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i would just do what was mentioned Mr.  Add some plywood under that rib and rivet and glue on aluminum pieces to bring them down a bit like the kitfox rib stiffeners. just make them a bit taller like was mentioned before in this post. here is mine, yours could be the same just a little bigger. what ever you do don't give up on her, it is a really nice looking plane.

 

I scanned 7 pages of this, but may not have them in order, and one might be duplicate copy. See page numbers at bottom of each page.

As of April, 2014, the price for 6 of them was $137.70 plus shipping.

EDMO

its OK ed i'm not taking my tubes back out back out 

It was the last day of walleye season today limited out. Super cold,0 degrees, but it sure was fun.

what about welding extensions onto the flaperon brackets to bring them down where they need to be but still keeping the original mounting the same. just another option to consider

You could weld if you can keep the heat off of the plastic bushings - That's the reason I suggested rivets.

EDMO

what about welding extensions onto the flaperon brackets to bring them down where they need to be but still keeping the original mounting the same. just another option to consider

TJay,

I am sure that I have the Kitfox 4 drawings of the drag tube brackets, and the price a while back, although they could be made at home with a welder - you just have to figure out the correct angles.

The later models also have steel drag tubes.

I will try to post you something tonight.

EDMO

Sweet then I will do it too. Yeah I like the new style stuff too I just get sick of buying it all the time. Im sure everyone on here will second that ha.

That was one of the fixes way back when was to glue in triangles.  I know of more than a few that were fixed this way.  I like the new ends that KF uses on the drag tubes.

 

I really like the beef up on that drag tube, that will be real strong. Think maybe i might do that before i cover mine. Wonder if a guy was to hysol in a triangle piece of plywood between the drag tube and the spar if that would do that same thing.

Ed do you have pictures of the newer construction? Jack said he was not at all impressed with this early Kitfox wing construction vs. an Avid. No triangulation on the drag braces, less ribs, etc.

Amazing that it didn't flutter in flight. Guess this shows how good our round spars are.

EDMO

Jack said it looked like it had been in an accident at some point due to some patch work. What's scary is it was being flown like this.

Anyone ever see ribs broken like this? Impact? Ground loop? Transporting without braces? Twisting?

Those ribs acted like the grain was going all in one direction - Plywood does not usually break clean like that...

I have a hard time believing that the broken drag tube did all of this - maybe it all happened from the same cause at the same time?

The newer Kitfox drag tube to spar brackets are a big improvement over this old type.

EDMO

Yep, I made new ones a couple yeas ago that I got in the aircraft section at the local grocery store.  Teflon cutting boards work perfect or is you can get some UHMW that will work as well.

 

Joey, I like the skylight in that turtle deck I will have to do that on mine.  I have thought about doing it 100 times, but seeing pics of how someone else did it helps!

 

well since it is 40+ and raining at the house and I no longer have snow in the front yard, I am thinking I will be going back to wheels in the next week or so and I should have some flying reports for you on the new springs.

 

so what is the serial number of this air frame/ project as it came from avid? There are some implications with crooked airframes causing a bit of this maybe at times but sounds like you have a bigger problem with the flap attach ribsbeing glued in the wrong place maybe???

well I couldn't get a 2.62 gearbox ,well I could but rick got me a used one out of Austria with3.1 so basically I get free clutch with the savings .so I guess same prop with more pitch ?prop moving slower is better I would think.

Fresh annual, brand new blue head 582 installed, 115 TTAF.  For more details and photos:

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Avid-Flyer-For-Sale/270446786333995

One of the UK's mandatory modifications is to sandwich the trailing ribs between .025 aluminum angles glued and riveted - Some in the US have made this modification to their ribs to strengthen or fix them. You could use this method to change the rib ends and reinforce them like Leni said.

The other possibility is to add material to lengthen the steel flaperon hangers by making a longer hanger and riveting it to the old one with structural rivets to make the flaperon hang straight in a lower position, or simply cut the vertical arm and rivet in an extension strap after clamping them for a test fit.

If one wing is slightly out of being true, you may have to make some adjustments on your controls to keep from having a "heavy wing" after test flights.

EDMO

I would wonder if you were to put a digital level on the rib next to the fuselage on each wing, are they the same?  (same angle of attack)   Leni mentions  if the lift struts are the same, and I agree, but check the wings at the fuse. first then further out.  I'm just guessing, but you have to start somewhere, eliminating things as you go....  Jim Chuk

EW 480lbs.

So, with EW 480, that gives you 470 lbs of load for 950 GW - a perfect load/weight ratio for that engine.

If mine comes in at 850 EW, then with the same 470 lb load, I am at 1320 GW, with a larger engine, stronger fuselage and landing gear, and more fuel burn.

I think what I am trying to say, is that with a light plane, you don't need more GW to haul the same load.

EDMO

Any ideas on how it came to be this way?  Jim Chuk

Bandit, I am curious about your performance. Cruise, climb, STOL? Thanks.

My serial number ends in E. I guess this makes it a Bandit. It has 083 spars. HH spacing and double false ribs as well as 7/8 struts. Does not have the plastic smooth wing cover on the front spar or the chrome sticks. Plane was on floats when I bought it. GW is set at 1200. EW 726. Since my bad landing(crash) I got a super deal on a complete fuselage (basically a complete aircraft) minus the wings and engine . Going to take a little time but she will fly again!