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Compliments of John.

New starter. Coming to market.

Hello Sir,

Thank you for the quick reply. There is no serial number on any of the paperwork I have. The finish is matt black paint or primer. It did come with a side mount radiator (heavy!!) and was ordered as a tri-gear. Do you have any knowledge of the Model D talked about in the article? Wonder what would be different than the C or MkIV.

RV-8 wings

So if you have the serial number of the kit listed somewhere it will be a place to start.Numbers in the 800's are C's. You do have the taller landing gear that was standard with the mark 4. Looks like an unpainted air frame and engine mount so that is just how they came unless it does have a flat black paint that doesn't show up in the pics. there is a tab on the passenger side of the air frame which is used for the side mount radiator, which is typical of a C model. You have the nose gear weldment which is a plus in some peoples books. As a kit my plane was delivered early in 1991 and is a "C".

So what kind of flying machine is that aluminum wing in the back going to become?

Hoping to get some input from C5Engineer as I read this on his "History of the Avid" post. My Flyer was ordered in May of 1990 and delivered in August of 1990. In the article is says by 1990 they were producing the model D which, with modifications, became the MkIV. Of course, there is no model designation in the original paperwork with my kit. My questions are:

What are the differences between a model C and D?

Based on the ordered / delivered dates, what do I have? It does not have the additional gussets that a MkIV looks to have.

What would the suggested gross weight be with stol wings?

Is the black finish on the frame typical of what would come from the factory?

Attached are some pictures of the fuselage frame as I received it. The gear is not original to the kit (came as a tri-gear). Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks!

This plane just has regular rectangular wings but it looks like he copied his Elipse wing struts.

Do you mean you need one of the Kitfox 2 ribs with the long tail?  JImChuk

I am looking for the rib that connects to the flapperon. Do you happen to have one?

Do you happen to have a the rib that connects to the flapperon?

Saw this shirt on ebay a number of years ago and thought it was cool and should give it a home. It is a medium and won't fit me but still think it is cool and worth preserving and sharing. I am guessing this was part of the avid team wardrobe back around the late 80's early 90's. I am thinking an avid historian like John would know better then me as to the time line of it to avid history. Any one else have clothing hats or other avid promotional merchandise they have collected over the years? I know they did coffee cups. Denny had a fair bit of stuff promoting the kitfox as well. 

and the smaller diameters being more per foot than the larger ones just doesn't make sense to me.  I get the more popular sizes sell more etc. but when 3/8" of the same wall thickness is more than 3/4" its mind boggling.  How can more material be less?

We have lots hours on lots of the Sensenich Ground Adjust props on many airframes and engine combos and have not had any issues.  I think there are issues when one takes a prop make for a rotax and puts it on a bigger engine that there are issues.  Look at the size of the hub and blade roots on the whirlwind or Sensenich for the lycoming or other legacy engines and you will see they are much beefier than the NR or others.  

I wouldn't give up mine for anything, it's truly that much better in take off. climb and cruise than the old Borer that was the benchmark and go to for MANY years.

Thanks for the effort! Looks like it would be probably 3 5/8 inch long and the rest of the dimensions could be ratio calculated from a scan I have. 

Sorry, couldn’t get to this quicker, some reason the form one let me put pictures up from mine iPhone, but I can take pictures of my five phone and put it on my iPad and send them, damn computer world anyway happy new year everybody fly safe, stay healthy, etc.

Anybody familiar with this outfit, 6 1/2 pounds is great

I agree with the value of the forums.  I was devastated when yahoo was purchased, and the groups there were destroyed.  All of the years of knowledge that had been contributed, were lost. I've spent lots of time going through threads, here, there, and everywhere, trying to find answers before reposting a question that's been asked before.  Sometimes, you have to have the right incantation, or key phrase.. as what you guess isn't what it was posted under before. And if you find something of value... COPY IT.

I'd seen your firewall thread, and most of your kitfox build posts- it was one of the things that really had me going nuts- I had no idea that there were different starters, until I started looking at them a couple of days ago. Now, I know.. That's also why I left the breadcrumb of information in that picture for the next person that comes along. I first modeled the two sides of the lower firewall out of cardboard, and figured the dimensions for the pedals, and brakes, to clear.  I made the inset as per the instructions, and.. it didn't look right.  Motor's in the mount, so do a flat measurement and look at the clearance required for the starter, and it wasn't even close. I have an inset I'm going to go with that is almost the full depth of the well. I'm leery of cutting up a $400 starter unless it's absolutely needed. The passenger side doesn't have brakes, so the inset isn't (?) a major problem.  I've been digging through firewall coverings as well, and ended up ordering a carbon felt welding blanket which I'll fit to the backside of the firewall, and cover with.. something.  It is nice and light.

Thanks for the response, and guidance.

-Jack

One of the early reports said the engine departed the airframe.  This has proven out to be inaccurate.  Needless to say, loosing a blade will defiantly be a catastrophic situation...

I remember when my friend Dave (built Sputzee the Avid-Kitfox hybrid) was later building a J5 Cub with an O320 on the nose, his research told him that adjustable props and direct drive engines are not a good mix.  He went with a solid Catto on that build.

I bought some a few years ago, and it worked ok for what I was doing with it.  Non structural parts though.  I can't say if it's good or bad other than it did what I needed it to do.  JImChuk

I have looked at the wicks steel that is $.50 foot. It all has a C on the end of the part number, which designates it as being of chinese manufacture. Have you ever worked with it or handled it? Would be interesting to hear opinions of someone that has worked with it or seen it. I remember hearing a number of years ago some less then flattering opinions on it. 

This was a fairly old thread.  But it shows why the forums are so much better than facebook.  An old thread with it's information can be pulled up real easily with a quick search.  As I understand it, those lugs get cut off with no problem.  I had the one of the old style starters on my new Kitfox build and the motor mount is further forward, so I didn't have a issue when I used the old type starter.  Here are pictures of my firewall on the rebuilt Kitfox.  In the one with the engine mounted, you can see the starter and how it fits with the depression in the firewall.  Especially if you zoom in on the picture.  After I was done, I thought that I may have been able to hammer out the depression on the firewall, and not add a second piece.  It would have been nicer if it worked, but stood a chance of ruining the whole firewall if it didn't.  JImChuk

Wicks has some  for way less.  Thicker wall though.  Look at the 3/8" and 7/16".  $.50 a foot for some of it.  JImChuk

4130 Chromoly Round Tubing (wicksaircraft.com)

I thought the same thing Leni.  If he got knocked out with the prop blade, that would have been all she wrote.  But at the same time, the blade doesn't look like it hit anything very solid either.  Guess they will sort it out.  I don't think there is much worry with the NR props and 912 Rotaxes at least.  I flew behind mine today and all was good.  JImChuk

Just for fun I was thinking I'd take a scan to an embroidery shop and seeing what they would need to do a few. If I remember John had a few left and Steve Winder had gotten them from him. Don't know what happened from there with the remainder or ever where Steve is now...

The 4130 tubing is the one that gets me going. 3/8 inch .035 wall... like seriously?Last I looked it was pushing $10/foot..

damn, seems like an 0320 on a KF is kinda heavy for it.  Shedding a blade inflight could have knocked him out if there was plexiglass and cockpit contents 1/2 mile from the wreckage.  

Kinda like WAY too many cubs, the pilot could have survived the crash, but the fire afterwards gets them.  This one looks and sounds like a single point landing on the nose.

Sad to say the least.