Project 5 build thread

[alexM]

Alex,

Congratulations on your progress. It has been particularly interesting to follow your build since you are going with the Verner Radial. Love reading up on recent builders activities as it kinda brings some of us greybeards back to that time in our kitfox history.

The final version of whatever I'm developing will be available to others. My engine mount design is already being adapted for the KF4 because Robin has ordered a 7 cylinder for his float plane build. My use of the 912 firewall and boot cowl is quite intentional to allow two way adaptability. I doubt the factory knows or cares about my installation, and if they do they probably think I'm a lunatic.

[Eric Page]

Let's be honest, Alex. We all think you're a lunatic!

[Freedom2]

The final version of whatever I'm developing will be available to others. My engine mount design is already being adapted for the KF4 because Robin has ordered a 7 cylinder for his float plane build. My use of the 912 firewall and boot cowl is quite intentional to allow two way adaptability. I doubt the factory knows or cares about my installation, and if they do they probably think I'm a lunatic.

Alex, and let me tell you I am grateful for that! I'm sure you will lead the way for many Verner/kitfox builds. Oratex is on both wings but down for several weeks now as stupid me broke my collar bone playing hockey last night!

[alexM]

I had hoped to make a bunch of progress this week because I have from Dec 24 to Jan 4 off with pay. I have just one more iteration of fill and sand to get the wings smooth (as smooth as I'm going to get them) before covering. But like Geek (Gary) I'm faced with sub freezing temperatures which is slowing me down. It's all the way up to 32 today so I'm back to tasks which don't require mixing/curing fillers and adhesives.

I have fit the aluminum strips to mount the wing tips, which was pretty easy just using the manual instructions. Then I started fitting the Hoerner wing tips. I've got the right one trimmed, rigged and drilled. I got as far as getting the aluminum strips for the left wing fitted and drilled to rib #10 and I got the top part of the left wing tip trimmed to the scribe line.
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That was Monday night when I was also watching for the FedEx driver to bring my uAvionix package and also the flaperon jigs from Gary. The tracking numbers said they were on the truck and would deliver Monday by 7pm. With snow on the ground (even a trace in Puget Sound is pandemonium for driving) I wasn't surprised when around 5:30pm that tracking information changed to the next day. Uh, "or so".
I was expected to spend at least part of the week in Ephrata/Soap Lake so I used the FedEx web site to place a delivery hold on both packages, and headed to the correct side of the mountains around 7pm. I made it to Soap Lake around 10:30 where it was a snappy 5 F outside. I came back home last night to get some building done and found the package from Gary on my porch. I attempted to use the FedEx website to locate my uAvionix package but was unable to get a status on it, other than being somewhere in Tacoma. Phone and online support are both automated and not at all helpful. Everyone has their favorite shippers and shipping horror stories. FedEx is not my favorite.
I drove to their distribution center this morning and they were able to find my package in about 15 minutes, so all is well.
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Yet another GPS antenna I have to mount. Grrr.

[soap box moment]
In spite of my up front planning to eliminate extra crap I now have 3 GPS "bumps" that I have to make a home for. I'll of course be borrowing heavily from other builders who mount them inside the fuselage around the baggage area. I hope that I can at least pirate the GPS signal from this uAvionix device and route it to my ELT so I don't end up with yet another GPS antenna.
I cannot fathom why ADS-B requires a GPS more precise than the ones driving my EFIS system. I've viewed enough of my own ADS-B tracks online to know they are a VERY crude approximation of my actual flight path, and have significant altitude and position errors. Why, according to Flightaware I once toured south Puget Sound at -145' MSL. I was low, but not that low. A steep turn shows up as a kink in my flight path. Same is true for ELT signal. As far as I know it isn't transmitting my position at all until there's a crash detection. How precise does it need to be? Even if the error was 100 yards, are searchers going to arrive and be unable to figure out which pile of wreckage is mine?
[/soap box moment]

Moving on
John Roberts is almost done with my landing gear. I know all the cool kids are getting Shock Monster gear, which by all reports is a fantastic setup, but I'm not rock crawling and can't justify $5k for longer legs. John was pumped to find out I'm using the Verner radial and made me promise to fly it to Idaho so he can see it when I'm done. Happy to oblige.

With any luck my replacement flaperons will also be done in the next week or so and I'll drive to Idaho to pick up both the landing gear and the flaperons. I love a good road trip and I am my favorite shipper.

Brett Hahn, my engine importer has been working on my engine mount. We had discussed two ways to create the "sleeve" with what amounts to a 1/4" thick washer welded inside it. He tested both versions with his 20 ton press and neither deformed. Then he tested them to destruction and cut them so he could inspect the weld. The idea I had (cut slots in the outside of the sleeve so you can see the "washer" through the slots) turns out to be much easier with perfect weld penetration, so that is what he's proceeding with.
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Oratex
I've gone through the manual, I've watched the videos by Lauren (Denali Pilot) and Harlan (Kitfox Pilot) because they both covered with Oratex and I still had plenty of stupid questions. So I reached out to both of them and they responded quickly with enough answers that all I need now is a garage that is warm enough to do the job. First time ever that I've cursed the snow. I generally love snow because it screws everything up and makes people break routine and engage with each other in a way they normally don't.

Now I'm headed out to finish mounting that left wingtip. Then I'm probably headed to my hangar to retrieve the large roll of Oratex to see if I can at least get the big pieces for the wings cut and ready.

[alexM]

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Left wing tip is trimmed and drilled. Usually the second of pretty much anything goes quicker. This one started out pretty rough but in the end it came out fine. And where I originally didn't like the look of the Hoerner wing tips I've seen some pictures of completed planes recently which have changed my mind. Still not crazy about the 3.75 lbs each though.

[alexM]

Well I have officially broken out the Oratex covering materials and started working with them. There are a couple of art projects used to become familiar with the process and to validate the adhesive. My adhesive is still white as the driven snow with no clumps or curdles, which is a good sign, but the proof is in the peel test.

For that I employed some of my old series 5 ribs which just happen to fit the 1" wide strip requirement. Working from my old 2016 manual I made some test strips with 150mm of adhesive (two coats) and I also slathered adhesive on the bottom cap strip of one rib. While that dried I turned my attention to the test frame which is where you really learn how the materials are used.
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I dug out my old self healing cutting mat and the pizza wheel cutter (which might be the sharpest thing I have ever owned). I wish the mat was 78" so I could cut across the roll of fabric in one shot, but sliding it isn't the end of the world.

For the test frame I went to my local art supply store and bought frame pieces that a painter would stretch canvas over. The instructions tell you to radius at least one corner so you get practice stretching the fabric over contoured shapes. I got ahead of myself and had adhesive on it before I remembered. Not super worried about that since I've stretched plenty of model airplane covering in my life. I will say it is pretty enjoyable stuff to work with. I haven't taken the Harlan Payne hammer to it yet but that is coming.

I did learn a lot about the temperatures, pressures and hold time making the test frame which I didn't fully understand when I put the test strips on the rib. When I performed the peel test the first piece I put a load on peeled. Of the other three two passed and one peeled just a little and then held. Given what this stuff is for I consider the results to be a failure.

I went back over my outdated manual and then found a PDF from BAF which was much more clear and contained specific iron and heat gun settings. It also emphasized the need for varnish on the ribs. Well my ribs are varnished but the one I used for the test was not. And after making the test frame I was also quite sure I didn't put enough heat, pressure or duration on the test strips either.

So I whipped out another rib and got two coats of epoxy varnish on it before I left for Idaho.
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Eastbound, about 70 miles from Caldwell

That trip went great. The fine folks at Kitfox were able to complete my new flaperons so that I was able to pick them up in Homedale after visiting Caldwell, where I picked up my Roberts Bush Gear. I used my old spar crate and a uhaul trailer to transport the flaperons, and they arrived back home in perfect condition. The flaperons aren't super exciting (they look like flaperons) but the gear is pretty awesome. Visiting the Kitfox factory is always fun. Everyone is friendly and super helpful.
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This gives me the couple extra inches I wanted for swinging a big prop, but aren't full boat "shut up and take my money" TK1 Monster Shock gear. Anyone following my project knows I weigh everything, and this gear (including all the hardware) is 27.7 lbs. I've read that the Grove gear is 33 lbs but I haven't personally weighed them. I will be doing that when I remove them and test fit the Roberts gear.

Last night I sanded the new test rib with 120 just like I did on the finished wings, and I prepared over a dozen new test strips. I've got the two coats of adhesive on the strips and the rib for my second attempt. The other thing I did was to pull all the previous test strips off that first test piece, and it was super clear to me I didn't bring enough heat and pressure to cause the adhesive to melt completely. I will not be making that mistake again. If this second test doesn't result in 100% pass on all strips it points to my adhesive being suspect, and at that point I would have to resign myself to ordering a new batch. Thankfully Oratex hot melt adhesive doesn't contain any semiconductors.

Speaking of which
My last piece of high dollar electronic equipment on my shopping list was the Sandia STX 165R transponder. Inventory of those has dried up so they are either out of stock or the price has shot up $2-300. Aircraft Spruce showed "No Stock" but I noticed that the non R version (R is the headless one I want) was also out of stock but it had an expected date.

On a whim I emailed Spruce to see if they were ever going to get another 165R. A few hours later I received an email saying they were expecting one unit on Feb 22 and weren't sure when they would ever see another. That, combined with the non-adjusted for 2022 price was all I needed. I placed my order for that yesterday.

[alexM]

I did my new peel test last night and they all passed no problem, so my adhesive (and technique) are up to the task. I'm planning on spending tomorrow getting the glue side of the fabric pieces marked so I can paint the adhesive in the right place.

The problem is it's cold outside and the forecast for the next 10 days shows low 30s at night, and I need to keep the adhesive above 41F until it is ironed in place. I can get my garage up to temperature briefly using a propane heater but that would be a lot of propane (and the moisture in the air that comes with it) to keep it warm for 12-24 hours at a time.

[bumsteer]

Alex

You may want to consider waiting til it gets a bit warmer. I can't find it right now but I thought I remember ambient temp of 50F as a minimium. Don't forget the part you are attaching the fabric to will be a giant heat sink ( especially the fuselage), and if quite cold, and will require longer dwell time with the iron/heat gun to get proper bonding. I did some of mine when temp was about 55F and upped my iron/heat gun temps 10-20F and dwell time to help with the bonding. The Oratex itself gets a bit ornery when cooler also.

Rick

[alexM]

Party pooper! Next you're going to tell me there is no Santa Claus.

I sent an email to BAF a couple hours ago but I suspect they're going to say the same thing. I guess maybe I'll be test fitting my landing gear tomorrow instead.

Plan B would be to trim the excess off the pieces I have cut for my wings and cover the tail surfaces inside my house...Hmm.

[bumsteer]

No, I had reindeer tracks on my roof so he exists!! Plan B sounds good because when you start on the curved tips you won't want to be cold and miserable trust me.

Rick