TW Fairing Test ? Increased Speed!!!!

[SMO]

I?ve had a Vans tailwheel fairing hanging around for the past few years, and a month or so ago I decided to finish it and install it.

Was a CAVU day today, great day for speed tests. Flew the first one without the fairing installed, came back, installed the fairing, refueled the 5 gallons used in the first test, and flew the second test. Fuel flow was set the same (11.8 gph), RPM was the same (2300) altitude was the same (8000? PA), temps were the same (32*F), and the route was the same. Flew 3 legs, 120* apart and used the data recorded by the EFIS to average the groundspeed for the last 30 seconds of each leg. Put the data into ?Kevin Horton?s Spreadsheet?.

The final result??

Without the fairing the True Airspeed was 197 knots.
With the fairing the True Airspeed was 197.5 knots.

WoooHooo!!



"Is the data repeatable?" you ask. Don't know, don't really care, was just a fun exercise.

[rockwoodrv9]

That is great news! I have a 9A that was a TG and my plan is to put the tail wheel on just to make people wonder. Now I can put a fairing on and increase my speed! Ha!!

It does look real cool. It will get you as many looks as the tw on my 9A!

[Steve Melton]

cute fairings like that make folks smile. I like it!

[Mark Albery]

I think you need a pressure recovery style if you're going after 197.6 knots!