I saw on the front page someone laying on the floor fitting wheel pants …. There’s an easier way . Bolt the leg to the floor and work on it sitting on a stool
Ok - now I’m curious. How to you establish the wheel pant geometry to be exactly rigged to the airframe centerline?
I assume you all have already done the gear leg bolt holes so that alignment to airframe is done. I’d be concerned that the now relatively short measurement arm would translate to a tiny error resulting in a wheel pant with less than perfect rigging.
Carl
I dunno, I didn't write 'em
Seriously, my guess would be that the instructions were originally written for the round taper leg installations. I've never measured, but I imagine the taper leg airplanes do show some difference in pant-to-centerline alignment when loaded and unloaded. The sweepback of the tailwheel models with engine mount gear sockets has to introduce a little torsion in the leg when loaded. If I were doing a new install on a model with a lot of sweep, I'd jack it up to unload the gear, then align the pant in both yaw and pitch. The resulting yaw alignment may not be exactly perpendicular to the axle, but it will be aligned with airflow in flight.
The RV-8 legs maintain the same axle alignment loaded or unloaded, and the bench setup is easy. Just another reason to envy -8 owners.
I imagine the taper leg airplanes do show some difference in pant-to-centerline alignment when loaded and unloaded. The sweepback of the tailwheel models with engine mount gear sockets has to introduce a little torsion in the leg when loaded. If I were doing a new install on a model with a lot of sweep, I'd jack it up to unload the gear, then align the pant in both yaw and pitch. The resulting yaw alignment may not be exactly perpendicular to the axle, but it will be aligned with airflow in flight.
The RV-8 legs maintain the same axle alignment loaded or unloaded, and the bench setup is easy. Just another reason to envy -8 owners.
.......... Gained 6 to 8 mph and no more ball 1/4 off in cruise...........
You gained 6 to 8 mph over what? No wheel pants and leg fairings or from replacing your original old one-piece Van's wheel pants?
You gained 6 to 8 mph over what? No wheel pants and leg fairings or from replacing your original old one-piece Van's wheel pants?
...or just do it on the bench.
.