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Thread: Lift Strut Fairings

  1. #11
    Senior Member cubtractor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    I used Super Fill on mine. I have about 30 hrs on it.
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  2. #12
    Meyertheflyer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    I just test flew my super sport with the snap on strut fairings. I honestly got an increase of 8 mph and 100 fpm increase in climb rate. It would be better if I added wheel fairings but I do not plan on it. Thanks Papa!
    Bob
    S-7 Super Sport, Flying
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  3. #13
    Senior Member av8rps's Avatar
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    Smile Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    Somewhere on this forum there is a discussion about the ridges being intentionally put into those plastic struts for aerodynamic reasons. I would have never thought the ridges could be less drag than smooth, as was explained, but I have to say my 80 hp Kitfox 4 has them and it really scoots. I too appreciate the look and lightweight features of struts made from different materials, but I can testify that those extruded plastic struts work very well, ridges, excess weight and all.

  4. #14
    Meyertheflyer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    I thought these PVC strut fairings were very easy to install. The aluminum shield provided was perfect to line up the angle cut for trimming the aft fairing. I fold my wings to save hangar space.
    They grip very tight and do not budge even at 130 mph. I am using temporary tape on the ends to seal the air gaps till I use super fill and paint them.
    The ridges may provide a little strength to the underlying grip so I'm going to leave them. I'm not a speed chaser but this will save two or more hours when I fly to Airventure in July.
    Bob
    S-7 Super Sport, Flying
    Phoenix,AZ

  5. #15
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    Quote Originally Posted by av8rps View Post
    Somewhere on this forum there is a discussion about the ridges being intentionally put into those plastic struts for aerodynamic reasons.
    I doubt this for two reasons. The first and most plausible to me is that the slight depressions on the fairing exteriors exactly mirror the location of the internal ridges that capture the lift strut tube and the snap fitting on the trailing edge. Plastic has a very high coefficient of thermal expansion and it is my belief that it is a function of the plastic cooling after the extrusion process and the relative thickness of the plastic at the internal projections results in greater dimensional change at those locations. The second has to do with the effort that would be needed to purposely design this into the fairing. As Paul suggests, the dimples have a very insignificant effect on the aerodynamics and I doubt the factory would have spent that effort.
    Lowell Fitt
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  6. #16
    Senior Member Dave S's Avatar
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    Default Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    I tend to hold the same opinion as Lowell regarding the ridges.....I just can't see that the manufacturer would put that much thought into a plastic part to consider the ridges are intended for aerodynamic reasons..

    BTW - Lowell, on your lift struts, did you just sand the plastic to a smooth contour or did you use a different process. I left mine but I am considering going back at it so they look nicer.

    Sincerely,

    Dave S

  7. #17
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    In the first one, I sanded and filled with Microballoons and epoxy. I had originally planned and had made fiberglass fairings using the PVC ones, sanded filled and primed, as a mold. I was then told by someone who dropped by the hangar one day that the 2 part Urethane foam I had injected inside the fiberglass and against the lift struts was corrosive. I decided to use the PVC as I was pretty new to all this and didn't want the wings falling off. Just for curiosity, I made a mock-up of the design using a piece of 4130 tubing and a section of the fiberglass skin with the foam. I masked and primed half of the tubing longitudinally with the epoxy "chromate" primer available then - since then the Chromate has been pronounced ikky by the EPA and the green color we now see in the primer is die rather than an anti corrosive chemical. I still have the experimental sample and will periodically unpeel a bit to expose a little more of the tubing. and no corrosion whatsoever even on the unprimed surface - 18 years. So much for unsolicited advice.

    My current airplane has aluminum fairings with fiberglass and the can't live without microballoons at the V. Also, I did use the 2 part Urethane foam as a filler this time - with no misgivings - to secure the thin walled fairings to the lift strut and to give some additional strength to the aluminum.
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


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  8. #18
    Senior Member Esser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    The expanding foam can be corrosive as I have seen it first hand but I believe it come from moisture trapped in cells of the foam that are against the metal. My unsolicited opinion.

  9. #19
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    Josh,
    Curious. Was your experience with the expanding foam and corrosion the two part Urethane foam that must be mixed or the aerosol variety that is applied from a pressurized can?
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


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  10. #20
    Senior Member Esser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Lift Strut Fairings

    Two part urethane professionally sprayed directly to part of a steel roof. The non sprayed part was in perfect shape and the sprayed part was corroded to the point you could poke your finger through in places in 10 years

    Maybe there was more going on than met the eye but just what I have seen.

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