ISTR something about this fairly recently but have lost it.
I have spent some time trying to design fore and aft (possibly meeting)
fairings but have come to the conclusion that anything fixed is not going to
do the job.
Considering just the centre line, anything to the rear which starts back
along the fuselage and tapers along the tangent to the retracted tyre, has to
be stopped long before it gets close to the tyre as it would cross the
retraction path ( the back of the wheel swings on a 31" radius and so is not
far off vertical). So inevitably there will be a big draggy gap defeating
the object.
On the front it would be fairly easy to add a fairing to the u/c arm but not
if the plane is to be trailered. The sides of the ramp would be restricting
and a hazard to it when loading, unless you can be sure always to be dead
centre. There are also hot gases to be considered in this region so it
probably couldn't be moulded composite unless well protected.
Transversely there is the brake caliper to be allowed for too, or its path
when retracting, if it has been rotated to the horizontal.
So if anyone has actually done it without active elements i.e hinges and
linkages to the mechanism I would really like to know how.
Graham G-EMIN
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