> Hey, don't give up hope. Larry Flesner is a very tall person and I am >sure he will offer some good advise to you about that. Stretch, no, make it >fit, possible. >Daniel R. Heath - Columbia, SC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My KR is a 24" stretch, all behind the rear spar. I've not seen the KR2S plans but I believe is has some length added between the forward spar and the firewall. That would be good and I wish mine had the extra leg room. I doubt that I would take a finished or flying KR and try to lengthen it. I'm GUESSING it would be more trouble then building a new boat and the results would be less than pleasing. The poet in me loved the line in an eariler post,"your fuselage will have some discontinuous curves in it afterwards". What a polite way to say "your baby is ugly". There has to be a country song in there somewhere. I'm 6'4" and 200 pounds. I bought my project in the early boat stage which already had the 24" stretch. I raised the premolded forward deck 1 3/4" at the instrument panel station and cut 1" off the bottom of the instrument panel. I top mounted my rudder pedals and installed toe brakes. I built my seat and then had a friend take some measurements with me in the airplane. After I determined the height I needed for the canopy I built a bow for the turtledeck and windshield. I made the turtledeck bow to run vertical about 7 1/2" above the top longerons and from there arc to meet my height line. I found the outside edge of a 32 gallon trash can lid to have just the radius I was looking for. I raised, reshaped, and extended forward a premolded turtledeck to match the bow already mounted. I used the forward portion of a broken Pulsar canopy for a fixed windshield. I used foam and glass to extend vertically from the top longerons to the bottom of the windshield. With the windshield and turtledeck in place, I built the single gullwing door and removable right side panel. My gullwing door opens up 60 percent of the top as measured from top longeron to top longeron and seems to be just about right. A double gullwing system would have made for a tight entry or exit for both sides. You can see my results on Mark Langford's site and a few pictures on Mark Jones site. My advise, If you are more than 6' tall and 180 pounds, go the KR2S route. Buying what appears to be a "bargin" and getting an airplane that doesn't fit, that you have to do extensive mods, or don't enjoy flying is not going to be a "bargin" in the end. It will set for several years and then you will pass it on to someone else as a "bargin". Build or buy a 2S or find a project that is at a point where you can do the mods you think necessary to make it an airplane you will enjoy. Another point. Many builders wait to install the (permanent)seat until the project is well along. My advise, install the seat as soon as possible, take some measurements, and built the airplane to fit. Placement of very item inside the airplane from the firewall to the rear of the bagage area is best determined with you setting in the seat and doing a "fit" test. Rudder pedals, brakes, panel height and layout, switch locations, stick and throttle location, lighting, canopy, canopy latches, fuel system, entry/exit, etc. , etc., etc. I'm sure I spent more than an hour setting in my KR just to determine where I wanted my left side-mounted throttle to be mounted. After considerable "flight time" in the garage I built an entirely new panel with all switches and controls on the left side. The transponder and one switch are the only items I will ever have to switch hands on the control stick to operate. The first flight is not the time you want to find things you should have done differently. I'd best get off the computer and do something constructive on the KR if I'm going to make Red Oak in September. Happy building....... Larry Flesner
