Avid Plus build is on ....

[banjoplayer 8]

I'm still "Not Kidding"

I haven't posted in awhile but I've been busy nonetheless.

I broke my foot slamming a snowmobile into a tree on the second last weekend we had snow .... so there was that.

HOEWEVER,

I've done a bunch of stuff.

1) The controls are all in and work flawlessly with AN hardware. Thanks to Doug Holly's exellent photographic shots of his mixer and control column setup.

2) Windshield is in.

3) Side windows are in.

4) Cargo bay and all floorboards and plywood under seat pans are in.

Two MAJOR things,

1) I'm ready to cover this thing.

MD-RA (Minister Delegate - Recreational Aviation) the guys that give me the Pre Cover Inspection have been contacted, paid and they've confirmed payment and responded with pretty good news..

During this "Pandemic" thing, they are still inspecting aircraft, at their discretion. It is completely up to the inspector whether they feel "comfortable" with the location.

I have a half acre I can spread it out over now that the weather is nice.I've had the name and contact information of the guy coming to inspect sent to me today and should here from him next week.

2) I've decided on the power plant for the Fat Avid and for now it's gonna be the Subaru.

It just "Fits" everything I have without modifying anything.

The Lycoming is not out of the running though as the Fat Avid fuselage came with a brand new cowl that covers the Sube nicely, but it also came with the cowl that came off the original MK-IV. The plan is to make up a mock firewall and fir the Lycoming to it and try to modify the MK-IV cowl to work while flying the Sube.

Call out to Jim Chuck (1avidflyer).

Back in 2014 when I was first looking at a powerplant you turned me on to an EA-81 in New Orleans .... that I bought.

I pulled it apart last week and am absolutely delighted at what I found inside.

Engine: Standard, Standard, Standard - Main bearings, Rod bearings and Pistons. Pistons are factory Subaru Pistons and almost new. This engine may have a couple or 300 hours on it tops.

It's got "Intake Valves Inboard" heads instead of the intake valves being at the extremities of the head which is apparently pretty desirable for less heat transfer to the air fuel mix dumping directly down into the intake ports instead across the top of the hot exhaust first.

The heads have been planed .030" already and cleaned up perfectly flat with .004 off one head and .006 off the other.

Now for a couple of questions:

I have the engine mount that came with the Subaru I bought from New Orleans. The Firewall side of this mount fits a Karatoo aircraft, the engine side does fit the engine and I assume flew like this. (See attached picture of mount) I need to mount the Sube to the firewall of the Avid and my plan is to set up the bare block and redrive at the correct position relative to the prop drive (just because I don't need to slug the weight of heads, cam, crank and pistons etc to build the mount).

At this point I plan to copy what fits the engine and fab what I need to bolt to the Avid, staying as close to the Karatoo's design as possible .... Unless there is a better way. 

I have contacted the new Airdale a couple of times asking if there is any engineering I could purchase for the Fat Avid to Sube mating but have received no reply.

Is there any factory info out there or am I on the best path trying to copy the Karatoo design?

Also, I have been reading with interest about the engines angle of thrust and get the impression that very little angle down is needed. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated before I commit the engines angle with an engine mount.

Thx

Jim Rainbow

[1avidflyer 1983]

Can't say it's the same, but on the regular Avids, when you used a Subaru, you were supposed to put in an additional mount down at the bottom.  I have a Subaru EA 81 that I moved again today in the hangar, and am about to put it on barnstormers for cheap.   Has an NSI gearbox.  Can see it run on my youtube channel, but I wouldn't expect to mount it and fly it without looking inside.  It's been sitting for a while.  Does have a Kitfox mount on it as well.  JImChuk

PS  stay busy on that plane!

Edited 9 May 2020 by 1avidflyer

[SuberAvid 617]

Hi Jim R,

I know I am reading your post now from May 2020 but if you are still looking for information on the engine mount for the Subie EA81 to the Avid+, I can send you pictures of the Stratus mount for EA81 and the mount between the engine and the Avid+ airframe.  Recommend you set id up for about 1.5 degrees down thrust angle, since mine was way off at 6.5 degrees down and flew well even at that but always flew tail low; but Jack's is at 1.5 degrees down and flies level at cruise.

Hope you're making good progress,

Randy

[akflyer 1427]

Hi Jim R,

I know I am reading your post now from May 2020 but if you are still looking for information on the engine mount for the Subie EA81 to the Avid+, I can send you pictures of the Stratus mount for EA81 and the mount between the engine and the Avid+ airframe.  Recommend you set id up for about 1.5 degrees down thrust angle, since mine was way off at 6.5 degrees down and flew well even at that but always flew tail low; but Jack's is at 1.5 degrees down and flies level at cruise.

Hope you're making good progress,

Randy

That was a pretty good aha moment when we discovered the amount of down thrust in yours.  Still amazes me that it performed as well as it did with that much in it!

 

[Mrscapfly 0]

Hello all does anyone have an idea where to get most of the Avid control rods and mixers? Another does anyone have the floorboard dimensions?. Thanks with guidence my husband and I can bring kit #200 to life.