Re: Joe Ruscito's Kitfox S7 Build
Joe, turn the trim rod end in until full nose up trim brings the HS front tube clear to the bottom of the slot in the tail access panels.
Nearly everyone ends up with a heavy left wing on the maiden flight. It will happen even if your build and rigging is perfect and symetrical, due to the left turning tendencies of all aircraft (P-factor, engine torque, spiral slipstream). So you will need to tweak the rigging, lift strut rod ends, to eliminate it. Do it in stages; it usually takes 2-3 tries. Sitting on the left side does affect it a little, but most of us fly solo most of the time.
Re: Joe Ruscito's Kitfox S7 Build
Congratulations on the first set of flights, sounds like she is flying beautifully and looks fantastic. Good call on adding the trim assist, I can fly almost hands off on final with full up trim (one notch of flaps). Your static RPM numbers look about right to me, speed seems off, what does the GPS say? No rush on the Dynavibe as Skidookid took himself off the list.
Re: Joe Ruscito's Kitfox S7 Build
Congratulations Joe. Reading your post is like rereading my own. I made one half turn correction on the right wing lift strut and corrected my left wing heavy issue. It obviously doesn't require much. Paul L. Advises removing pitch on the opposite wing first.
Re: Joe Ruscito's Kitfox S7 Build
I’m going to do another airspeed check before I make pitch changes. I’ll note the ground speeds.
Do you happen to know why Paul suggests adjusting the light wing first? I read in another post that John M suggests adjusting the heavy wing first.
Thanks!
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Re: Joe Ruscito's Kitfox S7 Build
If I recall correctly, the idea is that you aren't changing much but if your going to turn a rod end, it would be ideal if you are gaining thread contact rather than reducing the number of thread engagement on a rod end bearing.
Re: Joe Ruscito's Kitfox S7 Build
I would think that you would be better to add washout than take it away?:confused:
Re: Joe Ruscito's Kitfox S7 Build
That's one way to look at it. It was only recommended to start this way. The next move is then to increase the heavy side. It was a bubble level that established the washout initially, so I think to start with a little reduction first isn't bad advice. You probably won't go to the opposite side anyhow. Unless you want to determine which wing it is that has that fraction of a degree too little or too much, your kinda stuck starting someplace. Any place.
Re: Joe Ruscito's Kitfox S7 Build
Got my heavy left wing all sorted. It took a full turn on the right rear and a half turn on the left rear. Also added the trim assist. WOW what a difference. Ive also been mainly using one notch of flaps for landing and all is smooth! Really enjoying it. Im up to about 10 hours flight time now and have landing at a few different airports including one grass strip. So much fun. Still dialing in the prop pitch as Im getting 5700 WOT in cruise and about 102 MPH indicated. Slowly adding pitch to get that number down to around 5500-5600 WOT in cruise.
Also I put together a build time lapse. Im no YouTuber but I figured it might help some people see all that is involved with one of these builds. https://youtu.be/rmgmYuuQYcw
Re: Joe Ruscito's Kitfox S7 Build
Glad your getting it all sorted Joe. All sounds great - your living a blessed life my friend! Appreciate your insights and the time lapse vid.
When your restricted time is complete you'll have to come out west and do a photo shoot with us here in fly over country. :D
Fly safe!