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Gearleg fairings?

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1rv4

Joined: 11 Sep 2006
Posts: 20

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 7:09 am Post subject: Gearleg fairings?

Hey Fellas

          I've been flying my Harmon Rocket for a grand total of 5 hours now 

and all was going well until I put on the gearleg fairings and wheelpants. 

When I first flew it without the fibreglass bits she would pull to the left 

ever so slightly at full throttle and require very light right rudder to 

keep the ball centered.

  Now with the fairings and pants installed the ball is to the right about 3 

ball widths and requires quite a lot of right rudder pressure to keep the 

ball centered..  I removed the wheelpants last night and flew it like that 

with no improvement, so I guess I have the gearleg fairings creating 

drag.Now my question is would it be the port (left) fairing creating the 

drag and the right one would be OK. or could they both be out. My theory is 

that they are mini airfoils and both could be creating pressure and trying 

to turn the ship around the center point. They look to be in line if you 

just eyeball them, and I was very careful (I thought)  in aligning them with 

the airflow when installed, but the best laid plans and all that. I sure 

don't want to make another set of intersection fairings.Anyone have this 

problem? any suggested fixes?



                                                                             

    Thanks

                                                                             

              Chris F

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n395v

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 450

Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 4:37 am Post subject: Re: Gearleg fairings?

Jack the plane up so that the wheels are off the ground and the gear drift inward and see how they look.

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_________________
Milt

Im7shannon(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 10:37 am Post subject: Gearleg fairings?

If it is not making it slower, it would be easier to install a trim tab on  the rudder than make new intersect fairings. 

 I guess I am just saying that because I am painting mine right now and I  don't want to do any of this over after weeks of sanding!

 Kevin Shannon

 HR II 

  	  Quote: 	
		  Hey    Fellas

          I've been flying my Harmon Rocket    for a grand total of 5 hours now 

and all was going well until I put on the    gearleg fairings and wheelpants. 

When I first flew it without the    fibreglass bits she would pull to the left 

ever so slightly at full    throttle and require very light right rudder to 

keep the ball    centered.

  Now with the fairings and pants installed the ball is to    the right about 3 

ball widths and requires quite a lot of right rudder    pressure to keep the 

ball centered..  I removed the wheelpants last    night and flew it like that 

with no improvement, so I guess I have the    gearleg fairings creating 

drag.Now my question is would it be the port    (left) fairing creating the 

drag and the right one would be OK. or could    they both be out. My theory is 

that they are mini airfoils and both could    be creating pressure and trying 

to turn the ship around the center point.    They look to be in line if you 

just eyeball them, and I was very careful    (I thought)  in aligning them with 

the airflow when installed, but    the best laid plans and all that. I sure 

don't want to make another set of    intersection fairings.Anyone have this 

problem? any suggested    fixes?



                                                                                      

       Thanks

                                                                                      

                 Chris F 

	


 

  



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jrstone(at)insightbb.com
Guest

Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 1:11 pm Post subject: Gearleg fairings?

3 ball widths is beyond reasonable in my book.  Remember, this equates  to drag whether you trim it with rudder trim tab or not.  I would consider  all that gas you will waste over the life of the airplane and really try to  determine the cause.  I had a similar yaw from the fairings but mine was  half a ball so I added a trim tab.

 Good luck,

 Jim Stone

 HRII 95 hrs 

 [quote]   ---

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nico(at)cybersuperstore.c
Guest

Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 2:33 pm Post subject: Gearleg fairings?

I'd say a three-balls  width points to a serious rigging problem. Consider the amount of surface your  rudder has to protrude into the airstream to produce that kind of yaw and you  would appreciate the drag. If you add to that equation the arm of the rudder to  the COG compared to the (much shorter) arm of the gear legs to the COG, it would  illuminate the seriousness of the problem. I'd be surprised if it is the  fairings but your account of the problem suggests that it is. Did anything else  happen to the control surfaces since the installation?

  



   From: owner-rocket-list-server(at)matronics.com  [mailto:owner-rocket-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Jim  Stone

Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2008 2:09 PM

To:  rocket-list(at)matronics.com

Subject: Re: Gearleg  fairings?

 

 3 ball widths is beyond reasonable in my book.  Remember, this equates  to drag whether you trim it with rudder trim tab or not.  I would consider  all that gas you will waste over the life of the airplane and really try to  determine the cause.  I had a similar yaw from the fairings but mine was  half a ball so I added a trim tab.

 Good luck,

 Jim Stone

 HRII 95 hrs 

 [quote]   ---

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