Full farings

[Bennie Vorster]

Can any one tell me what are the pros and cons of having a full faring fit to a tryke?

Except that it is cosmetically nice, what does it do to your fuel usage, airspeed, drag, climbing rate and pax kg

[Smiley]

Hello

I fittted a full Aquilla fairing to my trike.

For me
Pro's
- Increase in comfort, no cold air rushing up. You can fly with "plakkies" in the winter!!
- If I had to encounter rain, my instruments, radio and bottom half of my body will stay dry!

Con's
- Only one for me, the fairing creates a extra flying surface. So landing in bad weather is more demanding.


On my trike, it flys a bit slower in a headwind but flys faster than normal with a tailwind. In a headwind I pull the bar in about 2" to balance my speed, so it's not a problem.

All and all, I will never fly a trike without a fairing again. the comfort it gives you far outways the con's for me.

[Bennie Vorster]

Do you get farings for a Winlass or do you have to modify one?

[Smiley]

Well I fitted a Aquilla fairing on my Aviate Aspect. No modification is needed, just need to fit all the brackets.

Remember, as soon as you modify the structure of the trike, you have to get modification approval from CAA, so try not to do that!!

[Bennie Vorster]

Hi Smiley

Where do I start finding out if the Aquilla faring will fit the Windlass without modifications?

[Smiley]

I will give you the number of the guys that fitted mine. They should be able to give you all the info!!


Barry or Nick
083 541 4870




Riaan

[Bennie Vorster]

Thank you Smiley

I have spoke to Barry and he seem to be a quite knowledgeable person, it was very informative speaking to him. As I am a beginner I decided to keep my Windlass standard as he told me that you must know your stuff when it comes to the landings. Especially in cross wind landings, so maybe someday when I grew up.

[Smiley]

Cool man!! They definitely know their story and their work is good!! Both of them are also flight Instructors so they know what they are talking about.

Alot of people do these modification for you, but don't fly themselves, so they don't really know the impact changes makes on the aerie.

I think to be safe, 80 hours should cover you! Then do the change, it's definitely worth it!!

[Junkie]

There are a few guys in Cape Town that have fitted fairings to their Windlasses. I believe these were an aftermarket pod which was partly fibregalss and partly fabric.
Suggest getting hold of Adan at SW for best advice

PRO's
I had a lot of bull dished up when i was looking to buy my Gemini and stories of having to fly the pod using my hips and it would be impossible in any kinda cross wind..... such a lot of BULL DUST and it DID protect me big time in a serious rollover prang
and for an 88' Trike still outflies most trikes

CON's
Have to polish the pod and clean the windscreen, if you care about such stuff

[alanmack]

I looked at this matter some time ago. What I found was:
Pros: Warmth, dry, compartments for maps, coffee, walkman, cameras etc
Cons: Landing in a cross wind, once you are in - you're in > cannot easily put your feet down.

I found a compromise in the Fairing used with snow skis instead of wheels. I took the idea to Aviate for them to make me one but had no response.

I have loaded a picture to the website below. Go to the last page of available albums and click on the album called Fairing.

http://community.webshots.com/user/alanmack777

If you know of somebody who could make me one I would be keen to talk to them.[/b]

[Junkie]

Cool Fairing, - but howdya stop that thing

Alan- I went to a local plastics supplier / signmaker in CT and the guys were too happy to make me up anything i wanted in almost any kinda material.

I eventually took the pod down to them and had the screen moulded in a tough scratchproof acrylic. They reckoned they could even mould a new pod for me (in almost any colour) and it would be lighter than the original

[alanmack]

Dear Junkie

This sounds like a must do. Could you let me have some detail so that I can track them down.

I travel to Cape Town regularily and so would like to follow up on your lead.

On the last trip down Hazzard and I visited the factory in Hermanus where they have started to manufacture the Hawk fixed wing microlight. Looks fantastic see www.cgsaviation.com The first one will be built by mid Feb and hope to do some conversion hrs then.

I have to get a new wing so perhaps the fairing could add a face-lift to the sky-lift!

Thanks for the lead - Alan

[Bennie Vorster]

Hi Alan
Do you know the price of the Hawk fixed, just more or less?

[alanmack]

Hi

The kit is about R90k and the complete built model with engine etc is about R200k. They brought in 3 and when I was there they had one left. John Austin ex Vic Falls bought the first one his no is 072 827 8897. He intends putting it into his flight school near Hermanus. Dave also ex Vic Falls has set up the factory. I do not have his number but there is an add in the SA Flyer alternatively John will have his number.

Hope this helps

[skybound®]

On my trike, it flys a bit slower in a headwind but flys faster than normal with a tailwind. In a headwind I pull the bar in about 2" to balance my speed, so it's not a problem.

That has no bearing on fitting a fairing. All trikes (and all airborne aircraft) have a slower groundspeed in headwind, and faster ground speed in a tailwind.

BTW tailwinds are theoretical, they do not really exist.