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Posted (edited)

So if I get copies from the FAA and it shows the prop on them will I lose my probable deny-ability, if, and when I get caught? Mike ;-)

If it shows the plane (FAA wording, "Has been flown") with an IFA prop, then the plane is never supposed to be approved for Sport Pilot use no matter what prop is currently on it, but if you have a Private Pilot license, and medical, you can fly it legally - If not, be careful.  If it just shows an IVO prop, then no worries.  The world of Experimentals is more loosely regulated than factory GA planes, so who knows?   As an A&P doing condition inspection I might advise you to label the panel "Ground Adjustable Only" or hide the switch, or get a standard IVO hub - and if you quote me on that, I only said "might"!   Lots of difference between flying from a cow pasture, small uncontrolled airport and TCA major airports.   I was ramp-checked once at a controlled field in my Cessna, and twice at uncontrolled fields in my Ercoupe, and never in my Kitfox.  I think they were just curious about how to fly the Ercoupe?   EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

I know all the rules for LSA criteria.  I've always thought the prop deal was wack.  Guess they were worried a guy was going to take an 80 mph airplane and make it instantly cruise over 138. 

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Posted (edited)

I know all the rules for LSA criteria.  I've always thought the prop deal was wack.  Guess they were worried a guy was going to take an 80 mph airplane and make it instantly cruise over 138. 

I remember my first flight in a 182 Turbo - Dealing with the constant speed prop added more things to do and more stress.   Guess they just want to keep flying simple for Sport Pilots, and no gear-up landings either.  EDMO 

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

Are the rudder pedals suppose to move?;-) I was checking over the rudder system this morning and discovered they would only deflect the rudder a few degrees each way. So I disassembled  the whole works and was surprised to find the rudder torque tubes were seized on their bearings. The right side only took a couple hours to clean and free up but the left side was a real bugger I thought I was going to break something for sure, got lucky and didn't. What are those bearings made of? Can a new set still be purchased? or should I just make some out of teflon? They work good now but I want to revisit them this winter. What kind of material is the blanket that covers the firewall? Can you replace pieces of it or does the whole thing have to be replaced? Mine is pretty ratty and oil soaked so I will have to do something soon, I don't like the Idea ok inflight fires in rag and tube airplanes. Other than that she's coming right along all hose are getting replaced, carbs rebuilt, new plugs and areal good cleaning. Mike

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Posted (edited)

Mike,  On my Kitfoxes the bearings for the rudder tubes were made out of white or gray Nylon - Teflon would probably be OK - The tubes are supposed to pivot on the bearings and not pivot bearings on the bolts.   I don't know what the blanket is, but guess it could be cleaned - all I have seen with the 2-smokes have been oily and dirty.   I think it should have  been put on the inside of the firewall, or a stainless firewall should have been used.    EDMO 

Edited by EDMO

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Posted (edited)

Those bushings are Nylatron.  FWIW the kitfox part number for a model 4 is 14001.  The OD of the rudder tubes on a Model 4 are 3/4" if that helps any.

http://www.professionalplastics.com/NYLATRONNSM?gclid=Cj0KEQjwnPLKBRC-j7nt1b7OlZwBEiQAv8lMLNdVyLDtJo1GncTvu444u7Htmc_Hlg3yZOC2bQBihfcaAgY-8P8HAQ

Nylatron® NSM Nylon is the best bearing and wear nylon product available today. This proprietary type 6 Nylon formulation is produced using Quadrant's Monocast® process. Solid lubricant additives impart self-lubricating, high pressure/velocity and superior wear resistance characteristics. Nylatron NSM was developed specifically for demanding applications where larger size parts are required. It is ideal for bearings, gears and wear pads.
  • In wear applications, Nylatron NSM lasts up to 10 times longer than standard Type 6 nylon
Edited by tcj

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Posted

I would get rid of the firewall blanket.  It was an option on the early kitfoxes.  It provided some sound deadening and was installed with the top edge extending  past the edges of the fire wall a little to act as a seal between firewall and engine cowling. There are better materials available for both those purposes from Aircraft spruce if you want to replace it.  I don't have anything on my kitfox firewall for sound deading.

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Posted (edited)

Those bushings are Nylatron.  FWIW the kitfox part number for a model 4 is 14001.  The OD of the rudder tubes on a Model 4 are 3/4" if that helps any.

http://www.professionalplastics.com/NYLATRONNSM?gclid=Cj0KEQjwnPLKBRC-j7nt1b7OlZwBEiQAv8lMLNdVyLDtJo1GncTvu444u7Htmc_Hlg3yZOC2bQBihfcaAgY-8P8HAQ

Nylatron® NSM Nylon is the best bearing and wear nylon product available today. This proprietary type 6 Nylon formulation is produced using Quadrant's Monocast® process. Solid lubricant additives impart self-lubricating, high pressure/velocity and superior wear resistance characteristics. Nylatron NSM was developed specifically for demanding applications where larger size parts are required. It is ideal for bearings, gears and wear pads.
  • In wear applications, Nylatron NSM lasts up to 10 times longer than standard Type 6 nylon

I used Nylon Impregnated with MDS for my flap & aileron bearings.  If you use Teflon it will be slicker, but may wear faster, and the play in the torque tubes would need to be checked more often.   EDMO 

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

Thanks for the responses tcj and EDMO. I am glad to hear the blanket was an option, I think I will remove it for now. The rudder torque tube on my Kitfox is 3/4", so I think I will order new ones from Kitfox this winter. I am still a little befuddled how they became so stuck in the tubes. I actually had to drive one out with a long 3/8th inch extension and a hammer. I worked on it little this morning and it really isn't a bad little airplane it just needed a little love, which I intend to give it, I am even starting to warm up to the "wild" paint scheme. I found the right master cylinder is leaking past the actuator rod when applied so I will need to rebuild it. It appears to me all the cooling lines are 1", guess I will use heater hose on it. Are any of the metal cooling tubes supported in any way, mine were not?  Is Dexcool the coolant of choice? I do not like the way they had the header tank vented, it went back up to the wing, with a shut off valve, and then down and overboard by the gascolator. Is it possible to just run a vent up thru the skylight? Mike

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Posted

Mike,  If you don't have a fitting in your wing tank for a vent line, then put a T in the top fitting where the sight gage is and run vent line to that.  You wont need a shutoff valve.  I think you may have problems venting to open air.  Akflyer and someone else have Avid vent tubes just going up to a shutoff valve, but I'm not too sure how good that is.  Avid did not provide sight gage or vent fittings like Kitfox did.  EDMO

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Posted (edited)

Where did July go? Thought I better update my project. Landing gear is all wrapped up with new 6.50x6x8 turf savers.

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I have pretty much finished going over the airframe and have started on the engine phase of my inspection.

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I made my own studs for the exhaust, test fit the manifold and they will work out fine. It only had 3 bolts per cylinder before.

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Need to order a little more fire sleeve from spruce along with a list of other stuff.

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Went with a black instrument panel, need to order a new water temp gauge and a voltmeter.

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Need to wrap up engine and install prop than onto wiring 101. Mike

Edited by ppilotmike

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Posted

Hate to put more work on your plate, but the rudder pedals should be reinforced also.  The joint between the verticle  tube and the cross tube at the bottom is weak, and can twist apart.  Also the tube the rudder cable hooks onto can tear out of the verticle tube if the brakes are pushed to hard.  JImChuk

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Posted

Hate to put more work on your plate, but the rudder pedals should be reinforced also.  The joint between the verticle  tube and the cross tube at the bottom is weak, and can twist apart.  Also the tube the rudder cable hooks onto can tear out of the verticle tube if the brakes are pushed to hard.  JImChuk

Not a problem Jim I appreciate the advice. Do you have any pics of the reinforcements? It is starting to look like my project may become a parts donor for this plane. All the control pieces have been chrome plated so I don't think I could do the reinforcing on them . Mike

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Posted (edited)

I think Doug Holly "A+" posted some photos of his rudder cable tube after he broke it loose from the vertical tube.  He may have posted the strap reinforcements too?  I think that was on a Kitfox, so it may look a little different.  EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

I may have Ed, I don't recall. The thread Jim linked has photos of what I did, however, I would make one change if I did it over. I welded the large gussets onto the rear face of both L/R pedal torque and upright tubes as opposed to on the centers. Stronger reinforcement that way, but the L/R torque tubes are positioned so close together that the right gusset on the pilot petal torque tube will ever so slightly contact the co-pilot torque tube when that right petal is depressed to it's max forward limit. Putting the gussets on the front rather than rear face of the pilot torque/upright tubes would remedy the issue.

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Posted (edited)

Doug,  Your post was 18 Jan 2013, "Fookididdy FookFook that was an interesting landing".  I am sure you remember it well.  EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted (edited)

Mike,  I should have sold you my Kitfox 1.  You could have been flying now and building your other one.  :-)  I beefed up the rudder pedals on it when I had it torn down.   Wrapped straps around the torque tube and up the verticals on the pedals, and ran a strap on the back side of the tube the cable hooks to.  Should have got some pics of them but didn't.  Maybe I'll think of it tomorrow.   Finally getting the annual conditional inspection done on it next Wednesday.  He is doing my Avid MK IV at the same time.  What to fly, what to fly???  JImChuk

Edited by 1avidflyer
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Posted

Jim, I wish I had your problems :-) Mike

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Posted

I finally got around to getting some pics of my rudder pedal reinforcement.  On the upper reinforcement where the cable goes, I used  a piece of strap that was welded on the back side of the tube, and the bolt goes through it and the original tube and cable.  The bottoms were wrapped around the torque tube and up the front and back of the verticle tube.  Bent in tight and welded.  Plenty strong, I think.  JImChuk

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Photo0997.jpg

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Posted

A little progress to report. Fuel system is wrapped up, I decided to use the original valve and 5/16" line on the right wing tank like they had and experiment with the left tank and 1/4" line and a new valve. I ended up using the same venting system for the header tank with one small change. The vent valve now resides on the instrument panel, easer to reach and monitor. Exhaust system is wrapped up. New Warp Drive 66" prop from my other project, set the blades to an initial 10 degrees. I went back to Wisconsin this last weekend and picked up the rest of the Raven parts. Thats all for now. Mike :-)

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Posted

If you have a B gear box,  I would wonder if that 3 blade Warp drive prop is to heavy for it.  The moment of inertia is kind of high on Warp Drives.  Might be a question for Darrel, unless he has blessed it already... JImChuk

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Posted

You only need two bolts on the exhaust manifold on opposite ends from each other. The reason it had 4 holes was so you could mount it either direction. JBM industries makes amazing exhaust gaskets.

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Posted

Better hurry Mike, its almost winter in Oscoda.  How do you get around Lake Michigan?  I've ridden that coal burner ferry SS Badger before from Ludington to Mantiwoc. Was an enjoyable ride. Like your progress.

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Posted

If you have a B gear box,  I would wonder if that 3 blade Warp drive prop is to heavy for it.  The moment of inertia is kind of high on Warp Drives.  Might be a question for Darrel, unless he has blessed it already... JImChuk

Thanks again Jim for the advice. I called WarpDrive and they said that a 64" or 66" is ok with the B box. I got curious enough to do the inertia check so made the 12" fixture and cut  some safety wire to 72 "s and went for it, it just makes it in the safe range. So I will use it for now. WarpDrive told the main concern with the whole inertia thing is if the engine idles to low it will get into a gear "chatter"mode and could damage the gears. I think I will keep my out for a used a C drive to put on my 582. Mike

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