KR> Removable Front Deck
I have been considering making my front deck and the area under it removable as well There is a discussion of the pros and cons of this on the Flybaby web site. The Flybaby boat is very similar to a KR There was also a write up of an instrument panel rework where a portion of the cockpit floor was removable thus allowing you to stand in the cockpit with your feet on the ground and it made life much easier Has anyone else considered this? Gary
KR> Removable Front Deck
> >There was also a write up of an instrument panel rework where a >portion of the cockpit floor was removable thus allowing you to >stand in the cockpit with your feet on the ground and it made life much easier __ On the plus side that would eliminate the need for brakes. And with roller skates you could eliminate the need for landing gear also. Larry Flesner
KR> Removable Front Deck
When you need to inspect and maintain, you got to open up everything to look see and get your both hands on. The front deck is a stock RR factory deck that I cut and installed bracing about 8 inches forward of the instrument panel. There are 26 inspection openings available on the wing on N6242. All the stuff I had to do since flight testing started would have been next to impossible without that access. https://s3.amazonaws.com/expercraft/sidwood/9411046284f8b629f60db3.jpg Sid Wood Tri-gear KR-2 N6242 Mechanicsville, MD, USA -- Joe I too haves are Removal deck. I now have 610 hours one collapsed nose wheel from a out landing in tough field no damage at all You will really wish you did have it as well as removal rear deck when it comes time for annual. PHIL Matheson >> From: bjoenunley via KRnet >> If I were to make my front deck removable, would that weaken my >> structure? The front deck seems to support the firewall. > > Joe and all, > It is my personal and professional KR Pilot experience that a removable > front deck does not weaken the structure. I can attest to this with 525 > flight hours with a removable front deck. Also, my "Deer Slayer" KR hit a > buck deer head on at 75 MPH while executing a landing back on May 20, > 2008. There was no damage to the firewall, joints or braces. Not even a > crack. Even to this day there have been no cracks to appear. Just made > another 1.5 hour flight today. Take a look at the two following links: > Raise that hood... http://flykr2s.com/hood.html > In memory of Buck http://flykr2s.com/deer.html > > Mark Jones (N886MJ) > Stevens Point, WI > > E-mail: flykr2s at charter.net > Web: www.flykr2s.com
KR> Removable Front Deck
Ok, I'll do it. ?Mark talked me into it. I will retrofit my front deck into a removable item. ? I attached Mark's entire message because it was too good to abreviate.? Joe Nunley?CW2 US Army RetiredBaker JROTC Instructor?Baker Florida? Original message From: Mark Langford via KRnet List-Post: krnet@list.krnet.org Date: 05/06/2016 6:41 AM (GMT-06:00) To: KRnet Cc: ml at n56ml.com Subject: Re: KR> Removable Front Deck A removable front deck is a necessity, in my mind, and it's so easy to do during initial construction, there's no reason not to do it (unless the half a pound of flox and hinges is prohibitively heavy...and it ain't!).?? I show one way to do it at http://www.n56ml.com/kmlfd.html and I did the same for the aft deck at http://www.n56ml.com/kad.html. Risky?? Both have been tested for 1130 hours, and at 245mph top speed, if that'll work for you.? Oh, and with a 245 pound Corvair engine hanging off the firewall. Imagine trying to access your brake cylinders.? First step is to climb into the KR and lay down across the seat.? Impossible?? Yes, so you'll have to lay across the seat with your butt up on the longeron and feet dangling over the wing, while you finagle your shoulder through the 6" slot formed between the panel and main spar.? But your shoulder is all that fits...your body prevents you from reaching any further.? Now reach way out with your hand, and you STILL can't reach the pedals or the cylinders, much less get TWO arms in there to remove any bolts.? So whatever you do, have to be one handed, which doesn't work, since you can't reach anything anyway. Next step, remove the instrument panel!? You did make all of your electrical connections "connectorized", right?? No?? Then start disconnecting the battery and all of your switches!? Oh, panel won't come out because of throttle, mixture, carb heat connections?? Disconnect those from the engine and pull them loose so the panel will come out.? You can quickly see that a removable front deck is simply a necessity, not a convenience.? And after all that invasive surgery to your vital controls and electrical connections, you may have compromised flight safety in the process, just to access a brake cylinder. One of my POS brake cylinders leaks down after holding my foot on the brake for more than about five seconds, and then I have no brakes on the left side.? I'd love to fix it so my brakes don't go away while landing, but I simply can't get there!? And bleeding brakes is not uncommon (leaks so happen), so unless you have a remote reservoir on the firewall, how do you refill them? With a removable front deck (or at least a large access panel), modifying or troubleshooting the instrument panel is a breeze.? If you can't get these critical items, you're going to let things slide and further compromise flight safety.? Just my 2 cents worth, based on experience with a KR2 that was built to the plans...no removable deck, and a fuel tank between the panel and the firewall (bad idea!).? I could go on, trust me, but I'm short on time, since I really need to get out to the airport and tear my instrument panel out to replace an IEFIS system that is simply not up to the job. For more opinions regarding KR building, see http://www.n56ml.com/kopinion.html ... Mark Langford, Harvest, AL ML "at" N56ML.com www.N56ML.com
KR> Removable Front Deck - Brake reservoirs
> "I'd love to fix it so my brakes don't go away while landing, but I simply can't get there! And bleeding brakes is not uncommon (leaks so happen) . . ." Although I have a removable front deck and a removable custom-built 17.2 gallon fuel tank and can get to my brake cylinders very easily, Ken Cottle attached plastic tubes to each reservoir and ran them through the firewall and capped them. To bleed the brakes one could just open the bleed valve at the wheel and pour in brake fluid through the tubes on the engine side of the firewall. I didn't see the need to use those tubes and having a possible mess on the floor around the reservoirs so I disconnected the tubes and capped the inlets and they're still there . . .maybe the next owner might want to use them. I never saw the need. I've bled the brakes once or twice in ten years and just did it when I had the tank out. The deck comes off and the tank comes out with no trouble at all so anytime I need or want to do anything back of the panel or down by the rudder pedals I just take them off and out. I've never had any leaks with the Rosenhaun brake reservoirs. I guess that iEFIS you're mentioning Mark must be the MGL unit. I think you've expressed some unhappiness with their electronics. They come from South Africa so I'd like to think it's good stuff . . . they do good work down there . . . but I guess not so much with the unit you bought. Speaking of RSA, I wonder where Dene Collett disappeared to? We used to hear from him pretty regularly. Mike KSEE Sharedable These Celebrities Are For President Trump - You Will Never Ever Guess Who! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/572d1553e2d29155359ebst03vuc
KR> Removable Rear Deck
Chris The whole deck is the way to go. Antenna mounts, AHRS, transponder, ELT, ADS-B, remote temp, .plus a whole lot of dirt ends up back there. Many things that you think that you will never want will all need a home whether it is under the hood or the turtle deck it sure is easier to install and maintain after the fact when you can get to it. Joe Horton - Original Message - From: "Chris Prata via KRnet" To: "KRnet" Cc: "Chris Prata" Sent: Friday, May 6, 2016 1:51:06 PM Subject: Re: KR> Removable Rear Deck the whole rear deck, or just an access panel? and to check what? (I assume control cables to rudder, elevator and related mechanics) > You will really wish you did have it as well as removal rear deck when it > comes time for annual. > PHIL Matheson ? ? ? ___ Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change options
KR> Removable Front Deck
Removal floor in baggage area. No. No. this is a structural area. Just hinge the seat backs to remove baggage. PHIL. Sent from my iPhone > On 6 May 2016, at 10:51 AM, Chris Prata via KRnet > wrote: > > I havent built mine yet (aside from having bought and sold two KR1 projects > over the last 30 years!) > > I'm thinking I wouldnt want fuel in front of me anyway and can probably get > 20 gals in the wings, so making that area for some cargo, and having the > floor of the cargo compartment removable to get at the pedals etc and also > have some panel access. > > >> ^^You will really wish you did have it (a ^removable front deck) as well as >> ^removal ^rear deck when it comes time for ^annual. >> ^PHIL Matheson > > ___ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change > options
KR> Removable Rear Deck
the whole rear deck, or just an access panel? and to check what? (I assume control cables to rudder, elevator and related mechanics) > You will really wish you did have it as well as removal rear deck when it > comes time for annual. > PHIL Matheson
KR> Removable Front Deck
Joe I too haves are Removal deck. I now have 610 hours one collapsed nose wheel from a out landing in tough field no damage at all You will really wish you did have it as well as removal rear deck when it comes time for annual. PHIL Matheson Sent from my iPhone > On 6 May 2016, at 8:12 AM, Mark Jones via KRnet > wrote: > > -Original Message- >> From: bjoenunley via KRnet >> If I were to make my front deck removable, would that weaken my structure? >> The front deck seems to support the firewall. > > > Joe and all, > It is my personal and professional KR Pilot experience that a removable front > deck does not weaken the structure. I can attest to this with 525 flight > hours with a removable front deck. Also, my "Deer Slayer" KR hit a buck deer > head on at 75 MPH while executing a landing back on May 20, 2008. There was > no damage to the firewall, joints or braces. Not even a crack. Even to this > day there have been no cracks to appear. Just made another 1.5 hour flight > today. Take a look at the two following links: > Raise that hood... http://flykr2s.com/hood.html > In memory of Buck http://flykr2s.com/deer.html > > > Mark Jones (N886MJ) > Stevens Point, WI > > E-mail: flykr2s at charter.net > Web: www.flykr2s.com > > > > > ___ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change > options
KR> Removable Front Deck
A removable front deck is a necessity, in my mind, and it's so easy to do during initial construction, there's no reason not to do it (unless the half a pound of flox and hinges is prohibitively heavy...and it ain't!). I show one way to do it at http://www.n56ml.com/kmlfd.html and I did the same for the aft deck at http://www.n56ml.com/kad.html. Risky? Both have been tested for 1130 hours, and at 245mph top speed, if that'll work for you. Oh, and with a 245 pound Corvair engine hanging off the firewall. Imagine trying to access your brake cylinders. First step is to climb into the KR and lay down across the seat. Impossible? Yes, so you'll have to lay across the seat with your butt up on the longeron and feet dangling over the wing, while you finagle your shoulder through the 6" slot formed between the panel and main spar. But your shoulder is all that fits...your body prevents you from reaching any further. Now reach way out with your hand, and you STILL can't reach the pedals or the cylinders, much less get TWO arms in there to remove any bolts. So whatever you do, have to be one handed, which doesn't work, since you can't reach anything anyway. Next step, remove the instrument panel! You did make all of your electrical connections "connectorized", right? No? Then start disconnecting the battery and all of your switches! Oh, panel won't come out because of throttle, mixture, carb heat connections? Disconnect those from the engine and pull them loose so the panel will come out. You can quickly see that a removable front deck is simply a necessity, not a convenience. And after all that invasive surgery to your vital controls and electrical connections, you may have compromised flight safety in the process, just to access a brake cylinder. One of my POS brake cylinders leaks down after holding my foot on the brake for more than about five seconds, and then I have no brakes on the left side. I'd love to fix it so my brakes don't go away while landing, but I simply can't get there! And bleeding brakes is not uncommon (leaks so happen), so unless you have a remote reservoir on the firewall, how do you refill them? With a removable front deck (or at least a large access panel), modifying or troubleshooting the instrument panel is a breeze. If you can't get these critical items, you're going to let things slide and further compromise flight safety. Just my 2 cents worth, based on experience with a KR2 that was built to the plans...no removable deck, and a fuel tank between the panel and the firewall (bad idea!). I could go on, trust me, but I'm short on time, since I really need to get out to the airport and tear my instrument panel out to replace an IEFIS system that is simply not up to the job. For more opinions regarding KR building, see http://www.n56ml.com/kopinion.html ... Mark Langford, Harvest, AL ML "at" N56ML.com www.N56ML.com
