Kitfox CarbonTech Hub Caps

[jdmcbean]

Although the Kitfox CarbonTech hub caps are HALF the weight of the aluminum, it's only 1 oz per hub cap. So these are more about the eye catching pop of carbon fiber. Upgrade your 6" wheel to CarbonTech.
Only $55.00 per set.

[efwd]

Will the Seat Pan be next? Cowl and Pan could be an interesting 10# savings in the future. That could get me from 24# to 34# of baggage with full tanks and my girlfriend. Not bad. And I did find the cowl work some of the most gratifying work on the build. Could be that all this could be in my future.

[aviator79]

I would think that seat pans and glareshields would sell well to owners with flying airplanes. Those are a lot quicker to fit than cowls, and would look gooood in the cockpit unupholstered. :cool:

[NinerBikes]

Will the Seat Pan be next? Cowl and Pan could be an interesting 10# savings in the future. That could get me from 24# to 34# of baggage with full tanks and my girlfriend. Not bad. And I did find the cowl work some of the most gratifying work on the build. Could be that all this could be in my future.

I believe Trent Palmer got a carbon fiber beefed up seat pan, perhaps a prototype, for his short STOL landings that were snapping zip ties when he and the wife went flying? I think that's a great idea, along with the center "tunnel" an dash between the seats that houses all the levers for brakes, flaperons, etc. Trent also got some metal tabs added welded, to his 5 SS to bolt the seat pan to, so it's quite beefy now for rough landings with big tires and shocks to absorb the impact. Good for rental KitFoxes too that students are learning in, and making not the most gentle of landings while learning what NOT to do.

[Brandon Petersen]

Hi Brian and Eddie! Many things to come. We are working these items as time and mold availability permit. Currently we are testing wing tips with the landing light option, expect some info on those before year end. We are also currently doing a carbon panel. More to come there. The glare shield and floor boards we have done. There is no weight savings on the glare shield but it looks really good!! The only thing to consider is the possible interference (or total blockage) of antenne signal from anything being mounted under the glare shield.
The floor boards are a push weightwise with varnished wood. So we are probably not going to even offer those as they would just be expensive floor boards.

Next priority will be the seat pan. Our plan, to get the lightest possible seat, is to offer a seat WITHOUT the under seat toolbox feature with carbon/ Kevlar and targeting a weight of 2.5 pounds, compared to a standard seat in the 6.5-7 lb range. Significant weight savings if we can get to our target.

We are having a great time making these awesome features for the Kitfox! We appreciate the positive feedback and support!!!!

[efwd]

Brandon, you said exactly what I was thinking. No storage under the seat for a Carbon Fiber version. That is a pretty nice wt savings you are reporting on the pan. :)

[jrevens]

I love the carbon fiber look, strength, & weight savings. A carbon fiber seat pan would be very appealing to me. I’d buy one of those. As far as the cowls go, that doesn’t appeal quite as much for a couple of reasons. First, I really don’t need to loose any weight ahead of my CG. It might be a different story if I had a heavier prop like the Airmaster, or a heavier engine. I have the ground adjustable Whirlwind with a 912 ULS. Other than decreasing my total empty weight, which is 819# now, my CG situation would actually be better with more weight in the nose. I can’t even come close to the forward limit as it is now. My loading options are good as it is, but it would be even better with more weight up front. Also, I would hope that the fit & finish of the carbon fiber units is better than my fiberglass one was, and if someone wanted to show off their carbon cowl, they wouldn’t have to do the amount of filling and sanding that was necessary on my fiberglass. I’m not sure what you would use to fill the carbon fiber, but I assume it could mess up the looks. No problem if it’s going to be painted of course. How UV resistant are the carbon fiber parts?

[jmodguy]

John, Brandon,
Are the seat pan and cowls bagged or wet layup?

[Brandon Petersen]

Hi Jeff!!
Currently they are wet layup. Any new moulds we make are being set up for the option of vacuum.

Brandon

[Brandon Petersen]

John Evens... Since bringing the composites in house we have worked really hard to clean up and even in some cases, replaced the moulds. I don't know that we'll ever get to a point of a "ready to bolt together" composite, but I do feel good about what we are presenting to the builder today. That's been the biggest benefit of bringing them under our own roof is the quality control, despite the massive undertaking and expense, it's been worth it!

I agree that you would have little reward of saving weight up front with your package. The primary benefit will be to those with a heavier install such as the 914/ 915iS or those who want to swap the weight of the cowls for a constant speed prop.

All of our CarbonTech parts, with the exception of the seats, are being made with a UV gel coat so they can be left exposed. If someone wants to leave the seat parts exposed they will need to spray a UV blocking clear coat.

[jrevens]

That all sounds great, Brandon! Thanks much.

Speaking of my set-up and the CG, there is no reason for me to pay extra for a lightweight Lithium battery for the same reason... I like that!

[Rik]

Why not just make the seats and such out of S glass instead?