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Nose Wheel Fairing

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galinhdz(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:48 am Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

All;



After talking a lot with Rich, I decided to make a nose wheel fairing for my airplane similar to the one he has on his TR-1. It goes around the 2" nose wheel tube, extending about 6" to the rear making it a little more aerodynamic. We make a cutout from cardboard then used the cardboard cutout to make an aluminum mold. The using this mold, we used a layer of glass for the actual fairing. After consulting with Rich, we glued the fairing to the tube using silicone sealant.

  

The hole where the 2" tube enters the boot is very big and can't be made any smaller. We built an "air-dam" in front of the hole slightly taller that the fairing so air would flow up and around it. We made sure nothing was binding with the boot by turning it from one side to the other for about 160 degrees of rotation.

  

I will be doing some flight testing soon before I paint the boot and fairing. I don't expect a significant increase in performance, but any little bit helps. I can say that I really like how it came out especially since it gave the airplane a completely different look.

  

I posted pictures on my web page in the Airplane Upgrades album: http://puertoricoflyer.com/puerto_rico_flyer_004.htm

Also, I am returning permanently to the States very soon. I am taking advantage of being here to do as many upgrades I can. Having Rich and some former PULSAR employees available to consult/guide/help/do the work has been GREAT. THANKS RICH! ;o)

  

Galin

N819PR

  [quote][b]

lgdavid(at)roadrunner.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 11:53 am Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

Galen,  It looks great.  I like the strut  fairing too.  Look froward to hearing the performance numbers.   Larry

 [quote]   ---

richard_trickel(at)yahoo.
Guest

Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 4:47 pm Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

Bills in the mail galien



--- On Sun, 1/10/10, Galin Hernandez <galinhdz(at)gmail.com> wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		  

From: Galin Hernandez <galinhdz(at)gmail.com>

Subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

To: kis-list(at)matronics.com

Date: Sunday, January 10, 2010, 10:27 AM



 All;



After talking a lot with Rich, I decided to make a nose wheel fairing for my airplane similar to the one he has on his TR-1. It goes around the 2" nose wheel tube, extending about 6" to the rear making it a little more aerodynamic. We make a cutout from cardboard then used the cardboard cutout to make an aluminum mold. The using this mold, we used a layer of glass for the actual fairing. After consulting with Rich, we glued the fairing to the tube using silicone sealant.



The hole where the 2" tube enters the boot is very big and can't be made any smaller. We built an "air-dam" in front of the hole slightly taller that the fairing so air would flow up and around it. We made sure nothing was binding with the boot by turning it from one side to the other for about 160 degrees of rotation.



I will be doing some flight testing soon before I paint the boot and fairing. I don't expect a significant increase in  performance, but any little bit helps. I can say that I really like how it came out especially since it gave the airplane a completely different look.



I posted pictures on my web page in the Airplane Upgrades album: http://puertoricoflyer.com/puerto_rico_flyer_004.htm

Also, I am returning permanently to the States very soon. I am taking advantage of being here to do as many upgrades I can. Having Rich and some former PULSAR employees available to consult/guide/help/do the work has been GREAT. THANKS RICH! ;o)



Galin

N819PR

 	  Quote: 	
		  

	


	


           [quote][b]

galinhdz(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 5:41 pm Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

The strut fairing really changed how the aircraft looks.



Galin

N819PR



On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 1:21 PM, Larry David <lgdavid(at)roadrunner.com (lgdavid(at)roadrunner.com)> wrote:

  [quote]       Galen,  It looks great.  I like the strut  fairing too.  Look froward to hearing the performance numbers.   Larry

 [quote]   ---

bakerocb

Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 727
Location: FAIRFAX VA

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:43 am Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

1/11/2010



Hello Fellow Builders, Attached are pictures of my version of a nose wheel 

strut fairing and nose wheel pant for my KIS TR-1.



This arrangement was created from a Glastar nose landing gear strut fairing 

and a Van's nose landing gear wheel pant.



'OC' Says: "The best investment we can make is the effort to gather and 

understand knowledge."

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ftyoder(at)yoderbuilt.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:04 am Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

Hello 'OC',



They look very nice!



Have you had a fellow pilot take a picture or look to see that the wheel 

pant is exactly in trail when in flight? I understand some are offset by the 

prop blast. If yours is, it might be creating drag from air going into the 

pant past the strut fairing?



Tim



---

bakerocb

Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 727
Location: FAIRFAX VA

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:40 am Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

1/11/2010



Hello Tim, You wrote:



1) "They look very nice!"



Thank you.



2) "Have you had a fellow pilot take a picture or look to see that the wheel

pant is exactly in trail when in flight?"



Not yet.



3) "I understand some are offset by the prop blast. If yours is, it might be 

creating drag from air going into the pant past the strut fairing?"



Could be. My nose wheel steering swivel is very stiff so I kind of doubt 

that the prop blast could displace it. More than likely it will remain 

pointed in the direction it was in when the nose wheel lifted off.



But supposing one determined that an offset nose wheel pant was an ongoing 

problem. How would one correct that? There was a KIS plane (maybe a 4 

placer) at Sun n' Fun several years ago that had two long bungees going from 

points on each side of the fuselage to the aft end of the nose wheel pant. I 

suppose the idea was to keep the nose wheel pant centered while airborne. 

Looked a bit tacky and would not work with my stiff swiveling nose gear.



'OC' Says: "The best investment we can make is the effort to gather and 

understand knowledge."



PS: I have sort of a vague scheme in mind to seal off both the vertical and 

horizontal openings in the front of that wheel pant, but not a strong enough 

motivation to do so yet.



=====================================================



---

mjpienaar(at)shaw.ca
Guest

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 12:22 pm Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

Nice jobs, OC and Galin.



If the nose wheel is free to swivel in the airflow will it not adopt the 

position of least drag?



Thanks



Mike



T

---

bakerocb

Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 727
Location: FAIRFAX VA

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:09 pm Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

1/11/2010



Hello Mike, That least drag positioning for a free swiveling nose wheel 

makes sense to me.



I guess you could postulate a scenario where the high power prop wash is 

enough to displace the nose wheel and pant sideways immediately after 

takeoff and climb out, but then the swiveling torque required is such that 

when the engine power is reduced to a cruise setting that the nose wheel and 

pant remains deflected into the airstream and creates more drag than needed 

while in cruise.



I have seen nose wheel pants with a little fin on the rear end presumably to 

fair the wheel pant into the prevailng airstream where ever it might be 

coming from.



'OC' Says: "The best investment we can make is the effort to gather and 

understand knowledge."



=================================================

---

galinhdz(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 3:11 pm Post subject: Nose Wheel Fairing

This is what the Piper Cherokee has on it's nose wheel. With our free castoring nosewheel it should try to weathervane into the position of least resistance.

  

 

 On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 3:08 PM, <bakerocb(at)cox.net (bakerocb(at)cox.net)> wrote:

 [quote] --> KIS-List message posted by: <bakerocb(at)cox.net (bakerocb(at)cox.net)>



1/11/2010

Hello Mike, That least drag positioning for a free swiveling nose wheel makes sense to me.

  

I guess you could postulate a scenario where the high power prop wash is enough to displace the nose wheel and pant sideways immediately after takeoff and climb out, but then the swiveling torque required is such that when the engine power is reduced to a cruise setting that the nose wheel and pant remains deflected into the airstream and creates more drag than needed while in cruise.

  

I have seen nose wheel pants with a little fin on the rear end presumably to fair the wheel pant into the prevailng airstream where ever it might be coming from.  



'OC' Says: "The best investment we can make is the effort to gather and understand knowledge."

========================

---

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