Classic IV Speedster Rebuild

[Travm1982]

Hello TeamKitfox,
My name is Travis I'm 30 years old and like many of you have had an interest in aviation for as long as I can remember. My favorite toys as a kid were always the ones with wings and propellers, or even just something that I could pretend had wings. Growing up I learned about aviation from spending time at the local FBO with my dad who was a private pilot and owned several of his own aircraft throughout the years. After high school I attended college at K-State Salina School of Technology and Aviation where I studied to become a professional pilot. Somewhere along the way I fell short of my dream of becoming a paid professional pilot but never lost my passion for aviation.

As fate would have it, my father and I were recently lucky enough to stumble across an add on barnstormers under rotax for a salvaged Kitfox Classic IV Speedster that had suffered a rough landing and been a little bent up. The plane had been purchased from the original builder and was on its way to being parted out. The seller had included no pictures of the aircraft and was simply trying to sell the rotax 912 by itself. For whatever reason my father decided to give the guy a call to inquire a little more into the condition of the airframe. Once we recieved a few photos the seller had our full attention, and to make a long and somewhat adveturous story short, we were able to make a deal and I am now the very proud and opptomistic owner of my very own airplane. N130JL needs a little love, but I am confident that with some work, and some help from Teamkitfox that we will be able to return her to her previous glory.

My plan is to keep an ongoing record of our progress here and hopefully enlist the wisdom and experience of the TeamKitfox members so that I might have a better chance at being successful.

Below is a picture from before the incident that crippled her. I will post more photos and my plans to restore her later. :D

Thanks for reading
Travis

[HighWing]

In my opinion, you happened onto one of the best of the bunch. Good luck on the restoration and do keep us posted.

[Travm1982]

According to the previous owner, and pilot at the time of the crash, the engine died on takeoff a few hundred feet above the ground. The pilot had to make an emergency landing straight ahead in a marshy area full of small trees and scrub brush. Fortunately no one was seriouly injured.

Now I'm just waiting on the FAA before I can get started. Does anyone know how long I can expect to wait on a responce? I sent my paperwork for re-registration away about a week ago. The previous owner had the registration cancled. As a result big brother (the FAA) wants to do an inspection to verify that the aircraft is capable of being restored to airworthiness.

[Av8r3400]

Are you going to take the opportunity to upgrade to the Grove style gear?

(I did when I bent my bungee truss.)

[Travm1982]

I'm planning on using a bush style gear either from kitfox or highwing llc. I considered the grove gear, but I just love the styling of the bush gear. Since I can't have a super cub I might as well try to build something that resembles one Did you end up cutting and welding in new tubes when you bent your bungie truss?

[Av8r3400]

Yes I (we) did. I had the help of a good friend who is a supremely qualified welding artist.

Link (http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=2851&highlight=bungee+truss)

[SaskFox]

Good luck on your fix. It will be nice to see it flying again.

[foxkit3]

Quote.. Since I can't have a super cub. Your going to have a sweet plane man. I would take a classic speedster over a pa-18 super cub anyday. Performance is very simular you will just burn half the amount of fuel.

[Bryan]

Travis I have rebuilt my IV because of the same type of mishap, so if I can be any assistance let me know. I am in the middle of a house build and it may take a while to get back with you but I will do what I can. Up until a year ago I lived in Emporia but moved South to Tulsa, but I have a lot of pics and can talk you through what I did. Call if you want Bryan 620-481-1976

[Travm1982]

Well its been a while since I have posted anything, so I guess I'll give everyone an update. Life has been crazy lately, we bought a house, got married, and had a baby all in about a year and a half. So I have had to put the Kitfox project on the back burner. On the plus side, I have had plenty of time to study the damage and after several different plans of attack on how to fix it I have finally committed to the one that I think is best.

Originally and after talking to an A&P the plan was to try and bend most of the damaged tubing back into place using pusher blocks and big C clamps. Well that was easier said than done, and the tubes I did push back into place just weren't turning out as straight as I would have liked. So I scrapped that and decided to stop ***** footing around and just figure out a way to cut out the damage and replace it with straight new tubing.

I took careful measurements and sketched out a plan of where everything should end back up, then started cutting.

You can see the temporary bracing I installed to keep everything where its supposed to be while I fabricate a new belly structure.

I also bought a Lathe/Mill to help with any machining. It works pretty well for coping the tubing so far. :cool:

[Paul Z]

Very nice looking IV, best of luck with a difficult repair! Congratulations with respect to the family, family first.

[Travm1982]

Thanks Paul, I hope I can do the plane justice. The original builder did a great job. I can't wait to get the wings back on and fire up the old rotax. I'm crossing my fingers on that one..

[av8rps]

You got yourself one nice little speedster. I looked that Kitfox over extensively at OSH a bunch of years ago. Its paint scheme inspired what I did on my Kitfox. I love how it has a look reminescent of an old Monocoupe. That will be a fun ride when you get it done. But hang that pretty GSC on the wall and get a prop that performs. You'll gain significant performance.

I like your approach to the repairs. You won't regret doing it right.

Keep us posted. It's exciting to know it will be flying again one day,..

[Travm1982]

Just a few more tubes to cope and I can start tacking it up. This will be the new belly when it's finished.

[Travm1982]

Av8rps, That's so cool to me that you remember seeing this plane at Oshkosh. The builder had a sticker for each year he went stuck inside the cockpit.

I'm pushing hard to get her put back together. I know it can't be good for the engine to just be sitting. My goal is to be ready for fabric/paint by next spring

[av8rps]

Yeah, I really liked that Kitfox. I took a bunch of pictures of it (and still have then somewhere in my 10 billion digital pics files :) )

Oh, and I remember seeing his stickers for all his years attending OSH. It was great to see a guy with a Kitfox use his plane to fly cross country. More of us should do that. But usually Kitfoxers don't get too far from the den...

So many times we see the Long EZ's and the RV's at the fly ins, as traveling distances is what those planes do best. Unfortunately that makes people believe planes like Kitfoxes are not common, when that is far from the truth. In my part of the world we have Kitfox type airplanes about 5 to 1 compared to the RV's and Rutan machines. And man do our guys have fun! 160 mph is great to go places, but taking off and landing short, while still going 100+ mph at 4 gph is typically more practical for the fun flyers of the world. I always tease my friends with their fast airplanes how well theirs work on skis or floats? I personally have always said if I wanted a FAST plane I'd buy a turbo Glasair 3 and go REALLY FAST! (flew one in the 90's with Bob Herendeen cruising at 270 knots that day, UPSIDE DOWN!) ? That usually makes them stop picking on me :D

If you need more time to get that great little Speedster back in the air, just drain all the fuel you can so it doesn't get old, and then roll that 912 over by hand every few weeks to keep everything oiled up. While we all want you to be enjoying that great little Speedster, it is most important it be done properly. I think your goals are very practical.


Av8rps, That's so cool to me that you remember seeing this plane at Oshkosh. The builder had a sticker for each year he went stuck inside the cockpit.

I'm pushing hard to get her put back together. I know it can't be good for the engine to just be sitting. My goal is to be ready for fabric/paint by next spring

[SkyPirate]

flame welding? tig or mig?

[Travm1982]

flame welding? tig or mig?

Tig. I bought a Miller Syncrowave 200 a few years ago that I have been playing with. Thanks to Jody from '' Welding Tips and Tricks" on youtube I feel like can do a sufficient job at sticking everything back together. The only part that I still need some practice on will be the inverted stuff when I have to lay underneath the fuselage and weld the belly back in.

[Av8r_Sed]

Be nice if you could rotate the fuselage to avoid overhead work. Think you can tack it sufficiently to be able to rotate? Got your aluminum foil ready to help hold the purge gas around the clusters?

[Travm1982]

Some of my better welds on the finished belly. Ready for gear fittings.

[mr bill]

Very nice welding.

[Travm1982]

Very nice welding.

Thank you, I'm getting better and better. The tricky stuff is yet to come. :)

[Av8r_Sed]

Yeah, it's looking good. Nice fitup. I think you'll have no problems.