Kitfox 3 Bushplane Project.

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Posted

This is what I did to lighten them up,

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Posted (edited)

Those look awesome Tjay, I'll definitely remove some material. 

Only update is I cut out all my polycarbonate, test for my big 8" tailwheel, and found a kitfox 4-1200 elevator with trim tab locally that I'm picking up tomorrow. Woo hoo

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%5BURL=http://s948.photobucket.com/user/neloner/media/B29FB30A-8322-4A65-A3B3-FEF5EC8C922F_zpspub9lfjz.jpg.html]B29FB30A-8322-4A65-A3B3-FEF5EC8C922F_zps

Edited by Neloner
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Posted

2X more holes!  ;<)  Just kidding TJay, they look great! - can I get an order for 8 footers?  EDMO

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Posted

Just a thought, I would put a small tube in (aluminum glued in) so you can make a trap door/access panel for your tail wheel spring bolt.  The tube will give some thing to wrap the fabric around.  Picture is of my Avid and tubes are slightly different, but you get the idea for the Kitfox.  JImChuk

Photo0179.jpg

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Posted

Why not fab a triangular sheet aluminum cover for that area?  Secure it with small sheet metal screws into the tubes?

 

easy peasy. 

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Posted

An inspection ring and cover just forward of the bolts location works well for me.  You can leave the fabric uncut until you need to get into there if you like.

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Posted

Why not fab a triangular sheet aluminum cover for that area?  Secure it with small sheet metal screws into the tubes?

 

easy peasy. 

That's what I cover the hole with.  Piece of aluminum and a few screws like you said.  I'm sure an inspection cover would work fine, this just gave me real easy access.  And cost me nothing.  JImChuk

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Posted

I did the same thing.

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Posted (edited)

I will be making an access hatch for the tailwheel, although I dont like screwing into fuselage tubes so will probably do it a different way. 

Still waiting on welding so project has not been progressing that much. Spent a little time working on the wings. Reattached ribs with broken hysol bonds after chipping out the old (very carefully), cleaning the spar and applying new. Also got the rib tail braces on and repaired the broken tail.

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Edited by Neloner

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Posted

Still waiting on welding so project has not been progressing that much. Spent a little time working on the wings. Reattached ribs with broken hysol bonds after chipping out the old (very carefully), cleaning the spar and applying new. Also got the rib tail braces on and repaired the broken tail.

You may or may not be aware that you can soften the hysol with a heat gun (carefully).  It makes removal much easier.

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Posted (edited)

^Yes, I have been applying heat for removal. Anyhow hopefully not any more to remove! Test fit the wings yesterday, and reapplied the speed fairings to the lift struts again today. 

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Edited by Neloner
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Posted

Man I wish I could dig in and get stuff done at your pace!

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Posted

Hahaha, honestly wish it was going quicker, missing some beautiful flying weather :(. Good news is welding is supposed to be coming up asap so then big strides can be made. On another note, got a package in today fresh from The Dominican Republic!! Going to uncrate it tomorrow morning and look it over, should be a bit higher performance than my avid with the 582 id imagine :)

56DF5742-CAD7-462D-901E-383343F15F6F_zps

 

 

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Posted (edited)

Quick question, what is this auxiliary gear on the back of the gearbox for? Run a pump or something? Im assuming Ill need a cover plate for it

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Edited by Neloner

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Posted

From what I see in the LEAF catalog, either a vacuum pump or governor can be bolted on there.  JImChuk

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Posted

Supercharger bolts on there.

:flamegun:

:BC:

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Posted (edited)

Supercharger bolts on there.

:flamegun:

:BC:

Yes, I like it!

Haven't been good about updating this thread but progress is being made. Welding started yesterday! DHolly introduced me to a couple buddies of his and we had a great day (in a neat hangar) starting the welding. Got all the gussetts on one side done and the wide body spacers/ carrythrough gussetts. We all concurred that .035 sheet does seem too thin for this intended purpose though so fwiw for anyone in the future, if youre going to invest the time to do this Id go thicker for sure. Anyhow going back today to finish up the fuselage/ engine mount/ rudder pedals and fabricate a new rudder with a longer chord. 

Swapping intake manifolds around and other misc work to prep the engine

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Got the speed fairings back onBF74125E-D950-4911-847A-3388044842E1_zps

Repaired/ remade some intercostals on the horizontal stab/ elevator to give it that speedstery look5D5F1D53-1C05-44B1-AED2-233397750BF0_zps

Welding awayF93575C8-5BD3-475E-BBF1-94EAB9CB2B36_zps

Looking Rooooomy64F9D6A2-6448-49E1-905F-1D4BB61FB5E5_zps

Edited by Neloner
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Posted (edited)

Got the fuselage home, removed and reattached the wooden stringers on the sides, wide body is about 4" wider at the doors and we lengthened the frontmost standoffs about 3.5". Removed the panel, tailwheel, gear, wheels and a bunch of other stuff and brought to the powdercoater yesterday. Today Im hoping to spray the fuselage tubing red and let cure a couple days. New tanks should be here tomorrow. Goal is to have both the wings and fuselage ready to cover by the weekend!

 

heating up the formalite to fill my new rudders trailing edge for bending

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Bent and welded. (Now getting blasted and powdercoated)

There happened to be another kitfox 3 getting recovered there, stock vs. the new one3C90FFA6-B9BD-44E6-9FBF-4BC5ED51CB01_zps

widebody kit

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On the rotisserie!

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Edited by Neloner
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Posted

Some elbow room and more slow speed rudder authority...  top two on my list when I had my KF2. 

Nice job!

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Posted (edited)

^Hope they make a nice difference! 

Spent the day painting. My first time ever using a spray gun, kind of fun!

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Edited by Neloner
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Posted (edited)

With that rudder you may need to add support cables Or do like I did and cut the top of the tail post off and slide a 1/2 .035 tube inside the post, Just a thought, Looks nice,

Edited by TJay

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Posted

Surprised you didn't beef up the seat truss.  Are you going with Grove landing gear?  Looking good though!  JImChuk

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Posted

With the added rudder cord double check your ability to close your wings with the flaperons on.  I got caught with that one.  The original flaperon counterweight position can just clear the original rudder position/cord when closed and couldn't clear with the longer chord (at least one needed to be moved further outboard in my case).

On the wide body kit you may wish to add supports under the lower lip as it will see a load from the fabric tension and any errant contact during getting in and out of the plane.  I added two tubes on each side (pic below). 

 

DSCN3324.JPG

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Posted (edited)

^ Great point about the Flaperon counter weights, I may need to reposition them. Could they go in the center of the wing if the rudder is too long? Also, we thought about adding tubing under the widebody but instead he welded the full way around the joint and then we cut a small piece of 4130 and added it to the outside joint to bridge the gap, effectively making the whole 3 piece widebody one piece, which seems very very strong. Youd really have to be trying if you bent it over. 

 

Anyhow, more progress. New wingtanks showed up, and spent yesterday fitting them into the wings. Used the special caulk (739 I think it was) between them and the spars. The one concern I am having is I used a 2 part fuel proof epoxy putty to attach the fittings into the side of the tank. Anyone used something similar to good effect? Tanks were thoroughly rinsed out with acetone and gas before installation. 

 

***Also want to add, does anyone have a Ray allen Servo for the elevator trim, I have the switch and indicator but need a servo. Actually not sure what one to get either as far as amount of travel?

Cleaned the spars well and applyed the rtv739 silicone adhesive caulk. Also fashioned a stiffener block for the innermost rib out of Balsa and Hysoled it in, hence the large clamp

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Big tank in, also with a balsa block to stiffen the rib

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So have my old tanks for sale if anyone needs them. 13 and 6 gallon for a Model 3. Seem to be in fine shape just not the newer ethanol proof resin. Ill be making a thread soon with these and the prop/ old engine.
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Edited by Neloner

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Posted

Covering Covering Covering Covering. This step is going to take a bit. Got 2 days into it and only have the horizontal stabilizer, half the elevator and one wing covered up, with no tapes yet. Hoping I can get it done in 2 weeks

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