Stabilizer Trim Slot Closeout

[jiott]

I just finished what I think is a good method to closeout the stabilizer trim slot, to help keep cold air from blowing into the tail cone and then forward to the back of your neck. I used "Easy-Cut Strip Brush", part number 7900T1 from McMaster-Carr. Using Hysol, on the inside of the access panels, I glued a piece of the plastic strip brush on each side of the slot so the brush tips meet on the centerline of the slot. When installed, the stabilizer tube travels up and down the slot, easily moving the brushes out of the way, but still closing in behind. Tried it out today on a 3 hour flight and it works well; less drafty in the cockpit.

[PaulSS]

Very neat and a great idea :)

[Frontier Fox]

Hmmm. That’s on my list for sure.

[efwd]

Awesome that you provided the part number. Ive seen this type of application before and figured I was going to have to cannibalize some sort of broom. Thanks for sharing.
Eddie

[airlina]

Jim , Pictures and part numbers , what more can we ask for . great idea thanks, Bruce N199CL

[aviator79]

I was thinking of something just like this based on what you used to see around AT shift levers in automobile center consoles, but I wasn't sure where to get the brush material. Awesome

[colospace]

Looks mighty fine Jim. I have had in mind to do something to close out those slots too, but I had not gotten to the point of needing to actually find/chose a material. Thanks for finding and providing a source.

[jiott]

I think the same stuff could also be used to close out the big openings at the leading edge of the elevator. I may do that next.

[efwd]

I was also going to use it to close out the flapperon slot in the turtle deck.

[jiott]

I also thought about using it on the flaperon slots, but decided against it because the transparency of the turtle deck would show the Hysol glue mess thru to the outside. The simple 1/4" foam rubber closeouts stuck on with contact cement look much better and are simple to install.

The foam rubber also works OK on the stabilizer trim slots, but you have to make sure you use a fairly soft foam rubber because there is a lot of motion back there, and you don't want heavy pressure rubbing and wearing on the stabilizer tube as it moves up and down. That's why I thought the brush idea would be better, and it also looks kind of cool.

[efwd]

I also didn't like that. I would use E6000 adhesive. Its clear, flexible and requires very little qty to work well. I have used it to glue glass bottles together and it is very strong.

[David47]

The brush seal idea is a good solution Jim and I'm planning on doing something similar. You may need to keep an eye on any dust or grit build up just as a precaution.

[airlina]

Another area I have always wanted to address is the space between the horizontal stabilizer and the base of the vertical stabilizer. This is a notoriously high drag area on all airplanes especially on the Kitfox because of the open gap. I have thought a soft foam of some sort would work here because it needs to move freely with the trim. Maybe shaped to the rib and contact cemented to the rib to allow the foam to slide on the empennage panel freely as the stab is trimmed. Once I find the right material ,I'll give it a go and take pictures. Bruce N199CL

[jiott]

Go for it Bruce. I think we're on a roll here.

[neville]

Thin overlapping pieces of leather work well for the flaperon slot on the turtle deck. The forward piece overlaps the aft piece and the flaperon tube rests in a cutout area slightly larger than the tube diameter. When the turtle deck is installed the leather separates and closes behind tube as the turtle deck is lowered. I riveted them on.

[Floog]

I LIKE it! Thanks, Jim. Four Kitfoxers in Lebanon the other day. Fun!

[airlina]

Jim , just wanted to say thanks for letting me plagiarize ( had to look that one up in the dictionary) your idea. Finally got around to doing the mod on the stab trim slots. Hoping for some snow to melt off the strip soon , so I can see if my neck stays any warmer on a test flight. If nothing else, looks a whole lot better than the open slots. Bruce N199CL

[n85ae]

Looks nice Bruce!

[airlina]

Credit goes to Jim for a great idea , gotta love this forum for the ingenuity of the members. Bruce N199CL

[Cherrybark]

These are the kinds of details I'm having fun working on now. Chimed in to say I like Bruce's "No Push" decal on the stabilizer. Nice notice for helpful friends, not that I would ever mistakenly grab there of course...

[jim31886]

Great Idea. I put a brush seal on the hangar door and the wife's garden shed before winter hit. I had some scraps that were just right. I used this stuff off of ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brush-Seal/272665806466?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=571796280660&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[airlina]

Jim, that looks very similar to the brush strip I used from Mcmaster Carr. As a side note, I had a good opportunity to test the effects of the finished product as it was 19 degrees yesterday when i went flying. Its hard to quantify the reduction in airflow that I used to get on the back of my head and neck , but i would say it has been cut down by 75% with the brush closeout. I used to velcro a cordura curtain between the cockpit and baggage area to block the flow , but won't have to do that anymore. Bruce N199CL