Planning question...

[KitplaneEnthusiast]

It looks to me that once the rudder pedals are installed and the rudder cables are routed and cut to length, the floorboards and rudder pedals then need to come back out for covering and painting, correct? It looks like I won't be able to wrap the fabric around the forward tubes if the pedals and floor boards are installed. I know the fabric doesn't come all the way forward, but I think the installed floorboards would hinder covering.

Also, any thoughts on where to mount the com antenna? I know there is a plate welded to the frame behind the aft window, but the previous builder of my kit had the antenna mounted on the bottom of the plane on one of those two plates welded to the bottom. I think it looks better on the bottom, but I'm just worried about the antenna hitting something should I ever do some back country flying.

THanks...

[Tom Waid]

After installing the rudder pedals I just tied them out of the way to facilitate covering.

http://tropicaltuba.com/Kitfox%20Project/images/643.jpg

I hope this helps.

[Dave S]

Mark,

You got it - the pedals, etc. need to be out of the way and Tom's procedure is right on the money. Seen others done the same way and that takes care of it.

On the antenna question, I am reluctant to suggest where to put the com antenna alone because a person needs to plan for all of the antennas on board and the spacing requirements that each device has for it's antenna from other antennas. Com, ELT, ADS-B, Nav GPS antenna, ADS-B WAAS antenna all have minimum spacing from other antennas and with a number of antennas on a kitfox the available acerage to mount them can get a bit tight. Shadowing by the gear assembly on a trigear is a consideration also.

On the antennas, I'd check the requirements for all that will be on the plane for spacing before deciding on a location for the com antenna.

[KitplaneEnthusiast]

Dave that's a good point about antenna spacing. I will need a transponder and ADS-B antenna on the bottom, so I think I just may have to mount the antenna on the top.

Just for an interesting piece of info, years ago when I was building my RANS S-6S my buddy Steve was building his Kitfox. He also owned a small biz called Sta-Lite Aviation and he made comm antennas and sold them through Wag-Aero. These antennas did not require any kind of ground plane so he mounted it in the vertical stab of his Kitfox. He made one for me and I also mounted it in the tail of my S-6. It was completely unseen and obviously created zero additional parasite drag. Unfortunately he no longer makes antennas! But the antennas worked flawlessly. I wish I could still get one so I could mount it in the tail again!

[Birdseyeview]

Mark,

Spruce sells an antenna that sounds like the one you described: ADVANCED AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS HIGH GAIN ANTENNA VHF-5
A few of us on the forum have installed them hidden in the vertical tail fin. It doesn't need a ground plane.

23300

[bbs428]

Another internal com antenna that Spruce sells, the SA-006.

23301

[KitplaneEnthusiast]

Birdseyeview, I'm wondering how you will remove and re-intall the horizontal stab with that antenna going through the center? Is the antenna flexible so you can bend it out of the way?

[Birdseyeview]

The antenna in the photo is a thin fiberglass strip that is very flexible and bends out of the way when removing the HS. I comes shipped in a roll. This picture isn't the latest since it doesn't show another short piece of thin wood glued to the frame below the HS that I velcro the loose end of the antennna to in order to keep it from flopping around too much.