Kitfox down

[deejayel]

Thanks Akflyer. I'm glad to hear this may be an easier project than I initially had expected.

The engine is at the overhaul shop and will be back at the house in less than 2 weeks.

Im leaning to the 3 blade ivo ul ground adjustable prop and polished spinner 68"

My engine mount is bent as well. Ill post in the wanteds, but does anyone have a rotax 2stroke mount hanging around after your 900 series upgrade?

Akflyer, did you strip the fulselage from nose to tail? Or just aft of the turtledeck to the tail?

[chefwarthog]

Taildrager..... he know just how much brake and tail down force but une day he might flip..... but he is in control!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdHkp...eature=g-all-u

[Av8r3400]

Steve doesn't even need a tailwheel on that plane! He wears that thing like you would wear your favorite pair of jeans!

As a side note, he is running a modified 912S in that plane. His engine builder shaved the pistons to lower the compression and added a turbo kit from someone like Bully Hawk. Apparently it's making somewhere in the 140 hp range.

[deejayel]

Whats the difference between the 3 and the 4 fuselage? There is a "2 or 3" fuselage kit on barnstormers. Might save me a bunch of welding repair

[avidflyer]

I can't tell you the difference between the 2 and 3 fusaloge offhand, but I do know that the liftstrut attachments are in a different location between the 2 and the 3. (If my memory is correct, the liftstruts are longer on the 3, so the brackets are farther out on the wing.) If someone can give you the distance between the fusaloge and the liftstrut bracket on their 2 or 3 wings and then you get the seller to provide his dimention of the same, you will know which kit it is. I saw that add also, and if I was closer, I think I would buy it cause it sure is low priced. You could use what you need and part out the rest and maybe end up with what you need for nearly nothing. Take care, Jim Chuk

[deejayel]

Got the plane stripped down today. Everything but the instrument panel. Got most of the damage bent back into some semblance of a fuselage. Plenty of pipes needing replacment, but that was to be expected.

Hopefully by the end of the week Ill have this thing on the welders rack.

[avidflyer]

Sorry guys, I must have been not paying attention yesterday when I commented on the differences between a Kitfox 2 and 3 when the question was about the difference between a 3 and a 4. One big difference that I can think of between a Kitfox 3 and 4 is the flaperon controls behind the seat are totally different. The Kitfox 3 uses the design copied from the early Avid Flyer, but the Kitfox 4 controls are a completly different design. I think that the 4 also has 2" more headroom, but am not positive on that one. Also, the verticle stabilize/rudder is taller on the later Kitfox 4s. I'm just guessing here, but maybe the fusaloge is also longer on the 4. If someone who has a Kitfox 3 wants to measure the distance from the rear wing attchment point to the front of the horizontal stabilizer and also measure from the floorboards to the center of the front spar, I'll measure my Kitfox 4 project and we can compare numbers to see if there is a difference. Take care, Jim Chuk

[avidflyer]

I took a tape measure with me and got some dimentions from my Kitfox 4 Classic 1200 today. Measuring from the center of the front spar, straight down to the floor, I had 3' 1 1/2". Measuring from the center of the rear spar attachment point to the front of the horizontal stabilizer, I had 8' 1"
The verticle stabilizer from top to bottom was 4' 6". If someone could measure their Kitfox 3 in these points, we can gain some info perhaps. Take care, Jim Chuk

[Dutch]

All model 3 fuselage dimensions are the same as the model 4 except the tail is 3'11" and the spar carry through tubes are a thinner gauge. That is why the model 3 is rated at 1050 and the model 4 is rated at 1200 gross weight. The controls are also different. In order to install model 4 controls in a model 3 a lot of tubes have to be cut out and new ones have to be welded in. I have a model 3 with the model 4 controls,wings,tail feathers,and upper rear cowl. Except for the fin height it looks just like a 4.

Dutch

[cap01]

Dutch , there are a few other differences between the 1050 and 1200 gross weight airplanes . My model IV is a early one and is a 1500 , small vertical and rudder . There are mods that were accomplished by a previous owner that supposedly increased the gross to 1200. The new Kitfox won't endorse the mods and its not clear if skystar did , It appears that they did . With the 1200 mod the wing strut diameter was increased and on mine a solid rod was installed in the fuselage tube that connects the lower wing strut attach points . Luckily this is well documented in the builders log and with pictures . According to Debra at Kitfox the tubes for the bungee support structure aren't as beefie on the 1050 airplanes . Again it's not clear if the grove gear would suffice as an upgrade to the bungee support since I have seen references to the gross weight increases pertaining to seaplanes versions. It appears a previous owner had intentions of making mine a seaplane as I have that fin thing that goes under the tail of a seaplane
Hope this didn't get too confusing