| Author | Message | ||
     wayne Unregistered guest |
after 2 summers of flying I have finally gotten my nose gear cover and pant mounted. Pix posted in the gallery may help with the install. I will tell you that after flying it for 240 hrs bare that it is less yaw stable with the cover installed, and more rudder pressure is required in quick banking turn. As far as any large speed gain, I will let you know in a couple weeks after our "Great Adventure to California". If what I have been told (10mph) is true, we will get there and back an hour and 1/2 faster. | ||
| Jim Ward New member Username: Jehward Post Number: 10 Registered: 02-2000 |
Wayne: Hope you're planning a stop-over in Livermore, CA to visit us all in the Copeland hangar!! Let us know what your schedule looks like. Jim | ||
| JD Unregistered guest |
A nose gear fairing may get you a couple MPH, but 10 is a hefty stretch I fear. Anyone else get 10 mph by adding a nose gear fairing? - JD | ||
| Charles M. Robinson New member Username: F15epilot Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2004 |
It would make sense that a fair-sized airfoil (which the fairing represents) placed forward of the CG of the plane would decrease yaw stability--that's basic aero. Coming from the Grumman line of production aircraft, the 'speed mods' to the nose gear involved a much smaller fairing attached to the trailing side of the nose strut (which is a tube, curved a bit, but similar to the Express). The leading side of the tube represents the leading edge of the completed structure and the fairing the training 2 or so inches. That would reduce the drag (the objective) without creating such a destabilizing airfoil forward of the CG. Anyone try reducing the size of the fairing with results they can share? I'll be installing mine in a few weeks and now would be the time to modify it. | ||
| wayne Unregistered guest |
I thought about a smaller one made from alum, but then a new or mode to the pant is required. I would like a smaller pant anyway so we'll see how much free time I have to mess with that this Summer. When fitting the fairing to the pant, after you spend time getting a nice thin gap, try turning, then get out the sanding drum. i found out why the face of the pant isn't flat. Have fun. | ||
| CBROS Unregistered guest |
We wound up with a much narrower and shorter nose wheel fairing while trying to get the two halves to fit together. (you know the saying: I keep cutting, but it's still too short)The fairing is barely an inch and a half wider than the nose wheel fork. We also reduced the width of the fairing covering the leg to about 6-7 inches. Flying with and without only the nose gear fairing(s) makes a difference of about 5MPH. A real exercise in geometry, but worth the effort. We also modified the leading edge of the main gear fairings to make them less blunt. | ||
| wayne Unregistered guest |
we made it to California and back, I had to keep coming back on the throttle as the new nose gear fairing pushed us to red line. April fools! I did get about 3 MPH though so it might be worth it. After the first gas stop, 3.5hrs I bore out the holes on the nose gear leg cover so as to turn it abit to the rt. as I was needing rt rudder. this helped to center the slip ball. Nothing like working on your plane as you travel the country. You just don't get the same info flying around the local area. This trip was 4300NM, 28hrs of flying in 10 days on about 1100$ of gas. not bad per seat cost and there would have been no way to stop and see all that we did. The Grand Canyon was worth the trip. So get to work on those planes! |