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Stolspeed VG's

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  • #16
    Originally posted by kestrel View Post

    I'd be interested to hear the details of how they were installed. I love the STOLspeed VG's under my stab, in combination with a gap seal.
    Kestrel, Isilverone - which gap seal are you using?

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    • #17
      Not sure as mine were on when I baught it. Their a rubber “H” and fit really nice. I’ve been trying to find them online but no luck yet. Cubcrafters gap seals are way to wide to work on the A model Bearhawk. I really like what the Horiz stab VG’s did for my 4-place but you couldn’t pay me enough to put them back on my patrol

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    • #18
      Originally posted by Isilverone View Post
      Correct me if Im wrong but I think your flying a 4-place?

      I also have VG's and gap seals on my 4-place tail ( A model with slab tail) and love them. Im talking the Patrol
      Ahhh... Yes. A Model 4 place with slab tail.

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      • #19
        Originally posted by Battson View Post

        Kestrel, Isilverone - which gap seal are you using?
        I'm using gaffers tape. A single layer applied across the top and laid down into the middle of the hinge. I find I need to replace it about once per year. Simple, cheap, works well. ...but I would consider a more permanent solution if I found a good one.

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        • #20
          Question for those with 4-place BHs: What are you feeling that makes you like VGs and/or gas seals on the tail?

          I put a profiled tail on my BH and can’t think a reason to change anything. I’ve very curious what I’m missing.
          Scratch Built 4-place Bearhawk. Continental IO-360, 88" C203 McCauley prop.

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          • #21
            Originally posted by whee View Post
            Question for those with 4-place BHs: What are you feeling that makes you like VGs and/or gas seals on the tail?

            I put a profiled tail on my BH and can’t think a reason to change anything. I’ve very curious what I’m missing.
            I think you fixed it with the profiled tail. With the flat tail at forward cg, we can run out of elevator before the wing stalls.

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            • #22
              Whee, don’t put VG’s on the profiles tail. They suck. At least they do on the patrol. On my slab tailed 4-place, they added control authority in both pitch and yaw stability on low speed approach and in ground effect. Just my experience speaking so maybe not the same for others

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              • #23
                With the profiled tail fitted on a 4-place, flying near empty weight, you should still run out of control authority at the flare with the throttle closed.
                Otherwise you are landing too fast

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                • #24
                  Originally posted by Battson View Post
                  With the profiled tail fitted on a 4-place, flying near empty weight, you should still run out of control authority at the flare with the throttle closed.
                  Otherwise you are landing too fast
                  Maybe not if you don’t have a heavy 540 on the front😜
                  Scratch Built 4-place Bearhawk. Continental IO-360, 88" C203 McCauley prop.

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                  • #25
                    Originally posted by whee View Post

                    Maybe not if you don’t have a heavy 540 on the front😜
                    Good point - could be worse I guess, I hear those TCM engines are even heavier - you can't trust those "book values".

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                    • #26
                      Originally posted by Battson View Post
                      With the profiled tail fitted on a 4-place, flying near empty weight, you should still run out of control authority at the flare with the throttle closed.
                      Otherwise you are landing too fast
                      I prefer effective controls that let me fly the airplane where I want it. ...only an issue at the lightest loads.

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                      • #27
                        I recently installed Stolspeed VG's on my A model 4-place wing only, w/ profiled hor stab & gap seals. Preliminary tests show 3 mph reduction in stall with clean, but gentle break w/o buffet. No reduction in cruise speed @ 50 percent power. Installed with highest part of VG in line with 4th row of rivets. Will keep them.

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                        • #28
                          For anyone who worries about the wing stalling all at once with VGs I did have that in a few application where the stall speed dropped noticeably but the stall became more abrupt.

                          The fix is to either move the VGs inboard of the Aileron back 1-2 inches in comparison to the outboard VGs Or a nice very smooth stall is generated by having the outboard section swoop forward.

                          I found 1" sweep forward from mid wing to the tip to be sufficient in most cases to give a very smooth approach into the stall with the tips flying well into the stall with very good feel to the aileron

                          throughout slow flight and right to the end. Properly set up VGs are a great enhancement to control and safety right in the most critical phase of flight ,

                          never mind the slower landing and take off speeds that is just a side benefit. I wish more people would recognize and see them for that instead of a stol mod.

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                          • svyolo
                            svyolo commented
                            Editing a comment
                            Good info, and easier than wing twist/washout.

                          • zkelley2
                            zkelley2 commented
                            Editing a comment
                            Did you have the spacing of the VG's reduced at the tips before you moved them back? Stolspeed has you do 60mm spacing at the ailerons and 90mm for the rest of the wing.

                          • Gerd Mannsperger
                            Gerd Mannsperger commented
                            Editing a comment
                            Same spacing between VG's but More forward on the outboard section a little may go a long way. Some wings do not need a set back at all.

                            You can just use double sided carpet tape to try out the swept or set forward designs base on what you prefer or try different settings..

                            I prefer the paired spacing much like the Mircro VG set up on cubs.

                        • #29
                          Yesterday I installed Stolspeed VG's on my 4-place B model and spent an hour or so repeating stalls both power on and power off.

                          In a nutshell (and at first glimpse) at 2200 lbs the power off stall speed has dropped about 5 kts for all flap settings. Power on stalls didn't show much change in the stall speed, but at this early stage I didn't see any wing drops. I was able to fly at around 45kts in level flight at 3000ft in full control. When the wing stalled with F3 or F4 the descent rate increased but the wings remained level.

                          I've got alot more to do in this area, this was just a first look.

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                          Last edited by Nev; 12-26-2021, 08:51 PM.
                          Nev Bailey
                          Christchurch, NZ

                          BearhawkBlog.com - Safety & Maintenance Notes
                          YouTube - Build and flying channel
                          Builders Log - We build planes

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                          • #30
                            I’m really interested in where folks determine the best location for the VGs is. The figures I’ve heard range from 2.5% of chord to about 12%. Stolspeed I believe were recommending 7% but have revised that to 5%. Because my experience of VGs on wings is limited to a C210 and C172 which are covered by an STC that positions them at 2.5% I’ve gone for a forward position. I’m hoping my next engine lasts more than 18 hours so I can do some meaningful testing and report back but very interested to hear of others experience with a B model wing.

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