Kitfox 7 Apex Build Episode 73 How to Make Your Bush plane Go Faster

A quick and easy way to add speed to your airplane by adding fairings to TK1 Shock Monster shocks, Carbon Fiber Shock Fairings. These will fit:
Carbon Cub, Super Cub, Legend Cub, Just Aircraft Highlander, Kitfox, or any airplane with TK1 Shock Monster Shocks.
TK1 Shock Monster Carbon Fiber Shock Fairings
www.bowenaerollc.com

[@davidrobins4025]

What a great addition to your airplane. It looks fantastic along with being more efficient.

[@StuPierce77]

Great work Bryan! Very cool upgrade.

[@CraigVanSickleAK]

Really enjoy your content. Thanks for sharing the journey with your Kitfox.

[@marcericdavis]

There is a great book called "Speed with Economy". If you test improved aerodynamics by holding the engine RPM constant, what you will see is improved fuel burn, not much change in air speed. After all, at a given RPM, the propeller will move the same distance through the air (plus or minus a bit for the efficiency of the prop). Prop efficiency does not really change that much. What you need to do to compare aerodynamic improvements is test at wide open throttle. That way engine power (and fuel burn) will be held relatively constant and the change in airspeed will be apparent. Kent Paser covers this well in the book.

[@9pacokitty]

Manifold pressure gauge would work as well

[@teamlieblong]

What filament material was used for the 3D printed ribs? There are lots of filaments, including some with nylon glass or carbon fiber particles in it which help strength, but if the base filament is PLA or anything that's not ready for serious heat (also unpainted/near-black parts) might want to reconsider using 3DP parts. I'd test the temp of those at the end of a hot sunny day and compare to the filament glass transition point (PLA is 140 F, NylonGlass is 158 F, PETG is 176 F, ABS is 221 F). I'd verify that filament & check what real temps end up being. Improvement and possible minute weight shaving would be to use the 3DP to make rib molds and he can use the same CF vacuum/oven setup as the primary fairing for those small parts then there's no risk of any material heat breakdown. I'm a huge fan of real world usable 3DP parts btw, but I also worked USAF ASM and have burned myself enough times on Hercs to know tarmac temps can get wild.

[@aviator267]

Looks absolutely amazing.

[@boydw1]

I was wondering when someone would come out with a fairing kit for the shock monsters. Would be nice if the safety ropes were enclosed in the lower section.

[@donnieknop1150]

We are currently working on a solution for that.

[@stevenoneal2551]

Any improvement in climb?

[@FlyingNDriving]

How do you service the shock strut?

[@BowenAero]

Remove the screws and slide the fairing down. Takes about 2 minutes.

[@mke723]

Is there a plan in motion for remote access to the air fittings on the shocks?

[@BowenAero]

No, all you have to do is remove the screws and slide the fairing down. I rarely have to service the shock pressure, maybe once a year.

[@kitesurfjerry]

@@BowenAeroat what pressure you have your shocks?

[@thomasaltruda]

Beautiful. Are the safety cables really required since you don’t use bungee suspension? Even if the shock went flat, it’s not going to totally collapse, right?

[@BowenAero]

Only needed if the shock attachment fails.

[@thompsonjerry3412]

Water drainage holes?

[@Colin_Holloway]

You need to add a ferrite bead to the camera audio lead to suppress the ignition coil generated, rpm following noise.

[@hanksyflamework]

a ground noise loop that is an inline plug adapter also eliminates this i suspect its just this bead your suggesting inside the adapter housing

[@TwitchFlys]

No really on topic but what helmet is that? I've been looking for a paramotor helmet that will take my A20's

[@BowenAero]

Skycowboys

[@CrystalCanyon100]

Great video. I like your helmet - have you covered that on prior video. How do you like it.

[@BowenAero]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5a8k5KwisuCpac

[@portnuefflyer]

There are many, who claim gear fairings "don't make any difference," followed by "and I land off airport a lot and want to be able to inspect the gear." Bull! When I went to cub style gear on my RANS S-7S 12 years ago, from the very clean stock spring rod gear, I lost climb AND cruise. Flying it back from John Robert's place in Emmett (at the time) to the Pocatello area, it seemed like "bad" air, sinky, it took a while before i figured what was going on, I flew it two weeks bare, then fully faired it, shock struts and even the cabane is faired, it is well worth doing. Of course I am comparing totally unfaired A frames, not just the shock struts, so my gain was more.

[@BowenAero]

In my experience I have found the same.

[@danb1059]

Trent sent me your way

[@5695q]

Don't stop there, put a fairing on the lift struts that join them out to a point outside the propeller arc, put cuffs on the upper attach points ala Monocoupe and Howard, seal all gaps between fixed and moveable surfaces. I watched a stock Champ 7AC go from 85mph to easily keep up and outrun Cessna 150's using light aluminum fairings to clean up all the drag producing areas, landing gear struts being one of the worst.

[@timking2822]

Smart wearing a helmet.

[@alanswanson1952]

He should consider a split 3d printed rib so you wouldn't need to take things apart.

[@BowenAero]

We have looked at doing this for the cabane V, but the way the main fairing rib attaches to the shock T, it wouldn't be ideal.

[@markrutlidge5427]

I predict an increase of 7 mph.

[@markrutlidge5427]

Ok I was wrong with my prediction ☺️.