Floating gear leg fairings.

[F1 Rocket]

When I originally built my rocket I made an aluminum tab on the bottom of each gear leg fairing that I then clamped to the lower gear leg with a hose clamp. These tabs have broken, allowing the gear leg fairing to “float” vertically. The upper/lower intersection fairings hold the alignment very well. I’ve flown this way for many hours but now that I’m getting closer to returning the airplane to flying status I’m wondering if I should leave the gear leg fairings floating or make some new tabs.

[Toobuilder]

The effective length of the gear legs change with bending, so the comparatively rigid fairing needs to float at one end. I anchor mine at the top with a tab and Adel clamp but let the bottom telescope in the wheelpant fairing.

[RV Jerry]

I let my fairings float they are not anchored top or bottom the intersection fairings hold them in place

[koupster]

I semi-floated the nose gear leg fairing. The bottom is clamped, and the top is secured by a double wrap of bungee cord. The idea was to permit some movement as the leg flexed, but prevent any flutter due to airflow. Seems to be working and no tabs have broken off.

Cheers, David
RV-6A - KBTF

[BillL]

I affixed my fairings to a very secure clamp on top. I did crack one with a bounce (1/3 up from the intersection fairing) and have wondered if they are too rigid. It seems the only thing really needed is a suspender that provides a force to prevent it sliding down only, and even that is not rigid. Like a piece of baffle. An aviation designer told me once that if something breaks, try making it more flexible first. He had more success solving failures that way.

[Kyle Boatright]

The plans that came with my RV-6 showed small springs holding up the gear leg fairings. The intersection fairings kept the gear leg fairings aligned.

[F1R]

About 2004 plus or minus a year or two, there was builder group info online that somehow made it into my builders manual. One popular method was to hold the gear fairing in the desired location(by hand or with tape) then use a small amount expanding foam at both ends. That is the way mine is and it has worked quite well. After changing the axle shims to an improved wheel alignment it was easy to dig out the foam at the bottom and with the pants and spats in place re foam the bottom ends of the gear fairing. Snug enough to hold the fairing but just enough give for flexing.

[bjkirby2000]

Mine on the -4 are that way with expanding foam top and bottom since 1996. No problems so far.

[rvbuilder2002]

The problem with using expanded foam is that it adheres the fairing in place. The result of that is it doesn't get removed to inspect the condition of the gear leg.
That is a bad thing because it is common for the foam to retain water which causes the gear leg to rust.
If let go long enough the legs get pitted bad enough to no longer be usable.

[F1 Rocket]

Rocket gear legs are Titanium. I used expanding foam on the top of my gear leg fairings. But I applied some packing tape to the inside of the fairing before injecting the foam. The result is the foam helps to locate them but the fairings are easy to remove. I have a piano hinge on the trailing edge. I think I will leave them floating although I will look at a method to keep them from moving down too much.