Rebuilding Kitfox Mk2 wings

[skelly]

Hi everyone,

I will soon be rebuilding the wings from my Mk2 Kitfox and wondered if there are any fixes or mods I could incorporate to make it fly better ?
I have read about optima wing kits and sticking a plastic former on the front spar and speed wing conversion but I don't know exactly what this involves.
My aircraft is currently registered as a 3 axis microlight so I have to keep within the rules for stall speed etc.
Any ideas or input would be really helpful.
Cheers,
Skelly.

[mcfadyeanda]

The Optima kit includes cutting down the wings, so it would no longer be a microlight (?). Otherwise, just cutting down the wings (to the outboard end of the flapperon) without the Optima kit would be worthwhile (to handling, but there is little change in speed).

Lift strut fairings (at least to the downstream side of the strut if not to the front as well) are worthwhile to both speed and rate of climb.

Duncan.

[skelly]

I think I will set them up as std at first n see how things go.
Cheers.

[Graeme Park]

I think I will set them up as std at first n see how things go.
Cheers.

Think this is sensible. Taking a bay of each wing would probably increase the stall speed above that allowed for Microlights at present.

(Part of CAA Microlight definition: 'A microlight must also have either a wing loading at the maximum weight authorised not exceeding 25 kg per square metre or a stalling speed at the maximum weight authorised not exceeding 35 knots calibrated speed.')

However, I know of a Kitfox Model 1 which had the (fibre-glass) droop tips removed which lowered the weight a little but still passed the microlight stall speed test.

[skelly]

That's interesting,

I must say I don't like the droop tips very much.
Someone once told me that they were only there to protect the wing in the case of a wing strike/ground loop.

I'm not sure how true that is.

I would like to remove mine as it would certainly save weight.

I wonder how many have done this and still remained a microlight ?

Cheers,
Skelly.

[lauriehurman]

Hi Skelly
Talk to Hall Colliver at V1 Flight.
He is based near Oxford. I know he's done a lot of work on Kitfoxs

Laurie

[skelly]

Hi Lauire,

Yes Hal is a pretty clued up guy.

I will be doing everything as the book says for a start.
Then see how I get on.

Cheers,

Skelly.