My KR2 was built at sea level (Port Elisabeth, South Africa), and I flew it for two years at high altitude, hot conditions (Johannesburg). My fied was at 5300' altitude.
The engine was a very good VW Type 4, 2 liter, which is rated at 65hp. But the combination of engine and prop had been carefully tuned for maximum cruise speed at seal level. I must say that as a single seater, the aircraft never disappointed me. With two on board and full fuel, it was another story. The scariest thing was take-off distance. It could take up to 1200 meters to get airborne sometimes. Then, the climb rate could be as low as 150 ft per minute. A more suitable propeller would have solved the problem, I think. But I opted for a more radical solution, and I improved the engine instead. I fitted a 2.4 liter, rated at 80 hp. The improvement was stunning. Anyway, my feeling is: - Wing loading is your biggest problem. Because of that, a KR will never take-off short at altitude, even with a huge powerplant. It needs to build plenty speed for take off!. If you plan to operate from high altitude, extend the wings. - Engines without a turbo will battle at altitude, no matter how big they are. If you can't get a turbo, at least, put two carbs instead of one. Make the engine breathe better! - Get the right propeller, to get the maximum RPM out of the engine! Serge Vidal KR2 ZS-WEC - Taildragger, VW powered (2.4 liter, dual electronic ignition) - Total aircraft time: 390h - Aircraft hangared at: Orleans, France - Pilot moaning in: Tunis, Tunisia E-mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
