wheel pants weight

[N43WX]

Can anyone provide the weight of the Waiex/Sonex wheel pants?

[Area 51%]

I get 2.5lbs for the left pant, and 2.6 for the right.

This is slightly more than when they arrived because I had to widen them to fit over the tires. Also, I added a plate to keep the outside bolt from "hogging out" the hole.

[racaldwell]

FYI, I ended up with Van's nose wheel pants. They saved me 1 lb. each over the Sonex ones.

Rick Caldwell

[N43WX]

Thanks so much. I was thinking of going with the Van's pants, too. They'll be lighter and the pressure recovery design HAS to be good for another 20 knots...give or take.

Rick: Did you go with the RV 6/7 nose wheel pants? Looking at their website, it looks like there area bunch of different nose wheel pants.

[Scott Todd]

It look like there is only one. It would be interesting to see the actual drag difference.

[racaldwell]

Hi,
Yes, the RV6A/7A nosewheel is the same. I'm sure the 9A is the same, too. I bought mine from the place in Texas that builder assists RV's. The name has slipped me for the moment. I paid $75 each for two and sold the Sonex pants from my kit for $75 each.

I like the looks of the pressure recovery design much better AND it saves 1 lb. each. I don't know if there will be a drag reduction but I doubt there will be a drag increase. Mine are fit tight since it is a sailplane and I have paved runways. The mounting on the inside is a derivative of the Van's design but the outer (axle) side is better than Van's design since it is self-locating on lining up the holes. It is my own design using the TB hollow axles.

Rick Caldwell
Xenos 0057

[builderflyer]

Hi,

I like the looks of the pressure recovery design much better AND it saves 1 lb. each. I don't know if there will be a drag reduction but I doubt there will be a drag increase. Rick Caldwell
Xenos 0057

I switched to the RV nose wheel pants several years ago and as I said at the time, do it for the looks, not the performance. I was unable to measure any noticeable increase in performance over the Sonex wheel pant. Also, by the time the RV pants were modified to fit to the axle (including custom mounting hardware) and a cuff was added to join the gear leg fairing, there was little or no weight savings. And yes, the bald tire has been replaced.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261