Kitfox 1 Build

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Posted

Started to play a bit with the plane.  Gotta get my self back into it again.  Fit my doors and made a poster board pattern of the window also put some markings on her sure is fun to look at. And she now has a name.

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Posted (edited)

Great name!  Just wondering if small letters in Experimental are 2" high - and believe the regs say "Block or Capital Letters at least 2" high - You can probably get it slid by, but depends on how finicky the inspector is.  I believe any "normal" person would be able to read it just fine.  Looks good.  EdMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

Flight reports, I want to hear about flight reports.  And flying videos to!  Looking good TJay,  keep at it and I'll get what I'm asking for.  :-)  JImChuk

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Posted

Great name!  Just wondering if small letters in Experimental are 2" high - and believe the regs say "Block or Capital Letters at least 2" high - You can probably get it slid by, but depends on how finicky the inspector is.  I believe any "normal" person would be able to read it just fine.  Looks good.  EdMO

Ha I had to send the file to the DAR before I had them made, He said he would accept that font. And the letters are right at 2 inches tall.

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Posted

Curious if the DAR required the Experimental stickers at each door? While it would appear to satisfy the requirement, mine will not approve either a single sticker on the rear carry thru trim or one each on the inside of each door along the KF4 aluminum center trim strip. Must be on the exterior at each entry.

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Posted (edited)

Curious if the DAR required the Experimental stickers at each door? While it would appear to satisfy the requirement, mine will not approve either a single sticker on the rear carry thru trim or one each on the inside of each door along the KF4 aluminum center trim strip. Must be on the exterior at each entry.

My KF1 & 2 had the single word hanging from the rear crossover - Now I have to go look at the KF3 to see where it is marked - I never thought to look on it.  All DARs are not made the same!  ;<)  I believe the rules also say that you have to advise the passenger of the difference between your Experimental and Factory planes in addition to having the approved sticker saying the same thing on your IP - in other words, unless you are confident in my plane, or brave or stupid, then don't get in!  Ha!  EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

played with the Kitfox today. After scratching my head a bunch I think I finally came up with a decent heater idea. Not quite done with it yet I need to hook up the intake tube yet.  It will take air from the front of the engine ram air duct thats for another day. As you can see from the pictures the air will flow right through the heat muff and out the bottom through the trap door for summer time operation. Pull the cable on the dash and the trap door closes then air is forced into the cabin. I also packed the inside of the heat muff with stainless steel scrubbing pads. It is all made form Aluminum so the scat tubing is about the heaviest part. Hope it works

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Posted

I have 2 inch scat tube coming out of the heat muff and thinking about feeding it with 1'1/4 scat tube any thoughts on this?

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Posted

There is pressure in the cowl, I get a good flow through my heater with it just being open on the front.  Another thing is the air is bound to be warmer inside the cowl then the outside air, so it wont have to be warmed up quite as much to be just as warm as outside air.  Maybe you don't need any outside air??  As far as sizes, inlet tube can be smaller then outlet tube, cause the air expands.  If my math is correct, 1 1/4" tube has only 1.227 sq. in of area.  2" has 3.14 sq. in.  Almost three times difference.  Maybe 1 1/4" is to small.  1 1/2" tube is 1.77 sq. in. of area.  Half the amount of 2".  Will the air double in volume when heated?  Then again, how much restriction will you get with the scrubbing pads?  Lots of questions that may only get answered when it's built and working (or not working)  On second thought, maybe cowl air would not give enough pressure for what you are doing.  My shroud is much larger, and has a much larger hole.  I even enlarged the entry hole after I took this picture.  I does heat very well though.  There is a deflector/air dam at the top, that forces the air to go around the bottom of the muffler, and then out the 2" holes on top.  I guess that's why we call them experimentals.   (with emphasis on the last part of the word)  :lmao:JImChuk

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Posted (edited)

Was looking over the plane and noticed a screw up. If I put any sort of seat cushion in this bird My knee would be hitting the throttle. Came up with a solution doesn't look as nice but functions better.  Eliminate 2 switches that were just spares  and move it to the panel. Now the only issue is my throttle cable is two short so if anybody has one laying around let me know.  Would like about 14 inches, Or I have this other type, it has no push button. Never used this type what are you thoughts Better worse. Thanks Enjoy the before and after pictures.

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Edited by TJay

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Posted

I've always used the friction lock style throttle instead of the Vernier. Happy with it and wouldn't want to change.

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Posted (edited)

I've always used the friction lock style throttle instead of the Vernier. Happy with it and wouldn't want to change.

TJay,  I guess it all depends on how touchy your Jab engine is with rpms - I like the button type with Vernier - I twisted a lot on throttles for constant speed props.   EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted (edited)

Got a few hrs this morning to finish up my heater idea. I cut a small piece of scotch bright and installed it in the end of the scat tube for a bug filter. With all the stainless steel scrubbing pads in the heat muf and with all the scat tubing when I blow in the tube it is very easy to feel it come throu into the cabin Hope it works.

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Edited by TJay
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Posted

About a million years ago, I had a spam can that was about 23 years old at the time.  Nothing really.  But they used a much poorer scat in those days that was made out of paper.  Anyway, I went for a few circuits of the pattern on the first really brisk winter day after i bought the airplane and pulled on the heat on downwind. Yikes! Smoke started coming out of the defrost vents up by the windshield!   Being a quick study in those days I just reversed my last action and pulled on cabin ventilation.  The cockpit cleared right up and no maydays.  

I would worry at least a little about that scotchbrite pad in the flow there.  That air is actually pretty warm. I doubt that breathing burning/melting plastic is all that great first thing in the morning. 

Your install on the roo engine looks great. 

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Posted (edited)

About a million years ago, I had a spam can that was about 23 years old at the time.  Nothing really.  But they used a much poorer scat in those days that was made out of paper.  Anyway, I went for a few circuits of the pattern on the first really brisk winter day after i bought the airplane and pulled on the heat on downwind. Yikes! Smoke started coming out of the defrost vents up by the windshield!   Being a quick study in those days I just reversed my last action and pulled on cabin ventilation.  The cockpit cleared right up and no maydays.  

I would worry at least a little about that scotchbrite pad in the flow there.  That air is actually pretty warm. I doubt that breathing burning/melting plastic is all that great first thing in the morning. 

Your install on the roo engine looks great. 

How about some fine aluminum screen over the front opening instead of plastic? - maybe let a couple of gnats thru, but they die when they get to muff.   Easy to clean the Rocky Mountain Grasshoppers and other bugs out of them too.   Stay safe TJay!  EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

no worries boys the scotch bright filter is at the air intake, and not possible to reach the muff

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Posted (edited)

no worries boys the scotch bright filter is at the air intake, and not possible to reach the muff

Just thinking - better safe than sorry - what if a rock hits plastic and drives part of it to muff?  I wouldn't take the chance TJay, but its your call.   Guess there aren't many rocks in Iowa cornfields?   EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

no worries boys the scotch bright filter is at the air intake, and not possible to reach the muff

Just thinking - better safe than sorry - what if a rock hits plastic and drives part of it to muff?  I wouldn't take the chance TJay, but its your call.   Guess there aren't many rocks in Iowa cornfields?   EDMO

There is a metal screen right before the muff to catch anything that could burn Just using the scotch bright as a pre filter that is easy to get at and rinse out. Safety first :)

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Posted

no worries boys the scotch bright filter is at the air intake, and not possible to reach the muff

Just thinking - better safe than sorry - what if a rock hits plastic and drives part of it to muff?  I wouldn't take the chance TJay, but its your call.   Guess there aren't many rocks in Iowa cornfields?   EDMO

I think if a rock hits that its only because he burned it straight in.  A lil burning plastic would be a mute point at that particular time.

:BC:

 

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Posted

no worries boys the scotch bright filter is at the air intake, and not possible to reach the muff

Just thinking - better safe than sorry - what if a rock hits plastic and drives part of it to muff?  I wouldn't take the chance TJay, but its your call.   Guess there aren't many rocks in Iowa cornfields?   EDMO

I think if a rock hits that its only because he burned it straight in.  A lil burning plastic would be a mute point at that particular time.

:BC:

 

I think the ice sheet ground up all the rocks real fine as it passed down thru MN into Iowa - We have a terciary ridge across Southern Missouri and Arkansas where the ice sheets stopped, but it wasn't thick enough here and sure left plenty of rocks in the Ozarks.   EDMO

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Posted

sits quite nice

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Posted

Got my oil breather system all finished up today just a bit of bending .035 aluminum tube.  Took a minute to look around and realized not much left to do under the hood.

 

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Posted

time to give it a try, Fabric is here found an estate sale with a 10 dollar sewing machine spent half the day trying to figure out how to thread the machine also plans for a  possible future project arrived.

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Posted

Get in touch with Bob Barrows, for around $35 he'll send you an updated copy of the plans, many changes since #457. I'm on a very slow build plan for mine.

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Posted (edited)

I think you will find the blanket method a lot easier to do than sewing envelopes - You never get an envelope quite right, IMO.   OH, you are talking about seat covers?  My bad!  Have fun learning.   ;<)   My wife and flying buddy's wife are both expert sewers - My wife has been using the same machine for about 60 years now - She don't want a new one either!   A zig-zag attachment would probably be nice for you to have now.  I cant sew - Just pay the maintenance on her machine!  EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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