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Re: Europa-List: Re: Flap Seals

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Re: Flap Seals
From: Garry <garrys@tampabay.rr.com>
Date: Sun, 6 May 2007 17:05:54

Jeff, did you think about applying gap seals to the ailerons?  Any reason to 
do just the flaps?

Garry


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rman" <topglock@cox.net>
Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 4:29 PM
Subject: Re: Europa-List: Re: Flap Seals


>
> Fred,
>
> I took some pics, but haven't had a chance to post them.  The process is 
> dead simple, though.  I cut two pieces of styrene, 2.25" wide, the length 
> of the flaps (about 63"), then added the hem tape to one edge.  The tape 
> is 1" wide, so I marked back 1" onto the wing and drew a line with a 
> grease pen, parallel to the underside of the wing edge.  I then notched 
> the styrene, where it had to clear the flap hinges, removed the backing 
> tape from the hem tape and applied the strip to the wing.  The width was 
> such that it covered the gap, spilling over onto the flaps.  It is not 
> truly a pressure seal, but is sufficient to direct the air under the flap 
> and not up, into the closeout.  My guess is that it also deflects the air, 
> under the flaps, even with the flaps deployed, as there is a definite lack 
> of drag.  If you do this mod, be prepared to re-learn your approaches and 
> it wouldn't hurt to have a good bit of runway on the first few attempts...
>
> Jeff - Baby Blue
>
> Fred Klein wrote:
>>
>>
>>>  John mentioned how sealing up the aircraft would clean up the lines, 
>>> resulting in better speeds.  I decided to add some gap seals to the 
>>> wing, to seal the flaps, upon retraction.  What I used was a 2.25" wide 
>>> piece of .020" styrene, a product that I use, almost daily in my 
>>> sign/graphics business.  I attached it to the wing using 1" hem tape (a 
>>> very strong, two sided tape, used to hem banners).
>>
>> Hey Jeff...
>>
>> I've also had email exchanges w/ John Lawton and have perused a site he 
>> recommended for info on gap seals...all very interesting. Could you go 
>> into a little more detail on the nature of your installation? Exactly 
>> where and in what plane have you attached this styrene? Does it create a 
>> pressure seal?. In what way does it alter the airflow?
>>
>> Fred
>> A194
>>
>> working on cockpit module (finally!)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> 



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