Noble Build

[AirFox]

My Kit finally arrived today. Now the hard work starts! Wish me luck.

[DesertFox4]

Have fun AirFox. :)
Wish I had a delivery like that today.

[GWright6970]

Have fun is right! I hope it goes well for you!:)

[Jfquebec]

Good luck noble,
:cool:

[ackselle]

Keep us posted with your progress! Happy building!

[cubtractor]

Good luck. Should be fun.

[kebopa3]

Congrats. I'm happy for you, sad for me. Mine will not here until February. Consoling myself by cleaning out my garage. Are you going to document your build someplace, would love to follow along if possible.

Kebo

[DesertFox4]

Congrats. to you also Kebo and welcome.
Feb. will be here before you know it.
Getting the shop in order, gathering needed tools, looking through the build
manual are all good things to do before the big box arrives. I bought a 4x8 sheet of plywood to hang on the wall. Put finish nails in it to hang all the little plastic parts packages that come in the kit (there are hundreds) up for easy location. Searching through boxes on the floor for parts takes lots of time. Much quicker to have them all out and visible as you come across them in the manual. Anyways good luck and enjoy the process.

[AirFox]

Thanks everyone for the luck! I plan on posting my progress to this thread. I'm working my way through the inventory today.

It sure seemed like a long wait from the time I ordered the kit (April 30th) to delivery (September 29th). Kitfox had the kit ready on the 17th. That was about 2 weeks earlier then their estimate in April. The Partain driver did a good job delivering the kit to Portland, Or. So far everything looks good! I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks

Scott Noble

[MotReklaw]

I am just wondering. Wouldn't it be cheaper, easier to just put all the parts of the same part number in the same container? I spend hours (well, maybe not hours) searching through the parts bags looking for an AN3-4A bolt with a specific KF part number. I think I would prefer all the same in one container.

I would think it would be cheaper too. But, then I'm just looking at it from my view. The previous kits I built lumped all the same hardware in the same container.

...standing down.

[JohnB]

Congrats on the kit Scott!
Hey, the other kit in the Partain trailer was my kit. I'm hoping to see it here in Michigan this week.
Have fun on the build.

[jiott]

Welcome to the club Scott. You're just down the hill from me so I can keep up with your build in person. However, a build log on this forum would be good.

Jim

[Esser]

I am just wondering. Wouldn't it be cheaper, easier to just put all the parts of the same part number in the same container....

I thought so too at first but as I work on my kit I like that 90% of it is done by section. Makes it easier for me personally in the way I have things organized but to each his own I suppose.

[AirFox]

Took 6 hours to do the inventory yesterday. Only a couple of parts to go.

[inzersv]

I agree with Esser. I started to hang mine on the wall also and realized that most everything is boxed by section. It was much easier to look in one box than chase them on the wall.

[MotReklaw]

I guess what I'm thinking is that a 125 AN3-4a bolts in one container makes more sense than 25 bags containing different quantity of same. And cheaper too.

There is an issue with those who buy just the wing sections and then the fuselage, etc.

Ok, I'll shut up. Have had my say about how to make the product better.

[AirFox]

Sorry for the cell phone picture, but here is an update. I got my wings rigged. I needed to have a couple of friends come by to lift the wings onto the plane & help with some of the measurments.

Scott

[AirFox]

I put some updated pictures into my photo albums. You can check them out here.
http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=298

I Got my fuel tanks installed today. I used NPT plugs to seal the holes when rinsing the tanks with Acetone. Thought I would share that tip. The Strapping tape comes off pretty quick when the acetone hits it.

Next I'm going to install the rest of the false ribs, then work on the leading edge kit.

[Esser]

Looking good. Keep those pictures coming.

[AirFox]

I added some pictures to my wing album. Laker Leading edge kit installation.

http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=298

Enjoy.

Scott

[HighWing]

Checked out the pictures. I am curious about the wings rigged on the airframe while adding the leading edge. Is that the recommended method?

I put aluminum leading edges on my wings and pretty much supported the wings as you have done. My thinking was if the wing is supported for the installation process as it would be sitting on the ground, at least if the leading edge oil cans, it would not be apparent on the ground. This stems from a friend who had a Rans S-7 that would oil can pretty seriosly on the ground. Folks would tease him about it and he would go over and shake the wing tip and it would pop back into shape. I didn't want to have that kind of attention. I did find one problem with my thinking, though. With full tanks and 80 lbs of fuel between ribs one and three, I found on one wing, there is a slight dip in the leading edge between ribs three and 4. If I were to do it again, I think I would have hung a bag of sand between the inner support and the lift strut support during installation to compensate for that. Otherwise, I like the look and find that the new airpane is much more stable during high power stalls than my first one. I am still hoping to hear a report from someone who has the smooth leading edge with VGs.
Lowell

[AirFox]

Lowell,
The instructions for the leading edge kit show the installation on wing stands, so it wasn't recommended to install the kit while rigged. I was thinking that it would be better to install the edge kit while the wings are in the rigged position to maintain the rigged shape. I also installed the fuel tanks while rigged for this same reason. Prior the installation I asked John McBean and he said that it was a good idea if it is possible. I've been wondering if it would be good to cover the wings while on the fuselage??? That would add to the work vs a rotisserie.

Scott

[HighWing]

Scott,
I guess our thinking was pretty much the same on the leading edge install - interesting. I don't think the wing would care much if you used a rotisserie. There is a lot of flexibility in the fabric. I recall in the Denney days going to one of the fly-ins and one of the principals working there pushed a finger into the fabric until it left a dent - expalining that it would work its way flat again in a couple of minutes.
Lowell

[desertfox1]

We have installed the leading edge both ways. The wing on the
Rotec Radial plane had the leading edge installed laying flat and
preloaded, meaning wing was supported at the root and tips. The
SS7 was installed with the wings supported vertically with the
front spar up. All installs so far have worked fine

Lowell, I do not have definitive numbers because we would have
to fit a particular aircraft with both wings. So far, everyone that
has flown the wing have noted a difference at both stall and cruise.
The pilots from the magazines have commented on the "solid" feel
of the plane. That's so subjective I don't know what it means LOL.

My rebuilt Vixen with the new LE certainly climbs better, is faster
and is just a joy to fly. Well, they all are a joy to fly.

Phil

[HighWing]

Thanks Phil,
Your impression is very similar to mine. What interested me in the first flight is the fact that the airplane seemed to fly exactly like my first one did. But as I went through the flight test program, It seemed to feel much more stable and I was especially impressed with power on stalls. My first Model IV would get very exciting at the stall break full power. Power off stalls are much more like mushes with loss of altitude with an immediate recovery by dropping the nose a bit. I could recover in less than a hundred feet. Climb was better from the get go despite a prop pitch issue. I re-pitched once I got the airplane home.

Then with the test sequences complete and the need for more hours, it became clear that the in flight stability was excellent with a slightly higher cruise speed despite the fat Nanking tires - but I must confess here that I faired everything.

Using the aluminum skins provided some challenges but I like the looks and the results.
Lowell

[AirFox]

I finally got some free time after the holiday to work on the kitfox. Today I got the flaperons installed on the wings. I added some pictures showing the solid rivits that I used on the trailing edge. The solid rivits made for a good finish. My RV Buddy came over to help me out with solid rivits. We used a countersink along with a rivit squizer. I am going to try and set the control horns tomorrow while the flaperons are mounted to the wings.

http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=298

Enjoy

Scott

[HighWing]

Scott,
I used the solid rivets there as well and also like the look. I think a good rivet squeezer is a good tool to have. I used it on everything that it accessed - lots of nutplates.
Lowell

[szicree]

Aren't the flaperons supposed to be drilled to the wing after fabric?

[jiott]

No, you drill for them first, but don't actually install them with the rivets until after covering and final paint.

Jim

[szicree]

How do you find the holes once the fabric, primer, and paint are on?

[HighWing]

I think the theory here is that you want the holes centered and not on the edges of the capstrips or the internal doubler. It would seem that drilling after fabric would be drilling blind - don't ask how I know. I found my predrilled holes with a scriber and punched them through the fabric so they were visible for redrilling prior to riveting. Any scratches on the finish would be covered by the bracket.
Lowell

[Jfquebec]

When my friend make his hole's in is small piece of fabric on titan tornado,he make the hole with solding iron ...it's more easy to see the hole when your fabric his VIRGIN...(no primer or paint) with a good light on back of your hole it easy to see your hole on the oder side....


Jf

[AirFox]

Installed the floorboards and started on the console today. Had a bit of trouble drilling the Flap handle bearing pin hole with a 1/16th bit. Ended up using a cobalt bit in a drill press after ruining a bering and 3 bits.

I set the seat in the fuselage with the console installed. See my album for the picture. Looks like there is lots of trimming to do on the seat around the console???

http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=308

I'm pretty happy at how quick the fuselage is going together.

Scott

[Esser]

Looking good. Yeah you have to trim where the console goes and where the control columns come back. Make a line, use a dremel with a sanding drum. And when you get close to the line finish with a file. I tried to go to the line with the dremel and it could look a lot better. It gets away on you a bit.

[AirFox]

Thanks Esser. I'll have to leave that for tomorrow.

Scott

[jiott]

A tip on drilling those 1/16" holes thru the pins from a machinist friend of mine:

Use a vee block to hold the pin in the drill press.
File a very small flat spot on the pin where you want to start the hole.
Use a very small "center drill" to start the hole. The center drill is short and thick with a small short drilling tip so it is very stiff and won't bend or break. Just peck at the surface to get it started without wandering, not too much pressure.
Finish up with a good sharp 1/16" bit.
Jim

[AirFox]

Thanks for the tip Jim. I have one more bearing to drill once the part arrives.

Scott

[kebopa3]

Scott,
Looks like it coming together great. Keep the updates coming.
Kebo

[HighWing]

For trimming fiberglass, the composite builders use diamond disks in a dremel. If you have a Harbor Freight nearby you can find them for $3-4. Don't recall the actual number of disks - maybe 4 with mandrel. Draw a line 1/16" or so oversized and cut to that. The sanding drum works well for final finishing.
Lowell.

[AirFox]

Thanks for the Harbor freight tip lowell. I'll look for the disks next time I'm there. I finished up the seat today with my dremel. Now I'm working on the rudder peddles.

Kebo did your kit arrive yet?

Scott

[kebopa3]

Scott,
Not yet. I have a January build with a February delivery. Time is just crawling by. I've learned a lot following your build and the others, but man do I want to get started in the worst way. I'm going to run down and pick it when the time comes, which should be fun. John McBean still owes me my demo ride, which I'm looking forward to as well. It will be a nice birthday present.

kebo

[AirFox]

Made some good progress this past week. I added some pictures to the album below.

http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=308 (http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=308)

I got the vertical and horizontal stabs along with the rudder and elevator done. Another month to finish up the fuse and I'll be ready to start covering everything.

Enjoy


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Scott

[AirFox]

I've been starting to think about my panel.

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On the left side I have my ELT indicator, then my radio and ignition. In the middle is the Advanced 5600. Below the 5600 is the EXP Bus Load center. On the right is the lid for my glove box (35$ from Vans Aircraft).

I plan on using the following:
ADVANCED 5600 10.5" - Maps, AOA and Engine monitor for the Rotax 912IS. The radio and transponder will be controled from the 5600.
SANDIA STX 165R REMOTE TRANSPONDER
DITTEL KRT2 VHF TRANRSCEIVER.
EXP Bus Load center.

As you can see I'm thinking about putting my 5600 in the middle of the panel. I like the idea of being able to see the instruments from either seat. I like having the stick in my right hand like in a cub.

This list and plan is still in development. Let me know what you think.

Looks like I'll be starting covering everything in February. Wish me luck.

Scott

[AirFox]

I came up with another way to close out the butt ribs. I heated up some acrilic, wraped it around a pvc pipe then formed it with a dremel to close out the ends. I'll glue end pieces next. There are some more pictures in my albums.
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Bubble door installation. I'll have to admit that this was a bit stressful. I completed the job without any damage. The instructions say to use a 5/32nd drill bit for acrilic but only 1/8th and 1/4 are inclued. 4 stores later without finding the bit I tried a unibit. Unibits work great on acrilic. Other than the bit the doors went together without a hitch.
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A few odds and ends to finish up and I'll be on to covering.

Scott

[DesertFox4]

Again, nice progress Scott. I know you've only had the kit for 3 months. Way to get after it. Wait till covering. Lots of immediate gratification during that process.

I like the black powder coated fuselage. If I ever build again it will have the black fuselage. Much nicer for photographing from the cockpit. Less glare.

I also added your photo albums to the TKF Photo Album section on the front page. Happened to notice you were not there yet. Now you are.;)

[AirFox]

Thanks for adding the pics to the photo section. I'm having a blast building. I'd spend more time out in the garage if I could. My wife and family are thankfully being supportive. One more day to work on the Fox then it's back to my day job.

Scott

PS The flying videos from all you guys fuel all of this work. Keep them comming!

[Esser]

Love it. This is how fast I planned on building my plane til my job got in the way. I still am not settled enough in Edmonton to start working on it again. Oh well. Glad you are making progress.

[AirFox]

Hope you will be back at it soon Esser! Your progress was helpful. Now that your on this side of the contenent it won't be such a trek to go to the factory fly in or the Kitfox Farm fly in. See you there once were done.

Scott

[HansLab]

Great Pics, Esser.
Your story of installing the bubbledoors triggered me: is there anything else you want to share with us on that subject?

I'm ready covering & painting and have saved the doors for the final part (they won't open in the small workshop I own, so this is the final part before taking her to a real airfield..).
As told to you earlier, you think you have fun - wait untill you get to covering!!

[AirFox]

Hello Hans,
The bubble door job went together pretty straight forward per the instructions. One place that I deviated from the instuctions was to drill the holes in the door frame first then back drilled through the holes into the bubble door with the 1/8th acrilic drill bit. In order to increase the holes in the acrilic to 5/32nd I used a unibit. For me those two changes along with the instructions worked without any trouble.

Scott Noble

[AirFox]

I updated some pictures in my albums today. The latest accomplishments are as follows:

Advanced Flight Systems - AOA ports installed on the top and bottom of the wing.
http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=298&pictureid=3790

AFS - AHRS mounting plate installed in the wing. I had to adjust this plate to level flight for it to work correctly.
http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=298&pictureid=3793
http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=298&pictureid=3792

Outside Temp probe (OAT) mounted in the wing where the Pitot normaly goes.

I ran the wiring for the Pitot, OAT and AHRS through a piece of tubing between the rear spar and the aft end of the fuel tank. The AOA and wing tip/landing light wiring will be run through the rear spar.

I mounted the Petot tube 1 bay inboard so it would be protected by the struts. Like DesertFox4 did in this post (http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=298) Thanks DesertFox4 for the tip.

Finally started in on the Polyfiber. I have never done or seen this process before. I had read the book and talked to people about it but I still didn't know exactly what to expect. Good thing I could depend on help from Kitfox the Polyfiber manual and the internet.
http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=298&pictureid=3799
Here is a picture of the wing heated to 250 deg.
http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=298&pictureid=3801

Next I plan on finishing up this wing, then onto the second wing followed by the fuselage.

Thanks

Scott

[AirFox]

Top fuse fabric installed successfully. I'm excited how well this turned out, so I thought I'd share some pictures and my technique.
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I know there are several techniques to get this to work. Here is how I ended up doing it.

Third try was the trick. Step 1 glue the fabric to the razorback. Step 2 glue the front of the fabric to the tubing. Step 3 glue the sides back to the handle. Step 4 pull the fabric to the bottom right corner where the fuse meets the verticle stab. This step took lots of finess. Good luck. This took me 3 tries to figure this technique out. Hope this helps the builders out there.

Scott

[SSFoxBuilder]

Awesome work Scott, keep it up!

[Jfquebec]

Nice job,,,did you finish by 250 degre,,or you will heat at 350..????

[kebopa3]

Scott,
It looks great. Keep the updates coming.

Kebo

[AirFox]

I heated to 350. It worked out great. I got the first coat of Pollybrush on last night. I'm going to start on the tape this morning.

Scott

[AirFox]

I made some pretty good progress on my days off this week. The fuselage is ready for paint and the elevator is covered. It is starting to look like an airplane.
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I've put in about 500 hours in the past six months so far on the build. I still have one wing, the rudder and horizontal stab to cover. I'm starting to plan the paint. Looking forword to some transition training with stick and rudder next week. Just for motivation.

Thanks

Scott

[DesertFox4]

Nice progress Scott. .

You'll love your time with Paul at Stick & Rudder. Enjoy that 914 turbo.;)

[jiott]

Hey Scott, its lookin great.
Just got to thinkin I don't remember seein any drain grommets in your covered wing or the fuse bottom last time I was over at your place. Maybe I missed them, but just in case don't forget them. Stab, rudder and probably a few in the elevator.

Jim

[AirFox]

Thanks for the reminder Jim. I'll have to get those ordered.

[Dorsal]

Good eye Jiott, FWIW I didn't use grommets, just a soldering iron.

[jiott]

Kitfox has some nice flat plastic ones for low cost. I heard some guys just cut out circles from thin aluminum like a pop can. A melted hole thru several layers of fabric is probably as good as any. I put a 2" circle (dollar patch) of finish tape over the top of mine, per the Polyfiber book.

Jim

[chefwarthog]

Scott, It's going strong, your Kitfox already want's to fly..... on the picture a saw that you need to tie it down by the tail!!:D

[AirFox]

After and exciting trip to Boise for some training with Stick and Rudder I got back to building this week. I got a few more things done. Looking at the Factory builds gave me a few ideas to incorporate into my build. I put fabric on the window frame, and split the rear access panel vertically at the rear of the horizontal stabalizer. Seems to be easier to remove. Below are a few pictures of my progress.

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PS. The Rotax 914 is an awsome engine in the Super sport. I went away sure happy with the decision to build a Kitfox.

I'll be back at it again next weekend. One more wing to cover and I'll be ready to start the paint process.

Scott

[kebopa3]

Scott,
It looks great. Keep the updates coming.
Kebo

[jtpitkin06]

For drain grommets you might try using small nylon washers from the hardware store. They are cheap and work well.

Place each nylon washer one at a time on a screw with a nut to create a holding mandrel and rotate the washers on a belt or disc sander to taper or feather the edge.

The nylon adheres to the fabric very well with poly tack or poly brush, in fact, once installed, they are very difficult to remove. After the adhesive dries use a pencil point solder iron to open the hole.

Jtp

[AirFox]

Thanks for the tip John! I'll look into the nylon washers.

Scott

[chefwarthog]

John, the washers that you talking about are 1 inch x 3/16 hole or smaller?

[AirFox]

Progress! I got the polybrush sprayed and learnded how to us an Hvlp sprayer. It was a snap. I think it turned out pretty good. Next weekend I'll start on the Polyspray.

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[Esser]

Looking good Scott. Looks like you are on the way to flying by the end of the year. Keep the pictures coming.

[AirFox]

I'd rather be out flying my Kitfox, but I have to build it first. I got my first two cross coats of Polyspray on today. Tomorrow morning I'll wet sand and spray the final coats of Polyspray.

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Hard day of work! I'm ready for the hot tub!

Good luck to all you builders out there!

Scott

[Jfquebec]

Thank's for update..:)

[Floog]

Beautiful! See ya Sat. for a close-up 'inspection'....

[mr bill]

With metal planes, paint is the last thing to do. My covering and painting are done at last!! I am about half done.

[jtpitkin06]

John, the washers that you talking about are 1 inch x 3/16 hole or smaller?

The washers I used are about 3/4 od with a 3/16 hole. The first ones I installed were not tapered and I did not like the ridge. That's when I put them on a mandrel to taper the outside edge for a cleaner and smoother look.

John

[HighWing]

Great observation. With the plastic airplanes, paint is after a year of flying per the frequent need to do some serious tweaking.

[AirFox]

I got my gear and flaperon brackets back from the Powder coat shop in Polyfiber Federal gray. The gear looks pretty good in front of my Alaska Bushwheels.

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It took me two days to install and sand the grooves out of the strut faring kit. Lots of work on this task! I was able to get the grooves completly sanded out. Lots of sandpaper needed!

This past weekend I primered The Flaperons struts and access panels.
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At this point everything firewall back is primed/polysprayed and ready for the final top coat. I have an exciting few days ahead of me. With any luck I should have the plane on its wheels within a week or two.

Scott

[AirFox]

PS -- Thanks to John and Debra Mcbean for all your help and advice on this part of the project.

Scott

[AirFox]

I got the wings and fuse painted today. Turned out great! I'm going to paint a black stripe down the fuse & the tail feathers tomorrow.
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[SkySteve]

So far ... I like it! The black stripe should really set it off.

[kebopa3]

Scott,
It looks great. Keep the updates and photos coming.
Keith

[Floog]

Beautiful! Can't wait to see the finish with trim paint.

I leak tested the fuel tanks yesterday. (Thanks for the use of your plugs.) I dunked them in my (cold) hot tub and the only leaks I found were in both gas cap seals. I tried twisting the caps to re-seal but to no avail. Also sloshed the tanks with acetone and found no impurities. Should be good to go with the 'Mercedes' rubber in the caps..

Installed the bottom false ribs between nos. 6 & 7 ribs. Don't know why they call out 2 there instead of 3 like everywhere else? Perhaps to facilitate getting the attach bolt in the strut bracket. I dunno.

See picture of 'hangar' extension (blue tarp). I was able to finish the rigging including the jury struts before the massive rains we're getting now.

[Dave S]

Floog,

I did the same as you decided to on the bottom false ribs between 6 & 7...i.e. used 3 false ribs as in the other bays.

I think you have it figured out....facilitation of bolt installation at the rod end......I decided I would rather preserve the airfoil and live with the little addittional inconvenience with the bolt....a little shaping of the aluminum reinforcing plate and the bolt went in just fine.

Sincerely,

Dave S
KF7 Trigear

[Floog]

Thanks for the feedback, Dave. Incidently, I appriciate your discussion of treatment for corrosion protection from an earlier post. I've got to slosh my spars with alodyne before I get too far along...

[AirFox]

Here is an updated picture of the fuselage with the stripe on it. Now for the landing gear!
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[AirFox]

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It's nice to be able to roll the plane around on it's wheels! Just thought I'd share. I have everything painted and ready to assemble. Next on the list is FWF and Avionics.

Scott

[DanB]

Scott,
That just looks awesome! Well done.

[AirFox]

Thanks Dan! I always like seeing pictures of the first time a Kitfox gets on wheels. It's much easier to imagine flying.

Scott

[jiott]

Looks great Scott!
Love that blue.

Jim

[Floog]

I really enjoyed the fantasy flight in your plane last night, Scott. Lot's of room in there for two of us. (I think more than the Glastar.) It'won't be long now and you'll be leaving blue streaks across the skies of the NW. The Noble build is first class! It's almost 4 AM and it's out to the 'hangar'. Yeah, baby!

[AirFox]

Thanks Jim and Doug! Looking forward to seeing your planes in the air too.

[AirFox]

Alright Summer vacations are over. I'd usually be bummed but my FWF arrived on Friday.

I got a good start this weekend.

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Got the boot cowl, firewall, engine mount and break lines installed. I also swaged the rudder cables.

I took a trip back to Idaho to fly the back country with Paul at Stick and Rudder. If you builders need some motivation to get going then go to Boise to get some stick time in the Kitfox SLSA. These planes can really do some unbelievable things.

[AirFox]

Wish I was at the Factory Fly-In but this is fun too!
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Let's see some pictures from McCall @ the fly-in!

[AirFox]

Christmas came early!

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I have some more electrical to complete and the upholstery.

It won't be long now!

Scott

[SSFoxBuilder]

Shaweeeeeet!

[jiott]

Scott,
Why is your radiator hose coming over the top like that? Seems kind of different.

Jim

[Esser]

Looking good scott. I am excited for you.

[AirFox]

Thanks Josh. How's your project doing?

Thanks Dustin. Did you start covering?

[SSFoxBuilder]

I sure did! Going good so far.

[Esser]

Slow! I have been helping out a lot with new airport and it has taken up a lot of my time. I just have to buckle down again. I did the 16h polyfiber course and that was really awesome. Now I just need practical experience.

[AirFox]

Dustin, Looks like you and Mark are doing a nice job. That rotisserie has blue from my plane and Orange from Dougs plane. What color are you going to be adding to it? That thing sure saves lots of work. Good luck on covering the rest of your fuse.

Josh, All that work on the airport will be worth it when you get to fly your Kitfox into it. That Polyfiber course will come in handy when you get to covering.

Just a few more items to wire into my EFIS harness and the com wiring to go and my electrical will be complete.

Good luck guys.

Scott

[AirFox]

I uploaded some new photos to my one of my albums. I've made some progress on my Panel and electrical. I also included some detailed pictures of the windshield fit for those who are working on that part.

http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?albumid=321

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Next thing is to install the wings so I can terminate the AHRS, Oat, Nav and landing lights.

Scott

[AirFox]

They aren't kidding when they say you can build a Kitfox in a two car garage.
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[AirFox]

Ok it's been a while since I posted last so here is an update.

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Here is another one taxi testing with a friend.

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Lots of work goes into one of these, but it is all worth it. Thanks to a great ground crew yesterday for making it happen.

Scott

[War Eagle]

So your are finished and have your airworthy certificate? Congrats! Now the phase 1 work begins. You are going to have some great fun. Good luck with the testing.

[Dutch]

Congratulations Scott on a great looking Fox. Hope you have a blast!!

Dutch.

[airlina]

Scott, What a cool looking bushplane you built- As I have followed your progress on this site I thought this guy is moving right along, so I went back to your first post and saw it was 9/29/12. So you did all this in just a year and a few months-unbelievable . You and Ross in OZ must be using the same elves. My Series 5 took me 3 plus years! Have a blast flying it. Coming up on 11 years since I finished mine and after a fun ski flying session yesterday, I reflected on how much I still enjoy this little airplane. Bruce N199CL

[Floog]

Noble Build liberated from the one car garage and the Earth!

I watched this guy raise a family, hold down a demanding job, and do a QUALITY build on his KFSS while helping many of us all at the same time. Well done and well deserved, my guru!

Need balast in the right seat? I'm available....I won't tell anyone.

[Dorsal]

Fantastic, what a beautiful plane.

[AirFox]

Thanks guys! The support from TeamKitfox, The Factory(John and Deb) and my local EAA was invaluable on this build. I really recommend Kitfox for a first time builder the factory goes the extra mile in supporting their builders. I got my AW cert a week ago Friday and just had to wait for good weather to fly. It took a couple months to get my paperwork through the FAA process so plan ahead builders when you get to the end of your builds. I'm looking forward to flying off phase one. Just waiting for a break in the constant Pacific Northwest rain showers.
Here are some pictures from the garage to the hangar.
6332

6333

6334

6335

[cubtractor]

That really looks great! Well done!

[AirFox]

Forgot to mention all the help from the local builders Doug(Floog) and Jim (Jiott). You guys were a great help getting this done and to the flying! Your next Doug!

[SkySteve]

Beautiful plane, Scott. Which airport is your new "Home"?

[Paul Z]

The photo’s with you on the runway it looks like a really nice grass strip. I would have been hesitant to Taxi test with a friend in the plane. I might have had the urge to go flying!

[AirFox]

Thanks guys! I'm flying out of Fairways in Oregon City. I sure like the nice big grass strip. Taxi testing by myself the plane wanted to get in the air at 29mph. Steve, I didn't go that fast with Bob we just putted along to do a run-up on a hill at the end of the runway. I'm playing by the rules although it's hard to ignore the temptation to share the experience. Can't wait for the rain to stop.

Scott

[chefwarthog]

Scott, Very butiful aircraft that you had built!!! You must be very anxius to sit in it and take it for a flight!!!:)

[Esser]

Awesome Scott, I am a few years behind you (I think) Glad to see you in the air.

Out of curiosity, what percentage of the build happens after covering? Is the old 90 done and 90 to go true?

[AirFox]

Josh I think the half way point for me was when I had a painted fuselage and wings. 90% done 90% to go! Lots of work in FWF, Electrical, and finishing everything up.

[Danh]

Congratulations you are a model to us all, nice quick build, shows what dedication can do! beautiful looking fox, enjoy can't wait until I'm there,

[jamesmil]

:)very nice, well done. now the fun begins

[jiott]

Congrats Scott on a great job. We are now both based at Fairways (OG20). It is great to have two Kitfox's on the field. A couple of other people at the field are now interested in the Kitfox, so maybe there is more business to be had for John and Deb.

[rosslr]

(Sorry to plunge you back into building just when you are leaving it behind!)

cheers

ross

[AirFox]

What a fantastic result Scott! And thanks for all the pics and comments - they are soooo helpful! One Q if I may. I have been away for a few days and reading up on the covering section that I am about to start - it suggests installing Aluminium rod to reinforce the trailing edge if you want to shrink to 350. Di you do that? Others? how essential is it??


Hello Ross, I did put the Aluminium rods in the trailing edge of my wings. I think you need to install the Al otherwise the fabric will warp the trailing edge. You should follow the polyfiber book step by step. Good luck on covering you airplane.

Scott

[jiott]

I agree with Scott; I also put the Al stiffeners in, as suggested in the Kitfox builder's manual. I believe most folks on this forum have put in some kind of stiffeners on the trailing edge to allow shrink to 350 degrees.

[rosslr]

Thanks Scott and Jim - I just found it a little strange to come across this suggestion in the covering section and not earlier in the wing building section. Nonetheless, I am on to it!

Best wishes for your testing phase Scott! We are looking forward to hearing all about it!

cheers

ross

[Dorsal]

For what it is worth I did not put the rods in and shrunk to 350 with no warping. If I were to do it again I would put them in just for extra margin.

[SSFoxBuilder]

DUUUUDE! CONGRATULATIONS! Awesome job, Scott! I'll be blowing up your phone next time I'm in Portland. I'd love to see the finished product.

[AirFox]

Thanks Dustin! I went for my third flight today. All is going well with flight testing so far. I'll get more pictures when I'm not so focused on getting through this flight testing.

[Jfquebec]

Great job my friend.....nice to see you in your project with a Large smile :D...

[AirFox]

Another beautiful day in the NW. Jiott and I got a chance to go out and fly together for the first time. This picture was taken from the Sandy River Airport outside of Sandy, Or. This was the Fifth flight in my Airplane and everything is going well! Jim has been flying his Super Sport since last summer.

Scott

6412

[Danh]

Fun, Fun, Fun and looking good

[Flybyjim]

My mouth is watering, can't wait for the kit to arrive. Do you have and build photos posted some where to view.

[AirFox]

Jim there are lots of pictures in my build albums.
http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/album.php?u=2538

Congradulations on the kit! The work is worth it!!!!!

[DesertFox4]

Two great looking Kitfoxs Scott. :)

[AirFox]

Thanks Steve. Now I need to get a Go Pro and put together some videos. Good luck on your new Super Sport.

[AirFox]

Here is a video of my first flight Takeoff from February. Flight testing is going well. This bird is sure fun to fly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tB-WbSPODI

[SkyPirate]

She jumps off the ground :)

[DesertFox4]

Happy to hear and see she flies as expected. Enjoy every flight.

[AirFox]

Taxi
http://youtu.be/bGoukjKc_Ks
Take off
http://youtu.be/ZNtMgt_Zr7M

Here are a couple of videos a friend of mine posted.

Scott

[SkySteve]

Looking good Airfox.

[AirFox]

Thanks Steve! I'll have to get the coordinates to your new strip so I can stop on the way to Canyon Lands.

Scott

[SkySteve]

Airfox, Yes, absolutely!

[Paul Z]

Scott,
Steve needs a Kitfox of the Month yours is an excellent candidate. Great job!

[AirFox]

Thanks Paul. These are great airplanes.

[AirFox]

Since it's been raining forever. Thought I'd get a new project going. I installed some Jury Strut Fairings.
Raw Fiberglass fairings.
15097
Cut to fit the Jury Struts.
15098
Glassed onto the Struts.

[AirFox]

Primed.
15099
Painted.
15100
Hope I get a few mph out of these. They look good anyway.

Scott

[Clark in AZ]

Good job! They look great. Let us know how they perform...

Clark

[Esser]

Looks great Scott! As always, you move fast!

Let ok’ing forward to hearing your flight test report.

[AirFox]

Thank to HighWing(Lowell) for the fiberglass fairings. You do nice work! Also thanks Josh for the inspiration on the other thread. I flew for a couple of hours yesterday and it seemed like I picked up a little speed. I'll know more as time goes on.

Scott

[DesertFox4]

Very nice job Scott. Lowell has some nice Kitfox accessories. His oil cooler louvers are also very well thought out and constructed.

[efwd]

Nice Job Scott. They look great.
Eddie

[jiott]

Looks great Scott. I'm anxious to see them up close in person.

[Bluebird19kf]

Looks good. Could you describe a little on what you did to blend them together and how they are held in place.

[AirFox]

I used Tap Plastics epoxy resin with micro balloons or flox at various amounts to thicken it up to attach the farings. With the right combination of resin and flox/micro ballons it makes the resin sand able. I painted with polyfiber primer(ep-420) then Aerothane paint. You could also use Hysol to attach along with polyfiber super fill to smooth it out.

Scott

[AirFox]

I decided to upgrade my main grove gear to the Kitfox Monster gear. Last summer I installed the T3 tailwheel and I could immediately tell the benefits of having shocks on airplanes. I would estimate the T3 shock/spring reduced the fuselage impact by 2/3rds. I want to make my plane last so I'm installing monster shocks/kitdox Gear. In addition to the shocks the gear will make the plane sit over 4" taller giving a better AOA and more under wing shade..
15907
Flying home from Homedale with the gear legs on top of my camping gear Thursday.
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Monster Shocks
15909
Installed the fairings, covered and sprayed the gear legs up through silver. Waiting 4 days for the polyspray to off gas to spray Aerothane. It took one day to get to this point.
I know I'll loose a little cruise speed but hope the gains outweigh the loss in speed. I'll report the weight and performance changes when I get it done.

[Esser]

Nice Scott. Looking forward to hearing the report. You going to run 26”s?

[AirFox]

I'll be ordering 29's Josh. I have 886 hours on my 26's. It's a good time to upgrade before I have to. 29's on the factory STI looks just awesome. The factory STI with the 915 is some real competition for the other kits out there. Not to mention you can build 2 for the price of a Carbon cub build and have money left over.

[Esser]

I think I’m going straight to the 29”s. Going to order them this week I think. Still reeling from sticker shock!

[AirFox]

Just can't beat the feel of Airstreaks!

[AirFox]

16005
Monster gear installed and I took it out for a short test flight. The installation was straight forward. You just need a solid way to lift your plane about 8" more than the Grove spring gear. The weight difference is 5 lbs. The gear raises the plane 5.5" at the front gear attach. It is supposed to settle a little more. I really like the look and feel of the gear. In my opinion the shocks are more than worth the weight and speed penalty. I'll get a better feel for the speed penalty this week.

[3 tracks]

That looks awsome, You need to fly it over here to my place so i can see it in person. It will be interesting to see what the speed loss is.
John

[Dorsal]

Really looks fantastic, what a great adventure plane.

[Esser]

Looks great Scott! Natalie likes it too! Are those still the 26” ABWs in the picture?

[jiott]

Great job Scott!
You and I started out with the exact same plane and engine, but your mods have put you on a different level; airmaster CS prop, electronic fuel injection, oil cooler shutter, 26" bushwheels, T3 tailwheel, and now the monster shock main gear.

[AirFox]

Thanks guys! These planes are so versatile. They are 26" ABW Josh. I was thinking they would look too small but they look great. Going to the Backcountry tomorrow. I'll report back with specs.
Scott

[jrevens]

Looks just right, Scott. Beautiful!

[Bluebird19kf]

It would be awesome if you could take a few close up pics. Trying to fabricate my gear legs for the same setup your running.

[AirFox]

16014

16015

Here are a couple of pictures from this weekends trip to Smiley Creek. I am just loving the Monster gear. Guessing it slowed my speeds between 3 and 5 mph. Still cruising well over 100mph. The gear weighs between 4 and 5 lbs more than the Grove gear that came off. The tradeoffs are worth less than the increase in performance and looks. Really changes the look and adds to the fun of these versatile planes.

[Esser]

Very nice Scott, any opportunity to clean up the gear anymore?

[AirFox]

Very nice Scott, any opportunity to clean up the gear anymore?

There is Josh. I picked up some more fairing material in Homedale on my trip. I will get it painted and installed soon. The loss of speed and extra 4 lbs is well worth how fun it is to land this gear! It is just amazing.

[AirFox]

16018
Big creek opens August 1st.

[3 tracks]

Scott
Does it get of the ground quicker with the greater angle of attack? And is the visability over the nose much different than before?

[AirFox]

It does get off the ground quicker. Picked Doug up for a ride to lunch today and we took off into the wind and were off the ground in less than 50' easy. The visibility is not as good as the lower AOA but it sure is worth it. I am going to install a camera and wire it to my EFIS so I see out in front of me.

Looking forward to seeing your STI when it gets done John.

Scott

[3 tracks]

Thats good. I would have liked to try mine with the same configuration. Oh well straight to the STI. Going with the 75" blades on the airmaster this time McBean said he couldn't be happier with his.

[rv9ralph]

Scott,
If you are looking for camera options, check www.tadibrothers.com. They have several camera options. Their main focus is backup cameras for RVs but they can be used for many other things. I purchased a backup and 2 side cameras with monitor, they were very helpful when I had questions.

Ralph

[efwd]

Im just sitting here looking at that plane and can't help thinking that that thing looks like a beast.
Eddie

[PaulSS]

I know I would get stoned (as in rocks, not illegal (in some states) drugs) if I were anywhere near you guys but I actually prefer the looks of the 22" tyres on the Grove gear. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I have absolutely no doubt about the effectiveness of this setup (that being the whole point, of course) but, just aesthetically, I like the smaller tyres and simpler legs.

Of course, if I were to be offered this machine I would not refuse :D

[PapuaPilot]

Hey Scott, did you really need the new landing gear to land at Smiley CreeK? It is probably the nicest grass runway I have ever landed on. ;)

[Floog]

The new gear looks great, Scott! But I still like the simplicity, versatility, and practicality of the Grove gear and 850 combination. But then again, my favorite car is a GEO METRO:)
I accept the challenge of getting in and out of anywhere you choose to land! Just don't turbo on me....

[AirFox]

I also like the simplicity of the Grove gear. Grove is fast and does the job it was intended. I flew my plane 900 hours with the grove gear and enjoyed all of them. Now I've had about 20 hours on the Monster gear and I am having a lot of "FUN". The extra "FUN" and "Real Bush Plane" look is definitely worth the small speed decrease and increased weight penalty.

I'm testing some fairings that seem to be giving me most of my lost speed back.

Doug I know there is one spot you would land that I wouldn't. HAHAHA!

[Shadowrider]

Hey! Post some pictures of your fairings!

[AirFox]

I will as soon as I get them painted.

Scott