new highlander video

[Karl]

http://youtu.be/gR7hfQ0DhDA

Hello all, here is a link to a video I made a few weeks ago. Enjoy.
karl

here's another 'just' for fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su_6rk_RuUk

And hello again all,
a Dec 12 update
Here's a new video with a flight with an Ivo ultralight Patriot Prop, 70", electric adjustable on the Rotax 912
Performance is what we were looking for all along, 'just' took some more flying and research (kitfox forums and such)
More documentation later when we take the sd card home and download it to a pc
Karl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjMhshB8Ugs

[moving2time]

Karl
Great videos. As a wannabe Highlander owner I love watching the videos of those of you that are actually flying. Noticed two things that I thought were interesting. First was the panels in the lower front that make the pedals visible from outside. Looks like a nice feature. What were you thinking when you envisioned those panels? Do they help visibility from inside. I'm guessing they could have some value. Do they accomplish what you intended? The second thing I noticed was the center windshield mullion. What were you thinking there? Did you find any advantage from building the windshield that way?
Keep the videos comming. I feel like a passenger.
Joe B

[av8rps]

http://youtu.be/gR7hfQ0DhDA

Hello all, here is a link to a video I made a few weeks ago. Enjoy.
karl

Nice video(s)! (I had to watch all of them you did after seeing that one )

And I really like your Highlander. It has some really cool features. Thanks for sharing.

[SheepdogRD]

. . . And I really like your Highlander. It has some really cool features. Thanks for sharing.

I'll sure second that. I watched the other videos, too (searched YouTube for kvka Highlander). I was fascinated by the high-visibility floorboards and side panels, and the instrument panel.

I'd love to see a video tour of the airplane with some discussion of the changes you made, what you'll change, and what you'd do differently next time.

Thanks again . . .

[moving2time]

Karl
Actually, the dashboard was one of most important things that I wanted to mention in addition to those above. I don't believe there has been a lighter, more minimal, looking dashboard on any of the Highlanders ever posted on this site! You definitely need to post photos from all angles of your dashboard. Youtube noted that there were 6 videos so I looked around for all of them myself. Good stuff!
Joe B

[Karl]

Hello Joe,
I thought about removable side panels for maintenance ease and, with a lexan cut out, for visibility while taxing and such.
Decided also for a floor board and belly pan that can be removed for the same reasons, but we will nix that as I seldom look down through my feet, and never crane my head forward enough to look through the control mixer assembly.. a novelty to look straight down once or twice, but that's it ...Troy said it would slow the plane down and add weight, shoulda listened )), but it was fun to try it. And besides, while flying the 40 plus hours it was nice to be able to unscrew everything and look at what needed adjusting and cleaning.. So, will have my son help me do a normal fabric belly, ours looks rough anyway, functional, but rough.. I'm keeping the side panels though.

The center windshield mullion (I had to look up that word btw ) serves two purposes, one: to route the wires and instrument air lines unseen and two: to brace the windshield during 'high speed' flight.. sometimes with the thin lexan I noticed flexing.

Anyway, thanks for your interest, I'll link a site here with many many photos of the build... http://gallery.me.com/kvonkaenel#100174

And yes, a youtube would probably be better to show what we did and should not have done.
I'll piece a video together when a bad weather system moves in, SheepdogRD. Easier to talk rather than type.
But always a great time with it. Like I said to other prospective customers in front of Troy, 'I would not buy another one,,, I'd buy two: fly one, sell the other...' Hope this helps.
kind regards,
karl

[stede52]

Karl,
Great picture documentation and nice plane. The pics would be a great help for those first or even second time builders, thanks for sharing.

[av8rps]

http://youtu.be/gR7hfQ0DhDA

Hello all, here is a link to a video I made a few weeks ago. Enjoy.
karl

Hi Karl,

I checked out your build pictures (btw - very nice) and noticed what appears to be a 80 hp 912ul being bolted into your Highlander. Is that true? If so, would you care to share some info on how the 80 hp 912 works on a Highlander from a performance perspective? I occasionally have people ask me if that would work as they may have access to a used 912ul, but I can't tell them as I've never flown one. So if you are operating a 912ul let us know how it does. Plus, I need to satisfy my curiousity.

Paul

[moving2time]

Karl
It took me a while but I managed to page through every build photo you have on your site! Your photo documentation is about as complete as any I have seen for the Highlander. There are a few holes here and there for a non builder to follow seamlessly but that is only because I can think of things that you haven't included. Even so your photos answered a number of questions I have had regarding the construction of the Highlander. Will you be posting more to include the engine install, wiring, cowling? At first I was a little confused with the other Highlanders that made apperances but once I assumed that they were visitors it wan't so confusing. At first I thought there was a time sequence error. Not having any experience building an aircraft so far I can only imagine the dedication it takes to stop in the middle of a task to take so many detailed photos. Bravo! One thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is all the grinding and damage required to some to the powder coating. Makes me wonder if it is money well spent. There is a lot of discussion on this web site regarding "To Powder or Not?" One last question. It looks like you spent some time at the Just Factory. Did you work on your frame at Just or were you simply taking photos of the frame jig system out of interest? Awesome job!
Hopefully the photos be available for a long while.
Enjoy flying your Highlander and keep the videos comming!
Joe B

[TaxMaverick]

Hi Karl,

I looked at your pics. It looks like you did a lot of work on the wings. Those are not the quick-build wings, right?

[Karl]

Hello again,
I think I understand the questions and concerns about the highlander build and photos, so if I do not answer what was asked or omit something, bear with me. For the delay in responding, I was away for many days and forgot my password for the forum..
Short answers to the ones posted first, then give me a few days to post a youtube of a rundown of our project

Working backwards from the posts,
The wings were quick build (at the time) now of course the quick build is even better.

And yes, the photography was a process that took time, and the little camera took a beating. And human nature being what it is, I took some and never downloaded them or downloaded to another computer, so that will follow soon.

The photos of the reaming were done to show that, yes the powder coat does need to be removed for proper fit: but also even with no coating, we found that the process of welding (specifically the heat surrounding the part) distorts the part slightly no matter what. So although it may have been a clean part to begin with, we reamed it, and reamed that one, and this one, and the other one, and so on and so on. For us, we sprayed self etching primer (maybe you can see that green stuff over sprayed on the white fuselage) on parts that we cleaned and that did not need metal to metal contact, and lubricated those that did. The result was no binding or tight fits that required excessive use of force (hammers, large flat head screwdrivers,cussing, and throwing of tools)

Photos only of the fuselage, and actually that fuselage really was not ours in the pic. The boys up there took the parts right away after fabrication to the powder coat ovens to keep the bare metal exposed as little as possible.
So, a little deception on the photo document there, but the only one, as I figured that jig held many fuselages before and many after.

And last (first post) was the observation of the 912ul. Yes, that's it, we installed an Airflow Performance mechanical fuel injection-- photos too somewhere again, I promise to get my best man on that soon. For the idea of performance, have a look again at the take off videos, I remember being airborne before the numbers, don't know the distance, but it's not much.
Okay, let me run, thanks again for your interest.

karl

[Karl]

Hello all,
Flew on Friday, and did a small video of a run down of the things we have on our airplane.
Will try and do a better one later on, in the meantime let this one suffice.
edited video as of 27 nov ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZx5_CakWPw
karl

[av8rps]

Another awesome video Karl! Not only did you do a great job showing us some your very cool mods, but I also loved the shots of your Highlander in flight trailing another plane. What kind of plane did you use to get those shots? I'm just curious as it is rare to see people get that angle of video. But it sure is way cool!!

And I'm really glad to know someone is running the 80 hp 912. That will help me when I'm telling others how to put together a 912 powered Highlander for less, knowing that even a stock 912ul will fly the Highlander well. I mostly knew that all along as my nearly 800 lb Kitfox amphib is flying on a 912ul, and it does just great. But to be able to show others your plane now will help provide the proof they will want to see. So thanks for sharing that. (I don't suppose you have a plan to convert that 912ul over to a 914 one day, do you? )

I also noticed you have the radiator at the bottom of the firewall rather than up front. Any cooling issues?

[danerazz]

What gains do you think the mass-balance of the control surfaces has given? I like the idea, but don't know if it is necessary.

[Dave Krall CFII SEL SES]

Excellent, the ThermoStasis unit on the oil line for temp looks like a good idea. If it fails, does it default to high or low oil temp?