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RV8R999

Well Known Member
Ok - I just installed the left main gear fairing on my -8. There is no way the hinge pin can be installed, with the wheel still on, without permanently bending it. When I removed the pin it looked like a corkscrew and it wasn't easy. The plans state you can bend it without introducing a set - I'm not seeing that as possible. Am I wrong? What have you guys done? Take the wheel off first I guess?

thanks

Ken
 
Yup - take the wheel off! That's how I have done it the one or two times I ever took the gear leg fairings off my -8. When we re-did the -6 fairings, I was surprised that we were able to get the pins in and out with the wheels still on - the geometry is different, but we still had to bend the hinge pins a LOT!

Paul
 
While I wouldn't disagree with Paul that it's probably easier to get the pins in with the wheels off, it hasn't been necessary for me. The gear leg fairings were made and installed on mine after the wheels and tires were installed. Yeah, the pins have a curve to them, and a pair of pliers is needed to feed them in an inch at a time ... but I didn't have to remove the wheels. It's a matter of how much work you want to go through to do it, I guess.
 
On further thought, it might be that my fairings are longer than necessary - shortening them up would make it easier to get the pins in for sure! It's just that, with the order we generally build, you don't know how long the fairings should be to be captured by the lower intersection fairings until well after you've riveted on the hinges...and then you have the choice of cutting off and modifying the fairings, or taking the wheels off, and heck, a lazy guy....;)

Paul
 
that is a good point about the length of the fairing. I don't have intersection fairings yet so I intentionally kept the leg fairings pretty long (the plans say 26" the drawing says 25").

on the subject of intersection fairings - VANs doesn't list either the upper or lower (cant remember which) for the -8 on the webstore? Did you guys all make your own?

Ken
 
RV8R999 said:
on the subject of intersection fairings - VANs doesn't list either the upper or lower (cant remember which) for the -8 on the webstore? Did you guys all make your own?
Click to expand...

I got mine from Fairings Etc, and they turned out great - you still have a fair amount of glass-work to do to mate the lowers to the wheel pants, but it's a great head start.

Paul
 
I agree with Don McNamara

I have built two RV-8s and in both cases, I am able to install and remove the gear-leg fairings without removing the wheels. I curved the pins, especially in the 4 or 5 inches near the tip. Then I use a pair of pliers to feed the pin into the hinge from the bottom an inch at a time. I use Boelube on the pins.

Good luck,

Dan Miller
RV-8 N3TU 705 hours
 
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