Graeme
I added a main wheel fairing to my mono last year. It certainly was beneficial.
Cruise speed has improved by 5 knots, although curiously maximum speed has not
improved. One of my future projects is to try an find out why, by attaching
a video camera to the underside of the aircraft and tufting the fairings, so
that
I can see what is happening to the airflow. One possibility is that the
freestanding
sides of the rear part of the fairing, which are only 3 ply thick,
start to distort at high speeds.
Before embarking on this mod I contacted Andy Draper, who was very helpful. He
told me that when they flight tested the Europa prototype G-YURO, which had
separate
controls for flaps and undercarriage, lowering the wheel even at cruise
speed seemed to make very little difference to speed. They concluded that most
of the drag must be caused by the big hole in which the wheel lives. The trick
is therefore not just to have a streamlined fairing, but to make sure that
the undercarriage cavity is sealed as well as possible.
Other useful hints were that the fairing should be constructed of 2 to 3 ply
'bid',
so that it is sufficiently fragile to collapse in the event of a flat tyre
or wheels-up landing, without imparting excessive loads on the fuselage skin.
Also, that it is essential to incorporate a mud guard in the rear fairing.
I am afraid I haven't got a mould you could use. Nor do I have any decent
pictures.
The dimensions of my fairing are in any case non-standard, for my mono has
enhanced gear retraction (the main wheel retracts about 2 inches deeper into
the wheel well than normal).
Hope this helps.
John
G-JHKP
Mono 912S with Airmaster prop
On 16 Dec 2012, at 19:20, "graeme bird" <graeme@gdbmk.co.uk> wrote:
>
> I fancy adding a rear fairing for the main wheel, has anyone made a mould they
would be willing to share or any comments on the usefulness of such a feature,
clearly the normal mono speed kit doesnt include it but I understand a round
shape is bad for drag and it would also reduce mud splatter
>
> --------
> Graeme Bird
> G-UMPY
> Mono 912S/Woodcomp 3000/3W
> Newby: 45 hours
> g@gdbmk.co.uk
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> Read this topic online here:
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> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=390543#390543
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