bryanflood
Well Known Member
Hello all,
the string method of gear leg fairing alignment has always bothered me, as it does not seem that accurate, but that is how I installed my gear leg fairings (following instructions).
i wanted to check the alignment with a more accurate method to see if my gear leg fairings were really aligned to the airflow. So I made a laser alignment jig that slips over the fairings and self centers.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EejMKNbEiLCmRgL66
Then i used a laser level to measure the gauge offset. The technique is to spend time measuring the beams distance from aircraft center line and height above the ground at two points to assure that the beam is aligned properly with the aircraft center line. You can then use the scales on the gauge to measure the angle of rotation in the 45 degree reference plain to the gear leg.
You will need to take the arctan of the off set of the gauge distance and the distance between the guage scales to get the angle. I.E. the scales on the gauge are aligned to the 45 degree beam line and show the offset distance between the front and rear of the gear leg and therefore the angle.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cqNnzNoH5Ftvr3ie6
Anyway, it looks like the gear legs are within 1 degree of their intended rotation. If I had made this gauge during the build it definitely would have helped get the alignment more accurate. Probably not worth changing anything, but it's nice to know the alignment is close.
Bryan
the string method of gear leg fairing alignment has always bothered me, as it does not seem that accurate, but that is how I installed my gear leg fairings (following instructions).
i wanted to check the alignment with a more accurate method to see if my gear leg fairings were really aligned to the airflow. So I made a laser alignment jig that slips over the fairings and self centers.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EejMKNbEiLCmRgL66
Then i used a laser level to measure the gauge offset. The technique is to spend time measuring the beams distance from aircraft center line and height above the ground at two points to assure that the beam is aligned properly with the aircraft center line. You can then use the scales on the gauge to measure the angle of rotation in the 45 degree reference plain to the gear leg.
You will need to take the arctan of the off set of the gauge distance and the distance between the guage scales to get the angle. I.E. the scales on the gauge are aligned to the 45 degree beam line and show the offset distance between the front and rear of the gear leg and therefore the angle.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cqNnzNoH5Ftvr3ie6
Anyway, it looks like the gear legs are within 1 degree of their intended rotation. If I had made this gauge during the build it definitely would have helped get the alignment more accurate. Probably not worth changing anything, but it's nice to know the alignment is close.
Bryan
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