bbs428 Build

[rv9ralph]

Congratulations Brett... now the fun begins.

[bbs428]

Thanks guys.
It’s been a humbling experience.
The Forum has been great.

The fun definitely HAS begun! 😁

[efwd]

Very Very Cool. Congrats!

[bbs428]

It's been an interesting two months. Enjoying the fall flying.

I would like to bring you all up to date as I've been working on keeping my pile of parts straight down the center of the runway.
Phase one has been completed!
An issue that reoccurs is cooling. Runs on the warm side when it's hot and cool when its colder. 50 - 85 degrees seems to be the sweet spot. I have a few ideas.

I changed to the 6x6 tire as I have been mostly on paved runways. there're much more forgiving. The plan is to change the tires back to the 22x8.5 when I move the plane to a different airport with a grass strip when I finish off the rest of my training this Spring. Finding The right CFI has been challenging and I think we have the right one now. Most of the good ones are booked solid for months in advance.
Finding permanent hanger space around here - or anywhere for that matter, is next to impossible but temporary space can and has been found.
With the holidays quickly approaching, family time is taking the priority now.

Plane is running great. No issues to report.
I'll compile some of the performance numbers and post them soon.

Best advise ever - Keep your eyes on the prize!

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[Eric Page]

Great motivation, Brett. Congrats; it's a beauty!

[Kitfox Pilot]

[QUOTE
An issue that reoccurs is cooling. Runs on the warm side when it's hot and cool when its colder. 50 - 85 degrees seems to be the sweet spot. I have a few ideas.

A thermostat by thermo bob,
https://watt-man.com/thermo-bob-read-more/
,is the best option for a rotax IMO. That takes care of the too cool side. The hot side you need air. If your radiator opening is 9 inches like the book says I think the number to use now is 11 inches.
This cures most heat problems.
Glad you are free to fly the world now! Come on over to southern Illinois when you need to see the sights.

[bbs428]

A few updates on my Kitfox and flying

Had my ALT1 (external 40-amp alt) circuit breaker pop during the taxi to the active runway. By the time I was back at the hanger the starter breaker popped as well.
Turned out the thin retaining nut for the starter switch had loosened and fell onto the switch contacts. Secured the retaining nut and dabbed a bit of clear sealant on the threads. Checked 4.0 on deck.
Normal operation is ALT1 ON. 14.2v @ cruise rpm (5.5k) Taxi is about 13.9v (2k) Flying on the backup - ALT2 (Rotax internal) gives me about 13.6v @ cruise rpm (5.5k) Taxi about 13.3v (2k)
After this I did another inspection of all the fasteners and everything else with a very bright flashlight and vacuumed out the plane again!

While syncing the carbs the other day I noticed more pronounced periods of roughness at idle. My engine is an older 1993 912ul with a zipper big bore kit, rated at 110hp.
I have suspected for a while that my CDI unit-2 Lane B (closest to the engine) was failing and upon inspection found it to be physically deformed (swollen and cracked). I had a new CDI unit purchased from a fellow on Barnstormer. It was easy to install, and the plane ran noticeably better than before. I plan on buying another so both units are the same.

https://www.barnstormers.com/classif...ob3Htivq52BNHA

All flying speeds and stalls are normal SS7 numbers as posted on the Kitfox website. Thats at 1409 lbs. Approx. 3/4 fuel and two 230lb guys.
I plan on installing vg's at a later date.
The larger SS7 elevator has no tendency to lose its effectiveness. No gap seals installed at this time. Don't think I need them.
The G3x has been rock solid - no issues. My DIY wiring harness was a great learning experience and saved big $$.
I have not played around with the autopilot yet. I'll post when that gets accomplished.
Love the Beringer wheels (all 3) and the brakes. Saved a lot of weight from the Grove setup.
Another big weight saver is the NR two blade propeller, just under 10 lbs. After a visit with the Dynavibe, it's as smooth as other 3 blade setups.
The Scott 3200 tailwheel I got off Barnstormers was a real find. Very stout and predictable. I found all the rebuild parts on AC Spruce.
The Earthx 680c battery Is light but expensive. Not much reserve. Should have bought a bigger one, but this fit in the nice custom Kitfox battery box. I have run it down a few times on the ground by accident and have had to jump it back into existence. Coupled with the Sky-Tec starter, it really starts great!
The 6x6 falcon tires have been great. I greased the bead of the tires and run them on the tubeless Beringer wheels with no issues. More weight savings!
The 22x8.50 Desser tundra tires, while great on sod/dirt are a real pita on the pavement for this low time t/w pilot. Very grabby. The 6x6's are much nicer to learn with on a hard surface.
B & C specialty products (alt and v reg.) were easy to install, and they are great to work with. Top notch!
I enlarged my NACA opening length for the radiator/oil cooler by an inch and a half as per Kitfox's recommendations. Next summer we shall see if it helped!
I'm thinking of adding louvers to the oil cooler sometime in the future.

I hung all my old Rc airplanes up in the shop so I could enjoy them. Usually, I fly them till the inevitable radio glitch and/or dumb-finger crash destroys them! Lol.

Enjoy your holidays and keep your gross weight down to within spec's!


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[Eric Page]

The 22x8.50 Desser tundra tires, while great on sod/dirt are a real pita on the pavement for this low time t/w pilot. Very grabby. The 6x6's are much nicer to learn with on a hard surface.

Thanks for posting this little tid-bit. I had been on the fence about whether to start my plane on the 6.00x6's that came with it, or on a set of 8.50x6's. Given that I have very little tailwheel experience either, and my home airport is paved, it sounds like 6.00x6 is the way to go.

[alexM]

The trick with the Desser 8.50s is finding the right pressure. One of the first things I did on my Citabria was go from 7.00x6 to the 8.50s. My IA set the initial pressure and I had a really hard time making a smooth landing. I started working the pressure down and found that 12psi was the sweet spot (for that plane, that set up). I could feel it if they were at 10 and I was careful to never pump them above 12.

[jiott]

I started my SS7 taildragger with the standard 6x6 tires and kept them on for about 6 months. I was a brand new pilot with a new tailwheel endorsement, but had trained in a tailwheel Kitfox at Stick & Rudder with 8.50x6 tires, so I suppose that helped a lot. After 6 months I installed the Desser 8.50x6 and didn't really notice any difference in landings on pavement, but your experience may differ. One thing I do firmly believe is that it is important to carefully set your main gear toe-in/toe-out to neutral, and also make sure the tailwheel geometry (caster) is proper.