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Thread: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

  1. #21

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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    Just a few weeks ago I purchased a Kitfox 4 XL with a custom trailer that I found on Barnstormers. I have been trailering it to the airport two or three times a week as I learn to fly it. I have added quick release "ball lock" pins for each of the wing support brackets. I cut a slot in a foam "pool noodle" from the sporting goods store, I slip that on the ailerons to protect the vertical stab and rudder. I have a channel on the floor that guides the tailwheel along the centerline of the trailer. The mains back into wooden chocks that are permanantly screwed to the floor. Then a plastic wheel chock is secured in front of the mains by bungee cords. I have a remote control winch mounted in the front of the trailer to haul the plane in, but I have never had to use it as I can push the plane up the ramp without assistance. Setup time is about ten minutes. The part that takes the longest is securing the turtledeck. I've got to find a better way to slot the front edge of the deck between the plexi and the aluminum tab that it is riveted to. I think I just need to bend that aluminum down so that the leading edge of the deck can slip in between. I also need to fabricate some sort of support to take the weight off of the tail. I had the single leaf tailspring and it snapped off last week. I have replaced it with the three leaf spring from Kitfox. I have much more confidence in the spring, and because the trailer was specifically designed for the weight of the Kitfox I might be set up well enough for storage and short trips. But I plan to add the fuselage support for longer trips. The XL seems ideal for trailering. It has the large panel tank. Since I will use the wing tank only for longer flights, I haven't had to do any fuel draining. Total weight with the 503 is only 530, so its easy to put on the trailer. And in the air its a blast! With the clipped wing and the speed mods, it will easily reach 100 IAS in level flight. Now I just have to master these crosswind landings and finish my tailwheel endorsement . . . Where should I head for my first trailering/flying vacation? Any recommendations?

  2. #22
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    that would depend on the style of trailer Steve,,you could build a trailer to load it nose forward and move the trailer axle to 60/65% the length of trailer but that puts more over hang behind the axle/axles, this is all considering the trailer is a bumper hitch set up. the trailer ends up longer in the nose forward config if your building it for the long haul,..cross country driving/hauling.. because of the weight distribution ..it's more applicable building it to tow the plane backwards,. this is also a soul purpose trailer in mind,..if you want a multi purpose trailer that's a different approach,,you have more materials in the trailer making it heavier so the loads can be moved around on the deck , the trailer weighing more it makes up the difference on a lighter ( kitfox) load ..but now your back to having too stiff a ride..so building a trailer with its soul purpose to transport the kitfox..its best to build it for towing it backwards,..for stability in towing without adding "Spring" capacity to gain stability..for the best ride with safety of the plane in mind build the trailer to capacity of the load
    Chase
    Model 5 OutBack
    912 UL

  3. #23
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    as for the question on the hitch holes..if you think about it..the design of the tail combined with the kitfox tow bar,,the load is UP on the very rearward hole and DOWN on the forward of the 2 holes with the tow bar attached..if you connect to both holes the front one being designed in the airframe for forces downward (Fulcrum) ,..now reversing the forces to up..it might not turn out so pretty ...
    Chase
    Model 5 OutBack
    912 UL

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    marathon
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    31

    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    Dr Dave,

    The area between Moab, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Ship Rock, Kayenta and Montecello (from Montecello hop over the small ridge to the north, very unusual terrain) is all spectacular for low and slow flying, doors off, stick and rudder flying. Page is at the junction of Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon and about in the middle of that area so it is a good central place to fly from. The airport manager for Page has recently been a city employee, who operates out of the town offices and wears many hats. If she does not know where to park you suggest that the airport facility maintenance guys or Classic Aviation FBO can help you. Some of the smallest airports in that area are fun but are unmanned and used primarily for medivac. For these small airports Call "manager" by checking AirNav.com to get the gate code.
    Often the gate combination is the published field altitude, but that is iffy.
    Cliff Dwellers and Marble Canyon airports are grandfathered so if going into one of them you can fly into Grand Canyon. There are BLM unpublished gravel strips in the area. Get local knowledge for where, condition of gravel etc.
    Stick and Rudder Aviation, does Kitfox specific tail wheel training out of Boise, and they take folks into lots of Idaho outback mountain airports. You learn a lot about mountain strip operation technique. Flying with Paul or one of his guys is an absolute hoot and good training in one of their very nice Kitfox model 7s with Rotax 914s.
    There is a great little strip on Mustand Beach south of Corpus not terribly far from you for coastal barrier island flying. Big old shrimper washed up on Matagorda, hard packed broad sand beach at low tide. Looks like a runway to me.
    Marathon, Florida Keys is non-towered airport in middle of Florida Keys. Flying the islands and along the reef, 120 miles between Key Biscayne and Key West plus another 70 out to Dry Tortugas can be spectacular if you can catch calm conditions and thus clear waters, see rays, manatee, shark, tarpon, lobstering and fishing spots that do not show up from the surface to boaters but jump out at you from the air. Hit the position on a portable GPS and go play from a rental boat, jet ski, whatever. Oh, some patch reefs are real close in rignt off of Big Pine Key, maybe ten fett of water While in the Keys go fishing, diving, lobstering (in season) eat real fresh seafood. Summer has a lot of mid day convection. 80 at night 92 during day and humid but low winds except for hurricanes
    BJ
    Kitfox IV 912
    enclosed trailer and conversion van for towing/touring

  5. #25
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    Quote Originally Posted by SkyPirate View Post
    Steve,..if you build or modify a trailer to haul your fox..because of the mains being further back don't drop the rear section of the trailer to lower the plane unless you add weight to the nose of the trailer..ideally you should have 25% tongue weight..so trailer at say 900 lbs plus plane ? 700/800 lbs?..1600/1800 total lbs hitch should be close to 400/450 lbs ,,this will ensure good towing characteristics and wheels on trailer at 75% or more toward rear..don't try to build a trailer so the weight is balanced on the trailer wheels..it will whip all over at higher speeds
    Steve, with all of the above, also consider since the wheels are further back on the Fuselage when you tip the plane back on the tail, the Propeller will be significantly higher at the tip. If you position the tail such that the Rudder is the same hight the Propeller tip will be higher. You will need to rotate the Propeller to have one propeller blade pointing down. Also the top of the Windscreen / Fuselage will be higher. You definitely will need to do some measuring.

    Paul Z
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  6. #26
    Senior Member SkySteve's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    Paul,
    I think I would need to haul mine with the nose wheel sitting on the trailer bed and install a higher rear bracket to attach to and hold the towing hole.

    But either way, in your drawing ya gotta get rid of those wheel pants and put some 8.00's on the mains. I mean, really? You've seen my plane. LOL
    Steve Wilson
    Huntsville, UT
    Kitfox 85DD
    912A / 3 Blade Taper Tip Warp Drive
    Convertible Nosewheel & Tailwheel
    SkySteve's SPOT Page
    SkySteve's You Tube Videos

  7. #27
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    Steve,

    If you hall it with the nose when sitting on the trailer bed you will need a really
    Tall Trailer. To the top of the Tail 8'4" for a Series 7. I am sure it can be done but you will need to roll it in tail low, and have a tail pocket built into the top of the trailer.

    I wasn't going to redraw the D***ed sketches! Have you figured out how to put some Smoothies on it with a 21" front wheel and 29" mains? Now that would be Sexy! It wouldn't be tooooooo draggy! I can see you now, top speed 80 MPH, at 10 GPH.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Paul Z; 04-19-2015 at 06:49 PM.
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  8. #28
    Senior Member SkySteve's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    Well, you're probably right...again! But thanks for fixing your drawing. It looks MUCHO better. . 29's probably not in the future, but I am working on my own Skunk Works version of a 6.00x6 nosewheel. Shush, don't tell anyone.
    Steve Wilson
    Huntsville, UT
    Kitfox 85DD
    912A / 3 Blade Taper Tip Warp Drive
    Convertible Nosewheel & Tailwheel
    SkySteve's SPOT Page
    SkySteve's You Tube Videos

  9. #29
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    Dough, you just told everyone on the forum.
    Are you designing it yourself?
    I've got some spare tires & tubes, the price is right for a friend.
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  10. #30
    Senior Member SkySteve's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    Naw, no one will read this, there's no photos. They'll just skip over it. Thanks for the offer of wheels and tires but I think I've got it covered locally. I'm not mechanical enough to do any designing myself. I've got a good A&P.
    Steve Wilson
    Huntsville, UT
    Kitfox 85DD
    912A / 3 Blade Taper Tip Warp Drive
    Convertible Nosewheel & Tailwheel
    SkySteve's SPOT Page
    SkySteve's You Tube Videos

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