Protecting wheelpants and gear legs

One of the things that always impresses me at condition inspection time is what a beating the wheelpants and gear leg fairings take in a typical flying year.

The underside of the wheel pants -- the paint -- can get cut up pretty good by spending too much time in the grass, especially if some of the grass has thick, stick-like weeds here and there (I'm looking at you, Oshkosh).

And because the gear leg fairing moves up and down within the intersection fairing on the wheel pant, that gets pretty worked over too.

The same is true for the nose gear fairing, the top of which "rests" in the upper intersection fairing of the lower cowl.

I wonder if anyone has developed any sort of solution to some of this (other than "stay out of grass"). I've put UHMW on the gear legs themselves and I've also put some on the gear leg fairings in spots, but that's pretty ugly stuff and it doesn't last that long anyway (at least up here where the temps change over the course of the year and all the grime from that area undermines its stick-to-it-iveness).

I've had pretty good luck with this stuff. It lasts a long time.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/windinstacc2.php?clickkey=5104

I had a local detailer put this stuff on my car the minute I bought it... I'm planning on having him fit a few pieces on the RV10 when its complete.

XPEL's Ultimate Paint Protection Film
https://www.xpel.com/products/xpel_ultimate_paint_protection_film.asp

We carry 3M paint protection film specifically for these areas.

paint protection film

I can attest to the usefulness of this product, having had it on my plane for over 10 years.

It is removable without leaving any residue for at least 7 years... try that with your UHMW tape. After 10 years it left a thin residue that cleaned off easily. Again, try that with any other similar product.

Under normal use, it doesn't yellow either.

It's a great product and it's dirt cheap too!

Highly recommended for the top of your flaps, under fairings, on the front of your tailwheel painted areas, or anywhere else that paint is likely to get scuffed, screwdrivered, or scraped up.

vfrazier said:

We carry 3M paint protection film specifically for these areas.

paint protection film

I can attest to the usefulness of this product, having had it on my plane for over 10 years.

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Buy this. I use this on my flaps and have been just replacing it every year since it's super easy and relatively inexpensive. Theres also bits of it in other location and it works great. Two thumbs up!

3M Edge Guard

I have been using the 3M product for 5 yrs. No yellowing at all. Available at auto vinyl graphics shops. Adhesive backed and regular backed (window tint adhesive). Different thickness available. I spent around $15 for a few strips of various widths.

I used it on my nose gear leg faring. Anywhere the gear farings would rub and used it on my flap skin underlap.

Great stuff and can easily be removed if needed.

You might be able to use it on the underside of the wheel pant since it a bit flexible.

Thanks. Ordered.

ChiefPilot said:

Buy this. I use this on my flaps and have been just replacing it every year since it's super easy and relatively inexpensive. Theres also bits of it in other location and it works great. Two thumbs up!

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