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Activity Stream



  1. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic 582 stutters on bumpy airstrip   

    Guess I would check the floats and fuel level in the float bowl,  and also look at all the ignition wires incase one of them has a crack of something and the bump/vibration seperates things for a second.  Just a bit of a guess on both accounts though.  
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  2. BryceKat added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    582 stutters on bumpy airstrip
    Hey Guys,
    Got the Old  Avid Diva out flying after a looonnngggg hiatus. All good, however when the girl hits a bump on the field, when the throttle is above half throttle, the engine stumbles/stutters drops rpm’s. Once the field smooths out, the engine runs fine. Runs great all other flight conditions. Any ideas what’s going on? Thanks, Bryce 
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  3. saskavid added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    Next thing to check is the thickness of the aluminum wing spars. This will point you in the direction of what your gross weight will be with the stol rib configuration. 
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  4. HoosierSMW added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    I stand corrected. I had not seen the model letter on anything else. Thanks for the information. Mine was delivered in August of 1990 so obviously would be a C based on that.
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  5. saskavid added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    The "kit" that went on to become the plane I now have was invoiced and delivered in late january to mid febuary of 1991 with a serial number a bit over 800 and is referenced in all documentation as a "c" model. 
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  6. HoosierSMW added a post in a topic First flight on skis this winter   

    Thank you for sharing. I haven't been on skis since I was a kid in the Cub with dad back in the 60's. Loved it and would love to do it again. Don't get as much snow as we used here in the plains of Indiana though. I see you are in Minnesota. Vacationed in the Boundry Waters every summer as a kid. Best memories of my life. Watched it get a lot busier through the years and wonder what it is like now.
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  7. HoosierSMW added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    The article I referenced above by Mr. Larsen says by 1990 they were into production of the D model. Did the company ever reference the different models "A, B, or C) in any of their literature or kit paperwork? I see those letters all around the web but not in official company statements. The brochures available don't seem to mention a letter designation. It seems they were all called the Avid Flyer until the MkIV was introduced. I could be wrong (not out of the realm of possibility:)
    Thanks for all the input.
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  8. HoosierSMW added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    Did the A model have smaller carry through tubes? I wonder if that is an area of concern. In all the searching and reading I have done on the subject, I have never seen a mention of failure in that area for any of the models. Of course, that doesn't mean is hasn't happened. 
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  9. saskavid added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    The earliest record of mention I have reference to for the mk4 is the july 1991 avid comm news letter. All they show at that point is a covered and painted airframe on saw horses. The august news letter shows a finished plane. John Larsen did a series of articles for kitplanes magazine in which he cronicled the building of an avid flyer. First article was in may 1991.The plane he built at the avid factory for these articles was a "C". The first issue of kitplanes to have an avid flyer advertisement featuring the mark 4 was December 1991. 
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  10. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    Does your C model have the MK IV upgrades I  mentioned earlier              the added gussets, added tubing behind the sear for door hold opening shocks, and the door latches that are about 1/3 of the way back on the bottom of the door,              Could also add baggage compartment, newer style cowl and rounded rudder.  
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  11. Avidventurous added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    Interesting my model C has a serial number of 997. Not sure how that fits in here?
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  12. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    Finally got around to measuring my MK  IV wing carry throughs.  They are 7/8" diameter.  Some one was asking me about changing out the smaller ones on a B model.  I wondered if it would be easier to put a smaller tube inside the existing one.  May have to ream out some weld bubbles where the other tubes weld into the carry through, but wouldn't think that would be that hard with a long drill bit.  I would drill out the wing pin tubes with drill bits one size bigger than the last till there was nearly nothing left of it.  Get the last of it with a dremmel maybe.  Worse case, if you wreck it, you can then add a larger tube instead.  Any thoughts or comments why this is not an option?  JImChuk
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  13. HoosierSMW added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    Thank you for that information Mark. That was what I took from the article. Do you know what was different on your plane vs the C model? When Was your kit ordered?
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  14. 1avidflyer added a topic in For Sale and wanted, you got it, I want it   

    Want to buy: 3/4" Rotax prop spacer
    Hi all,  looking for a prop spacer, perhaps a 1" one would work as well.  PM me.  Thanks,  JimChuk
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  15. marksires added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    There was a transition period between C and MKIV that was initially called a 'D'.  I had serial number 941, and it had some, but not all of the MKIV changes, and all the build manuals called it a 'D'.
     
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  16. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic First flight on skis this winter   

    You will be glad that you took the time to go for a visit when you do.  You know the story about all work and no play.  
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  17. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic First flight on skis this winter   

    Has anyone seen my plane lately?  I haven't...
     
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  18. HoosierSMW added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    The spar carry-thru tubes are both 7/8" OD x .035 (I measured .040 but don't see that as a stock wall thickness). They are definitely not .049" wall. The seat truss top tube is 5/8" od and the bottom is 1/2" od. This kit was ordered as an aerobatic speedwing but the lift struts are only 3/4" od. I appreciate your help with my questions.
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  19. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    I don't think so.  Measure yours, and I'll then measure the MK IV fuselage I have.  And while you are at it, measure the top and bottom tubes in the seat truss.  I know the MK IV used thicker tubes than earlier models, but not sure if the C did as well.
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  20. HoosierSMW added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    Another question - does the MkIV have larger or thicker spar carry-thru tubes than the C?
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  21. 1avidflyer added a topic in Avid fox flyers pics and vids   

    First flight on skis this winter
    Well we have had a very unusual winter up here in northern Mn, very mild, and not much snow.  We finally got enough for me to put the skis on the Kitfox 4 and I got to fly today.  It was around 10 above F, so climb performance was really good.  The airport said DA was -1400.  Flew up around the lakes north of me and landed on one where some friends were ice fishing.  It was my first ski landing this year, in about 7" of soft snow, and was like landing on feathers.  Sweet.   Had to dive bomb a deer that was crossing my strip when I came in to land, wonder if he is still running....  he sure put it in high gear when I went right over him doing 100 mph plus and full throttle.  Only negative side of the flight was I thought I had my gopro running, but all I got was 4 pictures when I thought I was starting videos.  Never happens like that when there was nothing exciting on the video.  Anyway, a good day.  Don't put those planes away in the winter, it's the best time to fly.  JImChuk



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  22. HoosierSMW added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    My rudder is offset and the frame seems to have all the characteristics of a C. I wish I had a serial number to confirm but it is lost to time and ownership changes. I was curious about a model D because John Larsen, the author of the article, said he had a model D that he made changes to. He said Avid incorporated those changes and made it the MkIV. It seems like that would indicate a version between the C and MkIV. This is a section of the article that had me thinking about this.
    ("By 1990, many changes had been made and the Model D was in production, but still had the overheating problems. My model D was no different, and since I had years of experience with 2-stroke engines and racing modifications, I began to make changes to cool the planes engine more effectively. I designed the cowling and cooling system that got rid of the cooling problems by placing two radiators in the nose of the cowl.. Changes were also made to the rudder getting rid of the parallelogram rudder for the rounded one. A trim tab was built into the elevator. Dean Wilson was next door building the Explorer so I would run over and get his sanction for many of the new design changes.There was fierce competition between Kitfox and Avid at that time, and KF had just produced their Series 3 plane. Avid GM Jim Metzger chose to produce my design modifications of the Model D and call it the Avid MKIV just to get one PR step ahead of the KF series 3. As a result, there were few Model 3 KF planes produced as Dan Denny at KF began development of their Series 4. The Kitfox was outselling the Avid at the time as the KF had been a better looking plane to many of the buyers.The MKIV was a real after market money maker for Avid, as most of the pilots owning Models A-D ordered up-grade kits to their earlier Models were fitted with MKIV kits to solve the cooling problem and to give them a appearance upgrade so they looked more like a real airplane.") What should the max gross be on this airframe with stol wings? Thanks,Dean
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  23. 1avidflyer added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    According to Steve Winder the MK IV serial numbers start at about 1000.  If you don't have the added gussets, added tubing behind the sear for door hold opening shocks, and the door latches that are about 1/3 of the way back on the bottom of the door, It's not a MK IV  model.  I think also, the earlier models have the front of the vertical stabilizer off set to the side, and the MK IV model is centered.    There was a lot of competition between Kitfox and Avid back then, and being as how the Kitfox 4 had come out about that time, maybe that's why the last Avid got the MK IV designation.  Interesting to note, the serial numbers I've seen for MK IVs usually end in a D.  For instance,   1111D   You don't see the letter added in earlier model serial numbers that I'm aware of.  JImChuk
    '
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  24. saskavid added a post in a topic Avid D Model?   

    I just glanced at the article and the D model was called a mark 4 simply as a marketing condition. earlier mark 4's will have the same engine mount as you will have for the 582 rotax. Later on they developed a mount they called dyna smooth. They also change the air frame at some point as well in the lower floorboard firewall area to accomadate heavier engines. Avid sold the change as a welded add on for existing airframes as well. the december 1995 issue of the avid news letter shows the install of this add on. the news letters are in the same files section as the article you are referencing.
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  25. saskavid added a post in a topic Avid Memorabilia   

    Compliments of John.

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