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Gear Leg Fairings

Robert M

Well Known Member
I installed the gear leg fairings on my RV-9, following the instructions. They seem to be straight and in line with a level flight configuration. All 3 wheels were off the ground, the fuselage was leveled and the alignment process as follows......

Cut the fairings per the RV-9 template, set the trailing edge straight on the bench using tape marks on the aft edge as alignment points. Installed the hinge pieces with tape spots lined up. They were trimmed and realigned.

Three alignment points were measured on both gear legs at 11 1/2" off the floor, the next up was 21 1/2" and the top location was 31 1/2".

The center line of the fuselage was determined with plum bobs. One hanging off the tail spring where it exits the fuselage and the other at a marked, center point on the firewall.

On the pilot side....

A plum bob was aligned with the 11 1/2", 21 1/2", 31 1/2" marks on the gear leg and those plum bob spots were marked on the floor as extended fuselage center line marks.

A measurement was taken to each new extended mark from the fuselage center line mark and these measurements were transferred to the aft of the aircraft at the HS.

I used tool cabinet drawers and clamps to mimic the height locations, (11 1/2", 21 1/2", 31 1/2"), on drawers of the cabinet. I opened the drawers to line up plum bobs with the extended fuselage center line measurements.

Put on the fairing, wrapped kite string around the fairing at the 3 height locations and then back to the corresponding clamp. Then wrapped the string tightly around the clamp.

Centered the fairing (top to bottom) between the two strings and clamped it into position with the hose clamps.

Repeated the procedure for the passenger side.

Took off to test the new gain in airspeed and I saw absolutely no gain in airspeed and there was absolutely no extra yaw during flight. The plane flew as if I had done nothing. Shouldn't I be seeing SOME increase in airspeed?

Any ideas?

Thanks for any and all help,

Robert

P.S. I have intersection fairings coming but if I don't see significant increase with airspeed from the fairings alone, I will have to think long and hard before going to all that work of prep and installation for zero return.
 
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If you have no intersection fairings then you have introduced 2 new ugly intersections to the airplane so those are likely cancelling out any improvement. I think you will see a benefit when you install them. Even if you don't, it will look way cooler!:D
 
If you have no intersection fairings then you have introduced 2 new ugly intersections to the airplane so those are likely cancelling out any improvement. I think you will see a benefit when you install them. Even if you don't, it will look way cooler!:D

Yes.......you always get 10 knots for any clean up or fairings....;)

Alrighty then, I will continue with the fabrication of the wheel pants and install them with the all the intersection fairings when they arrive.

Thanks for the info,

Robert
 
Although you don't have to remove the gear leg fairings often, the intersection fairings do help line them up when reinstalling them after removal for inspection, etc.
 
I flew my phase I nearly entirely without my main gear leg fairings. I was breaking in a new engine so I put the fairing job off too long - until some fellow builders began picking on me. Thank goodness they did! I had been flying with the nose fairings only. Once I installed the main gear leg and wheel pant fairings, it was a different airplane - in a good way. I am surprised you seen no difference.
 
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