Nose leg upper intersection fairing

deltamike197 · #1 08-19-2013, 11:04 PM

I bought one from fairings-etc and it is very nicely made. However, after a short while I noticed that the tight fit around the gear leg fairing and the up/down motion of the leg fairing caused the paint to wear away where the two fiberglas parts touch. The damage is visible below the intersection fairing. Since the airplane is going in for a complete professional paint job very soon, I need to figure out how keep this from happening. I've only had the intersection fairing installed for 6 months and this is a noticeable issue that I don't want to recur with the new paint if I can possibly help it. Who else has used this fairing? Did you experience this and if so were you able to make it stop chaffing? I sanded and smoothed the inside of the intersection faring when I originally installed it to help prevent this but that obviously didn't do the trick. Thanks.

Dean
RV-6A
4 years flying

rzbill · #2 08-20-2013, 09:19 AM

Same here. I'm in primer at the moment (so I don't really care) but it is being worn off just as you described. I have not tried to address it yet. My first try will be application of flap tape to the inside of the intersection fairing.

Flap tape on the ouside of the gear leg might be more protective but I'll try the hidden way first.

RVbySDI · #3 08-20-2013, 10:01 AM

Yep. The paint is rubbing off on my nose gear fairing where it meets up to the intersection fairing. The chaffing started from day one of bringing it home from Grady's. I have some touch up paint and plan to use it soon but have not done so yet. I am not sure there is an easy solution to this issue other than touching up the paint every so often.

noelf · #4 08-20-2013, 11:40 AM

I am starting the wing and fus paint odyssey next week. I painted all the fiberglass stuff a few months back.

I have not done this yet as I have not reinstalled any of the gear leg fairings or intersection fairings yet, but my intent is to use the UHMW tape Van's sells for the flap wear/rub strips. This tape will get installed on the gear leg fiberglass fairings and be allowed to rub against the intersection fairings.

The tape will get a complex cut trim line to follow the exposed edge of the intersection fairings with a 1/2 inch visible exposure.