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Another FNG... Los Angeles Avid B

12 posts in this topic

Posted

Greetings form Los Angeles, KWHP Whiteman Airport.

 

I just purchased the salvaged airframe of Avid S/N 234, that belonged to "Lil John" from Corona.  The aircraft had been damaged at a fly-in out in Nevada recently.

 

It is my understanding that this is the highest time avid or Kitfox in existence... John put over 4200 hours on it!

 

My plan is to repair the (minor) airframe damage, install a Franklin 2A-120 4 stroke engine on it, and get it back in the air ASAP. I have already located a replacement set of landing gear for it. A friend of mine owns an auto body shop, and has the hydraulic machinery to gently straighten the (slight) twist in the fuselage structure.

 

I am interested in any and all opinions on what the commonly accepted "recommended upgrades" are for an Avid B model... I have zero experience with this type of aircraft. Jim Chuk was kind enough to speak with me at length and gave me some good advice and information. I'd like to hear from the members of this forum on any other important upgradea, known maintenance issues, etc. Essentially I want to get "up to speed" as fast as I can. I'm not going to waste any time getting this airplane back in the air.

 

I am specifically interested in hearing from anyone who has experience with the 2 cylinder Franklin engine on this type of aircraft. Engine mounting options, baffling, exhaust, etc.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Bill in Los Angeles

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Posted

How heavy will the complete Franklin installed weigh be in comparison to the Jabiru that powered that airplane.

That airplane previously was powered by a 582 with a E gearbox which places the starter on the gearbox.

I have flown a model 2 Kitfox for 19 years with both a Rotax 582 and a Jabiru 2200.

The added 20 pounds of the Jabiru over the 582 needed to be balanced with weight in the tail to maintain the flight characteristics of my Kitfox even though the C of G was in the envelope

The Avid my not be as weight and balance sensitive as my Kitfox.

Kitfox's and possibly Avids fly best with the CG near the rear of the envelope.

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Posted

My understanding is that the Franklin weighs 128 to 133 pounds depending on options, starter, etc. For safety, I am definitely planning on doing an actual weight and balance on the finished airplane, rather than trying to extrapolate and compute the change on paper.

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Posted

Welcome to the group Bill,  hope I was of some help in our discussion.   I forgot about it in our phone call the other night, but I did talk to a guy once who had a Kitfox 2 with a 65 HP Lycoming engine on it.  He said it performed good.  Never heard of anyone else doing it though.  Jim Chuk

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Posted

howdy Bill welcome aboard.

 

I am pretty sure I still have a good stock left hand gear leg.  I should have a set of the wide bungee gear available soon.  I have a mount for a 582, but I don't think it will do you much goof for the frankenstien, but we could work something out on it if you really want it.  I had to straighten a lot of tubes on mine.  A chunk of oak with the face routered out to the same diameter of the tube I was working and a 3 pound hammer work wonders to straighten tubes.

 

I am pretty sure that John did most of the upgrades to the plane that could be done from what he has said.....

 

hmm, I have Avid parts, you have ezflap handles, I have a 180 I want to get in the air soon... how you feel about horse trades :lol:

 

:BC:

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Posted (edited)

AKFlyer... tell me about the wide bungee gear. Which models, why are you not keeping it, what did it do or not do for your airplane, etc.

 

Horse trades are definitely possible :)

Edited by EZFlap

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Posted

I am going to try out the "bush gear" with a few mods to dump the springs and use bungee instead and change the cabane vee angle so it wont crater the fuse sides.  The wide gear makes it an entirely different plane on the ground and it will fit any of the avids.  The wider track is much better on the ground and it is taller to give you more AOA so you can get off the ground quicker.. I still land 90% of the time dragging the tail wheel in first and chopping the throttle with the mains still a foot or so in the air.  Not that you have to do that, I just do it hanging on the prop for shortest landing distances. 

 

The "new to me" bush gear should be delivered in the next few days, and I will know in the next few weeks if I am going to be putting the other wide gear on the market.

 

:BC:

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Posted

Welcome Bill! I haven't been on BCP in a few days so not sure if you PMed me back but sounds like you are on the right track. John flew that airplane 2600 hrs with a 582. Would sure be a lot easier of an install. Your CG is going to be the biggest issue with the Franklin. Move your battery and ELT to the tail and that will help minimize the lead in the tail. Even my airplane with a 582 sits on the forward end of the range. Good luck with the rebuild. Take some time to look thru the files and forms area. You will find builders manuals, checklists, condition inspection checklists, differences between models, etc.

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Posted

I am liking the new gear I have, so if your interested, I can let the wide gear that I have go on down the road....

 

:BC:

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Posted

Leni,

Any pictures of what you did to your bird and the gear?

Jack

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Posted

Jack, take a look at the thread I just posted on the model C section.

 

:BC:

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Posted

Got it, thanks.

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