Re: Gap seals

[Mi Vida Loca]

At 02:42 PM 8/20/98 +1000, you wrote:
>Saw the comments re Gap Seals and I found that a clear tape called BEAR
>ALL WEATHER TAPE worked terrific. It is used her in Oz by most glider
>pilots for sealing control surface and wing gaps. I will see if I can find
>the product number. I am sure the US has Bear Products.
>
>I tries this on my Sonerai elevator surfaces and the effect was very
>noticeable. I was able to raise the leading edge of the horizontal
>stabilizer around an inch and kept the stick loads trimmed. I know you
>can't do this on a coupe but I imagine that it should aid induced drag and
>thus low speed drag and possibly top end speed.
>
>Worth a try by someone that has one flying.
>
>Regards
>
>Brian Garrett
>5 O'Donnell St
>Viewbank 3084
>Australia
>(613) 9459 1779
>Sonerai II VH-JGB
>415C VH-???
>
I am well acquainted with someone who had gap seals on an M-10 Coupe, they were the seals used on an Eagle. Anyway when he removed them there was no loss in speed or roll response. To really see just how little effect something like that has on something as slow as a Coupe, one person who had just finished putting in the inspection holes on the bottom of the wing flew it without the inspection covers in place. He reported there was no discernable difference in speed or handling. A fact he was not very happy about, sort of messed up his plans to slick up the airframe.


Dave
41 Charlie
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