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Tail feather open spaces

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ronlee

Joined: 25 Dec 2006
Posts: 141

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:30 pm Post subject: Tail feather open spaces

Has anyone enclosed the open spaces around the tail feathers to streamline and make the area look finished?

_________________
Ron Lee
Tucson, Arizona

Tommy Walker

Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 442
Location: Anniston, AL 36207

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:04 pm Post subject: Re: Tail feather open spaces

Check with Joe Spencer in Mississippi.  He put fairings on his horizontal stabilizer.



Joe is on this list.

_________________
Tommy Walker
N25A - Anniston, AL

bobkat

Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 143
Location: Bismarck, ND

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:26 pm Post subject: Tail feather open spaces

I' in the process of painting my plane right now.  Was looking at it several 

times and wondered about it but I'm not sure how one would go about doing it 

so it made any difference.   I put some fairings on the round struts and 

worked a long time smoothing things out, but though it looks better I'm not 

sure how much speed I will get.

I'm painting the slats but will put on JG's VG's land try them out instead. 

I'd be glad to trade a slight amount of STOL capabilities for a bit more 

speed.   If it doesn't work out I'll bolt em back on.

But the tail feathers?    Has anyone ever used gap seals of some kind?



--

bobkat

Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 143
Location: Bismarck, ND

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:36 pm Post subject: Tail feather open spaces

One other question concerning stall and streamlining.  When I took off the 

slats it leaves the hangars on the wings.  If I decide to permanently leave 

them off I guess I'd just cut them off flush,.   Looking at a buddy's Horton 

STOL 185 the other day, I was wondering if anyone used one of the slat 

hangers to mount the front of a stall strip.  Could be easily done, but I 

have to ask the experts on here if they think it would do any good.

Stall strips are supposed to delay progression of the stall from the wing 

butt to the tip thus dropping the stall speed, but if you have VG's on whech 

do basically the same thing I think, would it make any difference?



--

Tommy Walker

Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 442
Location: Anniston, AL 36207

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:45 pm Post subject: Re: Tail feather open spaces

bobkat,

We couldn't stall our 701s.  just keep the ball (or string) centered and it just mushes down.  I don't think you could slow the 701 anymore than it is.

Our first 701 had slats, the second one had VGs.  Other than the weight savings, we couldn't tell any difference.  

First 701 weighed 610 lbs.  Second one, 590.... All of that was not in the slats, but paint, etc.



Have fun!



 	  bobkat wrote: 	
		  One other question concerning stall and streamlining.  When I took off the 

slats it leaves the hangars on the wings.  If I decide to permanently leave 

them off I guess I'd just cut them off flush,.   Looking at a buddy's Horton 

STOL 185 the other day, I was wondering if anyone used one of the slat 

hangers to mount the front of a stall strip.  Could be easily done, but I 

have to ask the experts on here if they think it would do any good.

Stall strips are supposed to delay progression of the stall from the wing 

butt to the tip thus dropping the stall speed, but if you have VG's on whech 

do basically the same thing I think, would it make any difference?



--

_________________
Tommy Walker
N25A - Anniston, AL

ruruny(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:46 pm Post subject: Tail feather open spaces

Ron,

    

   The only streamlining that I did in that area was between the bolts that hold the horizontal

   stabilizer on. I used .016 sliver of aluminimum there. I will send a pic from home tommorow.

   As its not on my website. Just covers the space between the stabilizer and the fuselage.

   Couldn't find much more to do without intefering with movement of the elevator and rudder. 

    

   Brian

 www.701builder.com

 

   Has anyone enclosed the open spaces around the tail feathers to streamline and

 make the area look finished?

 

 --------

 Ron Lee

 

   [quote][b]

bobkat

Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 143
Location: Bismarck, ND

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:00 am Post subject: Tail feather open spaces

You are right, Tommy!  I've found holding the stick back and keeping the 

ball centered with the throttle retarded, and the plane does nothing.  It 

just sits there and after a while when the airspeed indicator is too low to 

read, then the vertical speed starts to gently rise, increases  and 

ultimately reaches a VS of about 700 - 1000 fpm if you hold it that long. 

The rapid rate of descent sneaks up on you which I think accounts for 

landing problems.  Flare too high and too slow and it'll drop, though the 

wings stay level and the pilot doesn't realize it till BAM!   Been there 

done that, before I figured it out.

I don't know if it could be made to spin or not!?!   Maybe if you pulled the 

nose up violently and cross controlled giving it a shot of throttle at the 

same time  it might.   But you are right!  Probably couldn't make it fly 

slower or stall more benignly.



--

dashwood

Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Posts: 73
Location: sw ontario canada

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:11 pm Post subject: Re: Tail feather open spaces

be careful when pushing the stall . I was testing the stall at altitude the other day. was cycling a little throttle and trying to get as steep an angle of attack as i could. one last throttle burst and one last pull on the stick turned it a hammerhead stall and she flipped over backwards. not something i would recommend. reminded me i must clean the carpets more often. i know "not recommended for aerobatics" took a lot of force to slow the dive and not get over max vne

_________________
Ross Alexander: CH701 driver 912ul 788tt
It only takes two things to fly, airspeed and money

cscsail(at)gmavt.net
Guest

Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 6:52 pm Post subject: Tail feather open spaces

I had a similar experience attempting full power stalls -- I think torque 

exceeds the control surface force. I have never been able to get the plane 

to do anything but a benign mush with low power.

Gordon

---

ronlee

Joined: 25 Dec 2006
Posts: 141

Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 1:59 pm Post subject: Re: Tail feather open spaces

When doing slow flight near a stall be sure NOT to use the ailerons to keep it level. Use ONLY the rudder or one can end up upside down in a heartbeat, that goes for any airplane

_________________
Ron Lee
Tucson, Arizona

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