Backcountry wheelpants?
Fri Oct 09, 2015 9:47 am
Backcountry wheelpants?
Ha Ha! These should gain a knot or two!!!
Keep the Greasy side down!
Fri Oct 09, 2015 9:58 am
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
Alaska "BushPants". 
CFII, MEI, CFISES, ATPME, IA/AP, RPPL, Ski&Amphib ops, RHC mechanic cert, RHC SC— 3000TT
Fri Oct 09, 2015 10:12 am
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
Believe it nor not, it might be worthwhile to develop fairings for bush tires. Not for speed, for fuel efficiency and range. The distance between fuel stops, and how much fuel it takes to go from A to B and back, is a big deal up north. So I have been told by those who live and fly there. Reducing drag at the LOW speeds that bush planes fly would be expressed in less power required to maintain 70 or 80 knots or whatever Cub speeds are with large tires.
The trick is getting the fairings out of the way during takeoff and landing, so the big squishy bush tires can do what they are there to do.
But if after all the effort you wound up being able to use half a gallon per hour less on a long flight, that would be a fairly big deal.
The trick is getting the fairings out of the way during takeoff and landing, so the big squishy bush tires can do what they are there to do.
But if after all the effort you wound up being able to use half a gallon per hour less on a long flight, that would be a fairly big deal.
.
Fri Oct 09, 2015 10:22 am
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
When the panties are that big, u don't wanna take em off [emoji28]
Fri Oct 09, 2015 11:40 am
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
EZFlap wrote: Believe it nor not, it might be worthwhile to develop fairings for bush tires.....
How about a set of spats like Maule used to out on their airplanes, suitably sized and mounted for fat tires?
Give the wheel assembly that aerodynamic teardrop / raindrop shape.
Cessna Skywagon -- accept no substitute!
Fri Oct 09, 2015 11:46 am
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
Skalywag wrote:When the panties are that big, u don't wanna take em off [emoji28]
Good sound advice!!! Keep the Greasy side down!
Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:32 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
hotrod180 wrote:EZFlap wrote: Believe it nor not, it might be worthwhile to develop fairings for bush tires.....
How about a set of spats like Maule used to out on their airplanes, suitably sized and mounted for fat tires?
Give the wheel assembly that aerodynamic teardrop / raindrop shape.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Use the front of the tire as the forward fairing, and fair in the rear with a cone shape like some of the antique airplanes did. If the whole assembly can rotate upward (axle CL as the pivot axis), you could get the fairing out of the way for takeoff and landing.
.
Fri Oct 09, 2015 1:07 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
EZFlap wrote:hotrod180 wrote:EZFlap wrote: Believe it nor not, it might be worthwhile to develop fairings for bush tires.....
How about a set of spats like Maule used to out on their airplanes, suitably sized and mounted for fat tires?
Give the wheel assembly that aerodynamic teardrop / raindrop shape.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Use the front of the tire as the forward fairing, and fair in the rear with a cone shape like some of the antique airplanes did. If the whole assembly can rotate upward (axle CL as the pivot axis), you could get the fairing out of the way for takeoff and landing.
I've had an idea like this for a while. No progress on plans / prototyping though. I'd incorporate a fairing in the front as well, but the whole thing would have to rotate about the axle to stay clear for landings / 3-point stance. Maybe balanced with weight to keep it level to the ground? Might just be a pipe dream, but the idea's up there. Need to drawl it out.
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Fri Oct 09, 2015 8:00 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
A guy from Wichita came to Kingsley's Field one time with his real slick C-120. It had a simple wheel fender like the rear of a Harley. It only covered the 3/4 of the wheel and had a lot of wheel clearance. He said they helped a little but he just liked the look. I think the idea is the same as the fold out panels on the back of semi-trailers.
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Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:54 am
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
Then we'd have pants up or pants down landing incidents ?[emoji23]
It all looks good, "from a distance".
Mon Oct 12, 2015 12:05 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
hotrod180 wrote: How about a set of spats like Maule used to out on their airplanes, suitably sized and mounted for fat tires? Give the wheel assembly that aerodynamic teardrop / raindrop shape.
Cessna Skywagon -- accept no substitute!
Mon Oct 12, 2015 3:45 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
hotrod180 wrote:hotrod180 wrote: How about a set of spats like Maule used to out on their airplanes, suitably sized and mounted for fat tires? Give the wheel assembly that aerodynamic teardrop / raindrop shape.
Didn't know they did that. That's pretty good!
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Mon Oct 12, 2015 5:10 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
contactflying wrote:He said they helped a little but he just liked the look.
Beauty is DEFINITELY in the eye of the beholder....
Is the photo from the OP actually real? It looks like a Photoshop forgery.
Practically, the pipe-dream of wheel spats on bushwheels doesn't work for me.
The tires move around and change shape so much on rough surfaces, spats would simply be a liability! Not to mention, probably a new source of extra drag when you consider the clearances which would be required...?
Mon Oct 12, 2015 5:37 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
hotrod180 wrote:
How about a set of spats like Maule used to out on their airplanes, suitably sized and mounted for fat tires? Give the wheel assembly that aerodynamic teardrop / raindrop shape.
I have a theory, totally unproven, but imagined based on my limited experience with aerodynamics, a far simpler flat bit of material sticking out the back of a wheel, just like the "spats" will give nearly the same benefit the complex spat would give. I am imagining a flat bit of thin, semi-flexible plastic, perhaps 12 to 20 inches square (leading edge curved to follow the tire), oriented perpendicular to the ground, directly behind the wheel. The intent being creating a fence that prevents the two turbulent air streams from mixing, thereby redirecting the air back, around the low pressure area directly behind the tire and into some semblance of symmetry by the time they mix off the back end of the "fence".
Once my plane build is done that is on my list of experiments. Unfortunately the issue of Spats-up and Spats-down must still be dealt with, so not sure if it will be practical, even if it does work.
Mon Oct 12, 2015 5:57 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
M3X wrote:hotrod180 wrote:
How about a set of spats like Maule used to out on their airplanes, suitably sized and mounted for fat tires? Give the wheel assembly that aerodynamic teardrop / raindrop shape.
I have a theory, totally unproven, but imagined based on my limited experience with aerodynamics, a far simpler flat bit of material sticking out the back of a wheel, just like the "spats" will give nearly the same benefit the complex spat would give. I am imagining a flat bit of thin, semi-flexible plastic, perhaps 12 to 20 inches square (leading edge curved to follow the tire), oriented perpendicular to the ground, directly behind the wheel. The intent being creating a fence that prevents the two turbulent air streams from mixing, thereby redirecting the air back, around the low pressure area directly behind the tire and into some semblance of symmetry by the time they mix off the back end of the "fence".
Once my plane build is done that is on my list of experiments. Unfortunately the issue of Spats-up and Spats-down must still be dealt with, so not sure if it will be practical, even if it does work.
That's all that's really needed. The vortex street is super draggy. Cutting down on that increases aero efficiency quite a bit.
The best visual I've ever seen is on wikipedia. Watch the two videos this link hits:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm ... g_problems
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Mon Oct 12, 2015 6:09 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
That's all that's really needed. The vortex street is super draggy. Cutting down on that increases aero efficiency quite a bit.
The best visual I've ever seen is on wikipedia. Watch the two videos this link hits:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm ... g_problems
Wow, those videos hit it right on the head, appreciate the reference.
Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:17 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
Wow, those animations were great, thank you for posting the link. THIS provides an easy to understand visual explanation of why round struts and round flying wires have so much more drag than streamlined ones
.
Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:19 am
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
Spats could be a good idea!
Make them quick removable though. That way if you are doing a long cross country you put them on, and remove for normal everyday flying?Maybe a pin that holds them in place then pull them off quickly when not needed.
I do wonder how much a set of bushwheels grows in diameter at takeoff/landing speed?
Probably quite a bit.
Make them quick removable though. That way if you are doing a long cross country you put them on, and remove for normal everyday flying?Maybe a pin that holds them in place then pull them off quickly when not needed.
I do wonder how much a set of bushwheels grows in diameter at takeoff/landing speed?
Probably quite a bit.
Keep the Greasy side down!
Wed Oct 14, 2015 2:51 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
CamTom12 wrote:
That's all that's really needed. The vortex street is super draggy. Cutting down on that increases aero efficiency quite a bit.
The best visual I've ever seen is on wikipedia. Watch the two videos this link hits:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm ... g_problems
Does that flow pattern apply to a toroidal shape though? I thought that required a long cylindrical body?
Wed Oct 14, 2015 5:13 pm
Re: Backcountry wheelpants?
Looks like a flat plate 1/2 way up the tire horizontally would work, also use it as a step??
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