Wheel pants ground clearance

Discussion for builders, pilots, owners, and those interested in building or owning a second generation Sonex or Waiex.

Wheel pants ground clearance

Postby pfhoeycfi » Sat Feb 24, 2024 1:13 pm

I pulled the 5x5s and put the stock tires on my B model and I'm fitting new wheel pants. I fit the pants per the Sonex instructions, axle 2.5" from bottom of pants, etc. In a 3 point attitude (tail dragger) I only have about 3/4" between the lowest point of the aft pant and the ground. That's really close. Curious what clearance others have found...
Peter
Peter Hoey
SEL Pvt, Comm Glider, CFIG, Pawnee & L19 Towpilot
Philadelphia Glider Council
Sonex B SNB0021, N561PH, Taildragger, Aerovee Turbo, MGL MX1, First flight Dec 18, 2022
Also built Sonerai IIL N86PH
pfhoeycfi
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 3:45 pm

Re: Wheel pants ground clearance

Postby Bryan Cotton » Sat Feb 24, 2024 2:18 pm

I have about 2.5" in the back, just before the radius of the pointy part in the back. More like 1.75" just aft of the wheel. I can't see the scrapes unless I take the wheelpant off.
Bryan Cotton
Poplar Grove, IL C77
Waiex 191 N191YX
Taildragger, Aerovee, acro ailerons
dual sticks with sport trainer controls
Prebuilt spars and machined angle kit
Year 2 flying and approaching 200 hours December 23
User avatar
Bryan Cotton
 
Posts: 5496
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:54 pm
Location: C77

Re: Wheel pants ground clearance

Postby daleandee » Sat Feb 24, 2024 3:00 pm

Bryan Cotton wrote:I have about 2.5" in the back, just before the radius of the pointy part in the back. More like 1.75" just aft of the wheel. I can't see the scrapes unless I take the wheelpant off.


Flying from grass fields sometimes causes me to have to remove & repair the wheel pants as they will start cracking at the rear of the opening. Doesn't happen if I stay on the paved strips but where's the fun in that?

Image

Dale
3.0 Corvair/Tailwheel
User avatar
daleandee
 
Posts: 877
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:14 pm

Re: Wheel pants ground clearance

Postby Tnhelm » Mon Feb 26, 2024 10:47 am

I had one wheel pant mounted somewhat tail lower than the other on my tailwheel OneX. I began to realize that if a tire went flat, the wheel pant would suffer ground damage. I had to make a new mounting plate to get more mounting plate surface to match the holes on my finished wheel pant and allowing more tilt to improve ground clearance at the tail of the wheel pant.
Ironically, the next day after the wheel pant had been reinstalled, I arrived at the hanger to find the tire flat, the wheel pant just a fraction above the floor. I inflated tire, flew to OSH for the Sonex open house, and the tire was flat again in about 2 hours. Thanks to Sonex, I was able to change the tube in time for the mass taxi to the AirVenture grounds.
So I think it is appropriate to mount the wheel pants tilt angle to allow for a flat tire without settling on and damaging the wheel pant. The Sonex recommended axle to bottom of wheel pant measurement is good and make sure the bottom surface of the wheel pant is parallel to the ground in the touch down attitude. (In my case tailwheel on the ground)
Tnhelm
 
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2013 11:46 pm


Return to Sonex-B / Waiex-B

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest