[Rhino889]

Ready to add wheel pants:

Leads me to a simple question...

Stock Vans (big but pressure recovery) or James (smaller with less frontal area).

Which is faster?????

 

[g zero]

Wheel pants

I have the Sam James ones . Just finished installing them . I can email some photos and install tips to you if you like . The pants need a lot of massaging to get nice , but look a lot better than Vans Giant Eggs .
Tom

 

[Sam Buchanan]

Ready to add wheel pants:

Leads me to a simple question...

Stock Vans (big but pressure recovery) or James (smaller with less frontal area).

Which is faster?????

I can't compare the Vans pants with the James model, but the Vans pressure recovery pants are definitely less drag than the old, slimmer Vans pants.

The "egg" is for a good reason, it is an efficient shape. Think it has something to do with the 3:1 length/cross section ratio.

 

[brad walton]

Reference point

I can't give you a comparison, but I can give a reference point for comparison to SJ. I have an RV-8 with a Superior 185 HP and a Catto 3 blade. I flew it for 1 and 1/2 years with gear leg fairings and upper intersection fairings, but no wheel pants. (Kept asking myself "should I sand wheel pants or fly today"?) I finally got around to finishing the wheel pants and found a great increase in efficiency. Before cross country cruise at 2450 RPM's, 9.2 GPH and 155 knots at 6000 DA. After cross country cruise at 2450 RPM's, 7.8 GPH 162 knots at 6000 DA. Not a scientific study, just averages.

 

[Rhino889]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I already have the Vans pants so I guess I can fly with them for a while and gather some data. Maybe down the road in a few months I'll try the james pants and compare. Mr. James is only a 15 minute flight away for me. He told me his pants were faster... but I was trying to get a little more intel

Regards,

Scott

 

[Kyle Boatright]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I already have the Vans pants so I guess I can fly with them for a while and gather some data. Maybe down the road in a few months I'll try the james pants and compare. Mr. James is only a 15 minute flight away for me. He told me his pants were faster... but I was trying to get a little more intel

Regards,

Scott

Fitting wheel pants and the related fairings isn't a trivial job, and painting them isn't trivial either. I doubt you find many people who have invested the time and $ to perform a valid comparison.

One thing I will say (as an owner of James' pants) is that the current offering from Van's is much more complete than what Sam was selling 13 years ago.

 

[turbo]

scott, lookn forward to flying with you some day. there is getting to be a lot of rvs at n county. must be getting close now.

 

[Rhino889]

Turbo,

She's up and flying.

This was taken by Bud's wife in the back of his 8. We did a dawn patrol breakfast flight to KOBE Saturday. We finished off with some nice formation cruising the beach at 500'.

I would've sent an invite but saw you had headed north a few weeks ago. Let me know when you get back south and we'll fly over to the turbo-cave.

Regards,

Scott