Oh, NOOOO! At least you can stop-drill the end of the crack and still fly until the replacement shows up. What a bummer...
Oh, NOOOO! At least you can stop-drill the end of the crack and still fly until the replacement shows up. What a bummer...
Eric Page
Building: Kitfox 5 Safari | Rotax 912iS | Dynon HDX
Member: EAA Lifetime, AOPA, ALPA
ATP: AMEL | Comm: ASEL, Glider | ATCS: CTO
Map of Landings
Harlan and Susan Payne
Flying FarmFox STI Kitfox N61HP
Rotax 915is, Airmaster prop.
https://www.youtube.com/@KitfoxPilot/videos
Oh man does that hurt!! Like Harlan said... it is easier the second time. But who want's to do that work more than necessary.
Ralph
Kitfox 3 flying
Building Kitfox SS7 (RockFox)
915iS Engine
Building Partner Victor V
Thanks all. Misery loves company and this just hurts to look at it. Will stop drill it today but trying to think of how to do it with my eyes closed so I don't have to look. The funny part is that when I budgeted for the build, I actually had a "Screw Up Fund". Ah well. As we used to say on the boat, "Everyone gets their day in the barrel". My turn.
Gary
Gary (Geek) Phenning
Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
Kitfox STi N68SG
Gary, I feel your pain! I cracked one door on Saturday, but it's really small (about an inch long) and I'm hoping it stays that way after drilling it. The sound of that crack made me sick to my stomach!
Jason B.
Phase 1 - S7 STi
Dynon | 915is
Hi Geek,
where can I get that tool to set these AL-Rivets? How is it called?
Thank you , Werner
They are called a "Rivet Squeezer". Catchy name eh? You can find them at Aircraft Spruce. Here's a link to them in Europe
https://www.aircraftspruce.eu/tools/rivet-tools/rivet-squeezers/stainless-steel-hand-squeezer.html
A 'buy the way' is that I know many on this forum use these in place of the squeezer. Another Europe link; https://www.weidinger.eu/en/tools/v-knipex-86-01-series
056-8601180-00-1_1.jpg
Even though I have the squeezers, I have these as well and have successfully done solid rivets with them. Much cheaper.
Gary
Gary (Geek) Phenning
Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
Kitfox STi N68SG
So to add insult to injury.......... Went down in the shop to stop drill my door glass and take another look at why my latches were so tight. When I did the original fitting, I thought they were just perfect and that when I installed the doors and the rubber gasket, they would be a bit tight but functional. In the manual, Kitfox clearly says that you 'might' have to install a shim between the latch rods and the door frame. Should have taken that note a bit more to heart. My tight spot was where the rear rod pushed over the fuselage frame. Drilled out the rivets holding the bracket. Made a shim out of some .063 aluminum and cleco'd them in. The door latches both close smooth as silk. Not loose at all. Slightly compresses the rubber gasket. If you are putting in the optional latches, learn from my mistake. If I had just taken a bit more time in looking at this I would not be ordering a new door glass. Took me two hours to do the fix.
Gary
shim.JPG
Gary (Geek) Phenning
Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
Kitfox STi N68SG
Welcome to the KCAC - "Kitfox Cracked Acrylic Club". I felt your pain halfway across the country.
At least you have a contingency fund!
I have one small crack on a door that ends at a screw hole. It saved me from scrapping the door and buying a new one. I have learned to live with it by not looking at it! Lol.
"Somebody said that carrier pilots were the best in the world, and they must be or there wouldn't be any of them left alive." Ernie Pyle
Brett Butler
Flying: N46KF, 1998 Model 5 Outback, 912ul 110hp, G3x with 2 axis a/p, Beringer wheels & brakes, SS7 firewall forward, NR prop, Custom paint