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Fairings-Etc.?s empennage fairing

Tumper

Well Known Member
I would like to talk to someone who has had experience with Fairings-Etc.?s empennage fairing. I am considering it and would like to hear from someone who has seen both Van?s and Fairings-Etc?s empennage fairings.

Is it worth the cost difference? You can email me our PM me.

deiland77 (at) eranch (dot) us

Thanks,
 
Your mileage may vary

I went the Fairing's Etc route based on the numerous high recommendations. However, my experience was not a positive one as I ended up having to do major surgery to get the empennage fairing to fit - especially for the offset rudder on the -7 (don't know if this is the same on all models). My trials and tribulations. I hope that my experience is a "one-off", but nonetheless, there are some exceptions.

Good luck,
 
Did you contact Bob about the problem...

I went the Fairing's Etc route based on the numerous high recommendations. However, my experience was not a positive one as I ended up having to do major surgery to get the empennage fairing to fit - especially for the offset rudder on the -7 (don't know if this is the same on all models). My trials and tribulations. I hope that my experience is a "one-off", but nonetheless, there are some exceptions.

Good luck,

He is very accomodating and would want to know if his product didnt meet expectations.

My fairings fit so much better than Vans it was laughable. This is on the small tail 6, no offset. The newer Vans fairings may be better.
 
No Perfect Fit

These are fiberglass parts and they are not going to fit perfect in every case. My 7 was used as the prototype for Bobs tail fairing and it took some work to get it right. Production versions are pretty close.

All builds are a little different as well. Get your initial fit and then tape down firmly in a few spots. Use a heat gun and oven glove and heat the problem areas. Ply in place with the heat gun and glove. Get some one to help you with a cool damp rag to go over the area after you have heated it.

This will take some effort but with patience you can get a great fit. You may have to do some minor fill for the ultimate fit.
 
He is very accomodating and would want to know if his product didnt meet expectations.

My fairings fit so much better than Vans it was laughable. This is on the small tail 6, no offset. The newer Vans fairings may be better.

Hi Jonjay,

Yes, I did contact Bob. I sent him a link to various pictures of my pain points and we spoke about the pictures via the phone and possible solutions. I enjoyed talking with him. In the end, none of the suggested solutions worked.

On reflection, I learned some things about fiberglass and techniques. I'm grateful than DanH posts his fiberglass techniques so that we may learn from them. Did I get frustrated during the process? Sure. Did I learn some new skills and/or improve some skills? Absolutely. Education is one of the primary reasons for building these contraptions; unfortunately we may not realize what all we learned until afterwards. In this case, my experience seems to be exception based on folks feedback. YMMV.
 
VS Offset

These are fiberglass parts and they are not going to fit perfect in every case. My 7 was used as the prototype for Bobs tail fairing and it took some work to get it right. Production versions are pretty close.

All builds are a little different as well. Get your initial fit and then tape down firmly in a few spots. Use a heat gun and oven glove and heat the problem areas. Ply in place with the heat gun and glove. Get some one to help you with a cool damp rag to go over the area after you have heated it.

This will take some effort but with patience you can get a great fit. You may have to do some minor fill for the ultimate fit.

Hi Darwin,

The bottom leading edge of my VS is offset to the left by about 1/2". I don't know if this is a new thing (circa late 2003 emp kit) or not. Do you know if your VS has any offset?
 
I have one of these I did not use. It has 4 holes drilled in it that will need to be filled. I had an issue, but not with this fairing, and did not use it. Someone make me a reasonable offer and I will consider selling it.

Issue: I had the original Van's fairing already fitted and in use. I asked the painter to fit the new one. However, he had already painted the N-Numbers and the fairings etc empenage fairing was going to interfere with the N-number. Long story short, I told him to forget about it.
 
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We used their fairings on our 7. You will find some photos on Bob's site now.

Excellent work, easy to trim and fit.

Will be ordering for the 8.
 
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