Re: Folding wing question
Yes I would create space to unfold in the hangar. I keep my SS7 at home in a section of my barn which was prepared by remodeling, adding a garage door, and a loading dock the same height as the trailer. I trailer the two miles to the airport. The issue is that some times inspections or maintenance requires the wings be un-folded. No problem on a nice day but bad weather puts a delay on work. You can search the forum for " trailering a kitfox SS7" for the video of my operation. The width and height of the opening need consideration. With the wings folded the width of the plane is about 8 feet, but it is wise to have some padding between the flaperons and the vertical stab. I used 9 feet wide and only have 2 inches clearance on each side. Should be 10 feet wide. Height depends, on nose wheel or tail wheel plus if you are going to have a raise up door the ceiling has to be high enough to allow for height of tail plus the door mechanism.
Re: Folding wing question
I agree, make space to spread your wings.
Re: Folding wing question
Thanks for the replies.
The door for my building is 12' wide and 10' tall, so I should be good there. I am definitely going tailwheel, so I should be able to get the get the airplane in, even sitting on my trailer.
The question is going to be is how close can I space my support columns to still allow the wing to be unfolded inside? I would also like to add a couple of feet of wiggle room.
Are there any detailed drawings of the dimensions on the website that I have missed? By rough estimates, I think I will need a 20' x 38' open span to accommodate unfolding the wings with room to work.
The construction cost goes up with the length of span of my floor joists.
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Re: Folding wing question
Paint template on Kitfox website.
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Re: Folding wing question
Attached is a PDF file of a template of the S-7.
Direct link to the S-7 specs on the factory web page https://www.kitfoxaircraft.com/index...persport-specs
With wings folded it is 22' 7" long.
To spread the wings in that space you may need to put the plane on dollys. Spread one wing, move the plane sideways, then spread the other wing. That's how I did it my shop.
Re: Folding wing question
Your 20' length could be a problem. If the engine and prop are installed the length is about 20', but it gets even longer with the wings folded. I think mine is about 20.5' x 32' with the wings out and 22' x 8' with the wings folded.
If you don't install the engine and just work on the airframe you could use the 38' x 20'. If you leave the rudder and elevator off you will shorten it another 2'. You would be down to about 15' without the engine and tail, but you could have it sitting on its wheels.
Re: Folding wing question
Thanks, I can work with those images to get some rough dimensions for the fold.
The 20' span length would just be the distance between the columns, so the rest would be open space. I figure the distance from the tip of the spinner to the front of the wind is roughly 3 or 4 feet. So, think about a column on either side of the nose, about halfway out the wing. From there, go aft about 20' to the next column. I think that will work.
I am going to diagram it up for the engineer. I'll post a picture of it once I am done.
Re: Folding wing question
Re: Folding wing question
Thanks for the pictures.. it looks like a nice space! Mine is literally just an empty steel building right now. I don't even have electricity yet.