Streamlined Lift Struts

[Brock]

My forum search has failed to show up any information on Streamlined Lift Struts.  Seems I recall watching someone's build video who said it improved their rate of climb.  So two questions... Is there already a thread on this subject and can you point me to it.  Second, what struts (size etc) have folks been using.  Anyother conversation on the topic would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[pappyadkins]

I don't know where to point ya... but I'm thinking of foam rearward 'teardrop' and cover with monokote... we'll see...

[Chuck in Indiana]

I "think" the company that builds the Aerolite has streamline plastic covers for round tubing, but I'm too lazy to look it up.  My guess is that anything you can do to reduce drag would help the glide/flare more than anything. You don't need to worry about overshooting a runway with Bullet.   

[Dan_]

My forum search has failed to show up any information on Streamlined Lift Struts.   ...  Anyother conversation on the topic would be appreciated.

I put in "Streamlined" after hitting the search button on main menu.  30 hits.

Search results for: streamlined Pages: [1] 1 Single Seaters / Streamlined Lift Struts « by Brock on November 30, 2024, 11:32:48 AM » ......  search has failed to show up any information on Streamlined Lift Struts. Seems I recall watching someone' ......   2 XL / XL Streamlined Strut size « by Bud K on October 24, 2016, 10:06:20 PM » ......  size streamlined strut should be used on the XL? My XL plans don' ............  specify the size of Carlson streamlined strut to use. Their website shows a 'small strut' ......   3 Off Topics and General Interest / Re: Graham Lee Aluminum Planes « by Steve on March 11, 2014, 10:38:50 AM » ......  use to compress aluminum into a some what of a streamlined shape. Would this work for the struts on the XL?   ......   4 XL / Re: Carlson Struts « by Theodore on February 10, 2021, 07:51:11 AM » ......  27, 2014, 02:40:54 PM  These lift struts are streamlined using big box store rolls of aluminum flashing  ......   5 XL / Re: Ordering Tubing « by Sam Buchanan on December 22, 2013, 10:55:29 PM » ......  about modified tail group  I will be using the streamlined Carlson struts.  Good choice, plan on using jury  ......   6 Off Topics and General Interest / An Introduction and a Completed Project « by Aerodude45 on December 11, 2014, 07:57:07 PM » ......  back in the shop for the winter. I'm installing streamlined struts, brakes, a curved windscreen, shipping the  ......   7 XL / Re: Not so legal Eagle XL? « by Aaron on May 29, 2023, 05:11:46 PM » ......  fairings in there to streamline aft of the cabin, streamlined the gear, tail brace wires, cowled the engine in,  ......   8 XL / Re: Jury Strut attachment to the Carlson extruded tubes « by JLee on January 20, 2016, 08:57:30 PM » ......  thought. Do you need the jury struts if using the streamlined struts. Seems like somewhere I heard they are  ............  required if streamlined are used. ......   9 For Sale or Trade / LEXL ON Wheels « by foamman1 on September 22, 2015, 11:14:41 AM » ...... . Some of the tail pieces are preformed. I have Streamlined tube for the wing struts. Floor pan is cut. Even  ......   10 XL / Carlson Struts question « by Maxray on November 21, 2018, 03:44:13 PM » ...... , Just curious if anyone has used the larger 3" streamlined extrusions fro Carlson on their Eagles. I thought  ......   11 Double Seaters / Wing Strut material « by Gjsteube on October 12, 2016, 09:54:24 AM » ......  the wing struts. Mr. Lenard suggest using the 3" streamlined Alum, for front; and 2" same for rear. I'm gonna  ......   12 XL / Re: Weights « by Sparrow on May 03, 2014, 11:16:12 PM » ......  weights are for standard round Al struts. · Streamlined Vertical Jury Struts with hardware and round  ............ ).  Breakdown of components weights are: Average streamlined vertical struts weigh an average of 4.23oz each  ......   13 XL / Re: Forming lexan « by rockiedog2 on April 06, 2014, 12:33:03 PM » ......  right around there nice and easy and rounded and streamlined. the 060 will wrap ok too it just isn't as easy  ......   14 Off Topics and General Interest / Re: New Spencer design progress « by rockiedog2 on August 01, 2014, 08:36:46 AM » ......  it looks like it would have looked better; more streamlined, lighter looking, not quite so slab sided and  ......   15 XL / Re: Wing strut teardrop shape tube « by Tom H on July 13, 2017, 10:05:28 AM » ......  Treehugger is being rebuilt. In the process, streamlined struts (not the large size, but one size down)  ......   16 LE / Re: Jury Struts « by Bob S. on March 18, 2015, 10:39:16 PM » ......  bar for attachments top and bottom... I put the Streamlined tube up close at the top with minimum sq. bar at  ......   17 XL / Re: Aerodynamic struts vs. Round ones « by JohnB on May 04, 2018, 08:42:15 PM » ......  the weight penalty is 7-8 POUNDS for the streamlined struts. Round tubes with 016 fairings is my  ......   18 XL / Re: Fuel Tank « by Flyguyeddy on March 13, 2018, 11:53:19 AM » ......  this should be easy. Of course this causes the streamlined struts to be longer. Are there any other reasons  ......   19 XL / Re: Materials list changes for XL tubing « by jrbirdman47 on December 20, 2019, 11:45:15 AM » ......  wing struts, since I will be using the aluminum streamlined ones. All in all, quite the Easter egg hunt, but  ......   20 Single Seaters / Re: WINGS, WEIGHTS, PARTS « by Larry H on February 26, 2017, 10:25:17 PM » ......  pretty close to 14 pounds for a full set of 4 streamlined wing struts cut to proper length for the LEXL. I' ......   21 3 cylinder Radial / Re: Verner 3 cyl on LEU Treehugger/ThreeJugger/Radial Eagle « by Tom H on October 19, 2017, 08:34:11 AM » ......  replaced the alum tube struts with the Carlson streamlined struts, we put on bike hydraulic brakes with heal  ......   22 DE / Re: Cruise Speed « by Tom H on December 18, 2013, 07:51:42 AM » ......  mostly per plans, except engine, added doors (streamlined), customized goodies (more weight).  Engine is  ......   23 XL / Re: Size difference between LE and LE XL « by Dan_ on November 17, 2016, 01:08:54 PM » ......  and will try to do that with the Carlson streamlined tubing. I weigh about 180 and should be a little  ......   24 XL / Re: SPRING OR NO SPRING LANDING GEAR « by Steve on May 13, 2014, 04:08:19 PM » ......  showed one simple way. And that can even be streamlined once you know all is correct with it. Actually if  ............  streamlined just this area of the spring, you could get less  ......   25 CE / Re: Design change ideas to the Cabin Eagle « by dapug on October 03, 2018, 09:00:36 PM » ......  on August 22, 2018, 03:49:17 PM  Looks like that streamlined area behind the cabin will help for sure. My  ......   26 XL / Re: Wing Gap Closure « by rockiedog2 on January 12, 2014, 03:33:04 PM » ......  off for some forgotten reason. that obviously streamlined that gap some and blocked flow into the wings. i  ......   27 XL / Re: Is it possible to build Part 103 legal LE XL with 20lbf heavier engine? « by ArcticDave on April 08, 2017, 08:46:48 AM » ......  struts instead of the streamlined ones save around 8 lbs by what I've seen reported. ......   28 Double Seaters / Re: CG -lengthen tail? « by rfeenstra on April 10, 2019, 11:17:53 PM » ......  the extended wing span and the A65 up front. The streamlined fuselage styled after a champ gave me about 10  ......   29 Off Topics and General Interest / Re: SILVER sLUG Takeoffwith new winter doors « by Tom H on December 14, 2015, 07:27:05 AM » ......  string, and it looks like it would make a nice streamlined cockpit, and pick up a few more MPH. Especially  ......   30 DE / Re: Fastback- was DE Stubby for Payload Capability and Canted Gear Consideration « by Dan_ on August 29, 2016, 12:03:24 AM » ......  a drag coefficient far below modern cars - the streamlined body, teardrop or icecream cone. Most cars have a  ............  of around 0.35. The streamlined body has 11% the drag of a typical automobile,  ............  with the a Cd of near zero - 0.04. If you have a streamlined shape up until the end (as in the above car), how  ............  the half sphere. The second is the teardrop, the streamlined body, which is approximately a half sphere and a  ............ , 0.42 for the half sphere and 0.04 for the streamlined body, we can propose a formula.    Cd = 0.04 + ( ............  a Cd of 0.04, as we would expect from the full streamlined body.    Next we want to get Cd in terms of l, or  ............  theta = 11 degrees, l/r = 5.14 gives us the full streamlined body, and l/r = 0 gives the half circle. We can  ............  we know when it is appropriate to "cut off" our streamlined body.   This image has been resized. Click this  ............  will vary from car to car, depending on how streamlined the front is, etc, but it's still good to get an  ......

[Brock]

I did find the following....
https://www.wicksaircraft.com/shop/6061-t6-aluminum-streamline-struts/
I know about aerolite/U-flyit and I purchased some of their fairings years ago to try on my sportsman's gear legs.  Did a write-up on how to split them and install a hinge.  In any case, weight being the enemy and considering my struts are still just raw aluminum uncut tubes I figured now would be the time to look into this.

[Brock]

Dan, well ok, I've been schooled in the art of the search engine (thank you).  Not sure what I had typed in before, but yes just the one word "streamlined" works nicely.

BTW - this video link was linked in the fifth hit on that search.  This is why I'm interested in the streamlined struts....
( )

[Dan_]

Dan, well ok, I've been schooled in the art of the search engine (thank you).

It's a black art... but usually worth some retrys, if not straight up frustration.

I did stumble on a data point today looking into getting rid of the search box in the upper right corner.  It basically only searches the category you are in (perhaps topic?) whereas the search button on the main menu tree does the whole forum. 

So the search "box" is not actually broken like the member map deal is.  It is just limited in scope for some reason. 

I haven't given up on the map, but my time is limited to spend on it.  It is based on Google maps, and the cause may be that this site has not gone in for the Euro "consent to place cookies" form to be displayed.  It may be that will have to be done, but we have resisted it for several years now.

[Brock]

Old tread (+7 months) but seems like a good place to post some noodling.

Still thinking about struts for the XL.  Besides the Carlson streamlined struts, the plans also calls out - Round 6061 1-1/4" x .058.

ACS sells this for $8.60/ft. and it weighs .2601lbs./Ft.

Wicks sells streamlined strut (2.44"x1") for $7.83.  This strut weighs in at .517lbs/ft.
Wicks also has a note that says "Stronger than but compared to 1.275 Dia x .065 wall 6061T6 tubing."

That's a difference (.517-.2601) of .2569# each foot, streamlined heavier than round.  Since I already have the round tubing, all I have to do is streamline it for less than a 1/4#/ft. 

There are a few solutions to streamlining the struts already mentioned on the forum.  I believe though I will try to 3D print the solution.  Have already done this on my Sportsman landing gear and it turned out great (added 4 to 5 knts).

As I recall, this 28" fairing with an ID of 1.5mm was only 17oz.

Am I assuming correctly that the Wicks product is the same as the Carlson Aero struts?

[Chuck in Indiana]

Am I assuming correctly that the Wicks product is the same as the Carlson Aero struts?

Yes. One thing you may or may not have thought of.. If you don't care about breaking the 55 knot rule, streamline struts will be just the ticket. 

[Brock]

Apart from 55, I like the idea of better climbs, less fuel burn, better glide.