I like that Bruce!
I like that Bruce!
Harlan and Susan Payne
Flying FarmFox STI Kitfox N61HP
Rotax 915is, Airmaster prop.
https://www.youtube.com/@KitfoxPilot/videos
So do I. Very clever and super cheap. What's the rubberized coating? Plasti-Dip?
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
Eric, when I made these , some other guys were asking questions so I did a tutorial with pics in 2013. Sorry I don't know how to bring old threads to add to this thread so if you go to advanced search : KEYWORD: gap seals USERNAME: micro mong bldr you will find it. The coating was a spray called "performix plastic dip multi purpose rubber coating" basically the stuff you dip tool handles in but in a spray can. A light spray of this to keep the foam from absorbing water. 9 years on mine and they still look like when I installed them. Bruce N199CL
Bruce - Copied your tutorial and brought it forward.
Gary
Bruce's Gap Seal Post:
Hi Steve, they say pics are worth a thousand words, so here is a brief tutorial on how I made my cheapo gap seals. Indeed the material is simply pipe insulation from the depot or lowes. On my Series 5 , my horizontal stab and elevator tube diameter where the seal is installed is about 1 and 1/4 ", so I used a 1" pipe insulation (I suspect 3/4" would work fine as well). Don't know if all models are this diameter. I needed roughly 8 feet of material to cover all gaps. You don't cut it in half , that would give the wrong shape to the foam. You have to replicate your empennage tubes with a simple cutting jig as shown in the following photos. I had a piece of 1" copper on hand but pvc would work in about a 1'' diameter. Once cut to size , I initially tried to wedge them in place , but test flights revealed that elevator travel and propwash would move them slightly, so I contact cemented them in place to each tube. As the elevator moves up and down the radiused part of the foam roll on each other. When cementing in place , put the seal in place when the cement is still wet so you can reposition them to final position before it dries. I would do the stab seal (forward one) let it dry then the elevator (aft one) so you don't disturb the installed one. Do not know if the gap distance is the same for all Kitfox models so you may have to find the right foam for your installation. Hope this helps Bruce
gap seal cutting 1.jpggap seal cutting 2.jpggap seal cutting 3.jpggap seal cutting 4.jpg
Gary (Geek) Phenning
Leavenworth (Not the Prison), WA
Kitfox STi N68SG
Gary, thank you for doing that , I need a tutorial on that procedure because many time I remeber an old post (like this one) that I'd like to apply to the new builders' threads. Been following your build and it looks like you're gonna have a fine Kitfox when you're done, Bruce N199CL
Bruce and Gary -- thanks very much!
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