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Wheel Pants

ShannonEvans

ShannonEvans

Active Member
Guy's

My RV3 is a very early model (1981). I was wondering if there is a fairing that can be placed from wheel pant to gear leg fairing. Or, do I need new style wheel pants to do this. Also, how much speed could be picked up with the new style pants.
 
I don't think you'll find anyone actually selling pre-fabricated fairings for your setup, but it might be a great project to tip your toe into the wonderful world of fiberglass if you're so inclined. If you're interested, let the forum know and I'm sure you'll be bombarded with 'how to' advice.

As for the new vs. old style pants are concerned, what I'm told is that the new 2-piece pressure recovery pants are much more efficient. There are so many variables in each airframe that nobody's going to be able to give you a hard and fast number, but I'd guess around 5mph.

I once owned a 1982 RV-3. It had cartoon-like large tires--600 x 6--with custom fabricated wheel pants because Vans pants aren't designed for 600 x 6. Even with the big tires and an overall empty weight on the high side, for whatever reason, that little bird was faster than it was supposed to be. Again, on a mostly hand-built non pre-punched plane like an early RV3, there are just too many variables to predict how one thing may or may not change the performance.
 
Intersection Fairings

pierre smith said:
Shannon, RV-4 intersection fairings MIGHT fit
Click to expand...

IMO the one "nice" thing about fiberglass is that you can heat, cut, shape, fill, sand, etc. to modify it to your application as needed. Just depends if you want to go it alone from the beginning or make someone else's 90% solution into a 100% solution for your particular application...

Doug
RV-3 Restoration in progress
RV-9A / Mazda 13B still waiting to be finished!
 
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