Leading Edge Fuel Strakes

[airnico]

hello guys,

 

a molded set of strakes leading edge is offered by Featherlite to increase the fuel capacity using the leading edge as additional tank space.

can anyone of you give me more details about this mod please?

the forward limit of our tanks is delimited by TLE: is TLE omitted to extend the tank in the leading edge or more simply holed to allow fuel to flow in?

is there anyone of you using this leading edge with no problems?

[Waiter]

If these are the same one I bought for my LongEZ 15 years ago, they are a premolded leading edge and bulkheads

 

They would most likely add some additional fuel over the plans built leading edges, However, but the biggest selling point for me was I would have perfectly symetrical leading edges.

 

Now the BIG WHat If --- If I was doing this today, I would install the Berkut style strake leading edges.

 

The Berkut leading edges run straight from the wing to the fuselage, there isn't that little joggle (technical term) like the LongEZ. The Berkut alsoo meet the fuselage a little farther forward than the LongEZ leading edges.

 

The Berkut leading edges would hold a little more fuel AND a little more baggage space.

 

 

OH YAH - take a look at my leading edge installation at:

 

http://www.iflyez.com/LongEZ_Construction_Photos_Strake.shtml

 

 

Waiter

[Spodman]

I believe the pre-molded strakes are a bit deeper in profile also, giving you more fuel. I also believe Marc Z has them on his machine, so check out his detailed site. The grainy, blotchy photos in the Cozy IV plans depict these strakes also, but the plans don't...

[Marc Zeitlin]

... I also believe Marc Z has them on his machine, so check out his detailed site....

I believe that robots are stealing my luggage.

 

But my strakes are the AeroCad prefab full strakes, not the Featherlite leading edges. Two different things.

[Spodman]

Sloppy me, I should have checked. And robots have stolen my luggage at airports...

[airnico]

Waiter, it seems like there's no trace of the wooden piece called TLE or it's not possible to see it because of the image's perspective?

I thought it's structural: is it not or can the molded leading edge substitute TLE in its structural work??

[Waiter]

Nope, No TLE.

 

In the "plans" method, TLE is the forward bulkhead of the fuel tank. The leading edge is then added after the strakes are complete.

 

The Prefab leading edge serves as TLE. The inside of the prefab is glassed, the exterior is not. you glass the exterior of the leading edge at the same time you glass the exterior of the strake.

 

NOTE - In the photo, note the location of the two vent tubes.

 

ALSO - If I were doing this again. I would move the inner bulkhead in toward the fuselage, maybe 2-4 inches. This would increase the fuel capacity by aboy 3 -4 gallons.

 

ALSO, I would move the outer bulkhead OUT, (If you never plan on installing Infinity gear) so its about two inchs inboard of the outer wing bolt access hole. This would add about 1 gallon or 2 of fuel.

 

When you glass the insides of the strakes, make your layups very wet.

 

Waiter

[airnico]

I had some free time in the last weeks so I have machined a mold for the strakes leading edge.

as you Waiter pointed out, I would like to have 100% perfectly symetrical leading edges.

at this point I was wondering how stiff these leading edges have to be.

Plans call for 4 ply on the fuel tank area(see sketch on page 21/4), but 3th is only on OD and 4th is for the left wing only(where you put your feet), so essentially 2 on the entire area.

I have to decide how many plys I need to put inside the LE mold.

this is the reason of my interest in your prefab leading edges.

I think it's a good idea to glass the exterior of the leading edge at the same time I glass the exterior of the strake, but have you any idea about the number of plys that are inside(the outside is not glassed) your prefabs??

[Waiter]

One additional "ALSO"

 

When your glassing the inside of the tanks, After you performed the plans layups and the glass is still a little wet, glass a small sheet of aluminum 6x6 inch x .062 6061T6, directly under the location where the fuel cap will be. Place two layers of BID over the sheet and a couple inches out past the edge.

 

Make sure the sheet is scratched so the epoxy will stick.

 

This sheet will protect the area directly under the fuel cap from the once in a lifetime when the refueling nozzel gets punched through the bottom of your fuel strake.

 

As for the molds, looks like you could go into the Leading Edge business.

 

 

Waiter

[airnico]

One additional "ALSO"

glass a small sheet of aluminum 6x6 inch x .062 6061T6, directly under the location where the fuel cap will be. Waiter

thank you: this is a very good tip!!!

As for the molds, looks like you could go into the Leading Edge business.

Waiter

I actually did not do it to sell leading edges to someone else and don't think someone will ask me for that, but I like very much to play with molds, the result is excellent and always the same(symmetry).

I am usually criticized a lot for being partial to molds: of course they have a cost but I don't think it's a waste of money.

 

if I understand your words, your leading edges are glassed only on the inside, this means that there should be something else than glass on the outside: may be foam...

if this is correct they probably cut foam in the shape of the leading edge, then put it in the mold and glass the inside.

do you think it's a good start to put foam in the mold, glass 2 plys UNI oriented to the long dimension and then glass the whole thing to the strakes per plans like a TLE substitute?

[Waiter]

The leading edge kits are a white foam, maybe 3/8 thick, and there are 2 or three layers of BID on the inside.

 

I thing BID is better than UNI for this application.

 

Waiter

[steve]

thank you: this is a very good tip!!!

 

I actually did not do it to sell leading edges to someone else and don't think someone will ask me for that, but I like very much to play with molds, the result is excellent and always the same(symmetry).

I am usually criticized a lot for being partial to molds: of course they have a cost but I don't think it's a waste of money.

 

if I understand your words, your leading edges are glassed only on the inside, this means that there should be something else than glass on the outside: may be foam...

if this is correct they probably cut foam in the shape of the leading edge, then put it in the mold and glass the inside.

do you think it's a good start to put foam in the mold, glass 2 plys UNI oriented to the long dimension and then glass the whole thing to the strakes per plans like a TLE substitute?

if you foam yours you will in short be doing it plans.

but heres my 2 cents.. the leading edge board has 2 sides, 2 bid per side. then you at some point you add 2 more bid per side called tapes, then you add (some don't) a 2 bid lip and install the lip with 2 bid. add all this up and it is all be for you do the out side of the strake and the LE. your way you will be deleting a step in the planes that have you overlap the LE board 4 times when you do the out side. so in all, you lose 10 layers of glass and 3/8's of foam.

 

if i were you....do the mold thing (way cool) but put on the Le board per planes using the 10 layers. fill your Le's with foam (fuel type)and install like the plans say to do, then go fine a big bird and wing him at the plane at 180k

then say to your wife when she is cleaning it off after you land.................

that Steve guy is all right ! we like him, we need to give him a ride a the next RR:D

[airnico]

if you foam yours you will in short be doing it plans.

but heres my 2 cents.. the leading edge board has 2 sides, 2 bid per side. then you at some point you add 2 more bid per side called tapes, then you add (some don't) a 2 bid lip and install the lip with 2 bid. add all this up and it is all be for you do the out side of the strake and the LE. your way you will be deleting a step in the planes that have you overlap the LE board 4 times when you do the out side. so in all, you lose 10 layers of glass and 3/8's of foam.

 

if i were you....do the mold thing (way cool) but put on the Le board per planes using the 10 layers. fill your Le's with foam (fuel type)and install like the plans say to do, then go fine a big bird and wing him at the plane at 180k

then say to your wife when she is cleaning it off after you land.................

that Steve guy is all right ! we like him, we need to give him a ride a the next RR:D

Steve, I'm not sure to understand what you are suggesting: do you mean to put in the mold 2 layers of BID then foam and then 2 more layers of BID?

[steve]

yes , i think. if you want to use your molds, go for it ! just do the layup on the stakes Le as per plans, then install your Le skins and bit tape them in place

don't go empty, to soft. do we have are fuel tanks in the bumper of are cars? no (only Chev would do that) we don't, so some how fill your Le skins with Styrofoam and move on.

if you had did it the plans way one time you would not do it the way you are planing. your way will work just longer, heavier,cost more.

don't go dusty on us, you'll never get done

but you will be in good company. let see, there was Todd (canopy) then there was JD (infinity) um, o ya the girls:cool: (cozy-girls) dust and there are lots of others (me)lol getter dun:brocolli:

[airnico]

don't go empty, to soft. do we have are fuel tanks in the bumper of are cars? no (only Chev would do that) we don't, so some how fill your Le skins with Styrofoam and move on.

 

if I do this it makes no sense to me to use a molded LE.

well, actually it makes only half sense: molded LEs are used to increase fuel capacity and symmetry.

ok for the symmetry but I'd lose the fuel capacity.

do the guys with prefab LEs suffer of frailty?