat cushion height you start getting closer to those overhead noggin knocking fuselage tubes.

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Posted

I do know the Kitfox 5 and later cowl is bigger and wider then this one.  I googled Kitfox smooth cowl, and was able to pull up a bunch of pictures of Kitfoxes.  A few had this cowl with a 912,, but think I saw one with a Jabiru engine in  it.  I do know the oil cooler opening is not right for oil cooler I have, and I think it was the standard oil cooler for the Kitfox.  The mount for the cooler ties in with the motor mount.  Also, there are scribe lines to cut out for where the fuel pump is located, as well as scribe lines for a door to access the oil tank cover.  They are in the right places.  It may be that it's a very early cowl, and Kitfox changed up the design later on.  JImChuk

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Posted


Looks good Jim gonna be up up and a way soon.

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Posted

Thanks TJay.  It's nice to be moving forward again.  Have you been flying your Kitfox with the new mixer controls?  I can't remember if you posted about it or not.  I did a bit more on the cowl today.  Windshield is going to be interesting though.   I've been thinking about doing things backwards where the windshield meets the cowl.  Usually the cowl lip goes over the windshield, and then you have the issue of how to seal that from leaking.  I've been thinking about making the lip go on the inside of the windshield, and seal it with rope caulk so air or rain can't get in while flying.  Screws would hold the windshield to the cowl lip.  Part of my thinking is this.  If you want to save a lexan windshield for as long as possible, I've found that very soapy water and a lightly used soft cloth followed by clean water poured on to rinse is the best way to keep from scratching the lexan up.  Course, then you have water leaking into the cockpit.  If the lip was the other way around, it would avoid that issue.  If I can get the windshield to fit the top of the cowl, and then lay in a fiberglass lip that touches the inside of the windshield, that should work and be a good fit.  The windshield on the plane now is the old one, and will be replaced, but it gives me something to measure off of.  JImChuk

smooth cowl 1d.jpg

smooth cowl 1e.jpg

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Posted

Guessing a Skystar era model 4 smooth cowl for 912 FWF based on the scribe lines. The smooth cowl conversion 'kit' parts list I received from Debra at KF several years back includes a different engine mount, could it be that is required solely because of oil cooler mounting tabs or arms?! Everything else seems to mate up pretty well and it sure is interesting to see just how much monkey fabbing around this takes.

FWIW, a buddy lowered his Skyfox cowl on a KF4 w/ Jab2200. He bent a piece of flat stock for a lower windshield support to secure the windshield to that followed the boot cowl contour curve. It was adel clamped it to fuse tubing. Windshield was sandwiched between with weather seal of some sort and did not leak. I suppose you could also rivet a water diverting channel to the windshield support too to be safe. 

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Posted

Thanks for the info Doug.  I didn't realize Skystar made a smooth cowl, but it's very well possible. I also think you are right about the different motor mount for the smooth cowl, my oil cooler would have worked fine on a round cowled plane.  I was also wrong about where I saw the other cowls like this.  It was on the Team Kitfox member's photos section.  I looked through there to see what I would find.  I just googled kitfox smooth cowl images, and found this picture of a Kitfox 1.  It was the first cowl used before Kitfox went to the round cowl.  Looks a lot like mine.  Maybe the mold was reworked and lengthened for this cowl.  JImChuk

See the source image

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Posted

Thats the same cowl that is on my bluefox originally had a 503, i sold motor and installed a grey582, only difference ive cn in the mount for smooth or round cowl is there extra brackets welded to mount the round cowl fastners. And the one bar that runs from top to bottom on left side across front of carbs needs moved for carb clearence. Mayb these pic can help brainstorm that somemore.  Ill do all my model 1’s this way now and use .080 lexan 

58067462-F947-4593-9B87-E24ED0BB69B9.jpeg

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87B82DF9-8B16-4DD7-A9A1-F5E395A4008B.jpeg

B15E739C-C206-4B49-BC27-361B90FB03B7.jpeg

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Posted

Thanks for the info Doug.  I didn't realize Skystar made a smooth cowl, but it's very well possible. I also think you are right about the different motor mount for the smooth cowl, my oil cooler would have worked fine on a round cowled plane.  I was also wrong about where I saw the other cowls like this.  It was on the Team Kitfox member's photos section.  I looked through there to see what I would find.  I just googled kitfox smooth cowl images, and found this picture of a Kitfox 1.  It was the first cowl used before Kitfox went to the round cowl.  Looks a lot like mine.  Maybe the mold was reworked and lengthened for this cowl.  JImChuk

See the source image

Another correction from me.  I got some pictures of the cowl from Kit # 11 a bit ago, and I'm sure it's the original Kitfox cowl that came in the kit.  That cowl is different from the one on this blue Kitfox 1.   Of course there is no telling when this blue cowl was bought.  JImChuk

100_0790.JPG

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Posted (edited)

Got a little more done today.  Ended up going with the lip on the outside of the windshield.  Easier to do, and I'm wanting to get this plane finished.  I fit the new windshield, and fit the cowl to it, then fiber glassed a lip between the windshield, and boot cowl.  I'm glad to see it coming along.  JImChuk

PS  I can't quit.  Just ran out to the garage at 10:30 and laid in two more layers of glass cloth, so it should be ready to cut and sand into shape tomorrow.  

smooth cowl 1g.jpg

smooth cowl 1f.jpg

Edited by 1avidflyer

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Posted

Wow, somethings take a long time.... Progress though, and a good fit.  JImChuk

 

smooth cowl 1j.jpg

smooth cowl 1h.jpg

smooth cowl 1i.jpg

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Posted

That looks really good Jim, I think that’s a good idea

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Posted


Very nice. Jim

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Posted

Man that i lookin realy good!!! I like the split in the upper have like that, thats my only complaint about the top of cowl on my bluefox, ive thought about cuttin it there so easy to deal with and not so likely to scratch windsheild. 

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Posted

Pecking away.  Had to fiberglass in an bulge for the oil cooler.  Not sure I like the shape, but it will have to work.  Cut the hole, and then cut some 2" thick foam that fit tight in the opening.  Then sanded the foam to shape.  Covered the foam with packing tape, and fiber glassed over it.  Pulled the foam out and started sanding.....  Getting close though.  Try to get the fasteners in place tomorrow.  Then maybe ready for paint.  I'll probably install the doors and windows in them once the cowl is for sure where I want it, and then will be moving the plane to another building to start installing the wings and things.  JImChuk

PS  thanks guys for the attaboys!

smooth cowl 1l.jpg

smooth cowl 1q.jpg

smooth cowl 1r.jpg

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Posted


It is absolutely amazing how long those little things take isn't it. I can't imagine how nice and simple it must be to assemble a kit from some one like Kitfox.

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Posted

Don't quite understand what you mean TJay, unless the sarcasm button is on.  :-)   I've made some things harder for myself in this build.  The oil cooler and mount for it were from a round cowl setup.  That means there isn't room for the cooler inside the smooth cowl as I had it.  Didn't realize that was going to be a problem when I went with it.  Another thing is I lowered the firewall as much as possible on this build so I can see over the nose better.  I'm probably at least 1 1/2" lower then a regular smooth cowl at the center of the windshield.  That means the factory  cowl lip wouldn't match the more sloping windshield that I have.  But it's all fun and games making it the way we want it.  Probably start the doors tomorrow, cause the cowl is about all fit.  Then the wings!   JImChuk

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Posted


No sarcasm Jim I just meant every time I do the little stuff like your doing it takes me forever to get it done. It just goes on and on. and it would be strange to do a complete kit where this little stuff is already finished.  Looken good Jim you will be flying soon.

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Posted

I can really understand what TJay meant. For once I'd like to go out and buy something that fit without modification. I spend as much time on the little things as much as building the kit.  For some, the building and modifying is their thing, and that's great. No wonder bolt together kits are so expensive anymore.

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Posted

I can really understand what TJay meant. For once I'd like to go out and buy something that fit without modification. I spend as much time on the little things as much as building the kit.  For some, the building and modifying is their thing, and that's great. No wonder bolt together kits are so expensive anymore.

Can you imagine walking to the shelf grabbing a pre painted part bolting it in and being able to say your done.  If money was no object you could finish an airplane in 3 to 5 months.  For Me I like the design and build part then watching it come together but it is slow.  I give credit to Jim he is designing modifying and building and continues to move forward lots of guys get stuck and sit for years.  Talking about this stuff makes me miss ED.

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Posted

One thing for sure, is as long as there are builders like the ones that are on this site, things will get built, designed, modified and redone till time runs out.

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Posted (edited)

Thanks again guys.  Bit more progress to report, and some mistakes as well.  On the Avid, I had clear doors as well, but the Avid door has only one center tube in it.  I ran the bottom window in it up to the top of that tube, and then the top window overlapped it, and reached to about the  bottom of that tube.  Riveted them together and while it's not perfect, its ok.  I wasn't thinking about how the Kitfox doors have 2 tubes.  They use a fiberglass piece to cover that center area.  I didn't think about that fiberglass strip when I painted the plane.  So either I replace the fiberglass with some clear lexan, or repaint a bit of my paint stripe behind the doors and carry that same stripe forward with that fiberglass part being part of that paint stripe.  Not insurmountable either way, but it's progress either way...  JImChuk

PS,  the more I look at it, the more I'm thinking I'll try a clear lexan replacement for the fiberglass.  I had planed to run the orange stripe from the bottom of the top cowl to the crease about 2" above it with the rest of the top being the blue color

 

windows 1.jpg

windows 2.jpg

Edited by 1avidflyer

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Posted

Still haven't hung the wings yet.  Got side tracted on building door latches and other things.  These latch at the front and back of the door, and I really like the way they work.  Windshield and windows are riveted in place.  Getting closer.  JImChuk

door latch 1.jpg

door latch 3.jpg

door latches 2.jpg

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Posted

A little more progress.  Wings are back on for the first time in probably 5 years.  Shouldn't need to come off again I'm hoping.  JImChuk

wings hung.jpg

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Posted

Pretty quiet, and maybe this will inspire others.  Getting closer.  Also, here is the view over the nose with the tail up in the air.  I'm about 5'9" at best, and the camera was right at my eye level looking straight ahead in the picture of the view over the nose.  I'm going to like this set up for visibility.  That was my biggest gripe about the Kitfox round cowl.   My instrument panel is about 1 1/2" lower then the standard Kitfox panel.   I'm going to like it I think.  Got the tail feathers installed, and am setting diehedrial and washout.   This Kitfox had bare lift struts, (no streamlining)  I'm using the un streamlined lift struts from my other Kitfox 4 project so I can get this flying sooner, and then I can make up the streamlining for this planes struts at my leisure.  JImChuk

getting close 1.jpg

getting close 3.jpg

getting close 4.jpg

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Posted


just a few more days for you. looks great Jim

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