akflyer

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Everything posted by akflyer

  1. akflyer added a post in a topic Rotax Aircraft Forum   



    shiiiiiit  You come up here and we can take ya flying.  Show you stuff that would scare the hell outa a normal man


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  2. akflyer added a post in a topic Rotax Aircraft Forum   

    seems that there will be a flurry of activity then posts die off for awhile then it will come back.  I would like to think it is because everyone is out enjoying the weather and flying the planes instead of the keyboards.


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  3. akflyer added a post in a topic Rotax Aircraft Forum   

    naw, been out camping for the weekend.  now at the gate waiting on flight back to work...This site is still up and running the other one is not
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  4. akflyer added a post in a topic Request pic of compression spring set up   

    yeppers, mine are the same way.  Extended 1" but should have gone 1.5 or 2".  Same clevises etc.  You can hook them up without the clevises, but have a buddy help and a couple beers to help dull the pain of the skinned knuckles.....
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  5. akflyer added a post in a topic Announcement   

       

    Sweet!  you have it in your possesion yet. 
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  6. akflyer added a post in a topic Weighing question   

    Yeppers, level the fuse so the bottom of the door sill is level.  As was stated above, measure the thickmness of the scale and make sure all weights are taken with fuse level both ways.
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  7. akflyer added a post in a topic Wheel alignment   

    I cheated on mine.  I just knocked the 2 barrels off the gear, lined them up and welded em back on.  Did not take as long doinking with the axles and cheater bars etc.
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  8. akflyer added a post in a topic Avid rebuild   

    3 or 4 threads should be all you really need.  5 or 6 and your golden
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  9. akflyer added a post in a topic What's it worth??   

    20-25 would be my guess.  But you may have to be patient for it to sell.


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  10. akflyer added a post in a topic Request pic of compression spring set up   

    If no one gets you a pic tonight I will run over to the airport in the morning and get you a couple.  You should have a couple clips that go on the chain and spring.  You can cut the sring with any ole side cutters.


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  11. akflyer added a post in a topic F7A   

    I set mine at 20.  With the new mixer, I dont think control reversal will be as much of an issue ( I use full flaps and it has not shown up here), however, I would not use full flpas on landing unless the wind is pretty mush straight down the runway.  The roll rate is affected my this much flaps.  I would set them for all you can get then go to altitude and see how she feels.  On gusty winds or cross winds, I dont use too much flap.


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  12. akflyer added a post in a topic 'Nother new Member   

    Hey I think I remember Jack (not Jackak) calling you something that refered to a cat.. and perhaps something refering to a steaming pile left by a barn yard bird.  There were a few other choise phrases that I wont put into writing.. no need to embarass ya
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  13. akflyer added a post in a topic 'Nother new Member   

    if you are gonna push it, dont frig around.  fire wall it and she will be in the air QUICK.  trying to make a nice long pretty take off run wil probably put you into the pickers oof the side of the runway.  Get some air under.  Dont try to take a turn around the pattern and put her back down.  Get plenty of altitude and figure the plane out.  Do some steep turns, slow flight, dutch rolls (will really help you one the final approach) and fly it around SLOW.  pic and altitude and practice landing it AT that altitude.  unless you are one hell of an aviator, this plane will make you feel like a goober the first few flights.  The KF Mod IV has the flaperon mod so it does not exhibit the adverse yaw that your plane will!  I have shit loads of TD time doing some hard core off airport work.  My first flights in my brothers KF II KICKED MY ASS.  I felt like I had NO flight time and was learning all over again.  The biggest thing that got me was flairing ON THE DECK.  I was doing the classic land it at 5' and dropping it in.  In fact after 3 approaches and landing he made me do a full stop and let him out.  He didnt care if I bent his bird he just did not want to be with me when I did it < very true story!  After shooting a few more I started getting the hang of it and the last few that day were pretty acceptable.

    Once you get the feel it is a very easy plane to fly, and you will think it is the funnest plane one could ever fly, but there is a learning curve before you get to that point!

     < safety and health over ego brew
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  14. akflyer added a post in a topic Tailwheel Endorsement   

    congrats on getting back in the "saddle".  I checked out your site.. I LOVE the house.  One day I will have one on a lake with the plane out front.  Until then I will just drool over yours.  Was that a log package from a kit manufacture, or did you design it yourself?


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  15. akflyer added a post in a topic 'Nother new Member   

    ... shit, where to start... The avid is not going to feel ANYTHING like the vagabond.  The avid is very light, quick on the controls, and will MAKE you use your feet to keep the ball centered.  It is a VERY high drag airframe.  EVERYONE I have flown with trys to flair too high and drops it in.  This plane you fly to the ground, and start the flare about 5' off.  It will bleed speed VERY fast in the flare and have you on the ground.  You are looking for a landing, not an arrival.  How many hrs in the vagabond?  I dont want to discourage you, but I damn sure dont want to encourage you to go out and wrap the plane up.  If you do, I hope you can limp away from it   There has to be someone around the area that has an avid or kitfox who will take you up and give your a few hrs of dual to get you dialed in.


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  16. akflyer added a post in a topic 'Nother new Member   

    YIKES, well.. good luck.  What springs do you have on the tail wheel (pull or compression)  I went to compression springs cause they give better directional control and are only 25.00 from aircraft spruce.  If you come in and 3 point it, there is no transition, you are on the tail wheel right away.  You have good brakes?  a must for good control if she starts to get away from you and I am sure it will...

    How wide is the grass strip you fly from?  How many hours do you have at this point in it?  How many takeoffs / landings?

    <hoping you get her back in one piece chug!
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  17. akflyer added a post in a topic 'Nother new Member   

    so is your issue finding and instructor that will fly with you in your plane or a TW instuctor period?  I know lots of guys in my area that had a hard time finding anyone to instruct them in the Avid or Kitfox, so I ended up "helping" out with getting them familiar with the Avid / Kitfox.  I was going to pursue getting my CFI so I could legaly help guys out but holy crap, tis an expensive ticket for me to swing kow ing that I dont want to instruct full time just a little here and there to help the experimental guys out.

    A quick google search brought up a heck of a list of instructors in the spokane area.  The AOPA instructor search may help you out also.


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  18. akflyer added a post in a topic Avid rebuild   

    when I put mine on, I put the pins in the wing, then tried to get the strut attach bolt in the fuse fitting... buggered up the threads.  the second wing I put the strut attach bolt in first, then slid the wing up and put the pins in.. worked 100000% better!.  I went back, pulled the shitty bolt and did it the same way as #2 wing with a new bolt in it.  Took 4 people to hang the iwng this way, but it was easy after the first one!

    You must be getting pretty damn ansy to get her in the air!  I was stoked when I finaly put the wings on.. I know I stayed up all night and got it all rigged and ready for a flight the next day as there was no sleeping for me at that point!

      < congratulatory chug for getting her this close!
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  19. akflyer added a post in a topic Who has painted an airplane with housepaint?   

    I was not aware that you did not have and Airworthiness on it yet.  Are you going to be able to get pull off getting the repairmans certificate for it?  If it has never been registered, you should be able to pull it off.


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  20. akflyer added a post in a topic Spendy Avid   

      yeah I have been watching this one for seems like the last year.... just like our gas prices, it seems to fluctuate weekly.


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  21. akflyer added a post in a topic Who has painted an airplane with housepaint?   

    time for some "Alaskan" mods.  Duct tape and fly the hell out of it   If you are just looking for a quick fix, you need nothing more than to put silver on it and go fly, it does not need a top coat to play!  At some point later, when you feel like it you can shoot the top coat.  You can pick up a "touch up" gun at most auto parts stores pretty damn cheap, or just use a foam brush to apply the silver.  Tape it off, brush it on and sand to blend.  I did this when I put a drill trough the wing drilling out the rivets on my sky light after a gas leak in the vent tube.


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  22. akflyer added a post in a topic Avid Flyers/Rotax 582's doing Aerobatics?   

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHqxTxyLjys

    This one shows the MK IV speed wing doing rolls and 4 point rolls.

    On another note, I am interested in the performance #s on your "C" HH.

    Looking to compare cruise speed, Cruise RPM, take off distance, stall, fuel burn, rate of climb at XX speed etc.  Do you have any numbers?

    I am going to pull out the tape measure and get some hard data on take off, landing distances etc when I get in on the 9th.
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  23. akflyer added a post in a topic cooling issues   

    Hey Jack,

    I will get some next time home.  As it was, I got home, ran out to the airport, loaded her up, back to the house, worked on it til a little after midnight, then back in the garage at 4 am.  Made it back out to the airport for test flights at 6:45 am.  I did not take any pics along the way

    Thanks again for the radiator!


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  24. akflyer added a post in a topic cooling issues   

    Well I cut out about a 2" strip from the bottom of the cowl and it did absolutely no good.  Thanks to Jackak I installed a belly mount radiator and all cooling issues went away.  I can fly as slow as I want, climb as hard as I want and never go above 160 so I am now "riding" the thermostat just as it should be.  Sure wish I would have done this before I butchered the cowling   Ohwell, live and learn, and a day in the shop with glass work and paint and no one will ever know!


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  25. akflyer added a post in a topic Avid Flyers/Rotax 582's doing Aerobatics?   

    have you done a youtube search?  I cant do one right now as the company geeks have youtube blocked.  I have seen several vids of avids doing rolls and pools etc, but they were the speed wing aerobat versions.  Not sure I would want to roll the stol wing.  Based on experience with RC models, the undercambered wing does not like to be upside down.  The 582 has no issues with positive G manuvers and is used in several aerobatic planes.  You go negative and the bing carbs will shut down the fuel flow to the float bowls and that presents a bit of an issue.  A quick negative manuver would be OK but if sustained for any length of time you are looking at a fuel starvation issue.
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