Bravo wing root fairing

[Tim213]

Hi all, I have researched older posts about the wing root fairings but my question is specific to the Bravo model wing. As you know the flap on this wing goes nearly to the fuselage unlike the original wing which has a solid wing section near the fuselage to attach the fairing. I spoke with Mark G awhile back and he gave me some suggestions. My question is for those of you who have dealt with this is did you use one long piece of aluminum or make the fairing in multiple pieces? Also if you extended the flap with some aluminum, how did deal with the area the flap still can’t cover where the pulley is, and the penetration cable is? Any pictures would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any help or ideas.

[Mark Goldberg]

There are two things there at the inboard side of the flap at the wing root Tim. First is the flap extension which is a wrap of .032 that ALMOST touches the side Plexiglass with the flaps lowered all the way. The other part, which I think you are asking about - is sort of a fairing added to the fuselage at the upper longeron to close the gap that is there when the flaps are up. Mine was made of foam glued to the fabric and shaped to look nice. Then covered with a little fiberglass. Then fabric/paint over it. I can take some pictures if you like. Mark

[Rollie]

I can't find any pictures but I made mine out of one piece. Probably .025, but possibly .032, I really can't remember. I started with poster board, and once the size/shape was set flattened it out and copied it on metal. On the Patrol the most important part of the fitting process is with the flaps full down, as the trailing edge gets closer to the side windows as the flaps come down.

As for clearance for the flap pulley, etc. the fairing is only connected to the flap, no extra rib and is open at the leading edge. It only needs to go forward enough to fill the gap while the flaps are up so it is easy to trim it enough to clear everything. I'll try to remember to get a couple pics today when I go clean off the bugs I accumulated over the past couple days.

[svyolo]

I am installing my skylight for good and have cut and drilled the wing root fairings for the top of the wing. I drilled the skylight side, but have to wait to put the wings back on to do the wing side. The skin at the wing root has a bunch of rivets, and fluting between the rivets. I doesn't look like a real easy place to put nut plates, but there are miniature ones that might do the trick.

I also thought about making a slot with multiple layers of sheet metal on the fairing and just capturing the skin at the wing root, and don't have fasteners on that side.

Thoughts?

[Mark Goldberg]

Sheet metal screws are OK. Start with #4 screws. Maybe several years down the road you have a hole or two that needs to be upsized to a #6. Mark

[Nev]

svyolo
Can I ask, are you planning to use the same screws to hold the fairing and Lexan to the skylight formers on the fuselage side ?

I was planning to attach the fairings only on the inboard wing, and use silicon/rubber seal strip on the fuselage. Is there a problem if I do it this way ? In other words my fairing would be attached to the wing, but not attached with hardware to the fuselage.

[svyolo]

Yeah, .032 fairing on top, 1/8 lexan on the square tube former. #8 machine screws to nut plates. I couldn't figure out how to mount nut plates to the bottom of the bottom former (not enough space to pull rivets). I made .032 angles that pop rivet to the outside edge of the former, and hold the nut plate in the correct place on the bottom.

I am not in love with the solution, but i think it works OK. I wanted nut plates so removing the skylight didn't take 2 people. I will take a couple of pictures and post them tomorrow.

[Bcone1381]

Is there any way to attach the fairing to the Bravo like Piper did on the Pacer or Dennis Reynolds did on his Patrol? A fitting is fabricated to fit into the open front of the Sky Light Support's square tube . A machine screw is used in concert with that fitting and a tab (with nut plate) under the fairing. Tightening the screw pulls the fairing tight to the wing/fuselage gap. It looks like the fairing is kept in place laterally with material that fits between the wing root and the lean edge.
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[svyolo]

Doable, and I heard about it here on this forum, but sounds like a lot of work, including making the part several times. That happens already when I don't intend to, god knows how many times it would take me when I know it would take me several shots at it.

[svyolo]

Here is what I did. After I spent a day and a half doing it, I wished I had just cut off the 1/2" formers, welded on tabs, properly attached nut plates, and welded the formers back on. I would have cut them off in the middle of the standoffs. I think the time involved would have been similar, but with a superior result. The only downside is if the nut plate was damaged later on, you are screwed. With the aluminum angles, you could bend it out of the way or cut it off, and use a regular nut.

The 90 degree fittings were easy, Bend them first, the then use a 1/2" piece of the same steel tube in a vice and tap the aluminum to form fit the tube. Every other fitting is a "Z", and that is to mount the upper part of the inside cover for the wing root That took me several tries to figure out. The nut, in nut plate, interfered with bending. I ended up using single legged nut plates, and cutting away the aluminum next to the nut before I bent the fitting for the final time. I spent about 40 minutes each on those, and only about 2/3rds were good the first try.

The Z's were a bit difficult. I can explain how I made them if anybody wants to know.

I am waiting for the SS pop rivets to be delivered. I am contemplating adding a .016 front piece, pop riveted to the inside side of the steel formers, to more securely hold the nut plates, but I think it is fine the way it is. I have a few days to think about it.

[PaulSA]

On the wing root, I drilled out every third rivet and had no issues fitting nutplates. On the fuselage side, I welded 4 tabs inside the square tube and will use #8 screws and nutplates through the fairing and Lexan. I'm not a fan of sheet metal screws .....

[svyolo]

Drilling the rivets out looks like it works good. I may end up doing that.

[Nev]

Here’s a couple of pictures showing how I’m doing my skylight. I’ve used rivnuts in the steel former which so far have worked well. The aluminium retainer fits over the outside of the Lexan and I’m using machine screws into the rivnuts.

It should be easy to make some small angle pieces and rivet them to the aluminium former to attach the fairing to, again using rivnuts.


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[svyolo]

I have looked through several of the youtube videos to see what is done on the bottom side of wing for a fairing strip. I couldn't see any detail. I think the wing skin at the bottom of the wing root is adjacent to the round upper door sill. Right in the middle or slightly above the middle. Aluminum strip with a rubber strip against that tube, kind of like the horizontal stab root fairing?

It is not too late to weld on a few tabs.