Main gear intersection fairing mount ?

trib · #1 03-10-2009, 09:46 AM

Hard to believe, but after 12 years about the only parts left for me to make are the intersection fairings for the landing gear.

I've seen several posts and have decided to go ahead and make my own, using clay for forming. I also have a set of the fairings, etc. ones to use as a guide. My question is how are they typically mounted? I'm guess a couple of plate nuts on the underside of the fuselage for the upper fairing, and a couple on the wheel pant for the lower fairing. I'd appreciate some info and maybe photos, if you have them.

Rick6a · #2 03-10-2009, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trib

Hard to believe, but after 12 years about the only parts left for me to make are the intersection fairings for the landing gear.

I've seen several posts and have decided to go ahead and make my own, using clay for forming. I also have a set of the fairings, etc. ones to use as a guide. My question is how are they typically mounted? I'm guess a couple of plate nuts on the underside of the fuselage for the upper fairing, and a couple on the wheel pant for the lower fairing. I'd appreciate some info and maybe photos, if you have them.

I installed Bob Snedaker's Fairings-Etc. intersection fairings on my -6A. Per his suggestion, each upper intersection fairing is attached to the fuselage with three or four #6 sheet metal screws. There is no need to install nutplates which in this case can be a difficult installation. In the unlikely event a #6 hole eventually wallows out, you can always use a #8 sheet metal screw. If that hole ever wallows out which is really unlikely, you can then install a #10 sheet metal screw or nutplate or rivnut as a hardware option of last resort.

As to the second part of your question, there is no need to install lower intersection fairings with hardware as many builders including me bond the fairings to the wheel pants in two separate pieces. This makes for a much slicker installation and doing so allows the wheel pants to be installed and removed from the airplane in the normal fashion.

Ironflight · #3 03-10-2009, 03:44 PM

We have been in the process of upgrading the gear fairings on the RV-6 for awhile now, and used the Upper intersections from Snedecker as Rick did. They fit so well that I simply installed one nutplate in the lower cowl (I know you can't do that on a -6A) and that holds the fairing tight to the fuselage corner. We are currently installing Van's lower intersection fairings, and while they are really pretty bad when it comes to "out of the box" fit and finish, it doesn't make that much difference - and that surprised me!

I used Fairings Etc intersections on my -8, and they fit really well, but the fact is, once you have glassed the lowers on to the wheel pants, you sand away a great deal of them. The Van's lowers are really cheap, and split in the back, but they actually conform to the wheel pant pretty well, so we glued them together in the back, split them for- and aft, and attached them to the pants. Now they are basically going through the same process of filling, sanding, and shaping as I did to the ones on the -8. So I am happy with them as a "starting point" for the inevitable sculpting.

Sculpting clay? That works for a lot of people, but it was agony for me - so I am happy to have something on which to build.

Paul

alcladrv · #4 03-10-2009, 05:58 PM

How thick is the fuselage floor forward of the spar in a -7A? Is it feasible or desirable to drill and tap a hole for a #6 machine screw in the floor to secure the front of a fuselage intersection fairing?

Randy · #5 03-10-2009, 11:24 PM

I just installed my upper intersection fairings today. I managed to get four nut plates pop riveted for each of them. It would make them look better if I could put one more nut plate in floor right in the middle, between the two spar sections, but it looked very difficult to work in there. On an A model you have to place the nut plates pretty far forward to keep away from the gear leg braces inside, and then skip accross the spar to get a couple at the rear.

I drilled a rivet out on each side where it lined up for a good location for a nut plate, this is on the flange of the outer most floor rib.

I drilled the holes in the nut plates out so I could use 1/8" pop rivets. I did this by myself so I could not use solid rivets, no problem, they only need to keep the nut plates from turning.

On the wing side, I placed one nut plate on the wing root fairing piece. This helped close up a gap there and pulled it down to the fairing in that area, looks OK.

Flight test this eve with them on and the plane still flies straight. I was concerned that I may have upset the alignment of the gear leg fairings but all seems to be OK.

Randy C
RV7A

plehrke · #6 03-11-2009, 04:40 AM

I made my own sculpting the clay as you indicated. Very creative process (if you have the desire to sculpt, here is your chance). I used (4) #6 screws and plate nuts into the lower skin to attach the upper fairing. I did not split my upper fairing as they slide down the gear leg due to the gear leg fairing taper. Only issue is you need to have the wheel off to remove but so far never an issue. As others mentioned above, I bonded the lowers directly to the wheel pants and split down the middle in the same plane as the wheel pant split.

Sorry, this is the best picture I have available here at work.

trib · #7 03-11-2009, 09:41 AM

You guys are great! Thanks for the tips. Rick, I hadn't planned on a fairing for the nose wheel, but now that you've given me the photo, I'll have to gin one of these up too. I'm must be a masochist, cause I actually enjoy making the clay buildup and fabricatin' the glass part

trib · #8 03-11-2009, 09:42 AM

You guys are great! Thanks for the tips. Rick, I hadn't planned on a fairing for the nose wheel, but now that you've given me the photo, I'll have to gin one of these up too. I must be a masochist, cause I actually enjoy making the clay buildup and fabricatin' the glass part