Gear leg intersection fairing source?

We have decided that these just dont make sense to make yourself.
I know FAIRINGS INC provide them as does VANS.

Fairings inc seem to be good quality from posts i have seen. I have an order going into vans and it would be easier to just get them there. Any comments on quality of vans? Is it well worth it ordering from Fairings instead of Vans?

Thanks for any feedback.

I have heard nothing good about the Van's fairings.
I have heard nothing bad about Fairings Etc. fairings.
I have Aero Strategies fairings, but have not installed them yet.
http://www.aerosu.com/index.htm

Costs comparison.

I had never heard of that firm. Thanks
Just did a quick check... They are $250 total no handling and free shipping complete front and mains, and upper and lower.
Fairings etc seems to be $270 plus handling, plus shipping plus that i guess doesnt include anything for the nose gear top or bottom. That would be more again, but not clear if its about another $95 i think. No clue what their handling charge is for or how much. That kind of think annoys me. I dont mind paying shipping, but handling charges are just a silly money grab after one has agreed on a fair price. Either way its $250 to $400 for a few small glass pieces.

Hmmmm. Seems like a profitable side line for one who doesnt mind making a mold and spitting out some glass parts.

I will hold off and see if anyone else chimes in before i make a phone call.

We picked up a set of Fairing's Etc Uppers for the RV-6 at LOE, and they fit like a glove - as well as the FE fairings I put on the Val over three years ago. When we ordered a whole wheel pants kit for the -6 a couple of months ago, I decided to try a set of the lowers from Van's (about a third of the price of FE). Well, you DEFINITELY get what you pay for! Now, in the case of lowers, you end up cutting away a lot of the fairings anyway, and then shaping and smoothing, so I figure they are usable, since they really will serve as a basis for further work - but they are extremely rough, and only marginally better than starting from scratch. I do NOT enjoy scratch-building fiberglass parts, so I'd go with the FE parts any day.

I have heard good things about the Aero-Su, but haven't had a chance to use them.

My experience.

Paul

Aero Strategies

Aero Strategies is very close to me (20 miles), so obviously I'm interested. Anybody have any experience with these? I did talk to a guy in Wisconsin who started with Fairings Etc, then switched to Aero Strategies. He felt that Fairings were a lot better than Van's, but that Aeros' were even better. One man's opinion.

Fairings etc

Rick, I just got my Fairings Etc fairings (upper and lower intersections for the -7 main gear). Instructions say to check them out closely prior to fitting - once you cut, you own them.

Started fitting them on Tuesday, did some minor glass work on Wednesday, and today I'll bond the lower fairings to the wheel pants.

My impressions of Fairings Etc fairings...

The upper intersections fit exactly with no trimming or modifications AT ALL! There is a very smooth transition around the bottom curve of the fuselage, and the fit of the gear fairing inside the intersection fairing is excellent. I will smooth out the edges, paint and fly the upper intersection fairings as delivered with no mods at all.

The lower intersections fit fairly well. They are designed to bond to the front and rear wheel pants as two separate pieces, so that's how they are shipped - two pieces per side. After determining location on the wheel pant, you have to make a cut to define the rear edge of the front fairing, and the front edge of the rear fairing. These two edges butt against each other when the wheel pant is put together. I screwed up my first cut, so I glassed up the cut yesterday, and I'll complete the bonding to the wheel pants today.

One thing that I was really concerned about is the main gear fairing alignment. I set alignment a couple of weeks ago, and I was concerned with how the upper fairing would affect alignment. Turns out that the upper fairing fit the pre-determined alignment of the main gear fairing perfectly! No adjustment necessary!

I would give Fairings Etc a BIG THUMBS UP!

Rick
I am hard at the glass work on my plane now. If you want to come for a visit I will give you a quick lesson on how to make your own. Yes it takes a bit of time but the parts will fit your airplane perfectly and you will save some money as well. 519-631-1369

Thanks

Tom i would love to head up the highway and see what a guy that has built that many planes could teach me. I will talk to you shortly, i have to figure out how to bail on work. Talk soon.

Thanks

I have a modified cowl on a 9A, and Fairings ect. upper nose gear fairing would not work. Explained my problem to them and they sent two more fairings out to try, and ask me to return what I did not use. Can't beat their cust ser.









Bruce 9A

Vans fairings

I just recieved intersection fairings from Vans and am quit dissapointed in the quality,granted they are cheaper but will still take a lot of work to finish, still better than molding clay and laying them up myself

I bought a complete set of Aero Strategies fairings and he delivers exactly what he advertises. They are virtualy perfect. If you have doubts, give him a call or drop him an email. Yes, they are expensive, but at least you will not be dissatisfied with the quality. He sends easy to follow instructions so installation is straight forward.

Too bad Vans doesn't just contract with someone and include them in the kit. Their price isn't in line with RV thinking but quality of the glass is MUCH better, they just fit. Pound for pound, the most expensive part of my -8.

Nehi said:

I just recieved intersection fairings from Vans and am quit dissapointed in the quality,granted they are cheaper but will still take a lot of work to finish, still better than molding clay and laying them up myself

Click to expand...

You summed up the bottom line perfectly. I am familiar with both Van's and Fairings-Etc. offerings. No question comparatively speaking, F-E are a much higher quality product. I've purchased and installed Bob Snedaker's fairings and will soon help install Van's version on another builder's RV. Van's fairings are made with fewer layups and are naturally more flexible, hence a poorer initial fit. Still, Van's fairings will get you away from modeling clay and into the ballpark. Van's fairings can still produce a finished look you will be proud of....with significant additional work of course. But you already knew that there is no such thing as a free lunch.