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WurlyBird

Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 207 Location: North Pole, Alaska
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:57 pm Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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With much anticipation I have opened a bunch of boxes full of parts for the Kitfox and now i have a few questions I am hoping you all can help with.
First, in an attempt to find an easy solution to having a good static reading, especially since my doors are always off, I purchased a combo pitot/static from Aircraft Spruce. It is very simple and has a second tube below the pitot with a single hole drilled in the side to act as a static (should it have a hole in both sides?). All I have to do is replace the single tube in the wing with two. The pitot tube is a good 4 inches shorter then the one installed though. The stock one lines up just about even with the leading edge and this caught my eye. Will there be any error if the pitot is 4 inches behind the leading edge? Can this cause airspeed errors at higher angles of attack when the speed of the air is faster then the speed of the plane through it? Think it will be significant?
Secondly, I purchased the wing strut fairing kit which comes with a couple pieces of sheet metal to make a single fairing where the two tubes come together. This question is for those that have installed the kit, so if you don't get what I am describing dont worry about it. So I was just planning on trimming the tubes as I installed them and then filling any gaps with glass filler and sanding. I would rather not use the sheet metal at all. Anyone have some experience and/or pictures they can share on this?
Thanks for any info
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_________________ James
Kitfox 3 / 582 / 70" IVO 2 blade GA
50 hrs on the 582 swapping for HKS 700E and Avid Cowl. |
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kitfox(at)ida.net Guest
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:20 pm Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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I purchased a double tube that mounts in the wing. Works great. This may be
the only response before it turns into a bragging rotax thread that has
nothing to do with what you asked. Good luck.
Albert Smith
5TD NSI 140T Cap 140
MudLake, Idaho
--------------------------------------------------
From: "WurlyBird" <james.t.trizzino(at)us.army.mil>
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 8:57 PM
To: <kitfox-list(at)matronics.com>
Subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube???
Quote: |
<james.t.trizzino(at)us.army.mil>
With much anticipation I have opened a bunch of boxes full of parts for
the Kitfox and now i have a few questions I am hoping you all can help
with.
First, in an attempt to find an easy solution to having a good static
reading, especially since my doors are always off, I purchased a combo
pitot/static from Aircraft Spruce. It is very simple and has a second
tube below the pitot with a single hole drilled in the side to act as a
static (should it have a hole in both sides?). All I have to do is
replace the single tube in the wing with two. The pitot tube is a good 4
inches shorter then the one installed though. The stock one lines up just
about even with the leading edge and this caught my eye. Will there be
any error if the pitot is 4 inches behind the leading edge? Can this
cause airspeed errors at higher angles of attack when the speed of the air
is faster then the speed of the plane through it? Think it will be
significant?
Secondly, I purchased the wing strut fairing kit which comes with a couple
pieces of sheet metal to make a single fairing where the two tubes come
together. This question is for those that have installed the kit, so if
you don't get what I am describing dont worry about it. So I was just
planning on trimming the tubes as I installed them and then filling any
gaps with glass filler and sanding. I would rather not use the sheet
metal at all. Anyone have some experience and/or pictures they can share
on this?
Thanks for any info
--------
James
Kitfox 3 / 582 / 70" IVO 2 blade GA
50 hrs on the Fox in between deployments,
now she lies in wait
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=333506#333506
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kitfox(at)ida.net Guest
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:24 pm Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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The aluminum for the struts is light and easy. Looks like crap. Fit some
foam blocks in and cover with your covering of choice. Looks good light and
easy.
Albert Smith
MudLake, Idaho
5TD NSI CAP 140
--------------------------------------------------
From: "WurlyBird" <james.t.trizzino(at)us.army.mil>
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 8:57 PM
To: <kitfox-list(at)matronics.com>
Subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube???
Quote: |
<james.t.trizzino(at)us.army.mil>
With much anticipation I have opened a bunch of boxes full of parts for
the Kitfox and now i have a few questions I am hoping you all can help
with.
First, in an attempt to find an easy solution to having a good static
reading, especially since my doors are always off, I purchased a combo
pitot/static from Aircraft Spruce. It is very simple and has a second
tube below the pitot with a single hole drilled in the side to act as a
static (should it have a hole in both sides?). All I have to do is
replace the single tube in the wing with two. The pitot tube is a good 4
inches shorter then the one installed though. The stock one lines up just
about even with the leading edge and this caught my eye. Will there be
any error if the pitot is 4 inches behind the leading edge? Can this
cause airspeed errors at higher angles of attack when the speed of the air
is faster then the speed of the plane through it? Think it will be
significant?
Secondly, I purchased the wing strut fairing kit which comes with a couple
pieces of sheet metal to make a single fairing where the two tubes come
together. This question is for those that have installed the kit, so if
you don't get what I am describing dont worry about it. So I was just
planning on trimming the tubes as I installed them and then filling any
gaps with glass filler and sanding. I would rather not use the sheet
metal at all. Anyone have some experience and/or pictures they can share
on this?
Thanks for any info
--------
James
Kitfox 3 / 582 / 70" IVO 2 blade GA
50 hrs on the Fox in between deployments,
now she lies in wait
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=333506#333506
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7suds(at)Chartermi.net Guest
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:59 am Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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James,
I do not have any input for you on the pitot tube, however, this fall I
reworked the fairings on my 5. Here is what I did. They were finished by the
original builder using the aluminum wraps riveted together and sealed and
finished with Dacron fabric and PolyTone. I did not like that look so I
peeled the aluminum and fabric off and commenced to refinishing. I acquired
a short piece of fairing from one of the many helpful member of this list
and used it to extend the lower section of the fairings because the previous
builder just ran then long enough to reach under the aluminum wrap. I wanted
the fairings to have a smooth finish so I used a DA sander and a file board
to remove the extrusion lines that were in the fairings from mfg. I used
AeroPoxy with Flox to attach and fill all voids and seam the fairings
together. I used foam blocking as backers and fill under the Aeropoxy to
keep it light. I wet sanded to finish the plastic and shot it with a coat of
2 part epoxy primer so it would bite into the plastic, from there I used a
primer surfacer and final coat was white and clear coat automotive paint. It
is not the best way or the recommended way to do the fairings, it is just
how I chose to do mine. It all depends on how you want it to look and
function and the time and resources you have available to get it there.
Another slick job I have seen on the fairings is on the McBean's Radial
Kitfox, very nice. I attached a couple shot of my finished struts.
Lloyd Cudnohufsky
Mod 5 Outback 912ul IVO IFA
Northern Mi.
--
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WurlyBird

Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 207 Location: North Pole, Alaska
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:56 pm Post subject: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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Absolutely beautiful work Lloyd. Blending the two fairings together like that is what I had in mind. I can guarantee however that I will not end up with as nice of a finish but hopefully I can get the shapes similar. I am assuming that the PVC is pretty easy to get a shape on with some medium sand paper.
As far as the pitot, if I use the existing mounting hole in the wing the face will end up about 4 inches below and 4 inches behind the leading edge where the stock one is 4 inches below and even with the LE. I will see if I can move it forward a little without causing too much trouble. I believe that there should not be much error if it is a little behind the LE. It may read a little high while at high AOAs but I am not normally looking at the ASI at times like that anyway.
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_________________ James
Kitfox 3 / 582 / 70" IVO 2 blade GA
50 hrs on the 582 swapping for HKS 700E and Avid Cowl. |
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nichzimmerman
Joined: 04 Feb 2011 Posts: 2 Location: Warner Robins, GA
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 5:35 am Post subject: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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There are plenty of certified birds that have the pitot tube in a similar location, so you shouldn't have any issues.
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_________________ Flyin' a Kitfox 2
Rotax 532 |
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7suds(at)Chartermi.net Guest
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 5:58 pm Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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James,
Yes, the PVC cuts pretty easy, I used a dry file board with 180 grit to
rough off the ridges and blend, then moved to wet sanding with a long block
and progressively finer paper. One thing on the PVC when working it dry is
that it tends to pickup static and the filings will cling to everything.
Lloyd
--
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rawheels

Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 89 Location: Westfield, IN
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:29 am Post subject: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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I didn't like the idea of the metal fairing either. So, I slowly sanded away on the front strut cover until it matched up with the leading edge on the aft one. I'll try to get a better picture later. It doesn't look nearly as good as Lloyd's, but it does look nice.
Also, I'd like to put in a plug for the Krylon Fusion PVC paint. I used it thinking that it would be a cheap temporary solution. However, it was extremely easy to use, and it has held up without a blemish to regular sod runway use. I was really lucky that their color was exactly the same color as the Aerothane on my plane, although the finish isn't as shiny on the PVC.
Anyway, you just wipe down the struts, spray them with the paint, and then wait a week for them to fully cure (the hardest part). What I really like about it is that I can remove the struts, and then snap them back on, and it doesn't affect the paint/covering.
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_________________ Kitfox IV-1200
Indianapolis, IN |
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7suds(at)Chartermi.net Guest
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:00 pm Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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Ryan,
WOW! I like the look of your plane, I never thought of using the Krylon
Fusion on the struts but I have used it on other plastic parts and you are
right about it's durability, great stuff. The Kitfox 5 I am currently
rebuilding came from the Indianapolis area, it had been ground looped there
back in about 2005.
--
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rawheels

Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 89 Location: Westfield, IN
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 5:28 pm Post subject: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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Here are the additional pics of the just cut, paint & install method. It isn't near as nice as Lloyd's and other installations, but it is cheap, easy, lightweight & removable. Another disadvantage is there are large gaps at each end (fairings are 96", struts are a little longer).
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_________________ Kitfox IV-1200
Indianapolis, IN |
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WurlyBird

Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 207 Location: North Pole, Alaska
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:04 pm Post subject: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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Ryan, just curious, but do you think you would ever actually remove the fairings? The work looks great. So for whatever dumb reason I actually threw one of the fairings on the scale and it weighed in at about 3 lbs so I am estimating about 15 lbs installed, does this sound about right? I have been hoping to put the KF on a little diet while I am doing all these mods, putting on as little weight as possible anyway. The good news is that the wing is off and the fuel tank install has started as well as the new pitot tube. The lift strut fairing has been shaped around the fuselage and now are ready for the actual mounting. Slow but sure progress will be made.
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_________________ James
Kitfox 3 / 582 / 70" IVO 2 blade GA
50 hrs on the 582 swapping for HKS 700E and Avid Cowl. |
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lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net Guest
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 7:48 pm Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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Ryan,
I see you are quite the craftsman. Those cuts are spot on. I don't know
how you did it.
Lowell
--------------------------------------------------
From: "rawheels" <rawheels(at)yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 6:28 PM
To: <kitfox-list(at)matronics.com>
Subject: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube???
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lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net Guest
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:36 pm Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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I have been watching this. On my first Model IV, I did as suggested,
sanding off the extrusion lines prepping with micro and painting. I used
fabric at the V end as that what was the manual's way. This time, I had the
PVC, but weighed them and this time my goal is to be as light as possible so
went the aluminum way. They came out pretty good, though it was a ton of
work - mostly in figuring out how to do it. Finished they added 3.5 lbs to
the weight of the bare powder coated strut. To cover the V, I used two bid
fiberglass moldings and micro. We may be able to eventually offer these as
a kit.
Lowell
--------------------------------------------------
From: "WurlyBird" <james.t.trizzino(at)us.army.mil>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 7:04 PM
To: <kitfox-list(at)matronics.com>
Subject: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube???
Quote: |
<james.t.trizzino(at)us.army.mil>
Ryan, just curious, but do you think you would ever actually remove the
fairings? The work looks great. So for whatever dumb reason I actually
threw one of the fairings on the scale and it weighed in at about 3 lbs so
I am estimating about 15 lbs installed, does this sound about right? I
have been hoping to put the KF on a little diet while I am doing all these
mods, putting on as little weight as possible anyway. The good news is
that the wing is off and the fuel tank install has started as well as the
new pitot tube. The lift strut fairing has been shaped around the
fuselage and now are ready for the actual mounting. Slow but sure
progress will be made.
--------
James
Kitfox 3 / 582 / 70" IVO 2 blade GA
50 hrs on the Fox in between deployments,
now she lies in wait
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=334377#334377
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Tom Jones

Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 752 Location: Ellensburg, WA
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:43 am Post subject: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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Don't forget you need to taper the rear fairing at the fuselage end to fold the wings.
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_________________ Tom Jones
Classic IV
503 Rotax, 72 inch Two blade Warp
Ellensburg, WA |
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7suds(at)Chartermi.net Guest
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 1:06 pm Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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Lowell,
You never cease to amaze me, they look great. Now if I am reading this
correctly, are you saying the entire fairing is made of aluminum and the "V"
end is from a fiberglass mold?
Lloyd
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lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net Guest
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 6:31 pm Post subject: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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Lloyd,
Not exactly as you describe. The fairings are aluminum - .014" thickness.
They are trimmed to come together in the V. Then a fiberglass shape about
2" wide and appropriately contoured (from a mold) is glued into the V with
Hysol and then faired in with micro. For those wondering about the very
thin aluminum, I poured two part Urethane foam into the structure for
rigidity and to hold the skins in position. I thought of putting the "No
Push" stickers on them, but after finishing, I don't think they are that
fragile. As I mentioned, I wanted the speed from the fairings, but didn't
want to add more weight than I had to. Incidentally, I planned on using the
two part Urethane under two BID fiberglass on my first project. I had
everything made up and was ready for the install when a neighbor at the
airport told me of some serious corrosion from the urethane foam on
something he had done. I definitely didn't want corrosion on the lift
struts so trashed everything and went with the PVC. I did a mock-up
though, using a piece of 4130 steel tubing. I masked it lengthwise and left
one third clean but bare. The other two thirds I sand blasted. Half of
that was painted with the epoxy chromate primer available then and the other
half remained sandblasted but unprotected. Then the whole thing was
assembled as planned using a section of fiberglass with the foam. I had
three stripes, natural metal, sandblasted metal and sandblasted and anti
corrosion primed. I cut of sections of the foam and fiberglass periodically
over two or three years and found no corrosion what-so-ever on any of the
surfaces, so this time, I believe it is a non issue. Maybe he used the foam
from a spray can - I don't know.
Another note. My equipment won't handle full length material so each length
of tube is covered by four aluminum sections. The sections are formed so
they pretty much snap together. Aluminum bands are positioned and Hysolled
over the joints as seen on the lift strut brackets - second picture.
Lowell
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Lloyd & Lorrie Cudnohufsky" <7suds(at)Chartermi.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2011 2:03 PM
To: <kitfox-list(at)matronics.com>
Subject: RE: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube???
[quote]
<7suds(at)chartermi.net>
Lowell,
You never cease to amaze me, they look great. Now if I am reading this
correctly, are you saying the entire fairing is made of aluminum and the
"V"
end is from a fiberglass mold?
Lloyd
--
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rawheels

Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 89 Location: Westfield, IN
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 3:43 am Post subject: Re: Wing strut Fairings and a new Pitot tube??? |
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WurlyBird wrote: | Ryan, just curious, but do you think you would ever actually remove the fairings? |
I plan on unsnapping them to visual the struts at each annual, and as Tom Jones mentioned, I'd have to unsnap them and maybe rotate them vertically if I ever wanted to fold the wings.
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