tx_swordguy

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About tx_swordguy

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  • Location Gainesville TX

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tx_swordguy's Activity

  1. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic Looking for Transponder advice   

    ADS-B out will be required anywhere a transponder is required now as well as a few places yet to be determined. the mode C veil around many class B airspaces (18 I believe) will require ads b out from surface up. Mode C is listed on sectionals. You will be able to fly UNDER charlie and any Bravo that does not have a mode c veil.Outsidew of this you will be ok without a transponder or ads b
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  2. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic Shock Cord /Bungee cord   

    type in 06-12400  in the search box of aircraft spruce and it should come up with the mil spec 3/8" bungee I bought last summer for mine. I just tried and it still comes up but you might double check. I didn't swag mine but used the wire tying method. If you seach the site it will come up.
    Mark
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  3. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic Cracked Case   

    can't say the welding would not have held if done properly, but I know on cast iron it has to be heated to a dull cherry red before and after welding and cooled slowly. I have had tractor cases brazed and held up ok but the cracks were not so close to the cylinder. The expansion and contraction is what will either crack the weld or pull the weld away from the base metal. If it is uniformly heated it will be more like the original base metal. This is with cast iron. Not sure about aluminum but seems it would be somewhat similar but would think a drilled stop hole on either end would be needed . Glad you got your new cases and will be up in the air soon
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  4. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic avid cooling   

    Ya Jim I have foam surrounding the rads and at least on the ground doesn't appear to have any sealing issues. Temps above 85-90 OAT will push water temp to about 175-177 in cruise with two people. Solo it drop to about 170-173. The exhaust pipe takes up much of the exit opening and I wonder if more opening would allow more flow through the rads. That is the reason behind looking at the louvers.   http://www.taildraggerrc.com/cooling-vent-louvers/ . These are the louvers I am talking about
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  5. tx_swordguy added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    avid cooling
    Guys I have asked about cooling in the past on my avid B. I have the mk 4 cheek rad set up with a 582 and during the  heat of texas summer Aug/Sept. I am having to watch my temps pretty hard especially with 2 on board. I bought a belly rad from TJ but have not put it on. I was looking at plumbing etc and thought that for 2 months out of the year maybe its not worth it. I do like the look without the belly rad. I cam across a post in another plane site unrelated to avids and found these giant rc aluminum louvers. The site was using these to increase exit volume for an aircooled vw engine and supposedly worked. I was wondering about putting one on each side of the cowl or under the cowl infront of the exit lip. With the opening each louver would give an additional 16+/- inches of exit volume that may draw more air through the radiators. What are opinions on this?. Originally I was trying to plumb both the cheek and belly rad and was running into issues trying to plumb them both. If I do the belly rad after all I just wonder how it will look with two big empty holes up front in the cowl without the cheek rads.
    Mark
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  6. tx_swordguy added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    sloshing-again
    Ok I have decided to try the caswell stuff on a 15 gallon FG tank in the wing of my avid. My questions, I figure there are baffles in the tank is there any special way to get the epoxy around the baffles to the end of the tank? I bought a qt which is supposed to do up to 20 gallons should I get more to make sure there is enough being moved around? It has been in the 50-60 degree range will that be a problem in setting up? I do have a kerosene heater that I could aim at the wing as I turn it . What about doing two full coats? The leak was showing up at the pivot pin area for the wing so I am thinking it is in the trailing edge area of the tank, 
    THanks guys would have been better if it happened during warmer weather I guess just wondering if it is doable now.
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  7. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic wing tank replacement   

    you guys are right about the $. I looked into Caswell $79 for a qt which is enough to do 20 gallon tank. I guess I can build a wing rotisery and give it a try. Any ideas about the acetone wash? finding different opinions. AV gas vs acetone prior to treatment. 
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  8. tx_swordguy added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    wing tank replacement
    Well it finally happened. I had my avid for just over a yr and now the right wing tank is leaking. I am thinking it would be better to go ahead and replace rather than slosh and hope for the best. My question is the tank is a 15ish gallon tank with the 1/4 turn metal cap with the goose neck vent on the top. The left tank is not leaking and for the time being I am not going to replace it. I am leaning toward the kitfox tanks at 450 a tank. Reason being is it will resemble the left side more than a poly replacement would. I am thinking I might sell the avid in the spring and don't want to pass a problem on to someone but I want it to look close to the original tank. The avid is a B model with upgraded heavy hauler wings. The spars etc have been beefed up to up the MTOW to 1150. The Kitfox site has tanks for the 1-3 but asked for a wing twist. my heavy hauler wings apear to be uncambered but I have no idea what twist I need to tell them. I am assuming that the 1-3 model tank would be what I need but they also have a model 4 tank. I was hoping to just remove the top fabric but with the kitfox replacement I think it will require top and bottom fabric to be stripped???? If you think poly tanks would be a better option I will listen, although I am hearing problems with the gas caps and vent tubes not holding up.  I don't know whether two different gas caps/tanks would keep me from selling it or not but that is a concern. Currently I have one (leaking 15 gallong) and one 7 gallon that has a storage compartment along side it that is not leaking. Resale will be a factor in my tank decision so help me out guys.
    Thanks Mark
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  9. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic VG's for AVID Flyer   

    Good to know I will start practicing that.
    Thanks Mark
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  10. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic VG's for AVID Flyer   

    Ok Ak, I re-read your post. Obviously you can't give advice on landing in a strip you have never seen and I understand that. My strip of land is 1093' with 20' power lines on the 1093' line and a barbed wire fence on the other.It is fairly open farm land with a big power line size tree on the NE end of runway and trees  about midfield to the south end on the East side of the runway (plays with the sink rate moving between the open area to the treed area when any easterly wind is there.) Essentially 800+ usable runway coming in from the north or taking off toward the north. I have practiced the slow flight you speak of but not sinking in a nose high attitude the way the STOL guys do it in OSH or Valdez. I come in rather flat with a little bit of power about 15' over the power lines shooting for 60 to account for any drop in wind gusts. As I come over the power lines I chop power and I kick hard right and drop the left wing. I flare and straighten at about 5-10' and add a burst of power to stop decent and cushion the sink. From power lines to touch down eats up 200-300 feet leaving me 700+ of very slight down hill to brake and stop. I can see coming in at 45 nose high would reduce my role out some but not sure I would be able to judge coming down over the power lines in that attitude to be able to get it down and stopped like that.  My thinking is that would be better suited for coming across a river bed clear of obsticles and holding a lot of power to get you to touch down on a stream bed. How do others land short coming in over obsticles? Always looking for new ways of doing things and I would definately go back to the airport and try in the open first.
    Mark
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  11. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic VG's for AVID Flyer   

    Thats good advice Ak. I trailered and practiced for months on the grass strip next tp the paved runway at the airport and measured out 1000' out of the 3000 available . I didn't even try my own strip until I was landing within that 1000' each and every time. My strip has trees down half of the east side so any kind of easterly wind will play a little with my sink rate when I drop below 20'. I have had times where I have a NE wind of 12 or so and come in as pretty as you please then out of nowhere you sink like a rock only 15' off the ground due to the lost wind. It is  great training and I get more comfortable each time. It took me a while to realize exactly where to plant my landings on 36 because there is a very slight dip over a 100' area that doesn't look like much but when you hit it at touch down and then hit the slight rise on the other side you get bounced enough to eat up alot of run way. Now I fly past the dip and can stop within 400' all day every day pretty much. The hairier side is 18 because I have to slip over power lines. The more experience you gain from every circumstance the better pilot you will become. You can read all day long but until you go out and do it over and over you just won't commit it to muscle memory. 
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  12. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic VG's for AVID Flyer   

    Sounds like my strip. Coming in to the south I have to slip hard over 20' power lines to land on 1000'. I give it a burst of throttle as I square up and flare just to cushion it about 5-10' off the ground and hit the brakes when I get down. Some times it cushions better than others lol. Some times I tail hook a little and sometimes I bounce enough to need a go around. It is a very slight down hill that direction with a barbed wire fence at the end. Its kind of hairy but I am learning each and every time I get in and out. Some day maybe all the learning will corispond with the environmental factors at the same time for more than an occasional greaser landing lol
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  13. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic 582 blue head radiator hose routing   

    I am starting to lean that way TJay. I was originally going to run both for a good cool climb but am now second guessing that. Just wondering since they two cheeks are about the same coverage as the belly if the belly will be enough by itself. I was actually thinking I may put a thermostat in the bypass line and splice into that with the belly rad. I would have thermostats on both sides of the engine even if one failed the other would allow coolant to flow through a rad instead of just circulating like it would now.
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  14. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic 582 blue head radiator hose routing   

    Ok tested the sending unit and it is spot on 211 degrees at boiling at 700' 71 degrees F. In fact the calibration thermometer I got for my fabric iron was 20 degrees low lol. Leads me back to where I started. The cheek rads have 135 cubic inches of core (6"x7.5"x1.5"x2 rads), The belly rad I got from TJay has 126 cubic inches of core (4"x18"x1.75") It would seem soley by virtue of that, the cheek rads should be better at cooling than the belly rad. I have been reading that people having problems usually do away with the cheek rads in favor of the belly rad which seems to be adequate. Therefore I can only think the only difference is the amount of air passing through the rads. If that is the case would adding a six inch electric fan behind each cheek rad to pull the air be enough to drop it a few degrees? I know it would help at idle on the ground but don't know about in the air. I know it is thinking outside of the box and would add a pound or two up front but it would keep the current look (which I like) and keep from having to replumb and hang a belly rad. If people think the belly rad by itself would be adequate I guess I could replumb and remove the cheek rads . I think I would put some sort of cover,block etc inside of the current cowling rad openings though. Just concerned with doing all that and end up back in the same predicament because of the smaller cubic inches of core. also don't know if the fans would tax the electrical too much.
    Mark
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  15. tx_swordguy added a post in a topic 582 blue head radiator hose routing   

    I will try to get a reading on my sending unit although not sure how I will do that. Would a jumper wire from the sending unit wire (female spade) be acceptable or would that change the reading due to electrical losses? I thought I would use a jumper  from the EIS to the sender and wrap a ground wire jumper around the sender. Then drop it in a pot of water heated next to the plane and use a candy thermometer to help check accuracy. If there is a better way I am open to suggestions. I know two rads would add some weight which I am not exactly fond of but if I took the cheek rads out I am guessing it would be better for me to close in the holes where the cheek rads used to be. Don't know if it would hurt or not having two big holes where the rads used to be.
    Mark
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