Possibly a silly question

[Dorsal]

How do flaps affect pitch on a Kitfox? I ask because I am used to pushing the nose down when applying flaps on generic tin-cans, the spring assist for the KF appears to pull back on the stick with the application of flaps.

[SkyPirate]

it has the same effect dorsal ..apply a little flaperon ..apply a little back pressure on stick,..but you have the trimable horizontal stab too ..so you can equalize even more of that . sounds like the 7 encorperates flap and stick for you awesome

re read an editted ..

[Dorsal]

I guess thats my point, if I apply a little flap in a 172 I need to put forward pressure on the "stick". Sounds reversed in the Fox which is fine but good to know, have I got this right?

[SkyPirate]

you got it ,..apply flaperon pitches nose down on any junker style wing,.the flaperon in effect is also a minnie wing ,..you can trim your flight with the flaperon too,..if you've got a little more weight in the carg osection ..add a tad of flaperon,..or in your case a tad of horizontal stab trim,..the differences will be noticed in cruise speed ..more flaperon induces more drag if used for a trim.
on my model 2 if the nose felt heavy I took more angle out of the flaperon,..I didn't have trim tabs on that plane.

[DesertFox4]

flaps make the nose pitch down Dorsal. The spring assist is a nice little option.

[Dorsal]

Thanks for the info Chase, BTW the spring assist is an option for the 7, it should also help take out the dead weight of the elevator which I am sure adds considerable drag
Starting to put parts on for the last time, feels good.

[SkyPirate]

I don't know how you do it Dorsal ,..i would have already had that bird in the air ,..or had allot of sleepless nights waiting for the big day ha ha
I'm a bit of an outlaw though when it comes to flying ,..as soon as i completed a plane ,..after a good thrid check of everything ,..it was in the air yeehaa~!

[SkyPirate]

I'm excited for you ,..it's been a long time coming ,..I know you already have the "Kitfox grin" standing in the shadows just waiting to explode on your face Definately a Kodak moment

a bit premature ..but congrat's on your accomplishment their Finn

[Dorsal]

Certainly could have gone faster but might have ended up with no job and an unhappy wife I'm kinda dependent on the first and partial to the second. The goal is flying smiling and employed.

[SkyPirate]

Roger that me being retired ..although i wish I was not,..I'm still a young 50 years old,..but things happen,..I concur,.gotta keep the boss happy today,..I'm working on that ,..Chris wants another barking cat,..(or i call it a barking cat ,.it's a yorkie puppy with a healthy price tag,)..so we are getting it today,.. just sweetening the pot for my next airplane part purchase ha ha

[t j]

After flying my kitfox about 70 hours I took a flight review in a sport cub. Kitfox pilots can relate to this. I had the throttle in my left hand and stick in my right had.

Everything was fine until we tried a stall with full flaps. During the recovery when I retracted the flaps the nose pitched down instead of the up I was expecting. Then the left had pulled the throttle back because it thought that was the stick, then the right rand pushed the stick forward because it thought that was the throttle. It was quite the pilot induced oscillation I got going on.

[SkyPirate]

Totally under stand that TJ,..at one time I had 7 planes flying at the same time ,.one for each day of the week,.and all flew different some in major ways some in minor,..the biggest thing ,..I love stick flying ,..I put up with yoke flying and sometimes you catch yourself responding to a this when it should be a that

[Rodney]

OK - Now I've got the silly question

Thanks for the info Chase, BTW the spring assist is an option for the 7, it should also help take out the dead weight of the elevator which I am sure adds considerable drag
What option??? I went back and looked at the Kitfox Pricing Info, and under "Popular Options" - didn't see anything having to do with a spring assist system.

What am I missing???

[Dorsal]

Rodney,
Look in the parts catalog, ~$70 as I recall, very simple to install.

Chase,
Picture looks good though the hair line is a little generous

[SkyPirate]

Probably just not on the site yet ,..best bet is call John or Deb and ask for the most current options when your ready to order,..without seeing it ,..I'm guessing it's a spring that goes from the flap control to the elevator tube,..when you apply the flap it apply's pressure to the spring which pulls the elevator tube back along with the stick

[Rodney]

OK - good to know -

Rodney

[SkyPirate]

ha ha ha ~!! well not everyone can be perfect like us my hair line was last seen in 1979? guess I ticked it off and it left me ,.haven't seen it since

[Dorsal]

Rodney,
Page 32 of the parts catalog;
Flap/Elevator Interconnect, Trim Assist Kit Series 5, 6, 7, and SS
$79

[Rodney]

Thanks Dorsel - guess I better print out the parts catalogue and read it more carefully.

How about some pictures of that new Kitfox of yours????

Regards
Rodney Wren

[Dorsal]

For laughs I just went down and "dry" installed the spring assist kit, it took about 5 min (one of the parts should be bonded on so that will take an additional 5 min). The spring neutralizes all static forces on the elevator, it will hold neutral position hands off. As previously stated more back force is added with the application of flaps, all in all very simple, very cool.

[akarmy]

So, when I got my Series 7, I saw this silly little spring and angle bracket and was a bit skeptical about it's function. I figured, hey, it must be messing with the control feel and maybe I should remove it...

Well, then I spent some time flying the plane. That silly little spring really does it's job. It really makes it so you don't need to do much trimming when going from downwind, to full flaps on final. Pretty neat. Now most of the time I don't use flaps anyways, but when you do it helps with the trim situation just fine.