Question about jabiru wheel spats

[Herm]

Near finished my Jab 2.2 SK. I am just joining the cheap and nasty wheel spats that should have been joined in the mold at the factory (very odd process). I have just been told that due to the large size of the front spat, it can cause odd rudder effects. After looking at it I agree that it will turn in a negative effect in relation to the rudder. other than the normal to keep spats or not talk, has anyone have a comment on the spats moving the nose opposite to what the rudder is doing at the tail?

 

thanks Mardy

 

 

[Guernsey]

Hi Mardy,

 

Unlike the trike you have been used to, when you apply right rudder your nose wheel and hence the spat will angle towards the right so it will tend to turn the nose towards the right, sort of like a ships rudder mounted on the bow, at the same time your aircraft rudder will also turn the aircraft to the right as the tail rudder will move the tail to the left so the both are contributing to a right turning motion.

 

Alan.

 

 

[Herm]

Well I got my answer from my Father. I think thats a result of bad parenting. If I had been tought these things when I was a child by my pilot Father, I would not have had to ask this question LOL..... then again I might of not ended up a pilot at all! What might I have been?

 

Thanks Alan for the info.

 

Mardy

 

 

[Vev]

Hey Mardy,

 

Just to share my experience with the front spat on my Jab.

 

I found that the prop wash tended to favour the front wheel to turn left when flying, which turned the rudder to the left as they are interconnected ... you can increase the spring tension on the front wheel mechanism to over power the effect of the prop blast or fit a trim tab to the rudder, which most seem to do.

 

My approach was to simply fit a very small trim tab on the back of the front spat, as sometimes I remove the spats if I am going in and out of dirt strips ... when you remove the front spat the wheel is unaffected by the prop blast and if you have use a rudder trim tab you end up with a bit of right rudder trim.

 

Hope this makes sense?

 

Cheers

 

Vev

 

 

[Herm]

Hey Mardy,Just to share my experience with the front spat on my Jab.

 

I found that the prop wash tended to favour the front wheel to turn left when flying, which turned the rudder to the left as they are interconnected ... you can increase the spring tension on the front wheel mechanism to over power the effect of the prop blast or fit a trim tab to the rudder, which most seem to do.

 

My approach was to simply fit a very small trim tab on the back of the front spat, as sometimes I remove the spats if I am going in and out of dirt strips ... when you remove the front spat the wheel is unaffected by the prop blast and if you have use a rudder trim tab you end up with a bit of right rudder trim.

 

Hope this makes sense?

 

Cheers

 

Vev

Thanks Vev. I think I may just leave them off. I will paint them up so I can keep them with the plane if I sell it.. Might just make some hubs for the center.

 

Mardy

 

 

[Vev]

I also bought a set of wheel covers for the front and main wheels ... the cover on the front is unaffected by the prop wash and you don't lose quite as much speed as you do without the any spats.

 

Here's the link to the ones I bought.

 

http://www.leggott.flyer.co.uk/extras.html#Wheel%20trims

 

Vev