G'day Dave. You are as tall as me, but about 100Lbs heavier. I manage to fit in a bog-stock KR2 but I fly(flew - before the gear retracted on landing) in socks, no shoes.
Just going by your figures, you would be very close to a 1200Lb Gross Weight, assuming a 600Lb Empty weight, which is difficult, although not impossible to achieve. There is an article by Neil Bingham about the KR2 and weight issues, which basically states that the heavier the KR, the worse it flies. And the more aft your CG, the touchier it is. His recommendation, along with RR and countless others is to keep the plane as light as safely possible, and enjoy what you have, ie a day VFR sport aircraft. If you try to turn it into a long-range tourer you may well be disappointed with its performance, both climb, cruise and stall. If you were to fit your baggage locker in the forward deck, you need wing tanks, which need pumps which add weight. Then you have your Corvair engine, at 200Lbs, battery at 20, see how it adds up and eats into your operating weight? I can't help you with speed reduction vs width, although there are many on here who can, but in all honesty, for the type of flying you want, the KR2 would be marginal at best. My KR2 is nearly 23 years old, I didn't build it, but am re-building it after drastic surgical procedures instigated after the gear collapse, and have removed many small items to get the weight down. Wing tanks went, T+B and VSI went, fuel gauge is going (replaced with sight glass), starter and alternator are going, to be replaced with a small battery powered by a solar cell. Diehl gear in place of the original retracts, to save me 15 lbs. She weighed in at 630Lbs before the makeover and flew "well" and I am hoping to have her weigh in at around 580lbs and fly "great" when she is next airborne. My personal opinion is if you want a fantastic little VFR plane that will blow the doors off a 150, you would be happy with the KR, but, you need to decide what it is you will use it for, how often you will use it for that, and what performance compromises you are prepared to accept to achieve that mission. Cheers, Rob Robin Wills Second Person, Pacific National KR-2 19-4594, Ser# N111 krvia...@bigpond.com
