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polishing the main landing gear

Polished Grove Gear Legs

I have polished my Grove airfoil gear legs. I like the look but you do have to polish them every few months to keep them looking good.
 
wax or clear coat

Thanks Dan

Have you tried wax or clear coat

Or never dull to re-polish

Joe

flynwest said:
I have polished my Grove airfoil gear legs. I like the look but you do have to polish them every few months to keep them looking good.
Click to expand...
 
Don't do it...

Polishing the main gear legs on an RV-12 is not advisable. The polishing process would cause material removal from the surface of gear leg. These legs are heat treated aluminum and shot peened (hardened) for fatigue resistance. Any modification like this may cause an untested and/or a weakened condition in the gear leg.

Read more about the process here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_peening
 
Mothers polish

For the Grove I use Mothers aluminum polish, I don't know about the RV 12 I would listen to Joe.
 
They make a vinyl wrap that looks like chrome. Considering that the gear legs are hard to see that might work.
 
We learn from this forum

Thanks Joe
We learn from this forum.
I will paint the Landing Gear





Joe Blank said:
Polishing the main gear legs on an RV-12 is not advisable. The polishing process would cause material removal from the surface of gear leg. These legs are heat treated aluminum and shot peened (hardened) for fatigue resistance. Any modification like this may cause an untested and/or a weakened condition in the gear leg.

Read more about the process here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_peening
Click to expand...
 
Joe,
Why not use the streamline fairings for the gear LEGS, as well as the intersection fairings up top and bottom? Someone has done this and posted it but I can't readily locate it. I want to say the gear leg fairings themselves were made for an RV-4, but I could be wrong on the model. But I will say they looked fantastic!
 
Here is a photo of what Gary was talking about. When I found how much drag these MLG makes, I had to upgrade to this.
2d0nlvm.jpg
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And when completed and painted:
2466lfk.jpg
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txaviator said:
Joe,
Why not use the streamline fairings for the gear LEGS, as well as the intersection fairings up top and bottom? Someone has done this and posted it but I can't readily locate it. I want to say the gear leg fairings themselves were made for an RV-4, but I could be wrong on the model. But I will say they looked fantastic!
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I will probably add the fairings.

I also like the way the look
I really I don't think they help drag very much
And tire maintenance and inspection are a litter harder
I will probably add the fairings.

Thanks All





txaviator said:
Joe,
Why not use the streamline fairings for the gear LEGS, as well as the intersection fairings up top and bottom? Someone has done this and posted it but I can't readily locate it. I want to say the gear leg fairings themselves were made for an RV-4, but I could be wrong on the model. But I will say they looked fantastic!
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
The RV8 fairings are the ones you want. They will need to be shortened to fit the -12. Around 17" is a good length from memory.
 
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