Leading Edge

[RDavidson 183]

Guys,

I've been reading the different posts about using the Kitfox Plastic Leading Edge on the Avid wings. I understand that the gains are minimal. I also understand that it is designed for wings without undercamber.

I want to use the leading edge because it hides the fuel tank wrap and the wing strut mount rivets, and I think it makes it look like a real wing.

Here is what I would like to know from you...

Is Kitfox the only place to buy them?

Has anyone used it with an undercambered wing, and are there any issues?

How did you fair the leading edge into the wingtip?

Is it not worth the money, time, and weight in your opinion?

I read that Brett at Airdale could sell them to me, but he gets them from Kitfox anyway. I haven't been able to make contact with him, so I called Kitfox and they are in Florida for an show until the 29th...aaarrrggg! So it looks like I have some time to think about it!

Please let me know what you think...

Thanks,

Ron

[akflyer 1427]

Guys,

I've been reading the different posts about using the Kitfox Plastic Leading Edge on the Avid wings. I understand that the gains are minimal. I also understand that it is designed for wings without undercamber.

I want to use the leading edge because it hides the fuel tank wrap and the wing strut mount rivets, and I think it makes it look like a real wing.

Here is what I would like to know from you...

Is Kitfox the only place to buy them?

Has anyone used it with an undercambered wing, and are there any issues?

How did you fair the leading edge into the wingtip?

Is it not worth the money, time, and weight in your opinion?

I read that Brett at Airdale could sell them to me, but he gets them from Kitfox anyway. I haven't been able to make contact with him, so I called Kitfox and they are in Florida for an show until the 29th...aaarrrggg! So it looks like I have some time to think about it!

Please let me know what you think...

Thanks,

Ron

I know that akflyerbob has them in his undercambered wing. If nothing else, they give you a little protection from those pesky branches that would normally be smacking into the aluminum spar. I think they are worth it for leading edge protection if nothing else.

[EDMO 1078]

I know that akflyerbob has them in his undercambered wing. If nothing else, they give you a little protection from those pesky branches that would normally be smacking into the aluminum spar. I think they are worth it for leading edge protection if nothing else.

:BC:/>/>/>/>

I had them on my KF2 wings - dont see much difference except you wont dent them if you bump something with the leading edge - I just pulled a set off of my project to extend the LE 4 inches for the Soob engine and nose gear weights added, and wont need them with the 1 1/4 new LE tube. They come in about a foot of extra length, and you can extend them onto and blend the ends with 9460 for the tips, or just blend them without adding them to the tips - your call on this. If you have removeable tips, just put a split line at the end of wing, or blend there.

They really smooth up the LE. Dont know what they cost now - but were worth the price when I bought mine, IMO.

ED in MO

Edited 20 Jan 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[1avidflyer 1983]

I have a drawing that shows a way to make a leading edge extention I will post here. It was drawn by Lee Dubay, who worked with Avid early on as a dealer. He did come up with a few nice ideas relating to the Avids. Take care, Jim Chuk

I had them on my KF2 wings - dont see much difference except you wont dent them if you bump something with the leading edge - I just pulled a set off of my project to extend the LE 4 inches for the Soob engine and nose gear weights added, and wont need them with the 1 1/4 new LE tube. They come in about a foot of extra length, and you can extend them onto and blend the ends with 9460 for the tips, or just blend them without adding them to the tips - your call on this. If you have removeable tips, just put a split line at the end of wing, or blend there.

They really smooth up the LE. Dont know what they cost now - but were worth the price when I bought mine, IMO.

ED in MO

[SuberAvid 617]

I have a drawing that shows a way to make a leading edge extention I will post here. It was drawn by Lee Dubay, who worked with Avid early on as a dealer. He did come up with a few nice ideas relating to the Avids. Take care, Jim Chuk

Thanks for posting that Jim.

[akflyer 1427]

I have a drawing that shows a way to make a leading edge extention I will post here. It was drawn by Lee Dubay, who worked with Avid early on as a dealer. He did come up with a few nice ideas relating to the Avids. Take care, Jim Chuk

Jim,

This is how my plane was done. It seems to work well and it was taken a whack from a few branches and survived!

[1avidflyer 1983]

I am going to be rebuilding my first MK IV soon (hopefully) and I'm thinking I will add this extention also. I already have the aluminum on the top of the wing where the false ribs are, so the aluminum wont have to be as wide as this drawing shows. Being as how most Avids are nose heavy, and I'll have a Jabiru on the nose, I think it will help the CG just a bit as well. It does add a bit of wing area too (about 3 square feet) and I think that can't hurt either. An idea I'm kicking around would be to build the leading edge with foam that is glued to the front spar and then sanded to the profile you want. Once it's shaped then lay fiberglass over the foam to give it some extra strength. If regular building foam is used, the resin in the fiberglass will have to be a kind that wont disolve the foam. Also it would need to be sealed from covering chemicals that would disolve the foam also. Take care, Jim Chuk

Jim,

This is how my plane was done. It seems to work well and it was taken a whack from a few branches and survived! :lol:/>

:BC:/>

[akflyer 1427]

I am going to be rebuilding my first MK IV soon (hopefully) and I'm thinking I will add this extention also. I already have the aluminum on the top of the wing where the false ribs are, so the aluminum wont have to be as wide as this drawing shows. Being as how most Avids are nose heavy, and I'll have a Jabiru on the nose, I think it will help the CG just a bit as well. It does add a bit of wing area too (about 3 square feet) and I think that can't hurt either. An idea I'm kicking around would be to build the leading edge with foam that is glued to the front spar and then sanded to the profile you want. Once it's shaped then lay fiberglass over the foam to give it some extra strength. If regular building foam is used, the resin in the fiberglass will have to be a kind that wont disolve the foam. Also it would need to be sealed from covering chemicals that would disolve the foam also. Take care, Jim Chuk

You could shape the foam, put on a layer of 1/64th" aircraft ply (we use it for skinning wings on model aircraft) then glass over that. The foam could dissolve and go away for all you really care after the ply and glass, although, the foam would give it some extra crush protection.

[EDMO 1078]

I have a drawing that shows a way to make a leading edge extention I will post here. It was drawn by Lee Dubay, who worked with Avid early on as a dealer. He did come up with a few nice ideas relating to the Avids. Take care, Jim Chuk

Jim,

The only problem I see with this drawing is the rivets on the very center of the bottom of the spar - There were warnings about not putting any holes/rivets in the top center and bottom center of round spars because this is where the most stress/strength/resistance to bending is. And, on the spars with the web in the center, Kitfox says NEVER drill into the web.

Offsetting the rivets from center would be better structurally, IMO.

How about wrapping the LE skin farther underneath and riveting/gluing it to the capstrips?

ED in MO

Edited 22 Jan 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[1avidflyer 1983]

I'm always reluctant to drill holes in structural parts as well. I can't argue with your point about weaking the spar when the holes are drilled in the bottom. Weather it's enough to hurt, I don't know, but it's another reason I'm liking the idea of a foam block glued on the front of the spar and then shaped to the correct contour. If a guy wanted to, I'm sure one could set up a jig and hotwire pieces of foam to the exact shape you want, maybe 2' long pieces or something like that. More I think about this, the better I like it. I know there is fiberglass resin that wouldn't melt the foam also. T C Jim Chuk

Jim,

The only problem I see with this drawing is the rivets on the very center of the bottom of the spar - There were warnings about not putting any holes/rivets in the top center and bottom center of round spars because this is where the most stress/strength/resistance to bending is. And, on the spars with the web in the center, Kitfox says NEVER drill into the web.

Offsetting the rivets from center would be better structurally, IMO.

How about wrapping the LE skin farther underneath and riveting/gluing it to the capstrips?

ED in MO

[EDMO 1078]

I'm always reluctant to drill holes in structural parts as well. I can't argue with your point about weaking the spar when the holes are drilled in the bottom. Weather it's enough to hurt, I don't know, but it's another reason I'm liking the idea of a foam block glued on the front of the spar and then shaped to the correct contour. If a guy wanted to, I'm sure one could set up a jig and hotwire pieces of foam to the exact shape you want, maybe 2' long pieces or something like that. More I think about this, the better I like it. I know there is fiberglass resin that wouldn't melt the foam also. T C Jim Chuk

I built mine a lot stronger because I extended 4 inches instead of the normal 2 inches. You can find my photos in the earlier post I made - I used 9460 to solidly glue a bunch of plywood nose ribs to the old ribs and false ribs, using these to hold a 1 1/4 inch diameter aluminum tube for the new LE, and covering with 1mm plywood, 12 inches on top and 6 inches on bottom. I figure I added 10 or 12 lbs total and gained 8 or 9 square feet of area.

Your foam and fg wont add near that much weight.

ED in MO

Edited 23 Jan 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[RDavidson 183]

Guys,

I've been reading the different posts about using the Kitfox Plastic Leading Edge on the Avid wings. I understand that the gains are minimal. I also understand that it is designed for wings without undercamber.

I want to use the leading edge because it hides the fuel tank wrap and the wing strut mount rivets, and I think it makes it look like a real wing.

Here is what I would like to know from you...

Is Kitfox the only place to buy them?

Has anyone used it with an undercambered wing, and are there any issues?

How did you fair the leading edge into the wingtip?

Is it not worth the money, time, and weight in your opinion?

I read that Brett at Airdale could sell them to me, but he gets them from Kitfox anyway. I haven't been able to make contact with him, so I called Kitfox and they are in Florida for an show until the 29th...aaarrrggg! So it looks like I have some time to think about it!

Please let me know what you think...

Thanks,

Ron

Alright! The Kitfox folks are back from Florida!

I called this morning and ordered 28' of plastic leading edge material. They sell it in 14' lengths, but they said freight shipping is really expensive, so they can cut them into 7' lengths and ship them UPS. The cost for 4 x 7' plastic leading edge pieces is right at $113 with shipping. That is what they billed my credit card. I'll let you know if it changes.

Hopefully I'll get them by this weekend!

I am planning on using Hysol 9460, but I have Scotch Weld 2216 as well.

Which do you guys like using best?

Thanks for the help,

Ron

Edited 29 Jan 2013 by Ron

[RDavidson 183]

Alright! The Kitfox folks are back from Florida!

I called this morning and ordered 28' of plastic leading edge material. They sell it in 14' lengths, but they said freight shipping is really expensive, so they can cut them into 7' lengths and ship them UPS. The cost for 4 x 7' plastic leading edge pieces is right at $113 with shipping. That is what they billed my credit card. I'll let you know if it changes.

Hopefully I'll get them by this weekend!

I am planning on using Hysol 9460, but I have Scotch Weld 2216 as well.

Which do you guys like using best?

Thanks for the help,

Ron

Well, I've attached the plastic leading edge to one of the wings, and I really like it!

I stole an idea from a friend named Ivan that is building a Magnum too, and I feathered the wingtip end of the leading edge plastic and then used filler to smooth it out.

I used Hysol to glue it. Can't wait to see how it looks covered!