It has been quite a while since I posted anything on this sight so I thought it would be a good idea to let followers know how the flying is going and how Frontier Fox is doing.
As of today 1-26-2021 I have 8.8 hours left in Phase 1. So that’s 31.2 hour of flying and 110 landings. I have a 75 mile radius around KSPB but must stay out of PDX airspace. My two additional airports that I am allowed to land at are Kelso WA (KKLS) and Toledo WA (KTDO). I chose those two airports because there are lost of options in case I had to do an off airport emergency landing. East and West of my home airport is mostly forest land with few options to land. South of here is much more populated.
As far as repairs goes there have been a few but nothing outside of what I expected except for two items which I will get into later.
I had a minor fuel leak at the header tank where the return fuel line is. Just needed to tighten the fitting. There was a coolant leak at the heater core shut off valve and the tube at the recovery tank. Also had both brake caliber fittings leak. I had to take the fittings out, reapply sealant then bleed the brakes.
One of the first problems that I encountered had to do with the horizontal trim. I chose to not use the trim rocker switch that came with the kit. Instead I installed Ray Allen G405 grips and put the trim on the grips. It’s handy, easy to find and I can keep my hand on the throttle instead of searching for the rocker switch. It all works fine on the ground, BUT when executing a go-a-round the horizontal would not move. This took lots of forward pressure on the stick to keep from stalling. The solution was to install an amp booster for the horizontal actuator. I bought one from Advanced Flight System and they made up a custom harness to hook up to the ACM.
Here is a pic of the booster.
I have had zero issues with the horizontal actuator since this was installed.
Another little issue that all single engine aircraft have is the left turning tendency. I got tired of having to hold right rudder so decided to fabricate and install a simple trim tab. I used a piece of .025 aluminum that measures 6” X 5.5”. I put a crease on the leading edge and down the top and bottom to give it some strength and to hide the 3M double sticky tape. I quessed how much trim would be needed and I got lucky. It’s seems to be right on the money. Below are a couple of pics. Simple but effective.
The last issue that needs to be addressed is the auto pilot. I have been working with Advanced Flight Systems to resolve the problem. It appears that the auto pilot servos were not specked right, not enough torque. Especially to the elevator. I will be replacing the Dynon 32L servos with Dynon 42L servos. I just received them so I need to put the D-sub connectors on and get them installed. I will post some pics and let you all know how it works.
I must say that I am really pleased with the way Frontier Fox handles. Looking forward to getting the last little quirks fixed and finish Phase 1.
And Now For A Little Assembly 