Jeffs 340 Kitfox

[jmodguy]

A little more progress. Vortex generators on bottom of stab, seat cushions here and brakes are bled!

[DesertFox4]

Very nice looking work Jeff.

[Flybyjim]

To me that seems like a lot of VG's, who is the manufacture of these and did they supply a template?

[jmodguy]

To me that seems like a lot of VG's, who is the manufacture of these and did they supply a template?

Stolspeed is the manufacturer and yes they provide templates. These were reviewed and test flown on a series 5 with very good results!

[Flybyjim]

Nice, glad to hear there is some real research behind the placement of the vg's

[jmodguy]

Here’s the link. Pretty good before and after data points. This vid made my decision for me.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vGzHZKRZi7s

[jmodguy]

Upper cowl mold! Even has the oil check door built in 😐
And the oil cooler intake with bell mouth!

[jmodguy]

Engine back on! Not too much more before engine run!

[bbs428]

That's one nice engine bay! Love everything your doing.
Hope your 1st start is uneventful. :D

Not far to go now!

[jmodguy]

Thanks bbs.
hoping to make Oshkosh this year

[Meyer]

I am fortunate that Jeff lives nearby. This thing is in a hangar nearby too. Amazing to see in person.

[aviator79]

Your composite craftsmanship is beautiful. She'll be one of a kind, for sure.

[DesertFox4]

Very nice Jeff.

[efwd]

Yeah, that thing is cool. Looking forward to hearing how it sounds.

[Esser]

Engine back on! Not too much more before engine run!


She looks like she's begging for more air under those wings. Beautiful machine. Lets go get it dirty

[jmodguy]

Thanks guys! Hoping to ”get it dirty” sometime in May. Once I get a couple years on it - normalize it!

[jmodguy]

Got my seats back today! Leather over oregon aero cushions. I like the way they came out.

[efwd]

Yeah, those are really nice Jeff.

[colospace]

Now those are really fine looking seats!!

[jmodguy]

Thank you! Finished the cowl mold layup today. Will pop it out tomorrow.2190321904

[jmodguy]

Came out easy enough. So far so good. All 3 cowl molds are done. A little cleanup and start bagging.21918

[DesertFox4]

Nice work Jeff. Should yield nice cowl pieces.

[Meyer]

Awesome! When do we fly?

[jmodguy]

Hope to be flying in May...

[jmodguy]

Started bagging cowl parts today!22040

[David47]

This really is very nice work Jeff.

[jmodguy]

Thanks David!

upper cowl came in at 4lb 11.2oz. Will lose a little for final trimming and gain some for paint.22045

[jmodguy]

Boot cowl under vacuum!
22066

[jmodguy]

A touch over 3 lb before trimming...

[jmodguy]

With a lot of help from some good friends I got the lower cowl laid up and bagged today. So far so good!

[DesertFox4]

Jeff, they are a lot of effort. I enjoyed that process. Very educational.

[efwd]

Man, that is one project that I wish we all had to do. When people say "you built that from scratch"? I first think of the fact that those fiberglass parts were only tweeked by me. I always proceed by explaining how the kit plane thing works immediately after that thought. I am one who just doesn't care to have people believe I built the plane as some people have done with, say, a WWI kind of plane from plans. That is such a different task. IMHO, a whole addtl level of skill set. I have considered even taking on a project like that but.....IDK. My hats off too you.

[jmodguy]

Yes Steve it was very educational!

Thanks Eddie. The cowl has added “months” to my build. As for scratch built, here’s a pic of my other project. It’s a GP-4. It’s on hold til I get the ‘fox done.


Here is a pic of the lower cowl out of the mold. 7.5lbs before trimming. Don’t know why it is inverted. I Inverted the pic on my phone thinking it would work and it’s still upside fown 🤬
2225422255

[DesertFox4]

Jeff, I un-inverted your cowl photo. Figured you didn't have inverted oil and fuel on that Kitfox. Well not yet anyway.

[jmodguy]

Thanks for the fix DF4! I’ll add inverted system when I normalize it in a couple years! 😬

[Meyer]

Looks good!!

I agree with efwd's comments. I am just kind of assembling things. This stuff is more like real fabrication. Really cool and really time consuming.

[efwd]

Yep, makes perfect sense to me now Jeff. Your one of those guys. Nice looking project.

[jmodguy]

Gee Eddie... “one of those guys”??? 😂😂 jk
Thanks for the compliment! It should run about 220 mph-ish on an O-320. I hope...

[jmodguy]

Progress so far...
batteries reinstalled after much worry over a simple solution. Thanks Meyer👍
Power checks good, wing tips installed and flashy things flash. Landing and taxi lights work!
Hope to fit the cowl this weekend.

[jmodguy]

Fuel level placards installed!

[HighWing]

A thought. The fuel levels will show somewhat different quantities whether in the three point or level flight configuration. Also the full indication at the top of the gauge will show about 9 gallons remaining before the first air shows. I did the per gallon fill routine on my first Model IV when designing my placard and discovered these details. One of the guys we frequently flew with always flew with his wife. When fueling, she always sat in the airplane and shouted out when the fuel raised to the level she could no longer see the air. He never flew with more than 9 gallons in each tank based on my gallon by gallon test.

[jmodguy]

I guess the most important indication is when it's getting close to E!

[jiott]

I really do like my "little red cube" fuel flow rate/totalizer. It makes it so easy to know remaining fuel during flight on a long x-country. After calibration it appears to be accurate within 1 gallon or so.

[David47]

Jeff, your work is first rate. And with an O-320, this will be a beast ! Looking forward to seeing those performance figures.

[PapuaPilot]

Jeff, your plane is looking great!

FYI here is what my fuel level gauge looks like. I calibrated each tank by adding 2 gallons at a time and put the plane in both attitudes. There isn't a big difference with lower amounts of fuel. As you can see I am at 10 gallons when it starts showing at the top of the gauges.
22540

[jmodguy]

Thanks David! I’m an IO-340 and hope to make some interesting numbers!

And thank you Phil. I didnt calibrate as I am using a stand alone fuel flow. Hope I’m able to remember to scan the fuel tanks!

A little more progress. Cowl fasteners are just what I was looking for!

225412254222543

[PapuaPilot]

Nice!

I have the Red Cube fuel flow sensor and like it how my fuel remaining and wing tank gauges always agree +/- 1 gallon . . . if I remember to program the correct fuel after refilling.

[jmodguy]

Yeah... That last part.. THere's always a gotcha isn't there

[jmodguy]

It’s coming together. Got the cowl trimmed today. Needs a little cleanup here n there then final trim and paint.
The rest is just assembly of a few items and call the FSDO!
You can get an idea of what it will look like. Cowl will have the Boss stripes on the cowl and coming down the side like the car.

[DesertFox4]

Finish line can’t be far off now Jeff. Looking good. 👍

[jmodguy]

I have to admit that making your cowl is not for the timid...!
here’s a few pics of my progress. Fasteners are in and getting close to paint. Needs the final edge treatment and glaze coat of filler then prime n paint 😬

[Shadowrider]

Wow! I am sure I have no idea how much work those where.

[DesertFox4]

Great progress Jeff. Hundreds of hours of labor and talent surrounding that beautiful engine.
Not for the timid is correct.
I’m estimating 250 plus hours in my carbon cowls, intake naca and side naca vents and I had very nice molds to start with.😲

[David47]

So is that lower stb'd side intake cooling for the oil cooler ?. Like Ben from Aus, you're building a class aeroplane. Congratulations on taking risks, putting in heaps of hours .. and probably $'s ... to achieve what you want. This will be a real eye-catcher.

[jmodguy]

David,
Yes the lower stbd intake is for the oil cooler. Did a lot of research designing this cowl. NACA ducts don’t work well for oil coolers so I went with this option. It’s a 4” tubes I should get plenty air!

Thanks DF4. I have no idea how many hours I have in this cowl... a $#i+ ton or there about.

Shadow,
I think with all my changes I added 12 - 18 months of excitement, frustration, cussing, discovery and a wee bit o’ learning...!

[jmodguy]

Final assembly...

[bbs428]

That cowl is serious eye candy... beautiful work! :D

[DesertFox4]

Jeff, that’s just amazing workmanship.

[jmodguy]

Thank you kind sirs! It will be unique 😀

[efwd]

The visuals of that cowl just brings the adjective "Ornery" back to mind. Damn Nice Job man.

[Shadowrider]

Impressive. What did you use to body work it that smooth?

[jrevens]

Whoa!... gorgeous, Jeff!

[jmodguy]

Thanks for the compliments!

Dustin
basic body work techniques. When you think it’s smooth, close your eyes and run your hand over it. If you can feel anything, however slight, do it again... lots of sanding... LOTS!

[Shadowrider]

Thanks it looks awesome. I was more wondering what product you used to body fill it? Did you use a glaze, body filler, resign, etc?

[jmodguy]

There’s really no “fill”. I did use a glaze to fill in pinholes etc but this shape is direct from the mold. The inlets were molded separately and added after the cowl was made. There was a little clean up there but the gap was pretty tight. I did not add a gel coat due to weight and epoxy compatibility concerns. I figured if I’m going to paint, I really don’t need a gel coat. I’m happy (and done) with the results. It really shines in person. Looks wet just sitting there!

[jmodguy]

Finished up the engine install minus exhaust over the weekend. Should have exhaust worked out this week. Also hope to have stripes layed out as well. Maybe run a fuel system check this weekend 😃
The other pic is a butterfly for my oil cooler. Might come in handy on those cold days.

[rawheels]

You're making good progress. Recently watched Mike Patey's video (https://youtu.be/stkvTQ1lCSw) and he mentioned taking some weight off of the starter ring. Fun to see the same thing on your engine.

[JoeRuscito]

Unbelievably beautiful work!

[jmodguy]

Hey Wheels.... yeah the lightened flywheels have been out for a while. The titanium one Mike spoke of is cha-chiiiiiing $$$$$$$$! I’m interested in his head locker tho. I saw one a couple years back for a 4 cylinder but don’t remember who made it.

Thanks Joe 🙂

[jmodguy]

Found a use for that “thing” 😂 on the bottom of the engine mount...

[jrevens]

Ha! ...yes you did, Jeff. Good idea!

[DesertFox4]

Jeff, that “ thing” is your ground loop inhibitor. 😉

Looking forward to seeing the “Boss” up close and in person.👍

[efwd]

Is that another piece of work you made yourself? Looks well made with the taper on the strap and all. I wonder however, my engine twists quite a bit. Enough so that it requires a well established hole size for the stinger to go through the cowl. I know it swings that much because it has burned the edge of the fiberglass enough to leave a mark on the stinger. What are your thoughts?

[jmodguy]

DF4, I thought thats what your feets were for! 😂

Eddie, my thoughts - make the hole bigger...
Just kidding! 😬 I’m not using mags so it shouldn’t shake as bad. My other thought is that the attach point is behind the engine, not under, so the sense is that it will pivot a bit and lateral up/down movement will be less.
I could be wrong...! I do plan to keep an eye on it as it is a bit unorthodox.
Yeah I fabbed the hangar up from a 2” strip of .050 stainless and some other stuff from mcmaster aircraft supply. It is strong but has quite a bit of flexibility.

[jmodguy]

Fuel flow/leak checks...
Put 5 gal in each tank about a gal every 5 minutes. Had a couple issues but all is good now. Fuel pressure set to 35 psi and both tanks check and flow good.
Next up is to bleed the brakes and check valve clearances and should be ready for first start.
Wt and bal set for next weekend.

[jmodguy]

Wet layup of wing root cuffs. Seems easier than shaping a piece of aluminum and it fits the contours perectly!
I covered masing tape with packing tape then smoothed the harsh areas with modeling clay , then one coat of wax.

[DesertFox4]

Looking good. Your “to do” list is dwindling Jeff. Good to hear. Not long now to your first flight.

[bbs428]

Looks easy enough... Might have to do the same for my wing root cuffs. ;)


Congratz on a terrific looking aircraft. All the best on your 1st flight.

[jmodguy]

Pics for review

[jmodguy]

Today has been a long time coming. BossFox fired to life today! No leaks and a learning curve to overcome with the FlyEFII system. Overall I am pleased with the outcome. Now to dial it in👍🏻

Pics/vid soon

[DesertFox4]

Yahoo! Big day Jeff. Congrats.

[efwd]

Congrats Jeff! significant mile marker and without problem. Nice.

[jmodguy]

Seems I can’t get a video to imbed so a still is what you get!

[Frontier Fox]

That’s a great way to end the year and start a new one. Happy for you.

[bbs428]

Wow! A fitting end to 2019. Congratz!!

[JoeRuscito]

Cant wait to see that thing fly! Congrats!

[Meyer]

Congrats! A long road!

[jmodguy]

Thanks for all the kind comments! I had to do something because Meyer is catching up quick... I don’t think he sleeps 😲

[jrevens]

It looks really sweet, Jeff! It's gonna' be a real performer... can't wait to hear how it goes.

[Shadowrider]

This is the part of the build that it starts to get fun! Excited to see it fly!

[efwd]

Ive been waiting to hear it! What a tease the still shot was. lol. Of course were all still happy to see it.

[Av8r3400]

Congratulations, Jeff and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[jmodguy]

Thanks again to everyone and Happy New Year to everyone on TeamKitfox!

[jmodguy]

Some were asking about my S5 razorback mod. Here are a few pics.
I used an aluminum tube that had the same diameter as the fin leading edge. Secured and blended it in with Hysol on both ends.

[SilverFox5]

Thanks for posting the pictures Jeff.
I am going to add this mod to my K5.
These pictures will help a lot.
Joe
K5 912uls

[bbs428]

Your plane looks great! Can't wait for the debrief on it's maiden flight. Weather should be in your favor soon.

[jmodguy]

Followed the advice from the forum and ordered the larger elevator for my S5. Got a call from the factory and my elevator should be here next week. Will get it covered and painted quick so I can get this bird inspected and flying!

[DesertFox4]

A definite improvement in handling characteristics Jeff.

[jmodguy]

Parking brake leak fixed, brakes re-bled and compass installed. Need to get the light hooked up.
Will be getting the GRT EIS calibrated next, then the EFII system.
A couple items need paint. Those will get taken care of when I paint the new elevator.
Put the vortex generators on and call the FSDO.
Hopefully I can get all of this done by the end of April...

[jmodguy]

Well nothing seems to happen as quickly as I would like 😣
Today I pulled the plane out and got a few things dialed in. Tach, EIS limits, fuel flow and other setup items. At 2000 RPM I though I was going to start dragging my F150!
All that is left is dialing in the fuel mapping on the efii system and paint the Boss stripes on the cowl. Oh and the larger elevator now bumps the rudder 🤬 I have an idea for new stops. Will get it fabbed this week.
Decided to split center seat belts thru the seat pan. Seems like a cleaner look, to me at least. Got leather boots on the sticks done finally and root cuffs and Vortex generators too. Decided to follow the About to Stall placement.

[DesertFox4]

You’re on the home stretch Jeff. Everything looks incredible. Common issue on rudder stops. You’ll work it out. Seats look amazing and belts very nicely done. Excited for you. 👍

[efwd]

Yeah Jeff, it really looks nicely done. I wonder if you would mind telling us about the source on the seats? I have been considering swapping my seats. I really like the looks of those. I am looking forward to your first flight.

[jmodguy]

The seats are Oregon Aero cushions. Very comfy! Upholstery is a very supple black leather. Bought a whole cowhide and a local custom upholstery guy stitched them up. The Boss Fox logo was embroidered by a local embroidery shop. Wasn’t cheap but I like the results!

[jmodguy]

A couple pics found their way to the factory and I received a real nice call from John. With that, I present the Boss Fox...
Waiting on FSDO to come and inspect. They are not allowed out for now. Tomorrow is wt&bal and clean up the paperwork.

[DesertFox4]

Beautiful Jeff!!!

[Kitfox Pilot]

Jeff that is one nice looking Kitfox. The seats are very nice, do you have pics of what you did with the rest of the interior?

[jmodguy]

Harlan,
All I did was paint it Rat Rod Black...:D No side panels etc. Saving weight...

[efwd]

Really Nice Jeff! Been waiting for the reveal. Scratch built engine cowl... Your an inspiration to all of us. Anybody concerned about trimming and fitting the factory cowl just needs to look here.
Can't wait for the first flight.

[bumsteer]

Jeff

A future Lindy Award winner at Airventure 2021 for sure!!

Rick

[jiott]

VERY nice!

[jrevens]

Yep... I second all those comments. It looks really good Jeff!
Can't wait to hear how it performs!

[bbs428]

Sooooo sweet dude! Awesome result!! (drool) :D

[jmodguy]

Thanks for the nice comments guys. A Lindy??? I don’t know about that!
I hope the FAA can figure out how to get back out in the field soon...

[jmodguy]

Wt and bal done. 1017 with 63 lbs at tail wheel. Gonna be a fun toy! Paperwork submitted and FAA Inspector notified. Soon as they are allowed to go out in the field I’ll get inspected. Reviewing the EAA flight test deck so I’ll be ready for that part. Waiting...

[dcsfoto]

sent you a PM

might be of help in the next couple of weeks I will be just north of you in Warsaw to get some things corrected on my new Van

David Kelm
AP,IA
DART,DARF
501 804 9285

[Flybyjim]

1017 lbs, what are others averaging for the weight of a kitfox super 7?

[jrevens]

Mine was 819 lbs., Jim. That's with a bunch of heavy "steam gauges".

[rawheels]

...and a 912uls at ~135lbs. Think Jeff mentioned his IO-340 was around 280lbs at some point in this thread.

[jrevens]

Yes, that's the point, and I believe that Jim was probably asking about a "typical" S7 - maybe I'm wrong. Also, I think that the average weight of a 912 ULS installed in a Kitfox is 140 lbs. or a little more. Wait ... I just realized I could add a second 912 ULS & have a 200 hp twin for about the same weight! Then I could run with the Big Dogs! ;)

[jmodguy]

There was a biplane Kitfox so why not a twin??? 😐

https://teamkitfox.com/Forums/blob:https://teamkitfox.com/41f29efe-e71a-46fb-8881-d773a47229cd

[binder]

I like it! Looks awesome.

Are kitfox really that heavy on the tail? 67lbs seems really high for the tail on a fabric airplane, especially with a large engine up front. My metal airplane with scott 3200 tail wheel was only in the 20's on the tail. Not to challenge judgement but it was performed level and not tail low, correct? That seems to be a common high tail wheel calc with home builts (weight and balance performed in 3 point stance instead of parallel to ground).

[jmodguy]

340KF received an airworthiness certificate this morning...
Thank you Dave! 😃

[Clark in AZ]

Awesome! Congratulations!

Clark

[Meyer]

Congrats!!!

[Kitfox Pilot]

Congratulations ! I can't wait to post that for my build.

[bumsteer]

Great job Jeff!! Congratulations. Hope to see it at Airventure 2021 (fingers crossed).

Rick

[DesertFox4]

Really looking forward to meeting your Boss Fox in person Jeff. Lots of creative thought and work went into your Kitfox.
Congrats again on getting it over the finish line. Now. Phase One. 👍

[efwd]

Terrific news Jeff! Congratulations! Your build was inspiring. Im still not going to take on a custom engine cowl though. ;)

[Delta Whisky]

This is great news - now awaiting first flight photos!!

[SomeDay7]

Congrats. Hope the Boss Fox hauls the mail. From a previous post. I like the resemblance.

[jmodguy]

Boss Fox will be at airventure '21 - if they have it.

C'mon Eddie it's a lot of fun!! :p DAR said the same as you though... :cool:

Someday - yeah I remember that pic! made me realize it was the right choice...

[jrevens]

Man, I can't wait to see it at OSH Jeff. It's a special one... a great accomplishment!

[rv9ralph]

Great Job Jeff!. It's been a long haul, but you did it!

Ralph

[ken nougaret]

Congrats! Can't wait to see performance numbers.

[bbs428]

Great accomplishment Jeff! I hope to see your plane in person. Super job! :D

[jmodguy]

Thursday July 23 2020 at approx 6:30 pm eastern time 340KF left the ground for the first time!
I need to re-pitch the prop to 15 degrees. It's currently at 20 and has too much pitch. Spent an hour circling the airport checking out the handling. Flew hands off with no bad habits!
At 110 mph I was burning right a 5gph too :D

[DesertFox4]

Congrats to the max Jeff. She looks and sounds amazing. Have fun.

[efwd]

That is awesome Jeff. Congratulations!

[Shadowrider]

Nice! Glad you got the first flight over!

[PapuaPilot]

WooHoo, congrats on your first flight!

[Danzer1]

Congrats Jeff - you have a beautiful aircraft. Now that it's flying, I'm hereby nominating Boss Fox for Kitfox of the month! We haven't had one in some time and yours certainly qualifies. Is there a way we can get you to do a short summary with a few photo's that DF4 can post there? You deserve it!

[jmodguy]

Thanks for the kind words! KoM? Wooeee! Better than a Lindy!
Looking back I have to say it was probably the least eventful takeoff I have ever experienced. The tail came up and the wheels got light and it took to the air ever so smoothly. Of course everything I touched ran through my head with the concern of “did I do it right”... All was well though!
No flap stall at 5000’ was right at 45mph. Handling was just as I remember at Stick and Rudder. Landing was pretty straight forward with no handling concerns. The AV Weld mains tracked true in taxi and takeoff/landing modes. The T3 tail shock and 12” Matco handled well on the aft end.
The tiny camera On the left main mount made taxiing easy and I could see everything in front of the airplane on my iPad. That was a good idea from a co-worker.
I’m happy with it so far and will keep the performance updates coming.

[Delta Whisky]

Congrats Jeff - you done great!

[ken nougaret]

That's AWESOME!

[jmodguy]

In flight photos!

[airlina]

Those pictures truly are worth 1000 words, looks great Jeff , quite a unique Kitfox added to the flying fleet. Nice job, Bruce N199CL

[DesertFox4]

A great big 👍.

[bbs428]

Just awesome pic's that say it all...

Excellent build. :D:D:D

[Kitfox Pilot]

Looking good Jeff! What tail wheel are you using?

[jmodguy]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Working off the hours and a couple fixers. So far so good! The camera left main gear makes seeing ahead a lot easier...

Harlan,
its a Matco 11” dual arm tailwheel. Picked it up at Osh last year for a significant savings:)

http://www.matcomfg.com/TAILWHEELDUALFORK11PNEU-idv-3730-70.html

[DesertFox4]

Hope phase one is going good Jeff. Hadn’t heard update for a few weeks.

[jmodguy]

Hey Team Kitfox. Fighting a couple gremlins. I think I solved one yesterday and the other is waiting parts...
I will say this about copper crush gaskets. Seal ‘em with a good gasket material and get ‘em tight. I originally seated them using the spec sheet and they both leaked. The oil temp sensor was harder to diagnose than the screen gasket.
Also had some life stuff pile up. Ignoring your domicile while focusing on finishing an airplane tends to bite you later... 😫
Plane flies great! No bad habits. Stalls at 45, 3 points at 55. Now to line up the stall with the flare...
I saw 2600’/min couple days ago with 14 degrees on the prop. I think it will go 3k if I finess it a bit! Will try to remember airspeed on next max climb rate attempt.
FlyEFII system is working great. Engine will run smoothly at 550 rpm, I have it set to 680 though. 👍🏻
Putting a bullet camera on the left main mount to improve forward view was a good idea from a co-worker for taxiing. Can’t see anything over the nose. Landing view is kinda like a biplane, just focus out the lower left corner of the windshield when you start the flare.
cheers!

[efwd]

Holy Cow, 2600' / minute. You need to file IFR for that? You certainly aren't seeing out the windscreen at that rate. You need to post a video from inside while at that climb. That has to be an impressive deck angle.

[DesertFox4]

Good report Jeff. We figured it would be a performance monster. 😀

[jmodguy]

One of the airport rats said it was 45+ deg. Didn’t hold it long just wanted to see what it would do. The plane was not decelerating and I tested the belts in pushover!
Working (studying and learning) on the EFII system and trying to get it optimized. Slow process but I want the engine to be as optimal as I can get it.
Its a fly one day and spend a couple days studying approach.

[Geek]

..........Putting a bullet camera on the left main mount to improve forward view was a good idea from a co-worker for taxiing. Can’t see anything over the nose. Landing view is kinda like a biplane, just focus out the lower left corner of the windshield when you start the flare.
cheers!

Jeff - which bullet camera did you use and why did you pick that particular one. Looking to do the same thing but you can literally get prices from DC to light and they all say they're great!

Thanks
Gary

[jmodguy]

Hey Gary,
sorry for the delay...
the original camera system was a GoVue wireless system. SKU:RVS-020813 Model: RVS-082545. The camera connected to power and a small wifi router. It has an app you can put on your phone or tablet. About $150.00. Had to get a different camera because a backup camera displays a reverse image. 🤦🏻*♂️
So I found a camera on amazon that can reverse the image and all is good. It is an Esky Car Camera. SKU 181-00170-11, pn ec170-11 or ym-503s. It’s $13.99 on amazon.
After a quick search on amazon you can get the router for about $50. See, I saved you $100! Go buy one! 😂😂

[jmodguy]

Good news this morning. I have been chasing 2 vexing issues and it looks as if they have been resolved.
1st was a minor oil leak that seemed like it was coming from the back of the engine somewhere. I spent a month trying to track it down. Turned out to be the crush gasket on the oil temp sensor. Think Lycoming, not Rotax. Put some permatex sealer on a new gasket and tightened it down a bit more.
Second item was high CHTs. Turns out this was caused by the EFII timing. I have a legacy FlyEFII system and the ECU was made by SDS. Turns out the ignition advance was set to 30 deg. Backed it down to 25 and set the MAP advance/retard to 2deg retard for MP over 27" and 1 deg retard for 25 to 27". All others were set to zero. CHTs dropped from 420+ to 380! THanks to Ross Farnham at SDS for helping me figure this one out. I am a happy camper! Now I can really start getting into the flight testing.
I also instrumented up a differential air pressure meter to ensure I was getting a good pressure drop over the cylinders. Minimum for the Titan 340 is 6.5" H2O per their advertisement. I was seeing 7.5" in climb and 9.2" in level flight.
Climb out today was a gentle 2000'/min! :cool:

[Geek]

Hey Gary,
sorry for the delay...
the original camera system was a GoVue wireless system. SKU:RVS-020813 Model: RVS-082545. The camera connected to power and a small wifi router. It has an app you can put on your phone or tablet. About $150.00. Had to get a different camera because a backup camera displays a reverse image. 🤦🏻*♂️
So I found a camera on amazon that can reverse the image and all is good. It is an Esky Car Camera. SKU 181-00170-11, pn ec170-11 or ym-503s. It’s $13.99 on amazon.
After a quick search on amazon you can get the router for about $50. See, I saved you $100! Go buy one! 😂😂

Thanks Jeff!!! Exactly what I was looking for. I knew about the reversal and had people telling me that was what I should use. When asked about the reversal issue I got the trout look. I also appreciate the savings there too.

Gary

[jmodguy]

Went up for a bit today and Mountain Fox came up to play! Got some nice pics!👍
I’m sitting at 15.7 hrs now. Hope to put a big dent in it Thanksgiving week.

[Meyer]

That was fun, glad I crawled out of my hangar to see who was overhead.

[jmodguy]

Getting back into flying season and made a number I was hoping to see.
3000’/min! Briefly but it was there 😃

[Benbell4140]

Wow.. I bet that’s fun!

[jrevens]

Hey Jeff - I can do that briefly (for about 2 seconds) too! I call my maneuver "dive and swoop". :p

But I'm not gonna' race or try to stay with you in a climb... NOPE!!! I bet you guys with the big horses have a pretty sweet ride.