Fraser, You said: Hi - I am new to this net, so bear with me please! I am looking for a suitable plane to build, and the KR2 of KR2S seems to fit the bill for me so far. Do the current plans available have these later refinements and improvements that you mentioned,? If not, is there a source of these, or is it simply that these refinements etc are what individuals have done to their planes while building them? To answer your question, please do not think that I am the authority here, as there are some long time builders that have way more knowledge of this aircraft than I. I guess I just tend to be alittle more vocal! HaHa. The KR2 is a wonderful airplane, but a new builder should not consider the older KR2 without including the "S" supplement. If you will "cruise" over to the KRnet construction site and search through the archives, you will find a HUGE amount of information on modifications and improvements that builders have made to this little plane. Also, lots of builders' sites have great ideas and improvements that they have made to overcome different building challenges that they have experienced. The KR2S plans are reported to be the clearest and easiest to use, as well as the supplement including the refinements of re-enforced firewall for larger powerplants, and longer fuselage. Mark Langford's site talks about several good refinements and hiper links you to other sources of additional studies and mods. The original KR2 had a neat idea for retracts, but over the years, virtually every builder with them has done away with them in favor of a less drag inducing well faired fixed gear, or some other version of retract (Loehle Replicas has a good system that swing inboard, but requires alot of work to fit onto a KR2). Also you cannot forget to put the gear down on fixed gear! I had a student recently, over 300 hour pilot take me down an instrument approach in a twin engine aircraft and forget the landing gear, all the way down to 400 AGL when I took over and lowered the gear. If he had been solo that would have been an expensive mistake. What I recommend is for you to take several afternoons and read through the different builder websites and finished aircraft, and learn all you can from the ones out there building, or flying. They know what is working for them, and will save you literally hundreds of hours trying to solve problems. Then when you have questions, and you can't find the answer in the archives, ask it here. Go to the Gathering this year and look at the KR2, and KR2S up close and compare. I am told the materials cost is virtually the same, and you will be much happier with the plane when it is complete. Any other builders' thoughts please don't hesitate to chime in here.... :)
Colin Rainey KR2(td) crain...@cfl.rr.com Sanford, Florida FLY SAFE!!!!
