Landing gear fairings

[Rickadler]

Anybody have posted pictures and commentary for fabricating landing gear fairings? Need both top and bottom. How to make them? Taking me too long to search thru builders websites. Thanks Rick Adler Waiex 0146

[rizzz]

Anybody have posted pictures and commentary for fabricating landing gear fairings? Need both top and bottom. How to make them? Taking me too long to search thru builders websites. Thanks Rick Adler Waiex 0146

I’ve documented my pain and suffering making and remaking these on my kitlog pages:

http://mykitlog.com/users/display_log.p ... 515&row=17
http://mykitlog.com/users/display_log.p ... 516&row=16
http://mykitlog.com/users/display_log.p ... 768&row=15
http://mykitlog.com/users/display_log.p ... 769&row=14
http://mykitlog.com/users/display_log.p ... 799&row=13
http://mykitlog.com/users/display_log.p ... 348&row=12
http://mykitlog.com/users/display_log.p ... 349&row=11

Basically I made drawings in CAD based on the plans, printed them and spray glued them to the aluminium, cut out the aluminium and then found out they were not a good fit for my gear legs,
Adjusted the drawings and did the same over and over again until I was (sort of) happy with them…

(In hindsight, it would have been easier making them out of cardboard first and adjusting the design)

[sonex892.]

Anybody have posted pictures and commentary for fabricating landing gear fairings? Need both top and bottom. Thanks Rick Adler Waiex 0146

If you mean the leg fairings?
I made a mini version of the Spicer press. Using scrap pieces of wood screwed to the bench, an old broom handle glued to a piece of wood and threaded rod. That was the easy bit.


If doing it again. To get the beveled cuts right. I would fold up a some short pieces to use as templates. Then keep trimming the templates till right. Then transfer to the part. I cut mine per the plans then folded. Fortunately they were a bit long It needed a bit of trimming.

Would recommend using 2 short piano hinges per fairing instead of one long one hinge pin. Cut a slot and insert pins from the center.

If you mean intersection fairings?
For intersection fairings I used playdough for the shape and covered it with electrical tape then glassed over.


Steve
Sonex 892

[fastj22]

Definitely make templates out of cardboard.
To bend, I annealed the sheets with a propane torch to make it easier to fold.
I did like Jeff Schultz did and made mine a couple inches wider (front to back) at the top than the bottom. The bottom is about the plans size. So they taper from bottom to the top. Really spiffy.

[Corby202]

That's almost the same idea I came up with Steve. Great minds think alike so they say.


http://www.kitlog.com/photos/project_24 ... A00002.jpg

[Darick]

What am i missing...how are the gear fairings attached to the cowl and or pants? Here's my cardboard landing gear fairing...

[kmacht]

The plans just have you put the pin that holds the back of the fairing together through the fuselage and into the wheel pant.simple but hard to install especially by yourself. A lot of us deviated from the plans here. I made a little tab that is riveted to the top of the fairing and is held to the fuselage with a nutplate and screw Some people have used Adel clamps around the gear leg and screwed the fairing to them.

Keith
#554

[sonex892.]

What am i missing...how are the gear fairings attached to the cowl and or pants? Here's my cardboard landing gear fairing...
]

The hinge pin is what is used to hold the fairing. Plans say one long pin inserted from the inside the fuselage. That would be a 2 man job. Its more practical and easier to use 2 short pins inserted from the middle of the fairing. For the top end drill a hole through the fuselage floor in line with the hinge. For the bottom end drill a hole through the brake housing, if drum brakes or wheel pant. For Sonex disc brakes I'm clueless. If you make an intersection fairing for the wheel pant it can just float at the bottom end.

This is the bracket I used to use to support the bottom end. I now just let the bottom end float in the intersection fairings.

[Darick]

Thanks guys...I think I like the tab at the top idea.

[Fastcapy]

Tab at top and 2 (upper and lower) pins in each fairing is the way to go!

I also put a slight taper on mine, larger at top, smaller on the bottom.