KF5 turtle deck/antenna install

[SilverFox5]

Hello,
Looking for help from anyone that has built their own Kitfox 5.
I am trying get everything done on the fuselage to get it ready for fabric covering. (Using Oratex). I'm confused at the instructions concerning the turtle deck and antenna plate install. The manual does not have you do this until after final assembly after you have the the complete windshield assy installed. But from pictures I see it looks like the antenna plate area needs to covered with fabric. I would like to know how others have handled this area. If i mount the rear cross bracket for the turtle deck before covering, will that mess me up later? These instructions are in the kf5 manual in Chapter X, Page 65 and 108.
See pictures attached.
Thanks
Joe Leeman
KF5 Rotax 912uls
Freedom, WI

[Dave S]

Joe,

On our early S7, the turtledeck area is the same. I installed the rear cross bracket (which the rear of the turtledeck overlies) and the antenna plate before covering as the fabric attaches to the rear crosspiece and goes over the antenna plate. The antenna plate keeps the fabric from bending the rear cross bracket when the fabric is shrunk. Installing these parts and the fabric does not interfere with the windshield install.

I am guessing you have the two piece cowl up front where the S7 has a three piece (upper/lower and boot cowl) But none of that relates to the rear of the turtledeck area.

Fitting the turtledeck to the fuselage has to be done after the windshield cross channel (the part fitting over the wing spar carry through tube) so turtle deck fitting is later in the assembly which is the reason that is in "final assembly" .

[alexM]

Hello,
Looking for help from anyone that has built their own Kitfox 5.
I am trying get everything done on the fuselage to get it ready for fabric covering. (Using Oratex). I'm confused at the instructions concerning the turtle deck and antenna plate install. The manual does not have you do this until after final assembly after you have the the complete windshield assy installed. But from pictures I see it looks like the antenna plate area needs to covered with fabric. I would like to know how others have handled this area. If i mount the rear cross bracket for the turtle deck before covering, will that mess me up later? These instructions are in the kf5 manual in Chapter X, Page 65 and 108.
See pictures attached.
Thanks
Joe Leeman
KF5 Rotax 912uls
Freedom, WI

I'm glad this came up because I'm at this point too. The previous builder of my series 5 had declared that he was going to modify the plane to be more like the current series 7 but never got that far.

Any chance you/someone could measure the cross member for me? I have the part number from the manual but it only describes it as "material provided". All I have found so far is the steel antenna platform and not the long angle that needs to be notched.

Am I looking for a piece of formed sheet metal like the door surround and tail access cover angles, or is it a piece of extrusion? How thick is it? I've got some light extrusion that I already owned which I cut last night and am prepared to notch but it seems slightly overkill.

[Dave S]

Alex,

Give Kitfox a call; they will have the correct part, correct alloy, correct dimensions; and, it won't cost that much compared to scrounging and possibly ending up with something that does not work so well.

[Maverick]

That cross piece goes on before covering the fuselage. You will attach fabric to it for the top of the fuselage. I failed to do that and only brought the fabric to the crossmember that the back of the antenna bracket attaches to. I wound up being a good 9 inches short so my turtle deck cover didn't cover over where the antenna would sit. I had to make a panel to fit over the hole. It became my plane for my ELT antenna. The aluminum piece is an angle about 1" X 1", see middle pic below to get an idea of what it looks like.

My solution actually worked out well in that it gives me easier access to the Com antenna that is located on top of the aft fuselage.
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[SilverFox5]

AlexM
I will be working on the plane this Sunday.
I will look at the cross brace and let you what it looks like send you some pictures and dimensions. And thanks Maverick and Dave for responding. Your response is what I thought had to be done.

Joe Leeman
KF5 Rotax 912uls
Freedom, WI

[Jerrytex]

It's an odd size. Close to 15/16" x 1 3/16"x .050 thick x 28" long.

I think any 1"x1" aluminum angle will work. Maybe round the top of the angle if you use extruded.

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[alexM]

Thank you gentlemen. I picked up a piece of 6061 1" angle, 0.063" thick and it's cut and it's sitting in place at the moment. I cut a piece of 3/4" angle I already owned and it probably would have worked but the edge margin at the fastener holes would have been a bit low. Problem solved with the 1" piece.

My antenna platform is in pretty rough shape. It appears it was used to experiment with various ways to remove powder coating. I hit it with some stripper last night and will get it to bare metal today, then make it pretty.

I'm sort of sad about the size of the baggage compartment opening now though. Oh well!