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Thread: Need education on airframe mods

  1. #11
    N981MS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need education on airframe mods

    Series 6 with an IO-240 and forward swept wings per plans. I have not flown any other setup for comparison but in over 500 hours I have not noted any aberrant flight characteristics from the sweep.

    Adverse yaw with flaps down is a different matter. Manageable but different than that 182.
    Maxwell Duke

    Kitfox S6 IO-240 Built it (Flying since 2003)
    Maule M7-235C Sold it (liked it though)
    RV-10 IO-540 Bought it
    Zenith CH-750 Built with 7 friends (DAR Vic Syracuse)

  2. #12
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need education on airframe mods

    Quote Originally Posted by redbowen View Post
    I have a series 5 with a lycoming O-290D and the wing is swept. It's flight characteristics are outstanding. Stalls are straight ahead with very little wing drop even when uncoordinated. I would bet you would have a very hard time noticing the difference between swept or not.
    This has been my take, but from listening to other's reports or lack of comment on undesirable flight characteristics.

    I would guess that the untoward characteristics would be with wing sweep of much greater amounts than the 1° suggested in the plans. The experimantal X plane comes to mind.
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    Last edited by HighWing; 02-12-2013 at 08:16 PM.

  3. #13
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need education on airframe mods

    One more thought on CG near the forward limit. I just finished some pattern work on my new Model IV which has a more forward CG than my first one due to moving the engine forward a bit.

    If flying conventional gear, be careful with braking during roll out. It will be very easy to raise the tail. No harm no foul, but it got my attention.
    Lowell

  4. #14

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    Default Re: Need education on airframe mods

    Thank you everyone for the comments, it has been REALLY helpful! Yes the X Plane wing sweep and it's speed are a whole other animal

    I've settled on an O-290-D2 powered Series 6 with the sweep, and will be doing a prebuy at the end of the month... first I'm headed to Idaho to fly with Paul for some KitFox specific training.

    The next KitFox will be a Rotax powered LSA, maybe even a factory new one, haven't decided 100% yet. My business partner wants the O-290 airplane but doesn't have funds yet, so I'll have a buyer when I want to move to a Rotax airplane

    The only issue with this airplane is weight, with that heavy engine, me at 200#, and my business partner/IA at 250, add 27 gallons and we're exactly at 1550. We'll need a change of clothes, headsets, iPad, and a toothbrush each.... so it'll be less than full tanks and 2-2.5 hour legs on the way home, about 9.5-10.5 hours of flight over 2 days.

    I'm going to finish my 182 before I do any "improvements" on the new airplane, I'm only going to have one torn apart at any one time !

    Thanks again, excited about my training with Paul, and really excited about joining the KitFox community!

    -Andrew

  5. #15

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    Default Re: Need education on airframe mods

    Does anyone have any experience or idea of how difficult it would be to re-rig a wing to remove the sweep? Would it be necessary in the case of replacing a heavy engine with the rotax.

    Levi

  6. #16
    Senior Member jtpitkin06's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need education on airframe mods

    Quote Originally Posted by LNoguess View Post
    Does anyone have any experience or idea of how difficult it would be to re-rig a wing to remove the sweep? Would it be necessary in the case of replacing a heavy engine with the rotax.

    Levi


    Changing wing sweep is extremely difficult. It requires removing and replacing the forward spar attach pin reinforcement plates and re-rigging the wings. Access to the rivets holding the plates is blocked by the fuel tank and number one rib. Removing a wing tank is akin to doing a root canal on a Kitfox.


    A lighter engine moves the CG aft. You will possibly lose some utility of the baggage compartment. You'll have to run the actual numbers to see the effects. You need to know how much the engines weigh with all the accessories attached. Don't forget to add oil, water, radiator, etc.

    Changing sweep Necessary? Hard to tell without the numbers. Wing sweep moves the allowable envelope 1 inch. Not much.

  7. #17

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    Default Re: Need education on airframe mods

    As expected, I think I'll leave the Sweep Swept and enjoy the ride!
    Levi

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