Kitfox 7 Apex Build Episode 53 VG's

[@oregonarcher]

Not a pilot but extremely impressed with you build quality and attention to detail. Been fun to watch the progression of your build and now testing. You should be very proud!

[@lbrunet]

Not only does it look beautiful but performs just as beautiful. Congrats. Thanks for sharing

[@davidpaisley766]

Thanks for the great videos! Using your advice as well as the about2stall videos instructions, with stolspeed vg’s , I managed to go from 50 down to 40 mph stall speed clean engine off. With flaps from 46 to 37. Vg’s were placed over the front of the cockpit and along the bottom of tailplane 4” infront of the hinge. It is now difficult to get it to stall in clean config. Well worth the effort. Kitfox series 7 standard wings Jabiru 3300.

[@michaelguy7168]

Loving the new plane, great job on the build.

[@KeithPatterson369D]

Very nice sir!

[@davidrobins4025]

This is a very important step ahead in the early days of your Kitfox. So good to see your work producing desired results.

[@SpyGeorgilis]

Helicopter pilots are interesting. They buy a fixed-wing plane, and tinker with it until it can almost hover... :P

[@Project2Aero]

Enjoying the flight testing videos! Bird looks like it’s behaving well👍

[@av8ir68]

What a beautiful flying plane you have built there!! Looks very docile!!! Can’t wait to see the rest of the flying characteristics with the different wings and aerodynamic changes you make!!! I really appreciate how you walk us through what your doing in your building vlog and flight test videos!!! 👍👍😎😎

[@glikar1]

That girl would be great on floats! Drop the heels in at 35 and land in 100 feet.

[@BowenAero]

Some day.

[@rixtrix11]

Looks like you built yourself a winner, great numbers!

[@gyrojeffro2263]

looking forward to the video with streamlined struts, I'm guessing another 7 mph cruise speed, the biggest benefit you will find is a much better glide ratio and lower cruise rpms.

[@challenger2ultralightadventure]

Steve Henry look out, you've got competition! Okay...maybe not. But still you have one sweet STOL aircraft there. Cheers from Winnipeg.

[@mhilderbrand7693]

Thanks for showing the GRT. I see what you mean with the video speed not meshing well with the screen. Nevertheless, I enjoy watching your flight testing!

[@dougww1ectebow]

Nice visibility in that cockpit.

[@reidwardle3992]

Morning, Bryan. Try vg's over the top of your canopy, too. The guys from "About 2 Stall" got impressive results with simple fences and vg's over the canopy. It rivals the STI wing. Good stuff from your channel, thanks. Reid

[@justindyster7073]

Good Job!

[@markutterback8387]

Do the VGs allow you to have more useful load?

[@BowenAero]

No, they reduce the stall speed a little bit and make it more stable at slow speeds.

[@jsullivan05]

Those VG's are faaaar forward man, i'd try to move em back a fair bit and see what kinda speeds you get then.

[@BowenAero]

Nope, don’t help very much if you move them back. We have done a lot of testing on placement on the kitfox wing and the sweet spot is 3-4%

[@jamesperkins3742]

Nice build! I am watching how your Yamaha engine performs. I am very interested in that engine on my build of an airplane. I have not decided on which airplane yet.

[@pi.actual]

Not sure what type of trim the Kitfox has but on many aircraft, especially if they have an elevator servo tab trim, you will get more authority and a better stall if you trim full nose down. If you have stab trim like a Cub it might be the opposite, can't remember.

[@BowenAero]

The entire horizontal stabilizer moves up or down for trim.

[@pi.actual]

Yea, like a Cub. For that possibly try full nose up, it might make a difference when practicing stalls.

[@stubby4317]

Any difference in the control authority at the lower speeds after the VGs?

[@BowenAero]

Just more stable

[@MrBarbuster]

? does those pfd do a rolling blackout or is that just a freak in youtube

[@BowenAero]

It’s just the refresh rate on the PFD not matching up with the shutter speed on the GoPro rolling shutter.

[@friedclutch97]

Good to see you in the air. The airplane has REALLY come together now. The APEX engine might just be the hot ticket. I would be interested to hear your positive and negative comments about your power plant.

[@desertfox3860]

Have you tried to walk it down, say 1000 ft, in a full stall to see haw it acts? Nice video.

[@BlueBaron3339]

Based on the news reports and the satellite imagery, I half expected the landscape outside your aircraft to be molten lava with bursting flame plumes. But the reality, as you showed toward the end, is bad enough, alas. But, and the point, those are damned good numbers Bryan!

[@kitesurfjerry]

At 10:13 you mention something that you have a spring assist on the yoke. Is that an option or is standard with the kit?

[@BowenAero]

It is an option. It is the trim assist spring.

[@harrysformenswear]

Bryan, I think you are overthinking the carbon thing a little. The natural alloy centre side panel does not look out of place with your colour sceme. What to save .5lb. I still think your kit fox looks very cool.

[@GlennSisson]

Say, Bryan, where in your CG envelope are you sitting for these tests? It would seem that with a forward CG you would maybe expect to run out of back-stick travel sooner than with rearward CG. I'm also curious where in your trim range you were at for the tests (maybe you said and I missed it). I would think you would want to be testing at close to full-up trim similar to a landing configuration. Thanks as always, Bryan, for the great videos.

[@BowenAero]

Yes full up trim. CG is about as forward as it will be, everything you add in a Kitfox moves the CG aft, people fuel and baggage. I was almost full fuel, but no baggage

[@bauderk]

An idea for your instrument on camera. If you put on a neutral density filter and mount the camera facing the screen you may be able to get a slower shutter speed that is compatible with the refresh’s rate of the screen.

[@thompsonjerry3412]

Do you have the factory aero struts or the round with an added fairing?

[@BowenAero]

They are bare struts right now, but they will be faired in carbon fiber soon.

[@thompsonjerry3412]

@@BowenAero was this done for weight, my faired ones seem heavy?

[@briant6333]

I so need to find shop space to do a build... and save cash up to do it