Kitfox 4 rebuild

[1avidflyer 1983]

Hi guys,  just weighed the plane and I'm at 624 empty.  And that's with grove gear and a heavy lawn tractor battery.  Got a couple small things to add, like pitot tube from wing to ASI, and fuel lines from wing tanks to header tank.  Don't think it will add up to 10 lbs, more like 5.  I'm one happy camper.   WAHOO!!!  JImChuk

[FireFoxIV 58]

Wow. that is light!!!

You musta done somethin right

Edited 25 Jun 2020 by FireFoxIV

[TJay 1041]

Light and looks nice better leave that one in the hanger.

[1avidflyer 1983]

Forgot the prop.   Add 10 more lbs... Still light though.  JImChuk

[allonsye 85]

Jim, I appreciate that you've maintained this thread along with your build which is outstanding.

I was looking at your wingtips and wondered what / how they'd be finished.  My present project involves everything but the wings but were I doing them, I was thinking I'd go with fences instead of the traditional tips of rounded and drooped that have been customary. The evidence indicates they improve wing flow over most all type wings.  I'm definitely considering them on the HH wing.  In your case you'd have an STi looking KF.

https://gtae6343.fandom.com/wiki/Stall_Fences

Paul

Edited 26 Jun 2020 by allonsye

[1avidflyer 1983]

I'm using the old drooped tips that came with the plane.  I do like the speedster tips for appearances, and they aren't the head bangers that the drooped tips are.  Then again, the drooped tips may save the flaperon in a ground loop.  Maybe I will mount a small wheel out there on them for just that purpose.  (just kidding on the whole ground loop thing)    JImChuk

[109jb 181]

The more I look at your plane the more I think I may have to go with a smooth cowl on my IV rebuild. It just look soooo nice.

[dholly 718]

Wow, you did get that cowl pretty low. Great viz!

[1avidflyer 1983]

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.

I needed to revise the parking brake.  This is the location where I mounted the one in the Avid, but the Kitfox fiberglass seat hangs down further, and the seat hit on the parking  brake valve when I moved the lever back and forth.  This is the new location, tucked up right behind the seat truss.  JImChuk

Edited 28 Jun 2020 by 1avidflyer

[1avidflyer 1983]

Still not flying, but am making some progress.  Although when the just painted, still wet boot cowl fell off the table yesterday, things went a bit haywire.  Anyway, nothing some sanding, more paint and several good enoughs wont fix.   On another topic, I'm trying to remodel  my Whelen strobe/position lights.  I got some LED replacement red and green bulbs for the position light part, and they seem good.  To replace the heavy power box, I decided to try to go with a type of LED strobe light.  I bought these fog light LED bulbs and man are they bright.  Like hurt your eyes in very short order bright.  I bought some LED turn signal flashers that I planned to make the fog lights flash on and off with.  Got everything together and mounted today.  They seem to work real good.  Hopefully I don't get a ton of radio interference to go along with it.  Here are a few pictures, and a short utube video I put up.  JImChuk  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYRQgkg1Wls

Edited 15 Jul 2020 by 1avidflyer

[TJay 1041]

nice and bright.

[1avidflyer 1983]

I tried the radio this morning, and with nothing running except for the lights, I didn't hear anything for interference.  Hopefully that will continue.  I had the whelen lights already, but the remodel cost about $75 or $80 with $50 of that being the red and green position lights.  Got them on amazon for a good bit less then Aircraft Spruce.  Free shipping to.  JImChuk

Edited 24 Aug 2021 by 1avidflyer

[1avidflyer 1983]

The journey continues (sometimes I wonder if there is and end to it  :-)  Installed painted cowl today, and it all fits even.  Made a little access door for the oil tank that I'm pretty happy with.  Would have been hard to hinge it with the shape of the cowl, but this should work good I hope.  The list of to do things is getting shorter for sure.  JImChuk

 

[ChrisBolkan 130]

Sure looks nice

[TJay 1041]

Yes it does look nice.

[dholly 718]

Great idea for the oil inspection door. Removing the entire upper cowl is a pita.

[Neil 17]

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

Sure looks nice

Thanks Jim for all the pictures. Install the prop tomorrow, W & B, and Test the engine. Getting close. Neil Rupp

[1avidflyer 1983]

Closer.... Labeled and lit up.  Old glare shield wouldn't work with new panel and cowl, so made a new one of those also.  Used part of an old lexan windshield for a form.  Worked fine.  It's painted flat black now.  The list is getting shorter.  Should be done by the week end.   (how many times have I said that already....)  JImChuk

[TJay 1041]

Cant wait to hear a flight report.

[1avidflyer 1983]

Cant wait to hear a flight report.

Me to,  and a first flight video.  Soon, I'm hoping.  Hope my AnP isn't to busy and makes me wait for the conditional once I am done.  I'm thinking I will do a short walk around video once I drag it out for taxi tests.   I'll post that once I have it.  JImChuk

Edited 22 Jul 2020 by 1avidflyer

[1avidflyer 1983]

No first flight video, but how about a first taxi?  Poor quality, cellphone, and light fading.  Had the cowl and turtle deck off, but that's hard to see.  I do know when you hit the throttle, it sets you back in the seat.  And that's with an 80 HP 912.  Can't image what it feels like with the edge performance or something out of this world like that.  Well I'm happy for sure.  Engine hadn't run in a month, and it turned over half a revolution and was running.  Pretty smooth as well.  JImChuk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCw_dB63YL0

[1avidflyer 1983]

Well here it is right after doing the CG weighing.  Was hoping to come in under 650, and it ended up at 651.5 lbs.  As I was putzing around there a bit later, I noticed a shop light was hanging in the plane.  Removed that, an low and behold, it weighs 649.8.   Empty weight CG is at 13.46.  Still doing some calculations on rearmost CG, and at 1200 lbs the CG ends up about 14.9, which is .2" to far back.  My battery is about 3' behind the seat, so maybe I have to move it forward.  Or throw it out and go with a lithium battery.  One I have is a lawn tractor battery.  Cheap and works, but not real light.  What are others using for their battery on a 912, and what does it weigh?  JImChuk

[1avidflyer 1983]

Anybody have any experience with this battery?  JImChuk

https://www.amazon.com/Shorai-Lithium-Battery-ldquo-LFX19A4-BS12/dp/B00I69WDUW

[TJay 1041]

Looken good Jim now all it needs is a $10000 dollar landing gear ha jk. I hope you get some nice cool mornings for test flying.

[wypaul 448]

Anybody have any experience with this battery?  JImChuk

https://www.amazon.com/Shorai-Lithium-Battery-ldquo-LFX19A4-BS12/dp/B00I69WDUW

No experience with that battery but I'm a happy Earth-X user.  My concern is that this battery doesn't say that it has charging/discharging protection circuitry.