Interesting Kitfox sales brochure

[1avidflyer 1983]

Hi all,  Last week, I picked up another project, and drug it home.  Needs a wing rebuilt, and engine gone through, plus at least a new prop shaft in the Rotax gearbox.  It is a Kitfox 1 plane.  In the paper work that came with the plane was this interesting sales brochure, looks like a Kitplanes article, and maybe it was just that.  Turns out that the brochure is of the plane I just bought.  Thought it was interesting, and wasn't sure if this was the right place to post it, but here goes.  Enjoy.  Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

I was wondering why you didn't put it in the Kitfox 1 section instead of Avid pics - Joey or Leni can move it if you ask.

Good Post.  I made a print.

EdMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

Well I finally got something accomplished on this project in the last week or so.  Had the engine gone through, got a different gearbox for it and hauled a wing home from my snowbird trip to Gulf Shores Al.  The wing was actually up in New York, guess you could say we took the long way home.  Wife's brother and sister live in Ct. so we visited them and grabbed the wing when we went through NY.  Had to do some minor repair on the wing, and got the covering on it today.  Still have finish tapes and such to do, but it looked like progress was made when I came into the house this evening.  Don't remember if I ever posted pics of the wing on the roof of the car, so that's the first ones.  Enjoy (or laugh)  ;-)  Jim Chuk

[TJay 1041]

Well I finally got something accomplished on this project in the last week or so.  Had the engine gone through, got a different gearbox for it and hauled a wing home from my snowbird trip to Gulf Shores Al.  The wing was actually up in New York, guess you could say we took the long way home.  Wife's brother and sister live in Ct. so we visited them and grabbed the wing when we went through NY.  Had to do some minor repair on the wing, and got the covering on it today.  Still have finish tapes and such to do, but it looked like progress was made when I came into the house this evening.  Don't remember if I ever posted pics of the wing on the roof of the car, so that's the first ones.  Enjoy (or laugh)  ;-)  Jim Chuk

You must have a very easy going wife to cruise around the country like that. ha

[1avidflyer 1983]

Yes, she's a sweetheart!  Jim Chuk

[1avidflyer 1983]

Pink wing, tight as a drum.  Jim Chuk

[1avidflyer 1983]

As long as the list if so quiet I'll post up my progress on this plane.  Finished the tapes on this wing, and wrapped it up in plastic to wait for warmer weather before I spray it.  Tied it to the ceiling in the other side of the garage.  Pulled the plane into the garage to start working on it.  Need to reinstall the engine, and go over everything else on it.  Jim Chuk

[1avidflyer 1983]

Hi guys,  been looking the plane over a bit, and fixing a few things as I go along.  I don't have a build manual for it, although the Avids are built very similar.  I was looking at the controls, and this is what I see.  The first 90 degree bellcrank just downstream of the joysticks has a long bolt with a big stack of washers on it taking up the slack.  The eye bolt coming from the joysticks looks like most of the threads are showing on it.  The control rod downstream from the bellcrank has lots of threads showing on both ends of it as well.  It's almost like the joysticks are mounted to far toward the passenger's side of the plane, although they look about right.,  Anyone have any ideas?   Question for the moderators, should we move this post over to the Kitfox 1 territory?  Thanks,  Jim Chuk 

Edited 1 Apr 2016 by 1avidflyer

[TJay 1041]

Could have the ailron and the elevator push rod switched around, they are only slightly different in length. that would be my guess,

[1avidflyer 1983]

Thanks TJay.  I'll look at that.   Would you be able to scan the page from your manual that shows these parts?  Or even a picture taken from the same angle as mine were?  Thanks,  Jim Chuk

[1avidflyer 1983]

Could have the ailron and the elevator push rod switched around, they are only slightly different in length. that would be my guess,

That wasn't it.  There is about 3-4" difference in their lengths on my plane.  And the joysticks are about a 1/4" off center, but towards the pilot's side.  If centered exactly, this condition would be worse.  Jim Chuk

Edited 1 Apr 2016 by 1avidflyer

[TJay 1041]

Could have the ailron and the elevator push rod switched around, they are only slightly different in length. that would be my guess,

That wasn't it.  There is about 3-4" difference in their lengths on my plane.  And the joysticks are about a 1/4" off center, but towards the pilot's side.  If centered exactly, this condition would be worse.  Jim Chuk

Huh maybe it was the push rod from the flaps then, I know on mine they were with in 1/2 of an inch of being the same length, something goofey is going on there. ed sent a picture of what it needs to look like in this link http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/index.php?/topic/4168-aileron-idler-bellcrank-binding/  an easy fix if you want to eliminate all the washers would be to take and make a new angel iron on the passenger that holds the FCC-16 column, all you would be doing is sliding the sticks over to the left a bit. you would probably need to use a piece of 1/1/2 aluminum Angle cut the top down to 1 inch and drill a hole for the column bolt and leave the the bottom that sits on the floor a full 1/1/2 then drill the 2 holes that go into the floor. Hope that makes sence If not let me know I will make a sample, It would take less that 5 minutes. 

[TJay 1041]

Could have the ailron and the elevator push rod switched around, they are only slightly different in length. that would be my guess,

That wasn't it.  There is about 3-4" difference in their lengths on my plane.  And the joysticks are about a 1/4" off center, but towards the pilot's side.  If centered exactly, this condition would be worse.  Jim Chuk

I took a few pics of mine hope it helps, Keep in mind when I measured the length of the push rod I just hooked on the rear bolt so plus or minus 1/8" At least now you can get it set right when you take all those control parts out and power coat them ha.

 

[1avidflyer 1983]

I think I may have found the difference.  I remember reading in the log book, that the seat truss was replaced with a Kitfox 4 seat truss.  I'm guessing that the attachment brackets for the bellcrank FBK-6 is closer to the left side of the aircraft in a Kitfox 4 compared to a Kitfox 1.  There was a stack of washers above and below the bellcrank on the pivit bolt for that bellcrank as well, so that is different also.  That bolt measures 5 1/4" from inside of the longeron to center of that pivot bolt.  Could you check that dimention TJay?   I have the same 6 1/4" dimention as you have in the picture.  Where you measure 31 3/4" I have 32 1/4".  Thanks,  Jim Chuk

[TJay 1041]

I think I may have found the difference.  I remember reading in the log book, that the seat truss was replaced with a Kitfox 4 seat truss.  I'm guessing that the attachment brackets for the bellcrank FBK-6 is closer to the left side of the aircraft in a Kitfox 4 compared to a Kitfox 1.  There was a stack of washers above and below the bellcrank on the pivit bolt for that bellcrank as well, so that is different also.  That bolt measures 5 1/4" from inside of the longeron to center of that pivot bolt.  Could you check that dimention TJay?   I have the same 6 1/4" dimention as you have in the picture.  Where you measure 31 3/4" I have 32 1/4".  Thanks,  Jim Chuk

There is the issue Just measured mine and mine is 6 1/4

[1avidflyer 1983]

Thanks, TJay.  sometimes one never knows what they will find with these airplanes.  Surprising that they even mentioned replacing the seat truss in the logs.  Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

TJay and Jim,

Jim,  it looks like the 3/16 thread on yours is already bent just a little where it goes into the female rod end, and that is where it usually bends or breaks.

That little 3/16 threaded rod on the short link between the sticks and the front bellcrank has been bent or broken on every Kitfox I have owned - I found a 1/4" threaded set with the 3/16 rod ends to replace my original left one with, although I still have 3/16 threaded rods on the new right side aileron control.  

In case you missed the post of my new modified aileron controls, which didn't stay up very long, check out the post in FOXY FLAPPER FOTOS  in KITFOX 4 section.    EDMO

Edited 2 Apr 2016 by EDMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

Hi Ed,  Where did you find the 1/4" threaded with 3/16" hole heim fittings?  Didn't see them in your Foxy Fotos posts.  Jim Chuk

Edited 2 Apr 2016 by 1avidflyer

[EDMO 1078]

Hi Ed,  Where did you find the 1/4" threaded with 3/16" hole heim fittings?  Didn't see them in your Foxy Fotos posts.  Jim Chuk

Jim,   Those fittings either came from some part of the mixer assembly of an old Kitfox or some fittings I had bought on ebay, or a combination of old fittings.  Sorry to answer like this, but I just cant remember right now.   

The photo of the link and my controls in red paint are just before the great video that Geoffrey posted about using a wallboard lift to put wings on his Merlin.   Thanks Geoffrey.   But I don't have a hanger big enough to hang my wings in, and have to do it in my unlevel back yard,  so I will have to build stands like Jim Chuk showed.    EDMO

Edited 3 Apr 2016 by EDMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

Well I relocated pivot bolt brackets today, seems like things are as they should be now.  Thanks guys for the help.  Jim Chuk

[1avidflyer 1983]

Well the engine ran for the first time in years today.  Rebuilt engine and different gearbox and prop.  Got the wing back into the garage to start painting.  Supposed to be in the mid to high 60s next few days.  Jim Chuk

[1avidflyer 1983]

Weather finally warmed up so I got back to work on the wing.  I ended up not dropping down the plastic I have rolled up on the ceiling for the paint booth, just ran the fan on high under the garage door with the back window in  the garage part way open.  Don't look like anything else got painted besides the wing. :-)  Have to put a 2"yellow strip over the edge of the blue, plus two 1/8" red pinstripes over the yellow, and that will be done.  Turns out the silver color on the plane was just poly spray, so I got a match without having to get some silver poly tone.  I had about 1/2 gallon of the blue left over from another project.  Anyway, I'm happy!  Jim Chuk

[TJay 1041]

I tell ya now that the weather is warming up I really dont even want to look at my kitfox ha.

[1avidflyer 1983]

Bit more progress, almost ready to hang the wing.  Need another roll of pinstriping tape to finish the bottom.  I do have a bit of a problem though.  When I pealed off the blue masking tape, it left a bunch of tape residue.  Any suggestions on how to get rid of it?  I've tried alcohol (maybe I should rephrase that) denatured alcohol, paint thinner, and oops cleaner which is supposed to get most things off without hurting what's underneath.   I read today on the roll of tape that it says don't use with lacquer, I did use lacquer thinner with the poly fiber products instead of their thinner.  It was about the same price for 5 gallons of the lacquer thinner as one gallon of the poly thinner.  I saved some money, but this paint residue kindof bit me though.  I'm afraid to use the lacquer thinner on the tape and then start removing the paint.  It's way worse on the gray, but that tape was on a day longer than the blue side of the yellow stripe.  I had laid the gray on fairly heavy, and taped it the next day, maybe this would not have been as much a  problem if it had more time to cure out??? Jim Chuk

PS  ended up using 3M general purpose adhesive cleaner # 08984.  Took a bit of elbow grease, but it worked.  What I should have used for tape is the 3M green masking tape.  And don't leave it on any longer than you need to.  

Edited 29 Apr 2018 by 1avidflyer

[Av8r3400 1179]

Very nice...