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INSTALLING HOERNER WING TIPS (HOW?)

11 posts in this topic

Posted

I know that Doug had some photos somewhere of installing these wingtips.

Did you add any reinforcements to the tips? How did you do the trailing edge?

I'm planning on removable with screws & not the hinges.

ED in MO

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Posted

Well Ed, I thought I had saved a .pdf copy of the Kitfox wingtip install instructions but I can't seem to come up with them after a quick look. I do remember referring to the following site, had good pics, perhaps it will help you. LINK

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Posted (edited)

Well Ed, I thought I had saved a .pdf copy of the Kitfox wingtip install instructions but I can't seem to come up with them after a quick look. I do remember referring to the following site, had good pics, perhaps it will help you. LINK

Thanks anyway Doug. That wingtip looks like it is not Hoerner - It looks about 6 inches long in the photos - mine are about 10 inches at front and 15 inches at the trailing edge - will probably reinforce trailing edge with aluminum strip and glue.

I'm using Rivnuts instead of anchor nuts on the attach strip, which will be riveted to the wing after fabric covering. The tips have been cut and are only long enough for the original wing chord, so planning to mount the LED wig-wag lights on front of them and cover with Lexan to match extended leading edge.

I have manuals for KF 1, 4 & 5, none showing Hoerner tip mounting. Dont think my Avid Magnum or Aerobat shows them either.

Maybe Raven?

will post photos in the far future.

ED in MO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

Thanks anyway Doug. That wingtip looks like it is not Hoerner - It looks about 6 inches long in the photos - mine are about 10 inches at front and 15 inches at the trailing edge - will probably reinforce trailing edge with aluminum strip and glue.

I'm using Rivnuts instead of anchor nuts on the attach strip, which will be riveted to the wing after fabric covering. The tips have been cut and are only long enough for the original wing chord, so planning to mount the LED wig-wag lights on front of them and cover with Lexan to match extended leading edge.

I have manuals for KF 1, 4 & 5, none showing Hoerner tip mounting. Dont think my Avid Magnum or Aerobat shows them either.

Maybe Raven?

will post photos in the far future.

ED in MO

Ed- no it's not a Hoerner style wingtip, it is the 'standard' removable wingtip sold by Kitfox. Both are the same length but the width varies, as does the shape of course. I thought you were simply looking for ideas how to attach removable tips. To my thinking, it doesn't really matter what shape or style you have because they all pretty much attach the same along the capstrip using backer strips. How you pick up the trailing edge is dependent on what type of trailing edge material you use and what shape you want, right? If you use the standard trailing edge material from ACS, be sure to shoot some of the low expansion insulating foam into the groove to help stiffen it up.

I like the idea of using rivnuts to secure the backer strip to the capstrip. With a bit of Hysol it should be real secure and a lot quicker than installing nutplates for sure. If the tips you have are too short to reach back to the trailing edge with a 90* degree junction, instead of building up the front as you described, consider holding them forward and angling a short piece of trailing edge to meet it. Best way to explain is to look close at the Magnum wingtips, they are not Hoerner style but rather 'Finch' style tips with the short trailing edge angle piece.

Personally, I like the look and really appreciate that they omit the sharp corner that everyone invariable knocks their head into. I considered making up a custom set of Finch tips to use on my Avid+, using the oem Avid tip as a start. FWIW, the same fixed Avid fiberglass wingtip is used on all B-D (Mk-IV) models regardless of HH or Speed rib. It open on the bottom to accommodate either rib profile and covered with fabric. Very hard to turn that into a full tip that could be attached along the full length of the top/bottom capstrips without a ton of work. Much easier to just start with another tip like the KF tips, which is what I ultimately did. The KF 4-7 tips (standard or Hoerner) will work great with the Avid Speed rib profile, not so much with the Avid HH profile (use KF 1-3 standard or droop tips for those).

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Posted (edited)

Ed-

Best way to explain is to look close at the Magnum wingtips, they are not Hoerner style but rather 'Finch' style tips with the short trailing edge angle piece.

Thanks Doug - mostly wanted to know how you did the trailing edges and if you put any reinforcements inside of tips.

I considered moving them forward, but then would have to make fiberglass extension on back, and I've had my hands in too much of that stuff and try to avoid it. I would also have to cut the front end out to mount the LEDs on the inside, and still bend Lexan for covers. Leaving the tips back and adding lights and lexan on front seems to be the easiest in this case.

Your Magnum book must be different than mine - I know what you mean by the shortened trailing edge, I saw that.

My book shows a triangle-shaped trailing edge sticking out a long ways from the rear of the wing, which is aerodynamically supposed to reduce drag by releasing the vortex farther away from the wing. Other books say that an up angle on these extensions helps too, although I imagine that they would have to be a well-matched pair to prevent one wing from seeming heavy, since they have a lot of leverage out on the tip of the wing .

Cant imagine these long tips when wing-folding unless one goes higher than the other when folded - otherwise looks like they would hit each other.

ED in MO

P,S. This tip looks like it could really poke your eye out if you dont duck....

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted (edited)

Final note on this:  Since I extended the leading edges of my wings about 4", the standard Fox tips are too short - I was lucky enough to find some light weight aftermarket Cessna 210 semi-drooped tips that are long enough to fit my wings.  Should work great. 

7 degrees tapering out from front to rear is supposed to produce less drag.  EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

The KF 4-7 tips (standard or Hoerner) will work great with the Avid Speed rib profile, not so much with the Avid HH profile (use KF 1-3 standard or droop tips for those).

Yeah they take a bit of time consuming work to get fit. But they are an option. You have to cut the front apart glue and glass it back together. I set these flush with the top of the capstrip. And they are not removable because I ran fabric and tape about an inch onto them.

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100_0914.JPG

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Posted

TJay,  Why did you have to cut the front?  If they were too long, which I think they are, couldn't you cut the trailing edge or cut the attaching edge and mount them at an angle?  Looks like you did a good job fitting them to the undercambered wing - Just asking if there was another option.  Good Show,  EDMO

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Posted

TJay,  Why did you have to cut the front?  If they were too long, which I think they are, couldn't you cut the trailing edge or cut the attaching edge and mount them at an angle?  Looks like you did a good job fitting them to the undercambered wing - Just asking if there was another option.  Good Show,  EDMO

that was the only way to get them to fit the under camber

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Posted

Tjay- I think you are the first builder I know to fit them to the Avid under camber wing. Not too late to make them removable! Nice job, came out great. :beerchug:

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Posted

Tjay- I think you are the first builder I know to fit them to the Avid under camber wing. Not too late to make them removable! Nice job, came out great. :beerchug:

TJay was building Kitfox 1 wings, but it would be the same with Avid wings.  EDMO

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