Earthstar Forums

I'm contemplating wheel pants, but I have a concern. On the Gull 2000, the landing gear has a nice fairing that blends to the fuselage, and is wide enough that the gear leg moves around inside, but it is rigidly attached to the fuselage. When I mount wheel pants, they won't be able to attach to the fixed gear-leg fairing, or else things will break. Seems to be doable, but won't be able to have brakes covered with another fairing that is used in some other aircraft that look like a Thundergull. Has anyone else toyed with this??

kb

In a message dated 1/16/2011 10:19:32 AM Pacific Standard Time,
kessb@wavecable.com writes:

fairing that blends to the fuselage, and is wide enough that the gear leg
moves around inside, but it is rigidly attached to the fuselage. When I
mount wheel pants, they won't be able to attach to the fixed gear-leg fairing,
or else things will break. Seems to be doable, but won't be able to have
brakes covered with another fairing that is used in some other aircraft that
look like a Thundergull. Has anyone else toyed with this??

kb




Hi Kess
The aluminum farings on the gear legs should not be attached to the
fiberglass faring on the fuselage or they will be broken by the flexing of the
fiberglass legs. They only slide in to the fiberglass farings and there by can
move relative to the faring. that way you can add wheel pants that cover
the brakes. Be careful to ventilate the brakes or they will over heat. We
are working on a wheel pant that is suitable for the Thundergull, Odyssey,
Gull 2000, eGull line.
We have flown prototypes with really good results in drag reduction. But I
don't know wen the guy that is working on it will be done with the molds.
Happy Flying,
Mark

Mark,

Thanks so much for getting back. I've always wondered about that, but forgot to ask you when you where here. I do want some wheel pants, and I saw some at Aircraft Spruce that might work, but I want to put disc brakes on first. Maybe by then your will be done and we all can by yours!

Oh, by the way, can I buy those fuselage fairings from you? I don't know if I can clean these up and separate, as they are puttied smooth.

Kess

Well, I'm also closing in on installing wheel pants. The key part was fabricating an aluminum backing plate that sits in between the brake backing plate and the triangle flange on the axle. The pant will fasten to that, and a pin the fits in the outside axle end. I will post some pic's when I get it done

kb

The conversation a while back was on wheel pants.
At Sun N Fun this year I took some pictures of an unusual wheel pants design.
I posted them in the "All Things of interest" folder.
I suppose they look like they would work,except they are just so "Butt Ugly"
If you painted them black (the color ofthe front tire)they would not stand out as much.
Fred

FRed,

I will try to remember to take some pictures of my backing plate. That's were it's all about to start, as the Earthstars all have a small kite shape flange, or mini backing plate that the drum brakes are mounted to. I just removed everything and made a half round .060 plate about 6 inches across, and bolted it in between the drum backing plate and the kite shaped thing. I just worked out the 1/2" offset bracket required to center the pant over the wheel, now for the axle end thingy.

kb

Fred,

I took a look at the wheel pant pictures. My o my those things are ugly, especially with those red wheels. Mine are enclosed, sort of what you would expect.

kb

Fred,

I just posted some pic's of the backing plate project for the wheel pants. I also had add 2 washers of 5/8 diameter totalling about .060 to the axle to space the brake drum off the backing plate. I'm reworking the axle end tab thingy that was too short, then I'm ready for the other side and the nose wheel.

kb

I know wheel pants do a great job as prop protectors , however how much would a set on the mains only do for increased cruising speed or does it just make more sense to include the nose gear for maximumgain. I think I remember Mark quoting 6 mph a long time ago. Also , which manufacturer makes the slickestdesign that maximizes bang for the buck.      Tinkering with an older JT2          Carl

I used the ones that Aircraft spruce sells, and the biggest benefit is keeping rocks out of the propeller. The nose-wheel pant install was tricky with all the spacers and washers, but completes the look after the mains are installed. I actually saw only about 2-3 mph gain, and way more with my wing-root fairing which is about 7-8 mph, more glide, cleaner stall brake, 3 mph lower stall speed, and just makes the Gull look cool and the Titan guys jealous.