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Tailwheel Fairing redoing

lucaperazzolli

lucaperazzolli

Well Known Member
During winter - when we have more time to building and brainstorming - I ordered the tail wheel fairing from Vans. Despite the part is "bang for the buck" I decided to build a new one with a little more symmetrical look.

Here's the original Vans part :

tw1.jpg


I decided to use a cheep software to draw a set of 'ribs' to have a solid form.

tw2.jpg


tw3.jpg


tw4.jpg


tw5.jpg


A friend of mine has a computer cutting pantograph and this helped a lot.

tw6.jpg


This is the part assembled, in the back the original one.

tw7.jpg


tw8.jpg


At that time I'm working with foam to close the opening, I'll use some microballs and epoxy resin to obtain a new molding master.

Never worked with the molds, it will be a new experience. Stay tuned.

Logic ? Rational ? Absolutely not ;)
 
Cool! Looks like a keel-and-bulkhead model plane fuselage. I've built a bunch of stick-and-tissue models like that, originally designed for rubber power but I'd convert 'em to rc.
 
Something to consider. I love my fairing but it always seems to need repair. Mostly because when moving the plane tail first the wheel is going backwards and the tail of the fairing is very close to the ground.
If your cool looking fairing is longer it may touch the ground when swiveled 180 degrees???

Larry
 
Luca,

Please also tell us more about the "cheap" software and how you were able to get all of those coordinates into the CAD.

Thanks!
Vince
 
Luca, I applaud you for going old school with the tailwheel fairing! Consider doing what I did and buy a fork from Vince Frazier (previous post) and actually embedding the fork into the fairing. I glassed mine permanently into the fork and it really makes for a solid setup. Just be careful with the geometry such that when you rotate the tailwheel 180? there is no interference with the tailwheel spring or the ground. Here are a couple of photos, good luck with the project:





In the old days there were a lot more tail fairings around, what can I say, the tradition kind of died out, but there's nothing as pretty as a faired tailwheel in my humble opinion. Of course, you'll have to buy two forks from Vince because you'll want to have the other one for grass strips!
 
RV3bpilot said:
Does anyone have some numbers to show the speed increase from using a tail wheel faring?
Click to expand...

I couldn't tell a speed difference either way. You definitely have to be more aware not to drop it off a taxi way when spinning around but so far it's holding up.

shark1.jpg


shark2.jpg
 
Be sure and use a generous/sufficient amount of mold release. That can be frustrating?

What was used to cut out the parts? Was it a laser cutter? Wasn't familiar with that word.
 
Great work! I ended up modifying a vans tailwheel fairing to work in a full swivel with their stock fork. Yours will be MUCH lighter.

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Hallo Vince,

I used DevCad software. Took the original Tailwheel Vans Fairing (one side) and with a Contour Gauge Duplicator, a pencil and a day of winter snow I drew the contour on a paper and measure it to create a DevCad model.

vfrazier said:
Luca,

Please also tell us more about the "cheap" software and how you were able to get all of those coordinates into the CAD.

Thanks!
Vince
Click to expand...
 
Hi Pat,

I spent a lot of brainstorming and scraping in front of these yours pictures last winter when I started this project. ;)

I'm a big fan of Vince products so in my 8 I installed the Screaming Eagle Retrofit Tailwheel Fork with the Lightweight Tailwheel Tire from april 2014.

You can see it in this thread : http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=111868 post #8.

And I said : "I had an incredible improvement in ground control of the aircraft during taxi, takeoff and landing roll. It's a great products, easy to promote! :)

Cheers

Luke

Pat Hatch said:
Luca, I applaud you for going old school with the tailwheel fairing! Consider doing what I did and buy a fork from Vince Frazier (previous post) and actually embedding the fork into the fairing. I glassed mine permanently into the fork and it really makes for a solid setup. Just be careful with the geometry such that when you rotate the tailwheel 180? there is no interference with the tailwheel spring or the ground. Here are a couple of photos, good luck with the project:

In the old days there were a lot more tail fairings around, what can I say, the tradition kind of died out, but there's nothing as pretty as a faired tailwheel in my humble opinion. Of course, you'll have to buy two forks from Vince because you'll want to have the other one for grass strips!
Click to expand...
 
Hallo,

no laser but an homemade pantograph cutter connected to the DevCad software.

Ciao

PilotRPI said:
Be sure and use a generous/sufficient amount of mold release. That can be frustrating?

What was used to cut out the parts? Was it a laser cutter? Wasn't familiar with that word.
Click to expand...
 
You did a great work - I know your radial conversion !

take a look to the Vince Frazier products for a different tailwheel fork, look on this thread.

Cheers

luke


flyboykelly said:
Great work! I ended up modifying a vans tailwheel fairing to work in a full swivel with their stock fork. Yours will be MUCH lighter.
Click to expand...
 
flyboykelly: love your tailhook look, nicely done! Just needs the placard: Danger Arresting Hook, or maybe those were missing on Bearcats.

Doug
Seattle area
-4, wings
 
3D Evolution

After a lot of sanding and bonding process I decided that 3D Printer could be a better (and modern) idea. So I jump into the learning process to 3D design with a cheap software (Devfus); here first results, the general idea is to create a negative model with a 3D Printer.

Stay tuned, I'll keep you updated ;)

model_3D.png
 
jumping in also

Luke, I'm jumping in also on 3D printing. Send me your fairing design and I'll try to print in nylon if it less than 10 inches. I'm in 3D training.

also, what do you think of this? : http://www.david-3d.com

my first training model.... printed in ABS plastic is 40% weight of alum. maybe for a magnetometer?

blob_zpsjshvuvvh.png
 
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+1 for EAA Solidworks and an Alternative

The EAA + Solidworks program is a great way to get access to a professional level tool.

An alternative that I also recommend that is free for users that have a limited number designs in process at any one time is Onshape.

https://www.onshape.com/

Good tutorials. It runs on the Onshape servers using your web browser and internet connection as the interface so it can run on any platform and does not require any software installation on your computer. It opens and generates all of the industry standard file formats so you can share files, use industry supplied models, and send files to machine shops and 3D printing shops.

Not immediately related to the thread but may allow others to start as similar project that otherwise do not have access to the design tools.

-Larosta
 
Subject of upcoming KITPLANES article

Hey guys-
Ken Krueger just did a couple of KITPLANE articles on exactly this subject (small 3D printed molds), they will be out in the Jan/Feb issues of KP (IIRC) if you can wait til then. He was able to significantly reduce cost and optimize the process over several moldsets.
Eric
 
Stay tuned, I'll keep you updated
Click to expand...

Ciao Luca
Any news? Asking since I might be interested in one... in case you do decide to manufacture a few. I would of course come by and pick it up myself :)
 
Finished part is beautiful!!

Luke, I have seen the post/thread with the final product, but thought to post here as it is a design question.

You said more symmetrical, but I could not find where/how the Vans pant was altered? the nose seems more "attractive" and it looks longer.

Any pressure recovery shaping?
 
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