intersection fairings
would you happen to know if we could run stock leg fairings with these pants?
YES
We were looking at the Rocket Pants, but they need new leg fairings also..
NO You don't need new gear leg fairings, but may (likely) need a new intersection fairing.
You don't have to go with the new gear leg fairings to change wheel pant. Team Rocket gear-leg fairing is much wider than Vans. You'll have to change the intersection cuffs top and bottom if you change to their gear leg fairing. Here is the link to Sam Buchanan's builder site, showing installation of the Rocket gear leg fairing with Vans wheel pants on a RV-6.
http://home.hiwaay.net/~sbuc/journal/fairings.htm
Thanks Jeff
When ever you change to a different style wheel-pant (vans, rocket, james) from another brand, chances are the intersection fairing will need to be modified or changed, but it's not likely changing the wheel pants means you MUST change the gear leg faring. Changing the gear leg fairing (especially the wide Rocket version) means new intersection fairings top and bottom. You can mix and match parts from different vendors but you may not be able to use the off the shelf / pre-made intersection fairings. The advantage of going with a "system", all Rocket or all Van's fairings, is you can buy off the shelf intersection fairings. If you mix and match making intersection fairings yourself is no big deal, pretty standard. Pre-made intersection fairings don't always fit perfectly or as good as custom made on the plane ones.
New Rocket Wheel Pants (or James Aircraft or Lightspeed wheel pants) are compatible with any other gear leg fairing (Vans or Rocket).
I suggest you look at James Aircraft wheel pants verses the Rocket pants. They are simular styled "pressure recovery" type.
http://www.jamesaircraft.com/South_Shop.html
I have the James pants and they are sized for the RV. Not sure of the dimensions of the Rocket wheel pants, if they are sized larger for the "Rocket". As I said above, if you go with their wider gear leg fairing you will need new intersection cuffs at both top and bottom.
Bottom line when changing gear leg fairings one or two new intersection fairings may be needed. If just changing the wheel pants, the lower intersection cuff may likely need changing. Off the shelf intersection may or may not work well when mix and matching.
PS the Rocket Gear leg fairings are much wider than Vans stock ones. On a taildragger that is a lot more surface area on the gear legs and can affect the aerodynamics. Think of them as fighting the vertical stabilizer, since they are fwd of the CG and are affected by any lateral air load. Richard Vangrunsven expressed some concern on spin characteristics as well. Not trying to make trouble but those gear legs become airfoils and do affect aerodynamics, good, bad or nil? How much extra speed does the wider cord gear leg fairings give, no idea. They do look nice on Sam's.
