Kitfox wing strut airfoils, worth the extra weight?

[rogerh12]

I ordered the Kitfox speedwing aerodynamic wing strut kit, for my model-4-classic. Hey, these things have some real weight to them. Any idea of how much they will add to my top speed, and rate of climb? or will the extra weight actually reduce the climb and top speed?
Thanks in advance
Roger

[WISDAN]

Roger,
I installed the the Kitfox lift strut fairings after I logged about 50 hours on my Classic IV. Yeah there pretty heavy but after testing I gained 5 to 7 mph. My climb tested about the same as without them. The airplane seems to float a little more on landing which is a nice benefit. I know you can build ones lighter than these from aluminum. For me, they worked out fine but if your a little heavy already you might consider a lighter option.

[HighWing]

I agree with Dan. They are heavy, but even in climb, the decreased drag should pretty much compensate for the 13 pounds increase in weight.

Mine are aluminum and total about 4 lbs for both sides including the two part Urethane foam liner for rigidity.

[n85ae]

Those round tube are probably the largest source of drag that you can actually
do much about. So it is WELL worth the work.

I hotwired foam cores and made my own from glass, which is a lot nicer than
the PVC but it took a lot of work, and you have to enjoy sanding ...

Regards,
Jeff

[txskybolt]

Not sure this video is all that relevant and it's likely already been posted somewhere, but I found this very interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftq8jTQ8ANE

[rogerh12]

oh ya, I love these old army and other government films. so well done, and they didn't need a lot of special effects to get the point across !!!
Roger

[ken nougaret]

Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing. ken

[Wheels]

I sanded the texture off of mine and painted them with stits poly paint to match my plane. I probably lost 2 lbs before I was done with the sanding. They are very tough and though the wall thickness is greatly decreased, I had no problem on the install and they are quite flexible. You can use a heat gun to do wonder full things too. Just take some of your excess material and heat it up and play with it. Get it out of shape, then reshape it, how hot is too hot etc.