---------------------------------------------------------- Kitfox-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Wed 10/12/11: 5 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 03:32 AM - Re: The mistakes I did (Michel) 2. 07:45 AM - Re: Re: The mistakes I did (Lowell Fitt) 3. 08:02 AM - Re: Re: EnclosedTrailering (bjones@dmv.com) 4. 08:21 AM - Re: Re: Mistakes / Trailering (bjones@dmv.com) 5. 11:19 PM - Re: Spinner (Lowell Fitt) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 03:32:18 AM PST US Subject: Kitfox-List: Re: The mistakes I did From: "Michel" [quote="Pat Reilly"]I never set the cap on the wing now. I always set the cap on the ladder when gassing up.[quote] ... that sounds like a good idea, Pat! I think I'll do the same! Cheers, Michel Verheughe Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200 Norway -------- Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200 Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=354776#354776 ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 07:45:00 AM PST US From: "Lowell Fitt" Subject: Re: Kitfox-List: Re: The mistakes I did The mistake I made in this regard was allowing the line boy to top up the tanks. He did his job flawlessly until he reinstalled the caps. On the left wing, he only engaged one side of the cap. With the cap present but unsealed, it siphoned fuel. Our leg was a short one, but the fuel drain was obvious from the site gauges. Lowell Fitt Kitfox IV-1200 900 hrs 912UL Kitfox IV-1200 Close 912UL Cameron Park, CA -------------------------------------------------- From: "Michel" Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 3:29 AM Subject: Kitfox-List: Re: The mistakes I did > > [quote="Pat Reilly"]I never set the cap on the wing now. I always set the > cap on the ladder when gassing up.[quote] > > ... that sounds like a good idea, Pat! I think I'll do the same! > > Cheers, > Michel Verheughe > Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200 > Norway > > -------- > Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200 > > > Read this topic online here: > > http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=354776#354776 > > > ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 08:02:01 AM PST US Subject: RE: Kitfox-List: Re: EnclosedTrailering From: bjones@dmv.com Lloyd I have a trailer like the one Kitfox had built for factory aircraft transport many years ago. It is Eight foot 6 inch wide. Mine is 27 long inside and is a little taller than the Kitfox unit so I can have room to camp out in it over night if I wanted and carry equipment. It is a tight fit with 2" wall studs. The wall studs need to be 2 inch or 1 1/2 inch thick or the opening is too small, so you may need a custom builder. Pace, Wells Cargo etc don't want to build trailers with thin corner studs because they break bouncing down the road. I installed gussets or knees at the corners on the last two studs to solve that problem. Later i bought a smaller used trailer that had been built for a Kitfox so I could keep a secong plane at a second home. It turned out to be 9 feet wide which makes loading MUCH easier. Being 9' wide has not been a problem for me. I have a lot of experience towing larger boats and 10 foot wide boats are very common trailer rigs along coastal states without any permits. If i were to build another it wouyld be 9' wide with 1 1/2 inch wall studs, closely spaced for strength and with a one piece roof. Roof joints leak because the trailer flexes some bouncing down the road. The first trailer has a one piece roof and does not leak. The second has maybe 6 seams and IT LEAKS despite all the RV roof sealer I have tried. Torsion axles allow the trailer bed to be lower than springs. This is an advantage because the ramp incline is shallow. I pull mine in by hand without a winch most of the time, and I'm a 64 year old 170 lbs weakling. Both trailers have 12 volt winches for when I need them. Make sure you can get load range E tires and wheels or figure on blowing tires frequently. Trailer buiders have recommended soft 3500 lb rated axles for about 7,000 lb gross to avoid a ride that's harsh on the plane. Grove style gear is too wide to allow loading nose forward. Gear can't get past fenders inside. When loaded tail first, the engine end wants to bounce around too much on its gear so I end up using heavy rubber bungees and straps to float mounts to dampen the bouncing. I use chain straps over the tires like you see sometimes on car tires when a car is on a trailer. This helps prevent the plane from moving forward with hard braking or from moving sideways. Of couse the walls have padding to prevent wing damage. And the Kitfox braces that help support the wings forward and aft are important or the fuselage can bend ahead of the tail or the connection of the rear spar to cabin can be damaged. Off load all fuel you can before trailering to get weight out of the wing. I'm the only one I know who uses a small tail wheel trailer to move the Kitfox maybe 3/4 mile from my house thru a back gate into one of my home airports. The tail wheel is strapped in a "socket" on the deck of the small trailer. This makes swinging the wing easy because the tail is elevated into nearly flying position. And makes siphoning more fuel out of wing tanks easier than with tail down. I roll the plane into both trailers using the small tailwheel trailer and snap the small trailer hitch onto a ball mounted to the floor of the big trailer. This helps keep the plane in position. A support under the tail spring takes some load off of that spring. Most folks who trailer their Kitfoxes find this to be important. I have probably towed my Kitfox IV with Rotax 912 75,000 miles inside the trailers so far without any significant problems. There are lots of additional details that might be helpful but this gets the conversation started. My cell is 443-480-1023. I'm retired, have the plane in the Grand Canyon area now and am happy to chat anytime or e-mail. Beware that I Only check e-mail every few days while touring. Bob Jones 443-480-1023 > <7suds@chartermi.net> > > BJ, > I am looking to build an enclosed trailer for my Kitfox 5 sometime in the > future, would love to hear any insight and suggestions you might have for > me > from your trailering experiences. > > Thanks, > Lloyd C > Northern Mi > KF 5 912 IVO IFA > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-kitfox-list-server@matronics.com > [mailto:owner-kitfox-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of > bjones@dmv.com > Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 10:48 AM > To: kitfox-list@matronics.com > Subject: Re: Kitfox-List: Re: Mistakes > > > I have seen and heard of a couple of Kitfox airframes bending just ahead > of > the tail when trailered WITHOUT the additional towing support struts. > These are the towing support struts that transfer wing weight to the > airframe at the base of the verticle stabilizer. > > Without these supports, the fuselage ahead of the tail takes a lot of > additional load from the wings being folded back. (CG really shifts aft) > > With the supports, that load is largely transferred directly to the > stronger > structure in the tail. > > I am one of the guys who trailers his Kitfox in an enclosed car trailer > all > over the country, on some pretty bad roads, so this sort of thing > interests > me. > > But lots of folks have reason to occasionally move a Kitfox on a trailer, > consequently sharing the need for these aft wing supports could save some > folks alot of agrivation as well as cost. > > BJ > Kitfox IV 912 > > ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 08:21:45 AM PST US Subject: RE: Kitfox-List: Re: Mistakes / Trailering From: bjones@dmv.com Loyd, I saw a Kitfox clone in a new trailer sold by Atlantic Coast Trailers and Built by United Trailers at Sun N Fun or Sebring Lite Sport Expo. A phone number on my picture of the setup was 888-414-2287. I do not know anything about either the builder or retailer. Bob Jones 443-480-1023 > <7suds@chartermi.net> > > BJ, > I am looking to build an enclosed trailer for my Kitfox 5 sometime in the > future, would love to hear any insight and suggestions you might have for > me > from your trailering experiences. > > Thanks, > Lloyd C > Northern Mi > KF 5 912 IVO IFA > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-kitfox-list-server@matronics.com > [mailto:owner-kitfox-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of > bjones@dmv.com > Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 10:48 AM > To: kitfox-list@matronics.com > Subject: Re: Kitfox-List: Re: Mistakes > > > I have seen and heard of a couple of Kitfox airframes bending just ahead > of > the tail when trailered WITHOUT the additional towing support struts. > These are the towing support struts that transfer wing weight to the > airframe at the base of the verticle stabilizer. > > Without these supports, the fuselage ahead of the tail takes a lot of > additional load from the wings being folded back. (CG really shifts aft) > > With the supports, that load is largely transferred directly to the > stronger > structure in the tail. > > I am one of the guys who trailers his Kitfox in an enclosed car trailer > all > over the country, on some pretty bad roads, so this sort of thing > interests > me. > > But lots of folks have reason to occasionally move a Kitfox on a trailer, > consequently sharing the need for these aft wing supports could save some > folks alot of agrivation as well as cost. > > BJ > Kitfox IV 912 > > ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 11:19:52 PM PST US From: "Lowell Fitt" Subject: Re: Kitfox-List: Spinner Mke, I think I'd scan the Aircraft Spruce online catalog and see what they have. Lowell ----- Original Message ----- From: "mike>bentley" Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 1:43 PM Subject: Kitfox-List: Spinner > > I'm looking for an 8 inch diameter spinner that will fit a GT 2 blade wood > prop on a Jabiru 2200. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. > > -------- > Mike Bentley > Joplin, MO > Model 4-1200 (Rebuilding) > Jabiru 2200 > GT Prop > > > Read this topic online here: > > http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=354724#354724 > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message kitfox-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/Kitfox-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/kitfox-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/kitfox-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.