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Thread: Turtle Deck install

  1. #1
    Birdseyeview's Avatar
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    Default Turtle Deck install

    I've mounted my sheet metal turtle deck but haven't trimmed the side strakes yet. I left a 1/4" overlap of the wind screen over the top of the wing on each side and I'm considering doing the same with the strakes. Before I trim it I'm wondering what overlap, if any, with the top of the adjacent wing some of you have done or what your opinions are.

    IMG_7977.jpg
    Larry Olson
    Kitfox Series 6 - 1st Flight Oct 2021
    Tri-gear, smooth cowl
    912 ULS

  2. #2
    Senior Member efwd's Avatar
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    Default Re: Turtle Deck install

    You certainly can leave them that way for sure. I put mine in a sheet metal break and bent the edge down 90 degrees. I was super pleased that I got the bend perfectly bent. I have no gap at all between the strake and the wing.
    Eddie Forward
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X

  3. #3
    Senior Member Dave S's Avatar
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    Default Re: Turtle Deck install

    Larry,

    Thinking that it might be worthwhile to trim a bit to prevent interference between the bolts that will eventually be installed on the flaperon bracket adjacent to the strake. Wouldn't have to be the full length of the strake but a short notch where the bolts will contact the strake if not trimmed. A person can get the strake past the bolts but it is certainly a little monkey business to bend/guide the strake around the bolt ends during routine removal of the turtledeck.

    I also trimmed the edge of the strake enough to prevent scratching/chipping of the flaperon bracket when removing/replacing the the TD.
    Dave S
    Kitfox 7 Trigear (Flying since 2009)
    912ULS Warp Drive

    St Paul, MN

  4. #4
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Turtle Deck install

    My experience says ...

    Leave a little clearance, otherwise 10 years later you will be cursing it when yet again getting the
    Turtledeck on and off becomes an annoying and tedious process of getting everything aligned just
    right ... Some times that "precision fitting" at build time, becomes a curse when you use the
    plane regularly.

    Jeff

  5. #5
    Birdseyeview's Avatar
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    Default Re: Turtle Deck install

    Thanks everyone for your inputs and your experiences. It is greatly appreciated. I especially like the idea of bending the strike 90 degrees down to mate closely with the inboard edge of the wings. Thanks for that idea Eddie.
    Larry Olson
    Kitfox Series 6 - 1st Flight Oct 2021
    Tri-gear, smooth cowl
    912 ULS

  6. #6

    Join Date
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    Westfield, IN
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    Default Re: Turtle Deck install

    More to consider...

    Will you put a hinge in your turtledeck? I did in mine and have not done anything with the strakes yet. You would want to do that after if you put a hinge in.

    Along these lines, I trimmed my turtledeck closely around the flaperon tubes to get a tight fit and less air flow. Folding the wings though requires removal of the turtledeck. I almost couldn't get my turtledeck off once the windshield was on. The angle you trim it at matters. I got lucky.

    Also, if you leave a windshield overlap, bevel the underside. Again, for when you fold wings, it will not rub the fabric. I beveled mine at about 45 degrees. Another thing is that the overlap does not work very well with the wing root cuff idea in the manual. I have about a 3/16" overlap in mine. When you get to wing root cuffs, you would have to trim that overlap back to flush near the cuffs to abide by the instructions in the book.

  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Turtle Deck install

    Quote Originally Posted by n85ae View Post
    My experience says ...

    Leave a little clearance, otherwise 10 years later you will be cursing it when yet again getting the
    Turtledeck on and off becomes an annoying and tedious process of getting everything aligned just
    right ... Some times that "precision fitting" at build time, becomes a curse when you use the
    plane regularly.

    Jeff
    I have to agree with Jeff on this one. When I was building my Series 5 , 20 years ago, i did a lot of walking around at OSH and sun n fun looking closely at finished Kitfoxes and saw lots of evidence of surface to surface wear when they where too close , so I left a bit of room in areas that where affected. The cowl area where it meets the fuselage was another area that showed rubbing and wear. On my strakes , I found a small rubber U channel (used in RC models) and superglued this to the aluminum edges. 17 years later no wear is evident. Bruce N199CL

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