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1. 06:33 AM - Re: Fairings, fairings and eye (cataract surgery) (MPPalmer@aol.com)
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| Subject: | Re: Fairings, fairings and eye (cataract surgery) |
Hi All:
IIRC, we picked up about 3 to 5 knots when we switched to Van's wheel pants
on the main gear (only) of our FT. (160HP)
Part of the speed increase was due to crummy alignment of our OEM wheel pants
on my part and also due to a crummy modification I made based on bad data
from a KITPLANES article. (To Dave Martin's credit, when he found out I used one
of their articles to mod our wheel pants, he had Barnaby Wainfain send me a
correction.) When I installed the Van wheel pants, I did the plumb bob thing and
got everything straight.
For Robin - You will be on your own making the intersection fairing for the
gear. But don't use something that simply looks nice... oil it and see what the
air is doing.
My first attempt at an intersection fairing was nice looking, like the OEM
Glasair fairing, but it must have created a horrible vortex behind the strut,
based on the huge gap and then an ugly 90 degree trail the oil was leaving.
(Whereas on the outboard side of the Van fairings, the oil shows textbook laminar
flow. Very nice.) It took two more tries to keep the airflow mostly attached
and somewhat straight.
I used modeling clay after the first test and ended up with a longish
fairing, a little like some guys use in the Glasair flap area. I have photos I
suppose I should post to show you what I mean. (I was hoping to do a KITPLANES
article on it years ago.) I'm not saying my design is optimal... more like it seems
to somewhat work. My main point is, with a lousy intersection fairing, you'll
probably kill any gain from the pressure recovery pants. It would be
instructive to see what the guys claiming 10 mph increases are doing for their
intersection fairing.
On the Aurora wing fairing... the SH guy I talked to (not sure who.... I may
have an email somewhere) told me that the fairing they developed looked like
an old Warbird fairing... can't remember if he said Mustang or Corsair. (And
DC-3?) The gist I got was that it was a heavily radiused, bigish fairing to
swamp out the intersection drag at the trailing edge of the wing. It faired back
a
foot or so into the fuselage? No rocket science.
On my eye... I could write an article about what I learned on cataract
surgery, and had pitched such a thing several times to The Aviation Consumer.
Instead, they gave it to a low time girl pilot. (Political Correctness / Affirmative
Action?) Anyway, I decided I wanted to be -2.5D uncorrected. That way, I can
see near without glasses. (Think "Mr. Bemis" in that Twilight Zone episode.)
Corrected, I'm 20/15... which is better than I've ever been. (Although I did
permanently lose some extreme peripheral vision from the Mormon gal's punch.)
Considering I used to be -6.0, this is much better. I can go most of the day
without glasses (don't need 'em to read or work at the computer) and the glasses
I now wear when driving aren't nearly as thick or heavy.
If you go for surgery, I suggest the one piece Tecnis IOL in the capsular
bag. (Where God put your original lens.) This is one of the few aspheric lenses
available. It's so good, even AMO's competitor cross licensed it. The second
best choice is the three piece Tecnis in the ciliary sulcus, but results in the
sulcus are VERY surgeon dependent. (See, God put your original lens in the
bag, not the sulcus.)
I have virtually no internal reflections. I get a very, very faint
non-centered elliptical halo when looking at an LED close up in a pitch black room.
(As
when viewing a "'power on' light" on a modem in a dark room.) I'm guessing I'm
fully dilated then and seeing something at the outside edge of my iris.
Otherwise, thankfully, no reflections at all while driving or - more important
-
flying at night. (Although I've only flown a few hours at night so far. Still,
haven't noticed any anomalies.)
The fluorescent lights in the hangar suddenly became much brighter and I can
work on the plane again. It's amazing how the color temp of fluorescent lights
just happens to be the color of a cataract.
I'm planning to have my fellow eye done in a couple weeks even though it's
only got a very mild cataract. (Am just over 50.) The thinking is, after 3
tries, I found a fantastically skilled surgeon (the company that makes the lens
uses him for their families) who has been very patient to work with me (has sent
me the results of my scans so I can pick the lens power I want). And the cost
is $1000 less than everyone else. (Private pay.) I don't think I'll ever find
that combination again, so I'm striking while the iron is hot. If I live long
enough, I'm going to need the surgery anyway, so might as well do it while I
can and still in good health. (Surgery not as risky, better recovery time, etc.)
After a year of waiting, I got my medical back within weeks of the cataract
surgery. (Thanks, Jack.) Unfortunately, by waiting so long with my dominant eye
out of service, I developed a little bit of double vision as my non-dominant
eye became boss. That slowly seems to be getting better as both eyes are on
line now.
I'm past the honeymoon phase, but still very happy with the final results.
(Not so happy how I got here.) Of course, I thank my God for His graciousness.
I
could live in a country / State / city where this surgery / technology is not
obtainable (I happen to live near Sun City, a huge retirement community in
Arizona with lots of doctors and this one piece lens, available in Europe last
year, was only approved this May by our FDA.) and/or I could not have the money
to get it. (No insurance. And Senator Obama? That's how I like it. There's no
reason why those reading this should pay for my eye surgery.)
After all this, on Christmas Eve this year, I may let the Mormons have one
more whack at me in my farewell evangelistic effort to them in what I'm jokingly
calling my "Dust off your feet tour." I'm willing to risk it all again for my
Lord and their salvation. I'm looking forward to my new body anyway, where
I'll see clearly forever. In more ways than one.
Mike Palmer <><<BR><BR><BR>**************<BR>BUY Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal
Skull on DVD today!
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