flaperons

[kinou]

first, I want to introduce myself :

I am from Bordeaux, sw of France, airline pilot (B747-400 Corsairfly), former navy pilot and owner of a Kitfox 5 vixen with a rotax 912 ULS and MGL avionics. Also owner of a very rare PZL TS-8 Bies that will fly in 2 or 3 month.

My concern is about flaperons : Bordeaux is close to the Atlantic sea and we have to take care about rust and corosion and it is time to change my flaperons due to that.

I asked Kitfox factory, but price for parts and transport is a bit expensive, so I was thinking of flaperons from a KFA bushbaby, explorer or safari. First, they are built with fiberglass and aluminium, that is better for corosion and then may be cheaper.

My question is : do you know if I can use them on a kitfox and idea about the price?

Thanks for your help.

[Tiff1]

Hi Kinou,
Boet on this forum is most probably your best bet to get this type of answer - other than KFA ofcourse. I know one of our pilots in EL had a Vixen that he fitted with Bushbaby flaperons when he revamped her.

[Boet]

Bonjour!

I am not sure if the flapperons for the Kitplanes for Africa products will fit the Kitfox. For more information you must contact Stefan on: info@saplanes.co.za He is the owner of kitplanes for Africa. And yes, made out of glasfibre.

Fly safe

Boet

[KFA]

Hi There,
Just send me the measurement of the spacing between the ribs where the flapperons attach to. Ours is 330mm from centre to centre of each rib. I think the Kitfox is the same but I could be wrong.

[kinou]

Thanks all for your answers and help.

I am now on duty, not far from you as I am at reunion island until friday.

I will check the mesurment of my flaperons asap.

Do you know the email or any contact of the owner of the vixen with KFA flaperons?

[Boet]

You can speak to me about the Vixen. It is not a Kitfox Vixen, but a Borian Vixen. Also made locally. It was a copy of the Bushbaby, therefore many of the components fitted.

[kinou]

Hi There,
Just send me the measurement of the spacing between the ribs where the flapperons attach to. Ours is 330mm from centre to centre of each rib. I think the Kitfox is the same but I could be wrong.

I did a flight today with my fox and did some measurement :

902 mm from center to center of flaperons attach.

[KFA]

Ours is 990 but I will see If we can make a plan.

[kinou]

Ours is 990 but I will see If we can make a plan.

Thanks for your answer.

I will check one more time and I will tell you exactly.

BR

[kinou]

I have checked on the assembly manual and they say : 35 1/2 inches so, 901,7 mm. It seems that my plane is as the manual.

[kinou]

No news?

[KFA]

I checked to see if we can make a plan but our flapperons will not work unless you replace the whole wing. I can not make the Kitfox cutouts in the mould without damaging the moulds..