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Decisions: Advice please

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grantbright(at)att.net
Guest

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:49 pm Post subject: Decisions: Advice please

I had a Vixen 5 with a 912ULS back 4 years  ago ... liked it a lot.

  

 Want to get back to low and slow flying  ..

  

 Am presently looking at 2 and 4s. 5s seem  to be out of the budget.

  

 For those of you who have or have flown a  2s and 4s, what difference do you notice?

  

 Thanks for the thoughts and  advice,

  

 Grant

  

 Gainesville, GA

   [quote][b]

Guy Buchanan

Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 1204
Location: Ramona, CA

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:05 pm Post subject: Decisions: Advice please

On 4/1/2011 2:44 PM, Grant Bright wrote:  	  Quote: 	
		  For those of you who have or have flown a 2s and 4s, what difference do you notice? 	
 

 IV is a little faster, say 110 versus 80-90. IV has much better aileron control at all speeds. II will take off and land shorter / slower. IV will have somewhat better yaw stability. IV has a baggage area. Otherwise they're just the same.   

 

 Guy Buchanan

 Ramona, CA

 Kitfox IV-1200 / 592-C / Warp 3cs / 500 hrs. and grounded

 

 

    [quote][b]

_________________
Guy Buchanan
Deceased K-IV 1200
A glider pilot too.

Pat Reilly

Joined: 06 Aug 2009
Posts: 345

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:30 pm Post subject: Decisions: Advice please

Grant, The 4 can be had in either a 1200# gross or a 1050# gross model as the earlier models. The thru spars are heavier on the 1200 # model. 150# additional gross with no increase in empty weight is a whale of alot more load capacity. 

   

 Pat Reilly

 Mod 3 Rebuilt

 Rockford, IL

 On Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 6:01 PM, Guy Buchanan <gebuchanan(at)cox.net (gebuchanan(at)cox.net)> wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		   On 4/1/2011 2:44 PM, Grant Bright wrote:   	  Quote: 	
		  For those of you who have or have flown a 2s and 4s, what difference do you notice? 	


IV is a little faster, say 110 versus 80-90. IV has much better aileron control at all speeds. II will take off and land shorter / slower. IV will have somewhat better yaw stability. IV has a baggage area. Otherwise they're just the same.  

 

Guy Buchanan

Ramona, CA

Kitfox IV-1200 / 592-C / Warp 3cs / 500 hrs. and grounded

 	  Quote: 	
		  



arget="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kitfox-List

ttp://forums.matronics.com

_blank">http://www.matronics.com/contribution



	


	


-- 

Pat Reilly

Mod 3 582 Rebuild

Rockford,IL

  [quote][b]

dave

Joined: 22 Sep 2006
Posts: 1382

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:56 pm Post subject: Decisions: Advice please

4  is a better flying than a  2  imo



i have over 2000 hours of kitfox time alone.



Dave



ps  light weight planes rule  over the tanks that some have built

 	  Quote: 	
		   Grant, The 4 can be had in either a 1200# gross or a 1050# gross model as

 the earlier models. The thru spars are heavier on the 1200 # model. 150#

 additional gross with no increase in empty weight is a whale of alot more

 load capacity.



 Pat Reilly

 Mod 3 Rebuilt

 Rockford, IL



 On Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 6:01 PM, Guy Buchanan <gebuchanan(at)cox.net> wrote:



> On 4/1/2011 2:44 PM, Grant Bright wrote:

>

> For those of you who have or have flown a 2s and 4s, what difference do

> you

> notice?

> IV is a little faster, say 110 versus 80-90. IV has much better aileron

> control at all speeds. II will take off and land shorter / slower. IV

> will

> have somewhat better yaw stability. IV has a baggage area. Otherwise

> they're

> just the same. 

>

> Guy Buchanan

> Ramona, CA

> Kitfox IV-1200 / 592-C / Warp 3cs / 500 hrs. and grounded

> *

>

> *

 --

 Pat Reilly

 Mod 3 582 Rebuild

 Rockford,IL

_________________
Realtime Kitfox movies to separate the internet chatter from the truth
http://www.youtube.com/user/kitfoxflyer
Hundreds of Kitfox Movies
Most viewed Kitfox on youtube
Most popular on youtube
Highest rated on youtube

Jeffrey Dill

Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 52
Location: Pleasant view, TN

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:10 pm Post subject: Re: Decisions: Advice please

Ditto comments focusing on gross weight. I fly a II and am building a IV. Being almost 200 lbs myself, my passenger must be a lightweight to stay under the Model II GW of 950#.

_________________
Jeff Dill
Model 2

WurlyBird

Joined: 16 May 2008
Posts: 207
Location: North Pole, Alaska

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:27 am Post subject: Re: Decisions: Advice please

So why is the Mod 3 not a contender?  It has a little higher gross weight then the 2, a little better yaw control, and has about the same price tag.  Yeah, I am biased since I love my Mod 3, but I just thought it was a little odd to have that jump so I was wondering if there was a reason.

_________________
James
Kitfox 3 / 582 / 70" IVO 2 blade GA
50 hrs on the 582 swapping for HKS 700E and Avid Cowl.

grantbright(at)att.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:56 pm Post subject: Decisions: Advice please

Thanks to Guy, and Dave, and others... for your comments.



I am narrowing it down ... the economy is certainly a factor 

.. looks like a KF2 may be the answer.



Is the grayhead 582 and its gearbox the good one? I think I 

have read the blue head is later/better...but gray is what I 

am looking at.



The one I am looking at has the Ducati ignition ... 

alternator size is not known, but it will run the vhf radio 

and wing tip strobes.



Since Ducati has been around a long time ... I am guessing 

these systems are reliable?



Thanks, Grant

jose_m_toro(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:27 pm Post subject: Decisions: Advice please

Grant:

  

 I had a KF II with a gray head.  I was extremely pleased with the performance.  Short takeoff and landing, and 70 mph cruise. However, when it was time for recovering, I decided to sell it (to a friend of mine).  I'm glad my friend let me fly it.  I still love this plane, specially the folding wings.  

  

 Jose Toro



 

   From: Grant Bright <grantbright(at)att.net>

To: kitfox-list(at)matronics.com

Sent: Tue, April 12, 2011 4:53:49 PM

Subject: Re: Kitfox-List: Decisions: Advice please



--> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Grant Bright" <grantbright(at)att.net (grantbright(at)att.net)>



Thanks to Guy, and Dave, and others... for your comments.



I am narrowing it down ... the economy is certainly a factor ... looks like a KF2 may be the answer.



Is the grayhead 582 and its gearbox the good one? I think I have read the blue head is later/better...but gray is what I am looking at.



The one I am looking at has the Ducati ignition ... alternator size is not known, but it will run the vhf radio  and wing tip strobes.



Since Ducati has been around a long time ... I am guessing these systems are reliable?



Thanks, Grant

 [quote][b]

Pat Reilly

Joined: 06 Aug 2009
Posts: 345

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:11 pm Post subject: Decisions: Advice please

Grant, I have a mod 3 with 582 grey head with 135 hrs on it. I bought the engine FWF with 100 hrs on it to put in the plane. The plane had been hit by a car and the original Rotax 912 engine had been sold. The 582 with the C box that I have is alot of bang for the buck. Very reliable setup and good performance. I haven't flown any other Kitfox so maybe I don't have valid opinion but, again, I think the 582 with a C box is a good Kitfox power source through mod 4.

   

 Pat Reilly

 Mod 3 582 Rebuilt

 Rockford, IL 

  

  

 On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 5:24 PM, Jose M. Toro <jose_m_toro(at)yahoo.com (jose_m_toro(at)yahoo.com)> wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		     Grant:

  

 I had a KF II with a gray head.  I was extremely pleased with the performance.  Short takeoff and landing, and 70 mph cruise. However, when it was time for recovering, I decided to sell it (to a friend of mine).  I'm glad my friend let me fly it.  I still love this plane, specially the folding wings.  

   

 Jose Toro



 

   From: Grant Bright <grantbright(at)att.net (grantbright(at)att.net)>

To: kitfox-list(at)matronics.com (kitfox-list(at)matronics.com)

 Sent: Tue, April 12, 2011 4:53:49 PM

Subject: Re: Kitfox-List: Decisions: Advice please



--> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Grant Bright" <grantbright(at)att.net (grantbright(at)att.net)>

 

Thanks to Guy, and Dave, and others... for your comments.



I am narrowing it down ... the economy is certainly a factor ... looks like a KF2 may be the answer.



Is the grayhead 582 and its gearbox the good one? I think I have read the blue head is later/better...but gray is what I am looking at.

 

The one I am looking at has the Ducati ignition ... alternator size is not known, but it will run the vhf radio and wing tip strobes.



Since Ducati has been around a long time ... I am guessing these systems are reliable?

 

Thanks, Grant

 	  Quote: 	
		  



arget="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kitfox-List

ttp://forums.matronics.com

_blank">http://www.matronics.com/contribution



	


	


-- 

Pat Reilly

Mod 3 582 Rebuild

Rockford,IL

  [quote][b]

Guy Buchanan

Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 1204
Location: Ramona, CA

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:59 pm Post subject: Decisions: Advice please

On 4/12/2011 1:53 PM, Grant Bright wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   Is the grayhead 582 and its gearbox the good one? I think I have read 

 the blue head is later/better...but gray is what I am looking at.


	


The only thing I did to my gray head was to upgrade the crank. This I 

did because I fully planned to run it well past TBO. I ran it to 460 

hours and planned to run it to 600 hours before TBO based on the South 

African experience. As far as I can tell there's no reason to upgrade 

either the rotary valve seal or the cooling system.

 	  Quote: 	
		  

 The one I am looking at has the Ducati ignition ... alternator size is 

 not known, but it will run the vhf radio and wing tip strobes.


	


It will push 12 amps, not a lot more. I'd check out LED strobes.

 	  Quote: 	
		  

 Since Ducati has been around a long time ... I am guessing these 

 systems are reliable? 


	


HA! Not on your life. The voltage regulators are, shall we say, 

questionable, particularly forward of the firewall. They're also noisy 

aft of the firewall. I replaced mine with a Key West and had no further 

trouble. The ignition systems work reliably, but you have to be careful 

with the wiring, both in and out, and make sure it's well supported 

against fatigue.



Guy Buchanan

Ramona, CA

Kitfox IV-1200 / 592-C / Warp 3cs / 500 hrs. and grounded

_________________
Guy Buchanan
Deceased K-IV 1200
A glider pilot too.

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