Kitfox-4 Porche powered ?? Yes !!!

[rogerh12]

I finally got my VW engine for my model 4, and boy is it a doozy. A real Cadillac of VW engines, it’s the coveted direct drive Great Plains 2400 cc Type-4 VW engine (as seen on barnstormers), also known as the Poormans Porche engine, used on the Porche 914. It boast more power, greater cooling capacity and is race-track strong (or so I hear).

It’s one of 20 special type-4s produced by great plains VW and features a high dollar custom forged crank, Force-one main bearing and Dual ignition. And the best part, it was a lousy $1,800 bucks !!! Of course, the cheap guy I am, I bought it stripoed down, so it still needs a few accessories (most of them actually), but I figure I can have it rebuilt and decked out with dual ignition for about 5K total investment (not counting a prop), set with a compression to run 87 octaine car gas and still produce around 80 HP max.

And yes, it does weight more, but there are a few tricks to dropping he weight (plus I have adjustable counter weights in my tail, if need). I will get some pics for you, but mostly it looks like a type 1, except the exhaust does not exit the sides of the head, they exit the bottom with both spark plugs on top of the engine.

Pics to follow, but first I need to order up a Kitfox-4 vw engine mount. Anyone got a spare model-4 firewall for sale?

Roger

[rogerh12]

See attached

[rogerh12]

Howdy all;
Just got my Great plains Porsche type 4 Engine mount today for the Kitfox-4. Weighs in at 2 lbs, 10 oz and has some nice welding on it, way better than I could do. Nice size stock too, should keep the old engine attached well enough. Picture shown with scale object, mounts pretty close to the fire wall I think, probably will need to make a cutout for the backup magneto ignition (due to arrive with the other engine accessories this week).

This mount cost $450 bucks, and needs to be reamed out and painted of course, but it’s a fair price for something like this I think.
Roger

[GWright6970]

Good going!!! Please update this thread as you progress with your installation!!!

[rogerh12]

Howdy All;
Well, I have finally stopped taking apart the Porsche Aero engine, and started putting it back together !!! I am getting a lot of work done, cleaning and making parts, since my wife left the country to visit her mom, but the house is looking a bit ragged (now it’s more like a warehouse). This larger variant of the type-1 engine offers more cooling fins, which should really come in handy with the slow flying Kitfox-4, though weight and CG are a constant concern. I have modified the exhaust and intake to try and move the engines CG back, along with most the accessories mounting locations, and ordered a light weight wood prop. But beggars can’t be choosers, and with the prop now on order, I still only have about $5,200 bucks in the whole firewall forward, which includes custom Engine mount, over-sized cowling, new duel ignition and electric start + Generator. I hope to have the whole thing mounted up and test running in 6-8 weeks.
Roger

[Dave F]

Roger -- looks promising.........

You marriage looks less promising LOL

better get it cleaned up and installed or you be in the dog house... for life LOL

[SkyPirate]

Lol brings back memories, before i got married i had a whole airplane on its wheels and wings on in my living room, you were liable to find airplane parts in the dish washer , pizza box's on the wings, and of course the cockpit was always free of debri so at any given time i could climb in and make airplane noises while looking out the sliding glass doors lol
Ahh the good ole days :) envy is stirring :)

Chase

[Dick B in KY]

Better hope the wife doesn't have access to this forum , or you be in REAL trouble from those pics.

Dick B

[Geowitz]

Where can I get rugged landing gear like that??? :p

[Dorsal]

Looks like it might be retractable :rolleyes:

[Av8r3400]

Looks a little narrow for me, but I'm sure Roger has a plan... :D

[rogerh12]

Actually, Larry (av8r3400) just sold me his used spring gear, as he has upgraded to a taller gear (at a great price too, thanks Larry !! ) But my custom wood gear is a real space-saver in the garage, so I think I will keep it on, well until taxi time anyway !!!

Though I have to say, after 9 airplane projects, my wife is kind of desensitized when it come to airplane parts laying around the house (you know, behind the couch, under bed, ect...) Still, it is HER kitchen, and if she found out,,,, well, I think she already suspects something .....
Roger

[rogerh12]

Howdy All;

Well it’s Saturday night, and the wife is still out of the country, so I figured, what the heck, I would just hang the engine on my Kitfox tonight !!!
As mentioned before, it’s a Kitfox model 4, the engine is a Great Plains conversion of a Type-4 Porsche 2400cc motor. As this engine fit requires a custom Engine mount and Cowling (which I bought premade), I still have to make my own custom firewall. So, I figure since the landing gear is wood, why not make the firewall out of cardboard? Ok, well it’s just a handy material to cut and add to, as needed, until I get the final firewall shape worked out, but it works good (though it kind of looks like a fire hazard, a “real” firewall !!! ). From the pictures, you can see that clearance from the motor to the firewall is good, despite it needing to be so close to the firewall to keep the CG in check, but the magneto clearance is minimal, so I will need to bang out a bit more room in the firewall.

The primary Distributor ignition is not yet installed, but the intake and exhaust pipes are done, they just need to be mounted (then I will test fit the cowling).
Well, that’s it for now
Roger

[rogerh12]

Another Saturday night, and another set of progress pics on the Porsche install. This Model 4 uses a special over-sized cowling, custom made for VW engine installs. As you can see by the pics, it is somewhat oval shaped to give more lateral room. However, the dang thing was warped, and I had a heck of a time finding enough clamps to align and hold all the seams, had to heat treat the front too. But, it turned out well, with only a somewhat wider seam gap on the front top cowl to front bottom cowl seam, but it will still work fine.

As I had problems with cam locks not fitting tight enough on my model 2, and wearing the fiber glass due to vibration,, this cowling will only use screws and nut plates. Lots of room under the cowling, so fit is not a problem, but I did had to use 1” spaces on the fuse front cowling support bracket, as the cowing is about 2 inches wider at the firewall then a stock cowling.

Now, time to pull the cowling off again and turn my cardboard firewall into a real metal one!!!!.
Roger

[SkyPirate]

Looking good Roger!

[Geowitz]

As much as I give VW's a hard time for Kitfox installs... :p It looks good.

[Av8r3400]

I wish you luck, Roger.

I hope it works as good as it looks.

[rogerh12]

Well the custom oversized stainless firewall is all cut and colecoed up, with still time to get drunk again on Saturday night !!!

Man, stainless is awful to work with, my drill bits are destroyed, my hands are full of cuts, I broke the jaw on my power shear, my dremmel cutoff wheels are in dust, and my hands are full of cuts (need I say more). The main panel is 0.035 sheet, the closeouts are 0.018, which was a lot easier to work with, but still sliced me up good.

Tomorrow, I will pull it apart, clean it up and get it final riveted, then I can go back to putting things on the plane, and stop make or taking things back off (for now). I still need to figure out where the oil cooler will go, but everything else is already in place (in my heads anyway) and fits up fine, thanks to the oversized cowling.
Roger

[rogerh12]

I replaced the cardboard firewall with stainless, and the wood landing gear with aluminum.
Looks more like a plane kit now !!!
Add some accessories under the hood, then put the cowling back on for a final fitting and I will be ready to install a prop and maybe run it soon too !!!
Roger

[Pilot4Life]

Exciting times ahead...way to go...can't wait to hear of the first flight...not too far off!