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Looking for an RV14 in FL with finished wheel pants

RV6-KPTW

Well Known Member
I am trying to sort out the value of the performing the transition floxing of the lower intersection as depicted on 46B-22,23 and would like to see a finished example.

I think that transition might be delicate and possibly prone to cracking.

Thanks
 
I finished my RV14 using that method. It really is not difficult at all and using flox will greatly reduce and cracking issues. My Rocket was done that way 14 years ago and there is no cracking in the build up around the intersection faring.

This is not just a cosmetic thing. We know that these planes gain 10 to 15 knots with all gear farings installed. This demonstrates that it is worth spending time on this critical area of drag. I also fare the upper farings into both the cowling and fuselage, using a flox mixture. A tight fit around the wheel opening is also important. Too tight and it will on a hard landing. Too loose and you lose some speed. A finger width seems to be a good compromise.

Another area to consider is at the top of the gear faring. If your model has the gear legs extending through the aft edge of cowling there is an opportunity to increase speed and also to help with engine cooling.
That opening in the cowling where the gear legs exit the cowling, dumps a lot of air down the gear faring. It squirts out around the upper and lower gear faring and wheel pants. This is not a good thing.

When you have that oblong cut in the cowling for the gear legs, fashion a piece of baffle seal to cover the opening around the gear legs and glue it in place. It will rest nicely on the cowl gear leg openings and remain with the plane when the cowling is taken off.

These items were proven to work when I was racing in the Sport Aircraft Racing League a few years ago.
 
Tom - thanks.

I did get about 15 knots out of the fairing / wheel pant install. Looking at the transition flox task, I did finally read (correctly I hope) that what this creates is a recess on the wheel pant that the intersection fairing sits in. Is this correct?

That makes more sense than how I was thinking originally - it extending the edge of the intersection fairing.

I will look into the other aspects you mention.
 
The epoxy/flox is built up around the gear leg intersection fairing. The fairing sits into the transition in the wheel pant as you said.
 

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I split my wheel pant intersection fairing and permanently attached the halves to the two sections of the pants. Then, installed a little flap across the gap on the top-side before paint. I have a photo of the split intersection fairing, but don’t seem to have a close-up after paint, but you get the idea. :)
 

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