What is this for?

[TJay]

Underside of Vertical what is this plate there for? Skystar Model 7

[109JB]

My Kitfox 4 Speedster project has that same plate on top. All I can say about it is that when I took everything apart, the only thing that plate did on my airplane was provide a glue surface for gluing the wood rib on. If it really is supposed to have another purpose I don't know but that is all it did on my airplane.

[TJay]

My Kitfox 4 Speedster project has that same plate on top. All I can say about it is that when I took everything apart, the only thing that plate did on my airplane was provide a glue surface for gluing the wood rib on. If it really is supposed to have another purpose I don't know but that is all it did on my airplane.

Ahh that does make sense a flat surface to glue too. Thanks.

[avidflyer]

Just looked at some old pictures, and for sure my Kitfox 4 that I just rebuilt doesn't have that piece. I don't think the other Kitfox 4 I have has that piece either. I would wonder if somehow a tail light was meant to somehow attach there?? Just a guess though. JImChuk

[Iowa 67]

My model 4 does not have that plate either. Could it be used for attaching material to for fairing the top tube?

[DesertFox4]

Maybe a Vor antenna mount. Installed by builder. Seen several on older builds. I helped an owner remove one from that exact location some years ago.It looked like this:
26991
A post from John McBean back in 2011 talking about the Vor antenna usually mounted to the top of the vertical.

Re: VOR/LOC antenna

Having now installed both antennas... the "wiskers" work very well.. although I am personally not crazy about the appearance.. top of the vertical is where most have been installed.. which on a tail wheel puts it at about eye level... on the tri-gear up on the vertical works great on the bottom ends up at about eye level again.. Have installed them inside the wing and that seemed to work well.

Yesterday and today I have been flying using the di-pole type.. Installed how Bob Archer suggested... So far it seems to work OK...... not as well as the wisker type.. but I will be doing some installation mods and re-testing over the next couple weeks.

It fits fine in the Hoerner "Speedster" style tips easily but not sure they would fit in the newer "standard" tips.



John McBean
www.kitfoxaircraft.com (http://www.kitfoxaircraft.com/)
208.337.5111 (tel:208.337.5111)




"The Sky is not the Limit... It's a Playground"

[109JB]

It would only be there on airplanes intended to have the full airfoil shaped tail. A standard 4 would not have it. Mine is a speedster and has the airfoil tail.

[109JB]

To support DesertFox's theory, I just found this in my Skystar build manual for the speedster. There is no talk about the plate or the antenna in the text of the manual, only this picture.

26992

[n85ae]

For what it's worth I epoxied a copper foil Glide slope dipole into my lower engine cowling
and while I don't fly IFR in N85AE I do practice approaches in it, and I get excellent GS
reception. I also have a a wingtip mounted dipole inside the wing/wingtip, which
also works very well. half the dipole is in the wing, the other half in the tip. The proximity
of the "grounded" spar doesn't bother it as I had worried about initially.

Had a set of Archer wingtip antennas in it, but the homemade dipoles get MUCH better
reception. The wingtip antenna is made from hardware store copper tubing, and the cowl
glideslope is simply copper foil.

The tail mounted whisker I didn't use, because I didn't want to lose an eye to it in a
taildragger ...

Jeff