bubbling through doors

[HansLab]

SkySteve, were your doorframes like that in kitform as well? Or did you remove the horizontals afterwards (when you installed the doors...)? Now I'm in the process I can't think of a reason why I shouldn't remove them if possible...


And Esser: Yes I have to suck myself in every monday and tuesday evening ;-))
We're used to live small, here in Holland..The absolute benefit is that I can build right next to my house - unaffordable.

[Esser]

I love the Netherlands. I am 100% Dutch with my blood lines but all my grandparents immigrated to Canada when they were in their 20's or younger. In fact my Opa and Oma's honeymoon was moving to Canada.

I have only been to the Netherlands once and not for very long. I have always wanted to have a lengthy visit as I still have many relatives there. Perhaps when the kitfox is done I will fly it there

[SkySteve]

A great spacial improvement, where did you get the bubble doors for your model2, I have not been able to find them for mine? I have the horizontal cross tube and if I chose to keep it would the bubble door glass contact it or would there be a space between the two? It would be awkward looking if there was a space, is that why you removed the cross tube?

SkySteve, were your doorframes like that in kitform as well? Or did you remove the horizontals afterwards (when you installed the doors...)? Now I'm in the process I can't think of a reason why I shouldn't remove them if possible.

MLaRosa & Hans,
I had my bubble doors custom made as this is not a factory supported option for the early models. My original doorframes did have the center horizontal bar, which I removed when I installed the new (tinted) bubble doors. My friend has a model IV with factory bubble doors and his center horizonal bar is curved but is not as deeply curved as the bubble doors so the horizontal bar does not allow your elbow to use all the space the bubble doors create. However, his door latch is built into the center horizontal bar. My doorlatch was also built into the center horizontal bar but I changed it to the lower door frame. Works great.

I made a handle out of a water shut off valve handle that was vinyl coated and bolted it thru the doorframe with a slot head bolt, nylon washers and nylock nut. I drilled a hole thru the bubble door large enough to get a screw driver on the end of the slotted bolt so I could adjust the tension as needed once in awhile (maybe once per year). Since my Kitfox lives in a hangar I have no need to latch the pilot door when I'm not flying. If I go somewhere and want to keep the pilot door closed, I just strech a lightweight bungee from the passenger door latch to the pilot door latch. Again, works great.

The reason I put the light chord on the door strut to keep the bubble doors off the bottom of the wing was I noticed after several taxi trips the outside of the bubble door got a few light scratches on it from vibrating against the wing, and I didn't want to look thru a scratched door.

By the way, I love the tinted doors. They make the cabin noticably cooler in the sun, cut the glare when looking thru them and make a very good camera filter for taking pictures!

[inzersv]

HansLab, your colors are beautiful. I love the paint job. Everytime I see a new paint scheme, I change my mind for my SS.