Classic IV Speedster Rebuild

[Paul Z]

Very nice looking IV, best of luck with a difficult repair! Congratulations with respect to the family, family first.

[Travm1982]

Thanks Paul, I hope I can do the plane justice. The original builder did a great job. I can't wait to get the wings back on and fire up the old rotax. I'm crossing my fingers on that one..

[av8rps]

You got yourself one nice little speedster. I looked that Kitfox over extensively at OSH a bunch of years ago. Its paint scheme inspired what I did on my Kitfox. I love how it has a look reminescent of an old Monocoupe. That will be a fun ride when you get it done. But hang that pretty GSC on the wall and get a prop that performs. You'll gain significant performance.

I like your approach to the repairs. You won't regret doing it right.

Keep us posted. It's exciting to know it will be flying again one day,..

[Travm1982]

Just a few more tubes to cope and I can start tacking it up. This will be the new belly when it's finished.

[Travm1982]

Av8rps, That's so cool to me that you remember seeing this plane at Oshkosh. The builder had a sticker for each year he went stuck inside the cockpit.

I'm pushing hard to get her put back together. I know it can't be good for the engine to just be sitting. My goal is to be ready for fabric/paint by next spring

[av8rps]

Yeah, I really liked that Kitfox. I took a bunch of pictures of it (and still have then somewhere in my 10 billion digital pics files )

Oh, and I remember seeing his stickers for all his years attending OSH. It was great to see a guy with a Kitfox use his plane to fly cross country. More of us should do that. But usually Kitfoxers don't get too far from the den...

So many times we see the Long EZ's and the RV's at the fly ins, as traveling distances is what those planes do best. Unfortunately that makes people believe planes like Kitfoxes are not common, when that is far from the truth. In my part of the world we have Kitfox type airplanes about 5 to 1 compared to the RV's and Rutan machines. And man do our guys have fun! 160 mph is great to go places, but taking off and landing short, while still going 100+ mph at 4 gph is typically more practical for the fun flyers of the world. I always tease my friends with their fast airplanes how well theirs work on skis or floats? I personally have always said if I wanted a FAST plane I'd buy a turbo Glasair 3 and go REALLY FAST! (flew one in the 90's with Bob Herendeen cruising at 270 knots that day, UPSIDE DOWN!) ? That usually makes them stop picking on me

If you need more time to get that great little Speedster back in the air, just drain all the fuel you can so it doesn't get old, and then roll that 912 over by hand every few weeks to keep everything oiled up. While we all want you to be enjoying that great little Speedster, it is most important it be done properly. I think your goals are very practical.

Av8rps, That's so cool to me that you remember seeing this plane at Oshkosh. The builder had a sticker for each year he went stuck inside the cockpit.

I'm pushing hard to get her put back together. I know it can't be good for the engine to just be sitting. My goal is to be ready for fabric/paint by next spring

[SkyPirate]

flame welding? tig or mig?

[Travm1982]

flame welding? tig or mig?

Tig. I bought a Miller Syncrowave 200 a few years ago that I have been playing with. Thanks to Jody from '' Welding Tips and Tricks" on youtube I feel like can do a sufficient job at sticking everything back together. The only part that I still need some practice on will be the inverted stuff when I have to lay underneath the fuselage and weld the belly back in.

[Av8r_Sed]

Be nice if you could rotate the fuselage to avoid overhead work. Think you can tack it sufficiently to be able to rotate? Got your aluminum foil ready to help hold the purge gas around the clusters?

[Travm1982]

Some of my better welds on the finished belly. Ready for gear fittings.