wheel fairing air holes?

[Build9A]

For those who have completed their wheel fairings; did you leave the front of the fairing solid and just remove it when putting air in your tires or did you drill a small access hole? And then use one of those extension things for adding air? pros and cons. thanks, jack

[Kyle Boatright]

Drill a hole in the wheel pant to match the valve stem's position on the wheel. That way, you can air up the tires in 5 minutes. If you have to remove the pants, even 1/2 of them, it becomes a messy (brake dust) 20 minute affair.

[dan]

Just use Michelin AirStop (butyl rubber) tubes, and you won't have to service your tires more than a few times a year. They really work. Desser has the best price that I know of:

http://www.rvproject.com/pricewatch.html

As one of my mentors, EAA tech counselor, and now AB-DAR (Gary Sobek) suggested, it's a good idea to take the front wheel pant half off from time to time anyway to inspect your brakes (and the tire in more detail).

I don't know about the mess Kyle talks about, although I predominantly fly off paved strips. 600+ hours and had the wheel pants off several times, and it's no big deal. Especially if you're just taking off the front half, you don't even have to touch any of the dirty surfaces.

)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D
http://www.rvproject.com

[sprucemoose]

Ditto the Michelin Air Stop tubes, they are worth every penny. Regardless, you will have the irresistable urge to check them once in a while, even though you will find every time that they haven't lost more than a pound or two. When this need arrises, holes in the fairing and a valve extension are the way to go. No downside to putting them in as Kyle described, except the .01 KT speed penalty.

I agree looking at the tires and breaks periodically is a good idea, but sometimes you don't have time for all that and just want to check the air.

Jeff Point
RV-6
Milwaukee

[akarmy]

Originally Posted by Build9A

For those who have completed their wheel fairings; did you leave the front of the fairing solid and just remove it when putting air in your tires or did you drill a small access hole? And then use one of those extension things for adding air? pros and cons. thanks, jack

I drilled a 1" hole in all 3 pants and put these in place to cover the holes.



You get them from Aircraft Spruce.

[sf3543]

I have used both methods on my RV6. Originally, I had the older type pants and drilled the hole and used the valve stem extender. It was pretty easy to use but still took a little bit of time to move the plane around to get everything lined up.
I later changed to the newer pants and did not drill the access hole but removed the front half each time. It did take a few minutes more to do but I had the added benefit of being able to get a good look inside. Also, I liked the cleaner look with out the plug in the pant. Using an electric screwdriver, it went quickly and easily.
On my RV8, currently under construction, I plan to just remove the front half and also go with the Michelen tubes. I agree with the comments regarding them. They are great!

[Jeff Church]

In order to check tire pressure, I also drilled a one-inch hole in the wheel pants and used the spring-loaded doors from Aircraft Spruce to cover the hole. It?s easy access and hides the access hole nicely. The only inconvenience Terry and I experienced on his plane was the tedious job of aligning the valve stem with the hole. A little of that game went a long way!

I realized a quick and easy way to align the hole with the valve stem especially if you?re performing this operation by your self. I aligned the stem with the hole then drew a vertical line on the inside of the tire from the ground to the centerline of the wheel with an easy to see tire marker. This took the guesswork out of the alignment and was easily visible on both mains while maneuvering the plane from the prop or tow bar.

[DeltaRomeo]

Ditto the Michelin tubes. Must haves IMHO.

I drilled a 1" hole and used what I believe is called a 'snap button hole plug' - essentially just a snap-in button that you can remove with your fingernail when needed. Adding air to a tire (on a smooth surface) takes about two minutes. The hole is down low and hardly noticable.

photo courtesy http://www.newark.com

photo courtesy http://www.jetpress.com

You can get these snap in buttons in the electrial (aircraft) section of any Home Depot / Lowes for about a quarter, if you choose to go this route. Many methods....all good.

Best,

[Build9A]

Thanks for all of the responses. Very helpful. jack

[Jerry Cochran]

Drill 1" holes in fairings looks like easy install

Wicks: http://www.wicksaircraft.com/catalog....php?pid=15008

ACS is: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...ccessdoors.php

Just wondering if this is the same part because of the huge price disparity...

Anybody?




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