Checking In!

[Rmendler]

Hey guy/gals, just joined the forum. I purchased my first airplane last night, just so happens to be a Kitfox IV-1200. N94JE in Warrenton, VA.

I will be trailering it home Saturday and hopefully have it in the air shortly after.

I'm sure I'm going to have some questions about it and kitfox's in general.

Thanks Everyone!

[Av8r_Sed]

Hi Richard,

Congrats on your new purchase and welcome to the forum! We'll need you to post some pics and specs on your plane real soon.

Take extra time and care when prepping your bird for trailer travel. You have a much higher risk for damage when moving it. Hopefully the seller will help you with the wing folding the first time. From my experience it's much easier if you have it in level flight attitude when you do the fold so gravity doesn't take over. I usually get the tail up on the trailer first with the wheels chocked and then proceed.

Good luck and good weather for the move.

[Dorsal]

Welcome aboard, fun plane fun crowd

[GWright6970]

Richard,
Welcome to the "obsession group!!" Not sure if I have heard of a cure yet!!! Please post some pictures when you can.

Enjoy the journey!!
Grover

[Rmendler]

Well I was in Atlanta when the aircraft was delivered and drama unfolded.
Apparently when the aircraft was coming off the trailer the winch strap snapped, which sent the aircraft off the trailer sideways and the tail swung out and hit the previous owner of the aircraft, knocked him off the trailer and hurt him.

So then the aircraft would not fit in the space i had rented (even though I was told the door was 10ft wide and 7 ft tall, it was really 7ft 8 inches and 6 ft tall) go figure.

Now the aircraft is wrapped up in a tarp, OUTSIDE, in this wicked winter blizzard we are having in the mountains of North Carolina. I'm home from Atlanta and I can't even get down my driveway. It's a solid 2ft of snow outside right now.

When this storm lifts I'm going to trailer it to Virginia Highlands airport and have the local A&P and a good friend of mine (also A&P) go over the entire aircraft and replace the carburetor intake rubbers with silicone. (dryrot got'em).

So that has been my incredibly stressful past 2 days. I really hope the aircraft is undamaged

[Grady]

Welcome to the forums and hope you have as much fun with your kitfox as I do.

[Geowitz]

Wow, that really sucks. Hopefully it's not damaged, but if it needs repair I'm sure you can get all the info you need here.

[Rmendler]

After a long teardown and finding a few small discrepancies the N94JE is almost ready to fly. The last part should show up today and I think I may have found an instructor willing to take it up.

Here's my next question. When I bought the airplane, literally 2 months ago, the paint was perfect! Not my style, but paint scheme was low on the priority list.

I am now noticing some paint chipping, mostly on the front 4 piece cowling.

Do I need to refabric to repaint? I've been told yes and no, does anyone have any experience with this?

*edit*

the airplane is currently white and red. I am looking to repaint it grey and dark grey. possibly a blue

[Wheels]

As far as re fabric to repaint, do you know what the paint system is that is currently on the plane?
Stits systems are awsome and your A&P friend will tell you that some MEK and a long winter project will likley be the fix. Don't refabric if the plane is flyable and sound just because of some paint chips.

The cowling paint gets chipped on my grass runway sometimes. I'm repainting them now.

My plane is white with red stripe and some gray pinstripe.
let me know. What you find in your build manual for paint system. Im interested. I have my plane in a paintbooth with a professional painter doing the work.
I did the prep myself to save money and I saved over half the cost of paint.

[Rmendler]

Does anyone else with a 582 Blue Head and a 3:1 Gearbox have gearbox chatter around 2,800 RPM's?

The fox idles at 3,000 currently with no issues, but when I try to reduce the idle you can hear a slapping noise up front so I immediately throttle it back up to 3,000. Don't want to do any damage but at 3k on the tach when I let off the brakes she rolles forward pretty quickly and if you don't ride the brakes you'll be at takeoff speed in 600 feet, haha.