Bringing a Kitfox 1 back to life

[Good old number 29 158]

Jim,

The motor is fairly close to the top of the cowl.  I'll have to take some other pics, but the top has two rectangular ducts that stick down about two inches and fit tightly around the holes in the engine shroud. 

I almost got it ready to run today. Just a whole lot of other stuff to keep me running different ways. The cowlings are almost ready for paint. Not quite perfect, but I like it. If I want a perfect one, I'll finish this one better and make a mold with it, to make a nice cowl in one piece. Light and clean. Here are more pics. 

[Buckchop 479]

Mmm i c that with comment on the motor to cowl and exhaust to cowl, even tho mine had the 503 Bbox to start with, my exhaust is different one, and the black shroud around top of motor is also different than i had.  But still same cowlin as i have.  Surprising how many different variations there is with them old girls. 

[Good old number 29 158]

Here are pics of the hood. One hole on top, not two like I said. 

[Good old number 29 158]

I got the fuel lines replaced, with help from a friend, and put the fuel filter back where I didn't like it, after trying to move it. I like this screen filter, just not so close to the exhaust tip. I made the fuel line heat shield from fine fiberglass weave and light aluminum tape. I like it better than anything I saw in the store, and made it with what I had. See the carb vents. Each is independent to atmosphere. The fuel pump is genuine Mikuni dual feed, instead of the original single with a tee. I drilled the holes to 5/16" and the bolt pattern matched two holes on the block with 6mm thread. I rubber mounted it. 

[Good old number 29 158]

I used Napa 7220 self etching primer on the spars. Just a note that the MEK and PolyBrush disolve it. I just brushed it on fast and didn't touch it until it dried, and it was fine. 

[Good old number 29 158]

[Good old number 29 158]

[Good old number 29 158]

Artistic rendering of artist Ben Firth sizing up the belly pan to make it foxy. 

[Good old number 29 158]

 The FAA has given me a hard time just trying to register this thing. It would really help if they could break through bureaucracy to file the registration. I have to contact the last owner. 

Edited 22 Mar 2019 by Good old number 29

[akflyer 1427]

Dave Engholm, if you see this, give me a call at 953-2743. The FAA is giving me hell just trying to register this thing. It would really help me if you could sign an affidavit on the ownership, since they can't break through bureaucracy to file the registration. 

I doubt he will see or reply to this.  akflyerbob on here just went through the same thing with him.  Shoot Bob a PM and he might be able to help you out with contact info etc.  I will be back in slowdotna Tuesday if I can be of any help strong arming someone into signing it off.  The FAA inspector Bob has been working with has been VERY helpful to him in getting his paperwork straightened out. 

OKC seems to be a serious pain in the ass right now and are rejecting everything even after you talk to person XX there and they tell you that they need a signed letter stating XYZ then it will go through.  You send that in and person XXX@#$#er rejects it and wants something else.

 

[TJay 1041]

There is a letter at the kitfox factory website you can print out that basically voids the chain of ownership crap. You will just need a bill of sale from the guy you bought it from and the printed letter from kitfox.  That's how I had to register mine.  Hope this can help also.

[akflyerbob 41]

I finally got the registration on the  mod 1 I am working on. How ever on the mod 4, I did print the Kitfox letter

and mail it along with all the required paper work, and of course it was rejected, with help from our new FAA

Rep. Dave, we got the registration. However the letter from Kitfox did nothing to help. More or less FAA said

Kitfox doesn't tell them what to do and they wanted a "Bill of Sale from the manufacture". Dave talked to them

and was able to get around the Bill of Sale problem but it took several calls and letters.....and time.

[Good old number 29 158]

I did manage to reach the FAA, and they told me enough to make a Plan B. So, I mailed a certified letter to the owner, drove by his place, and called again. The phone line to to FAA was tied up for hours. I had to dial repeatedly until I finally got a dead line, and I hung right up and dialed again, and got in the queu, with a fifteen minute wait and the word that they’re processing registration applications which they received in February, so I’m probably two months from being able to register it. Ow. Anyway, when I called the seller, he answered and we made a plan. So, a minor victory there, and two minor steps closer to registering. If that fails, I have plan B. 

[Good old number 29 158]

The first of the torture tests is completed. I waited as long as I could, and just had to run it. I made three adjustments to the prop, starting in the middle of the range, and reducing pitch each time. Temps were all low. I dropped the clip on the needles, and lost 400 rpms without any other adjustments. I moved it to the middle on both carbs, and am waiting for another test run, since I noticed that the O rings that seal the top of the carb were cracked. If that comes back up 300-400 rpms, I’ll be at 6,200-6,300 static rpm. I was checking the spark plugs with each run, and it wasn’t far off. It seemed almost lean on the top end, by the plugs, and rich in the middle. EGTs indicate that I could lean it out a lot, but I was testing it at 32 degrees, so I’m not afraid of it being a little cold. I’m comfortable with it as is until I put some time on it. I was more inclined to pitch it for climb performance to start. 

Ben took the lower cowl today, to draw in the teeth. He did a shark face on a boat I used to run, and it turned out great. This had to be a fox, obviously. 

[Good old number 29 158]

Some of the reflective backing needed to be replaced. I used adhesive spray to attach heavy duty aluminum foil to the original insulation, and it was better than new. I used a more flexible aluminum tape to finish the edges. 

[Good old number 29 158]

I made a makeshift hood to duct air into the heater when I ran it. Note that you can put as much air as you can get through the heater. Increasing airflow helped it a lot. Higher EGT’s will, too, but it probably needs the air fairly rammed through it. In retrospect, I probably would have placed the heater intake more forward facing, instead of straight down. Looks good, works good, as far as I can tell. I have a plan for the duct, but I’m waiting to cut it until I’m fairly sure it will work like I want. I’ll cut a proper air ram, now that it’s tested. 

[Good old number 29 158]

Testing was fair. The engine was great. The prop is nearly adjusted. The ignition switch failed, which was interesting, since it was brand new. I put the old one back in. It only kills the ignition. I put a capacitor on the regulated 12v dc side, to run without a battery, but I’m not sure it’s good. I might get the better regulator or look at options for consumable power. 

[TJay 1041]

I noticed on the picture with your carbs you have the over flow lines individual. Once upon a time I was told by LEAF they need to be one piece hose with a few small holes drilled in them for the carbs to work right. This may not be true anymore but just thought I would share. Get it flying.

[Allen Sutphin 705]

I noticed on the picture with your carbs you have the over flow lines individual. Once upon a time I was told by LEAF they need to be one piece hose with a few small holes drilled in them for the carbs to work right. This may not be true anymore but just thought I would share. Get it flying.

That,s still the way to do it.

[1avidflyer 1983]

PM me your address and I'll send you some of those O rings for the tops of the carbs.  I bought a hundred pack from Mcmaster Carr, and will never use all of them.  JImChuk

[Good old number 29 158]

Thanks, Jim. I really appreciate all the help I’ve gotten from this group. I didn’t get a good video, but I got the prop pitch set and jetting set in the safe zone. It’s pulling just 5,900 wide open, so I’m considering going finer on the prop. If you are familiar with Powerfin, I started off with the dowel in the middle of the window, and made three adjustments toward the finer side, a total of .066” from where I started. The first setting pulled 4,500. I settled on the middle clip on the needle for now, after pitching the prop. At 5,900, the prop blast will knock you down. It’s rolling at 3k and lifting the tail at 4,500 if you don’t let it roll, or pull back on the stick. I’m wondering how weight and balance will look with the battery and ELT out. It feels like it could take off vertically. 

[Av8r_Sed 82]

That regulator requires some load on it (1 amp minimum?) to regulate, besides the filter cap. Make sure to keep something on when the engine is running. Maybe lights of some sort. Radios or other avionics aren’t a good choice because they might not like voltage excursions when starting up or shutting down.  Or, go ahead and upgrade to a better regulator. Lot’s of people like the Key West. I use a motorcycle regulator. 

[Good old number 29 158]

The way I read it, the capacitor created the minimum load necessary for the rectifier to properly regulate the voltage without a battery. With no load, it tests at about 11.6 volts. It burned out my new strobe without a single flash, so something is not right. The capacitor is properly connected. 

My wing tanks are in transit. I’m excited to get them in, but I’m going to wait and check the weight without them before installing. 

Still no registration. It has now been nine months, and I’m tired of waiting. They did cash my check. I hope that means something.

I have very little left to do. I wanted to do something different with the quarter windows. Maybe plexiglas. 

In the meantime, my job is getting really busy again, working twelve hours and driving two. The first Copper River opening is tomorrow, and we’ll be buying fish in Cook Inlet next month, which keeps me pretty busy until September. 

I haven’t gotten a strip cleared out yet. I have a D7 torn apart in the yard, which is where it begins. But... I did get a lot on a grass strip near where I work in Kenai, which will be awesome. Less driving, more flying. And yes, yet another project to keep me busy.

 

 

[Buckchop 479]

Checkout how i fixed my yellowed, faded, cracked stock Qtr windows, did it cheap quick and easy, and now easy replaceable down the road.

[Good old number 29 158]

I went ahead and painted the cowling the way I wanted. The bottom half of the lower cowling is a bit rough. I could have sanded it some more, and used some filler to smooth it out, but I’m happy with the results. If you’re standing close enough to see the imperfections, you’re going to get hit by the prop, anyway. My artist friend, Ben Firth, helped out with the design, and I painted it myself, based on the pictures he sent me. It’s just like I wanted it. I got some bleed through on the masking that needs to be touched up. Oh, and I’m still waiting for the registration.