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Part 103 legal Firestar?

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Richard Pike

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 1671
Location: Blountville, Tennessee

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 8:54 pm Post subject: Part 103 legal Firestar?

Spent quite a while looking through the archives tonight, and it is really looking doubtful, but I thought I'd ask anyway: does anybody, anywhere, know of a Firestar of any vintage that ever actually made the 254 pound weight limit?



The reason is that a local pilot has a very early model with a wrecked cage and a good everything else that can be had at a good price, and I am considering starting a new project...



Thanks.

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_________________
Richard Pike
Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)
Kingsport, TN 3TN0

Forgiving is tough, being forgiven is wonderful, and God's grace really is amazing.

Jim Baker

Joined: 30 Mar 2006
Posts: 181
Location: Sayre, PA

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 5:16 am Post subject: Part 103 legal Firestar?

You'd have to go with the crappy lightweight wheels, paper-thin tires, one and one-half coats of "paint", and a 337 or equivalent since no longer in production. "Might" be done if built absolutely bare bones. Had a friend who had an FS 1 that was much lighter ( 235 # as I recall) than my FS 2 with a 337 and was a better performer than mine with 50 HP, but I had a battery, elec start, and the 10 gal fuel tanks.  Jim Baker [url=tel:4054265377]405.426.5377[/url]--

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Tony Vitiello

Joined: 02 Apr 2014
Posts: 16

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:12 am Post subject: Re: Part 103 legal Firestar?

My friend has one built stock with a 447. When he bought it a few years ago he weighed it with the small stock wheels and it weighed exactly 254. He has since added slightly larger wheels but apparently can be done. If you were to go a few pounds over, how would anyone know?

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_________________
Tony Vitiello
St. Louis, MO

williamtsullivan(at)att.n
Guest

Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 9:00 am Post subject: Part 103 legal Firestar?

  Richard:  i have an original 5 rib Firestar with a 447.  Wrecked at least a couple of times- once rolled over when a tie down broke, and the other time when I rolled it on landing.  I am very confident it can be completed as a 103.  Mine has a main fuselage tube that is a foot shorter than what I was told is normal, and because I have a BRS, my weight allowance is 278.  The chute doesn't actually weigh that, so it gives a couple of pounds to play with.  Somebody on the List has one where he left the nose cone off, and all of the heavy instruments.  No brakes, and I don't know what he has for wheels.  I have seen video of it flying.  Following Jack Hart's guidelines, I think you could come in well under the weight limit.  If I ever get to throw some money at mine, I think I can come in around 270.



                                                                  Bill Sullivan

                                                                  Windsor Locks, Ct.

                                                                  Original FS, 447

--------------------------------------------

On Fri, 2/20/15, Richard Pike <thegreybaron(at)charter.net> wrote:



 Subject: Part 103 legal Firestar?

 To: kolb-list(at)matronics.com

 Date: Friday, February 20, 2015, 11:54 PM

 

 

 "Richard Pike" <thegreybaron(at)charter.net>

 

 Spent quite a while looking through the archives tonight,

 and it is starting to look sort of doubtful, but I thought

 I'd ask anyway: does anybody, anywhere, know of a Firestar

 of any vintage that ever actually made the 254 pound weight

 limit?

 

 The reason is that a local pilot has a very early model with

 a wrecked cage and a good everything else that can be had at

 a good price, and I am considering starting a new

 project...

 

 Thanks.

 

 --------

 Richard Pike

 Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)

 Kingsport, TN 3TN0

 "Living for your own pleasure is the least

 pleasurable thing a man can do. If his neighbors don't kill

 him in disgust he will die slowly of boredom and

 powerlessness." - Joy Davidman

 

 

 

 

 Read this topic online here:

 

 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=438543#438543

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WhiskeyVictor36(at)aol.co
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:50 pm Post subject: Part 103 legal Firestar?

Hi Bill Sullivan & others,

  

 I have a FireStar with 5-rib wings just like yours.   I built it and tried to keep the weight down per Kolb's instructions, i.e.  go light on the paint; use sun block in the paint rather than the silver stuff,  etc.  My kit came with the skinny 1" diameter gear legs and plastic  wheels.  My buddy built a FireStar KXP with the same gear legs and  wheels.  He bent the gear legs on the first landing, so I opted to switch  over to the fatter 1-1/8" Dia. legs before I flew mine, which was in 1994.   We both think that after getting some experience, we could probably have used  the skinny gear legs.  But one place we wanted to fly to required  brakes because of a downhill pavement taxi-way.  Installation of the  go-cart brake kit required the use of the heavier duty gear legs and the  wheelbarrow wheels.  This added weight.  My wife  suggested (strongly demanded) that I install a parachute system.   I got a Second Chantz unit which I think was about 12 lbs. or  so.  Again adding weight, but with the idea that the parachute was  less than the 24 lbs. allowance and the extra could be used to allow for the  heavier gear, brakes and wheels.  I didn't weigh the FireStar at  that time, so no idea of the weight in that configuration.  However, later  on I installed a 3/4 coverage Lexan windshield and at that time I did weigh it  at 275 lbs. empty (Bathroom scales).

  

 Seems to be a lot of different opinions about whether or not  you can use the allowable weight of a parachute for other items.  But  at the time I built mine, the Kolb brochure stated that a parachute might  be needed to make the 254 lb. weight, which seemed to reflect that you  could.

  

  Bill  Varnes

Audubon, NJ

Original Kolb FireStar



  

  

  

  In a message dated 2/22/2015 12:00:10 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  williamtsullivan(at)att.net writes:

  	  Quote: 	
		  Following Jack Hart's guidelines, I think you could come in well    under the weight limit.  If I ever get to throw some money at mine, I    think I can come in around 270     

	


 [quote][b]

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dcharter

Joined: 13 Jan 2013
Posts: 13

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: Part 103 legal Firestar?

My original firestar weighed in at 330lbs, ,377with an A box, 5 gal tank, brakes.

Dan

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