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Wing/fuselage LE cuff?

N661DJ

Well Known Member
I have noticed on a number of 8's a curved cuff located on the fuselage that wraps part ways round the upper leading edge of the wing. Curious as to what the the desired effect of such a mod might be?
 
Numerous -8 (not -8a) owners have noticed buffeting that is isolated to that particular airframe. The cuff you're seeing is an effort to correct that buffeting by taming the airflow spilling off of the aircraft's wing/main landing gear/fuselage junction. Allegedly, it is a successful modification.
 
Thanks Kyle, makes sense, I was wondering if anyone had any detailed info re: size, shape and location for this mod?
 
Here's my take on this. I've been flying my '8 for 15 years and 1000 hours now. There is a buffet that occurs just prior to a stall. Having performed hundreds of hours of aerobatic flights I'm used to feeling it. In my opinion, this is a perfect pre-stall buffet. Many certified aircraft with bad stall and/or spin characteristics have strips attached to their leading edges to induce a pronounced buffet well before stall speed. The '8 design just worked out that way by accident. Personally, I don't mind having a pre-stall warning buffet.
 
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