This is to gauge the level of potential interest in a new Cessna product. Feel free to share good/bad/indifferent opinion freely.

I've prototyped a set of simple gap seals that keep air from spilling up through the bottom of the wing at the gaps between the ENDS of the flaps and ailerons, fuselage root, and wing tip. This has nothing to do with the Cessna slotted flap duct.

My 1956 172 had gaps big enough to slide your little finger through. Air spilling up through these gaps causes a slight loss of lift through pressure differential, it also causes disturbances in the "elliptical lift distribution" that reduces the overall efficiency of the wing a little, increases the drag a little, and requires the wing to fly at a little higher angle for a given speed/weight/climb..

It's a small loss of lift/efficiency, not a big loss. But it's there stealing a little performance every moment the airplane is flying. Sealing these gaps and making that small increase in efficiency would let you fly a little bit faster, or further, or higher on the same amount of fuel... every flight.

The first unofficial flight test yesterday verified they were working and doing something, but the flight was a safety/control test flight not a performance test. I had no test instrumentation, baseline data, etc.

These flap/aileron end gap seals would eventually be part of a little kit that included gap seals for the ailerons (already known to be worthwhile), and perhaps for the elevator. My take on the gap seals would be a little improvement over previous seals, in that there would be no control system disassembly, no drilling out rivets, etc. Real simple, couple of hours worth of work.

So the question I'd like to put out there is how much interest there would be in such a product, assuming that the kit was STC approved (Cessna 100), assuming it cost less than $500, and assuming that you could see at least a solid needle width improvement in performance ?

Intriguing. In my world, those gaps are often where ice accumulates when snow melts and re-freezes. I'd be wary of adding anything that ice could freeze on, or hang up on. (Not talking about in-flight icing, just outside tied-down in Alaska ice- even with wing covers.)
-DP

Bill,
If (that is a big IF) I keep my 172, it might be something I would be interested in. I remember putting gap seals on the RANS and was surprised at the difference I noticed. I really didn't expect much but it was at those last couple of kts. that I noticed better, or shall I say, a more solid response in control. If you can gain similar gains, I don't see any reason people shouldn't be interested.
You are always thinking of a better 'mouse trap' and for one, I am glad guys like you are doing it....I have a hard time just thinking most of the time! Good Luck!!!

Bill I would be very interested. If they work well on my 172 I would also put them on my175 project plane.
Shucks I spent $500 on scotch one night an they said my performance was quite something. I would have no trouble spending $500 on the plane to get better performance.
KenW