Kitfox 4 classic build

[bstell]

Greetings,
I just picked up a model 4/1200 kit that had been barely started and then abandoned some years back, I started to ask some questions in separate threads but I realized I will probably have a million questions so i should just start a thread. for now I have two big ones.

1. I need some new hysol what came with the kit has been sitting around for years, it seems like the gun with the cartridges would be ideal but I wanted to check the groups opinions and also try to figure out how many i'll need. The wings are almost finished with the exception off the false ribs and I need to install all of the horizontal and vertical ribs.

2. the fuselage has some significant corrosion on it(not structural but definitely cosmetic) , to be honest my model 6 is the same way but i'd like to handle this one before i start to assemble it. whats the best method to correct this? if no one has any better ideas i'll probably just sand of the rust then scuff it all up and repaint it.

Thanks for any tips!

[alexM]

Cool project. I love the cartridge/mixing gun for many of the tasks, but you're also going to need to mix up some Hysol with either micro balloons or flox for several tasks. The mixing gun will be a complete waste for that (mostly money).

My project fuselage had some old school powder coat issues on the steel frame. I took some advice and found my local body shop which set me up with some two part rattle can epoxy primer, matched my tubing color exactly with a single part rattle can paint, and finally a two part rattle can clear top coat. I was pretty amazed at the way it came out

[Eric Page]

If the increased cost isn't a barrier, I would highly recommend using a dispensing gun. It makes accurate, neat placement of adhesive much easier than using a popsicle stick. If for some reason you need to mix some Hysol by hand, you can always squeeze some out without the mixing tip and you'll automatically get equal amounts of adhesive and hardener.

I bought this dispensing gun and these mixing tips on Amazon and they work very well. Amazon also has the best price I've found for the 50mL cartridges of Hysol.

Don't toss the cans of expired Hysol. It's still useful for non-structural tasks like forming the stab and flaperon tips, and for repairing holes in your lawn tractor's mowing deck!

[taff]

This is the only photo I have of the seat pan.
Hope it helps.

[bstell]

Thanks taff! That's perfect!

[bstell]

So i've gotten to the point where i need to install the elevator push/pull tube, and realized i don't have the tube itself. By measuring the i.d of the midship bushing and the o.d of the inserts to that tube i'm guessing it's 1 inch .035 wall 6160 which would leave just a little wiggle room for the structural adhesive. Can anyone confirm this before i order? i'm Also missing the foam that supposed to be shaped around the aft end of the horizontal stabilizer, Can anyone point me to an acceptable substitute? So far those and the seat are the only pieces i've found missing so all in all its going well.

Thanks!

[Eric Page]

Yes, the elevator push-pull tube is 1" dia, 0.035 wall. Be sure you don't pull rivets in one end until the tube is installed in the fuselage. Ask me how I know...

Re shaping the stab, elevator and flaperon tips, I used Owens Corning pink rigid insulating foam from Home Depot (I had half a sheet laying around). It cuts easily (if messily) with common wood tools. I roughly shaped it with a coarse rasp, then decreasing grades of sandpaper. I sanded it under-size, then applied a coat of Hysol to form a hard shell. That was also shaped with the rasp and sanding, followed by a couple coats of Super-Fil and more sanding to achieve the final smooth shape.

[Kitfox Pilot]

I agree with alexM on the mixing glue and his painting advice. You can get the small 50ml cartridges about anywhere. Kitfox sells them at a reasonable cost also.
Loctite 9460 Hysol Non Sag Epoxy Structural Adhesive, 50 mL Dual Cartridge, Gray
https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-Hysol...MWDTRSDQ0JT2YM

[avidflyer]

I've found that the scotch weld 2216 epoxy lasts a lot longer then hysol. It's also the stuff Kitfox used to supply with their kits. It does have an odd ball mixing ratio, but if you have a small scale, it's no problem. Mix is 5 parts to 7 parts by weight. I have a small jewelry scale, and dribble some of the one into a plastic cup, do some quick math, and that will tell me how much to add of the other, then I know when I have the right amount of the other component by watching the scale. Hope that made sense. JImChuk

[CoClimber]

I'm assuming you were the lucky bidder of that recent auction in VA. Congratulations. In case you are new to the the homebuilt scene, when I bought my Model 2, I got caught in a disaster of a problem with the airworthiness certificate. You won't have that problem because you are clearly building more than 51%. Just make sure you are documenting the build. My concern with that auction was with the registration. The FAA needs a continuous trail of ownership from the factory to you. I'm hoping that the original owner had the bill of sale from the factory and signed it over leaving the buyers name blank for you to fill in.