Activity Stream

Activity Stream

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   akflyer added a post in a topic FNG from Spokane    11 Dec 2013

   Welcome to the dark side. If your here to hack on Larry step up to the plate and start swinging sweet plane! I love the lexan doors on mine, but flying in the cold temps -30 they don't seem to last long without cracking around the screw holes. I normally replace mine every year, but it's cheap and only takes a couple hours to replace.
   
   
   

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   C5Engineer added a post in a topic FNG from Spokane    11 Dec 2013

   Welcome to AFF!! Keep plugging away at your bird and you'll be ready to rock by spring. You probably already know the other KF drivers in the Spokane area. I got my Private ticket at SFF in 2005 when I stationed at Fairchild and grew up not far from Lewiston. Really miss the area.
   

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   68niou1 added a topic in Introduce yourself    11 Dec 2013

   FNG from Spokane

   Hey guys- been a lurker for a while, finally figured I had to sign up over here to give Larry a bad time:-) Used to be a longtime Mooney owner, sold my Mooney this year and bought a low hour Kitfox Model IV. Been pretty much spending the summer getting used to the plane, making all the necessary(to me) changes and trying to get the damn thing to run right. My life is pretty much airplanes, motorcycles, cars, snowmobiles, basically anything with a engine in it.
   Here is a summary of my plane-
   
   94 Model IV Longwing 1200
   80 HP Rotax 912UL
   Warp drive prop switching to IVO in flight adjustable
   Updated from bungee to Grove gear
   Currently working on my doors(switching to see thru)
   
   I bought the Acrylic bubble doors from LP Aero, cracked them right out of the gate, got pissed off and switched to polycarbonate. I am still working on them and progress has been really slow. Here is the latest in progress pic-
   
   
   

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   C5Engineer added a post in a topic 912 UL Engine Vibrations - Kitfox IV    11 Dec 2013

   A required service at 300 hrs!!!! Ludicrious I tell you!
   

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   Av8r3400 added a post in a topic 912 UL Engine Vibrations - Kitfox IV    11 Dec 2013

   It is possible, yes, but that would require redoing the complete firewall forward including the engine mount and cowling.  The Kitfox V and newer use an engine mount that pushes the engine about 6" forward and puts the oil tank on the right side, just below and behind the cylinders.  This was done because that airframe was designed to mount the boat anchor weight certified motors.  Moving weight forward was needed to keep in balance.
    
   The 1-4 Kitfoxes were designed for 75# two stroke motors under the cowl.  When the  912 came along and people were finally sick of fouled plugs, smoke, stink, high file burn and the general unreliability associated with two strokes ( ), Kitfox did what they had to do in order to make them work.  These early 912 mounts kept the motor as compact and rearward as possible.  This is the reason for the odd style oil tank mounting.  It is still far better than the oil tank in the trunk method that Avid used.
    
   I don't really like the setup, but it is far more trouble than worth to reengineer the whole thing.  I thought a long time about redoing this on my project plane.  I finally decided that it still wasn't worth the time and expense to rework the whole FWF.
   

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   akflyer added a post in a topic Parts for sale    11 Dec 2013

   Some people may not be OK with a slight variation of the wing profile right at the tank, hence the "they won't work" statement... Some of us are not quite so picky and we know we are not building an oshkosh winner, just an honest flying machine... the tanks will work for us that fly our planes instead of polishing them
    
   
   

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   akflyer added a post in a topic 912 UL Engine Vibrations - Kitfox IV    11 Dec 2013

   ohoh... a 4 stroke having issues?? sumbitch, call the wife and tell her the world is ending and you wont be home for dinner!    Just busting your chops Larry.  I am interested to see what you find out and if this takes care of the issue.  Can you mount the tank different and flop the carbs back around
    
   
   

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   Av8r3400 added a topic in Rotax and other engines    11 Dec 2013

   912 UL Engine Vibrations - Kitfox IV

   Since this summer, I've been having an issue with vibrations in the 2000-3000 rpm range.
    
   There are airframe issues and there are engine issues.
    
   The 912 engine mount for the Kitfox I-IV mounts the oil tank above and behind the engine.  This requires the intake manifolds to be reversed making a wider gap between the carbs.  This wider mounting exaggerates any vibration by shaking the carbs making the motor sputter making the vibration worse, shaking the carbs more making the engine sputter making the vibration worse, shaking the carbs more …..
    
   Kitfox has a service bulletin to tighten the engine mount dampers due to this known issue.  #SB 54A
    
   I tried all of the obvious things:
   Synced Carbs Disassembled, cleaned, adjusted and re-synced carbs disassembled, cleaned, installed rebuild kits, adjusted and re-synced carbs Serviced engine mounts per #SB 54A Removed, replaced springs, cleaned and re-assembled gearbox Removed, cleaned, re-shimmed, lubricated and re-assembled gearbox During the gearbox work, I noticed that there was some spauling on the drive dog and driven gear.
    
   
    
   
    
   This spauling bothered me.  The techs at LEAF agreed with me.  At light loading the drive will move back and forth and if this movement isn't smooth, a vibration will be caused.
    
   Through the research I did, I also found that these parts have been redesigned to allow for a longer service life.  OEM, the gearbox is supposed to be serviced every 300 hours.  This service is new springs and inspection for damage on the dogs.  My motor has 450 hours.  Ahem...
    
   I got my new gearbox parts today...
    
   
    
   Hopefully, sometime in the near future it will get above 0º here and I can rebuild my gearbox again.
   

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   EDMO added a post in a topic Parts for sale    10 Dec 2013

   Robert,
        Rod just told me - look at "fng post" in Introduce Yourself - that the STOL tanks wont work with the speedwing ribs because of the TOP profile?   WELL - If yours worked, why not others?
        If memory serves me - we talked about adding another layer of rib caps on top, but you did some grinding and got them to work without adding any caps like I did.
   EDMO
   

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    High Country added a post in a topic Parts for sale    10 Dec 2013

    good call Ed, Rod made my tanks for my speedwing, they are actually for the STOL but i made them work nicely and now I have more fuel capacity.
     
    -Robert-
    

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    EDMO added a post in a topic So I guess i'm the fng for today. Ha    10 Dec 2013

    Thanks for the reply Rod,
         I added the rib on bottom of my undercamber Kitfox-type tanks when I made the Riblett modification to my wings - That worked for me - Didn't know that the top of speedwing ribs were different contour than the Avid STOL.  At least he can get tanks from Airdale, if he can ever find Brett.
    EDMO
    added - Robert just told me that he got your STOL tanks to work in his speedwing - see his post in "Parts for Sale" in Avid and Kitfox Parts Suppliers.  I now remember when he did that - so, if they work for him.......?
    ED
    

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    C5Engineer added a post in a topic Avid heater    10 Dec 2013

    Bryce just post the share link into your post and it will embed same as if you were on a PC.
    

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    stressedout72 added a post in a topic So I guess i'm the fng for today. Ha    10 Dec 2013

    Hey Ed, the speed wing tanks i build for kitfox are there tools so again i appologise but cannot sell their items. The issue you are going to have with the hi-undercamber tanks I manufacture is that it has the same profile of the rib so it will sit higher when installed in a speed style wing. So its not just the underneth that would have an issue. Hope that helps.
    

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    EDMO added a post in a topic So I guess i'm the fng for today. Ha    10 Dec 2013

    Rod,
          One of the guys on here was looking for Speedwing tanks - Do you make them, or will the STOL tanks fit?
      I suggested that if he could get the stol tanks, that he could just glue a rib in the center underneath to match profile of speedwing.
    EDMO
    

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    EDMO added a post in a topic Avid heater    10 Dec 2013

    I would imagine that with the winter flying season starting there should be lots of interest in heaters.
    Hope you can get the utube videos posted.  Have you sent a pm to Joey about that?
    EDMO
    

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    BryceKat added a post in a topic Dean Wilson got it right    9 Dec 2013

    Yeah, my buddy has a Rans s six and he thought the wings were going to fold up on it like the Avids wings do, but they're nowhere near as simple as the Avid!
    

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    BryceKat added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar    9 Dec 2013

    Avid heater

    Hey guys,
    I posted on YouTube under my channel Bryce Custer three videos entitled Avid Heater 1,2 and three on how I set up my heater. I would post the YouTube links in this section however I don't know how to do it from my iPad or my iPhone, is it possible? Bryce
    

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    stressedout72 added a post in a topic So I guess i'm the fng for today. Ha    9 Dec 2013

    Thanks for all the wonderful posts. I will sell items retail for those of you who are wondering. I do sell the 13gl wing tanks and have a very cool flush mount cap for them. They are a made from my own tooling I created for the Sky Raider. I do also sell them to Brett for the avids also. the tanks are 10.5 - 11lbs which are lighter then the poly tanks. I do not sell any hardware for the fittings seeing how there are so many ways you can run them. You can e-mail me if you want a price quote. rod@qpllc.net I am trying to get a fat airdale flyer cowling to pull a mold off of so i will let you all know how that goes. I am getting togather a list of items and prices to post. for now just e-mail me. Thanks again.
    

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    EDMO added a post in a topic Parts for sale    9 Dec 2013

    Try Rob at Performance Products LLC - he is making new ones, alcohol resistant.
    If he only has the STOL tanks, you can still use them by glueing a rib under the center of the tank to match the speedwing profile.
    EDMO
    

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    herman pahls added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar    9 Dec 2013

    Dean Wilson got it right

    I recently helped a friend transport his newly finished Kolb to the airport.
    While I envied the 912S engine I did not envy how difficult and time consuming the Kolb is to get ready to transport and go thru the wing folding process.
    Makes me appreciate Dean Wilsons design since I fold my Kitfox wings every time I fly and it only takes 3 minutes.
    

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    EDMO added a post in a topic FUSELAGE WEIGHTS    9 Dec 2013

    Thanks Jim - with that info, guess I had better guestimate my KF1 at less weight - I'm sure it is less than the Mk IV.  I wish we had weighed the J3 while it was stripped down.
    EDMO
    

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    1avidflyer added a post in a topic FUSELAGE WEIGHTS    9 Dec 2013

    I weighed my Avid MK IV bare fuselage last summer, and it was 70 lbs. Jim Chuk
    

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    Wild Bill added a post in a topic Wanted B Model Parts    9 Dec 2013

    I'm in Guthrie, Oklahoma ( Its just 25 miles north of Oklahoma City ) off of I-35
    

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    wolves200 added a topic in Close Call's and dumb stunts    9 Dec 2013

    on top the trees!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8C90Y_P3ME
     
    I still cannot understand why he kept on turning right??? he had some chances slightly left...
    

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    EDMO added a topic in Technical tasks    9 Dec 2013

    FUSELAGE WEIGHTS

    I have been asking for some time about bare fuselage weights - I have guestimated the weight of my Kitfox 1 clone at about 60 to 70 lbs, and have not weighed my Foxy Flapper fuselage yet.
    I weighed the Fat/Highlander/Magnum 48 x 17 homebuilt fuselage at 110 lbs, on bathroom scales, and that includes 2 pieces of plywood that could be replaced with aluminum, and without gearlegs or seats installed, but it did have the tail spring on it.
    If anyone gets a chance to weigh a bare fuselage of any kind, please post it for my curiosity.
    EDMO 
    

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