Rotecradial

[SaintAero]

There's a lot of work involved in the cowling. Here's a photo of my shell. I still need to build the joggles and stiffiners. Once finished, this will be a four piece cowling. Still trying to figure out what to do with the heat from the exhaust....any suggestions from builders? -- Don

[ME2]

Regarding the Heat from the exhaust ring- I kept the cowling approx 1.25" from the ring - no heat problems. I have seen others with much less and seemd to be fine. My cowl is carbon fiber using MGS resin system. Paint is AIR TECH and has not been affected.

[DesertFox4]

First hand report on (Me2) , Bill Proke's Rotec model 4. WOW!!!! This thing up close is spectacular. Had a chance to look it over this morning and it reeks of sexy. Sat in it too. It's a time machine back to the 1930's. Phil Laker said if you didn't notice those flapperons you'd swear 75 years had just been erased from the Calendar. Bill has a fair start on the 40 hour fly off and everything is working well. It is a radial so appropriate care and feeding is required. Bill says refueling takes about an hour. 15 minutes to fuel her and 45 minutes to talk briefly with all the people that she attracts. What a nice problem. Will you be able to see and hear it at the Kitfox Aircraft LLC Factory fly in 2009?
Stay tuned for further updates. Way to go Bill and Matt and keep after those test hours . Sweeeet!!

[SaintAero]

Regarding the Heat from the exhaust ring- I kept the cowling approx 1.25" from the ring - no heat problems. I have seen others with much less and seemd to be fine. My cowl is carbon fiber using MGS resin system. Paint is AIR TECH and has not been affected.

Thanks for the info on the cowling. Mine is a little closer, so we'll see how it works. Another question,..... did you install carb heat?
THX.

[ME2]

I did make an attempt at Carb Heat using warm air off the plenum around the oil tank. The oil tank is behind the firewall and I made an aluminum enclosure for air to be passed through for use as carb heat and as cabin heat. The Temp delta is probably not enough for fully functional carb heat especially to melt ice. Probably enough if engaged when conditions are suspected but not iced up yet. It works for cabin heat and helps keep the cockpit cooler in that the plenum has ram air inlet and exhaust on opposite sides of the airplane. I am in the Phoenix Arizona Area so not a lot of concern with carb heat. I am a fair weather pilot ( a weather chicken). I will probably make a heat shroud at some point over the exhaust to be conventional. I did not want to diminish the aesthetics around the engine installation. Vanity has always been a downfall. I will shoot some pics of the carb heat box( carbon fiber) and the air inlet on the bottom of the cowl.
I have 44 hours now. Engine runs great. Love the airplane.

Best Regards
ME2

[SaintAero]

Thx for the info. I recently bought something from Van's to try. I bought the cabin heater valve and the carb heat tube that connects to the exhaust. I'm also going to try using the cabin heat box with a flange to a valve for carb heat. EG., only one connection to the exhaust for both cabin heat and carb heat. Will advise (good or bad). -- Don

[paulc]

There's a lot of work involved in the cowling. Here's a photo of my shell. I still need to build the joggles and stiffiners. Once finished, this will be a four piece cowling. Still trying to figure out what to do with the heat from the exhaust....any suggestions from builders? -- Don

There is ZERO work required with the model 3 and model 4 cowlings. The model 5 and on wards will require you to make some mods or make a new boot cowl.

On the earlier cowls (Mk 1-4 )you just cut off the fiber glass tabs touch up and go. I did this with my Rotec Model 3. NO COWL MODS!

John McBean of Kitfox is working on a Super Sport Rotec radial installation design and firewall forward it will be available soon. I suspect It will fit the Models 5 and onwards. Give him a call to be sure.

[paulc]

Agian I repeat, for the R2800 installed in the Kitfox Model 3-4

NO mods what so ever to the cowls or airframe. Battery at rear for balance. See attached 2 examples.