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Thread: A tinkerers Toys

  1. #31
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: A tinkerers Toys

    Post Number 12

    Early on, one of the things I sometimes found a challenge was the throttle springs on the Bing Carburetors. Bump the button on the throttle and get an immediate surge of power. Doing a little experimenting, I found a way to put a counter acting spring behind the throttle. It is one reason I was never tempted by the newer split cables.
    Throttle spring.jpg
    In the early 80s I restored an antique car. When timing the engine it was typical to loosen a clamp on the distributor and rotating it a bit to find a smooth running spot, then adding a little throttle and doing it again to get a smooth running engine. With the early Kitfoxes having a bell crank dividing the throttle cables to the carburetors, it seemed logical that if a linkage could be divised to adjust one of the cables with a twist knob it would be easy to synchronize the carburetors by ear. Not so, at least in my ears. The throttle adjustor was a unit that was installed on the left arm of the bell crank with a round knob that was able to move the throttle cable on that side out or in a quarter inch relative to the bell crank.
    Throttle Link 1.jpgThrottle Link 2.jpg
    My understanding of the typical pneumatic system required removal of one end of the balance tube between the carburetors and attaching the differential vacuum gauges. Guys were complaining about having to pull the tube off the carburetor. To symplify that, a device was made that was epoxies to the separated cross tube with exchangeable middle sections. One with a simple pass through and one that separated right and left sides feeding separate 1/4" hose barbs.
    Carb Balance Spacer.jpgCarb Balance Barbs.jpg
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


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  2. #32
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: A tinkerers Toys

    I started the video camera project in 2002. The first was operational in 2003, but there was continual effort to make it more friendly and reliable. The goal at first was to have a camera that would Pan, Tilt and Zoom. Then it was discovered that if setting it on infinity, the most used setting, every time I powered up the camera, the pulse of electricity would bump the focus setting closer in a bit resulting eventually in out of focus videos. Being able to switch from auto focus to manual focus eliminated that problem as most often while in the air everything was close to infinity. If on the ground, switching to auto focus would reset if for close in then focusing on something in the distance and back to manual reset it for flight. Then for more pleasant affects, auto to manual exposure was desirable as if in flight the nose pitched up a tad, the sky darkened and the ground darkened a lot. Then pitch down a bit and the ground was bright enough to see, but the sky was washed out. In bumpy air unless the camera was pretty much pointed to the ground, everything was in and out as far as brightness was concerned. Then the final touch was what I called the “Bug Wiper” that would remove the all too frequent bugs that found themselves on the front lexan lens protector. Finally, on the new Model IV, the “Focus” was on HD which was a major challenge as the image stabilizing systems really struggled with typical airplane prop vibration etc. To compensate for all these issues, the typical “Action Camera” is fixed focus, fixed aperture and wide angle. The first three project cameras recorded to MiniDV tapes. The last two, to memory cards.

    To save a bit of space the pictures are in an album -

    http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=478

    A note on one detail. Controlling the camera was a major challenge. The solution was to hard wire the button contacts on the cordless remote to the control stick then removing the infrared LED and positioning it right in front of the camera. This way, I had full function of the Cordless Remote to control the typical camera functions - Camera Power on/off, Record on/off, Zoom in/out, .

    These pictures are from the last of the two camera set-ups on N96KL. The HD project will be next.
    Lowell Fitt
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    My You Tube Channel

  3. #33
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: A tinkerers Toys

    Post Number 13. High Definition Video

    The High Definition project

    The big challenge began when I found that my Camera’s image stabilization function was totally inadequate to handle engine vibration and taxi motion. Its trip to a service center pronounced it perfect, so with some research the solution proved to be a Sony. The stabilization was markedly superior, though not picture perfect, it was better than most action cams. The first challenge was the video out to the monitor. No options but HDMI and the mini HDMI output was under the side LCD screen door which was on the tilt pivot bearing side. This required a 90° modification in the male mini plug. A couple of tries later, success. Inside that plug are two parallel layers, each with about 9 wires. Cutting the inside layer of wires with a very fine tooth Jewelers hack saw, bending it 90° - hopefully without damage to the bent wires and soldering in jumpers was the solution. Filling the gap with epoxy held everything solid with a final surface of white heat shrink tubing. This camera also had an input port that allowed a Varizoom controller to be used rather than using the cordless remote.
    When building the airplane, the camera was in the plans from day one so the lift strut and fairings were modified for three hardpoints for the camera mount and a conduit provision for the cables and wires. The hard points were attached to two split tubes. The split tubes were fitted with cross tubes that accommodated bolts that allowed them to be clamped to the lift struts. An extra tube was welded on and threaded to accommodate three external bolts that served as the attachment points for the actual camera mount. These three protruded through the fairings and were the only things visible during the Airworthiness Inspection. The original plan was to try hydraulics to move the camera using Nylaflow tubing and small hydraulic cylinders attached to the joystick and camera mount. Bleeding these lines makes bleeding brakes a walk in the park. Once done, the movement was not crisp so that idea was abandoned. Cables were used, but this time all curves from the straight runs were led through rigidly formed lubricated Nylaflow tubes. The controls are a bit stiff, but it is still possible to pan while filming if done carefully
    Having learned to weld between Kitfox one and two provided a much easier methodology for the fabrication of the actual mount. The fairings consist of five separate pieces. The bowl that fits around the camera. A trailing fairing behind the bowl which retains the shape required for the hydraulic cylinder needed for panning. A top aft fairing, a small mount fairing in front of the vertical attachment in front and the front fairing. A track on each side of the camera lens access slot provides for thin Lexan strips to be inserted to keep bugs and other debris from impacting the camera lens or pressurizing the camera bowl. Access to the camera is from the rear behind a door that can be removed with a coin. Several hours of video recording before the need to change memory cards reduced the need for toolless entry. The camera is mounted to a precisely fitted wedge shape that is secured within a mated shape on the pivoting mount. It is secured with a spring actuated clamp. A ring around the lens also adds to the stability. Three electrical connections provide camera power, HDMI out and the controller input.

    Again due to the number of photos, they can be found in my Album
    http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=479
    A sample of the video from this set-up
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQrIJYoe1HY&t=73s
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by HighWing; 02-02-2017 at 10:00 PM.
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


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  4. #34
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    Default Re: A tinkerers Toys

    Now that is just Sexy!
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  5. #35
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    Default Re: A tinkerers Toys

    Looks like something off a Black hawk helicopter- much more that " tinkering " more like genius. Great thread Lowell, thanks for sharing Bruce N199CL

  6. #36
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: A tinkerers Toys

    Thanks for the kind words. Bruce's comment brought a smile.
    Quote Originally Posted by airlina View Post
    Looks like something off a Black hawk helicopter-
    I had several things in mind to explain the hard points if the FAA inspector had questioned them when he did the Airworthiness inspection. I hadn't thought of that one. Actually when I was interviewed by the FAA inspector after our first Kitfox was destroyed in our emergency landing (crash) he said something like, "I won't get into the video camera thing as I have too much on my plate right now". Two people had died that same day at our airport in a Bonanza. I felt I needed to hide it a bit for the inspection.
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


    My You Tube Channel

  7. #37
    Bluebird19kf's Avatar
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    Default Re: A tinkerers Toys

    Hey highwing, how does the hinge work on your aluminum trim tab on page 4. Is the one picture (with it uncovered) showing the servo and tab installed in full down position? It would seem you would have very little or now down and a lot of up movement available do to the hinge being fully closed. Did you mount your square hinge attach bar rotated slightly down to get some down movement? Also is this the hinge that is used in this.

    http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...pianohinge.php

    Spuce # 03-00052-3

    Thanks

  8. #38
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: A tinkerers Toys

    Quote Originally Posted by Bluebird19kf View Post
    Hey highwing...
    super busy today and out of the area tomorrow - 60th HS reunion. Will respond in full Thursday.
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


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  9. #39
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    Default Re: A tinkerers Toys

    The aluminum tab used was formed to the shape pictured. This gives a profile that allows for the full range of motion of the servo - up and down. Regarding the hinge. What I used is not the hinge in the link. I did find the description of what I used lower on the page -

    MS20001P aluminum hinge is extruded. The closed hinge loops cannot be pulled apart. Furnished with hinge pin. Anodized finish.

    But or some reason, I couldn't find it as an order item.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


    My You Tube Channel

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