Yetti Posted March 16, 2015 Report Posted March 16, 2015 But what about the drag created by the open hole on the wing? Not to mention all the water going up into the wing.
ryoder Posted March 16, 2015 Author Report Posted March 16, 2015 I am going to put em in the box in the back with the cigarette lighter and oil.
Hank Posted March 16, 2015 Report Posted March 16, 2015 I am going to put em in the box in the back with the cigarette lighter and oil. The lighter was already gone when I bought my plane. My ashtray is now on the hangar shelf, and a useful ash light is in its place. Oil and tools are in a Rubbermaid box in the back. Tie down rings live on the bottom of both wings, I occasionally check that they're tight. 1
ryoder Posted March 17, 2015 Author Report Posted March 17, 2015 People remove antennas for speed and leave the rings hanging in the wind. Maybe we should take them out? I don't care about speed but efficiency is important to me.
HRM Posted March 17, 2015 Report Posted March 17, 2015 And people wonder why General Aviation is suffering . . . God forgive me, but what would Little Timmy say?
HRM Posted March 17, 2015 Report Posted March 17, 2015 Tie down rings live on the bottom of both wings, I occasionally check that they're tight. I don't do that, but now that I think about it, not a bad item to add to the preflight while I am down under there anyway!
Shadrach Posted March 17, 2015 Report Posted March 17, 2015 If they are loose enough they can move around a little it may eventually wear the threads away This happened to ours. One side has a helicoil.
Shadrach Posted March 17, 2015 Report Posted March 17, 2015 Seems like the aviation equivalent of backpackers sawing their toothbrush handles off to save weight. I resemble that remark...
ryoder Posted March 17, 2015 Author Report Posted March 17, 2015 I should make fiberglass fairings for them and get rich. 1
mooniac15u Posted March 17, 2015 Report Posted March 17, 2015 I should make fiberglass fairings for them and get rich. Or maybe a retraction system like speedbrakes.
drapo Posted March 17, 2015 Report Posted March 17, 2015 Or maybe a retraction system like speedbrakes. No, keep it simple, link it to the step retraction mechanism... B) 2
PTK Posted March 17, 2015 Report Posted March 17, 2015 I have the rings in a little bag in the back. In their place I put in a couple plastic screws I got at Home Depot to keep holes clean. Did somebody say anal?! 1
ryoder Posted March 17, 2015 Author Report Posted March 17, 2015 Put some vaseline in the hole first.
Marauder Posted March 17, 2015 Report Posted March 17, 2015 Put some vaseline in the hole first. That's what she said... You're such a dirty pilot! 2
Raptor05121 Posted March 18, 2015 Report Posted March 18, 2015 I don't care about speed..... Sounds like a Cherokee 140 would be your favorite airplane, wanna trade?
Releew Posted March 18, 2015 Report Posted March 18, 2015 Lasar replacments and Red loctite. Looks great....stays on! 1
ryoder Posted March 19, 2015 Author Report Posted March 19, 2015 Sounds like a Cherokee 140 would be your favorite airplane, wanna trade? I mean that I like aerodynamic efficiency but top speed isn't a big deal to me. If I could go 120mph on 3gph in a four seater I'd rather do that than go 150mph on 10gph.
philiplane Posted March 23, 2015 Report Posted March 23, 2015 Really guys, the frontal area on tie down rings is minuscule and the drag associated with them is most likely unmeasurable. There are plenty of drag producers on a Mooney that are an order of magnitude bigger than tie down rings. Unfortunately, those cost real time and money to fix....
HRM Posted March 25, 2015 Report Posted March 25, 2015 Really guys, the frontal area on tie down rings is minuscule and the drag associated with them is most likely unmeasurable. There are plenty of drag producers on a Mooney that are an order of magnitude bigger than tie down rings. Unfortunately, those cost real time and money to fix.... We have been joking, Phil.
Boozer Posted April 4, 2015 Report Posted April 4, 2015 Has anyone tested this? Constant power setting and fuel flow with rings in then land, remove and set it up again? I'm guessing the difference would KNOT be measurable but I could be wrong. Maybe I will try it. My rings have always been in yet she's a hanger girl.
carusoam Posted April 4, 2015 Report Posted April 4, 2015 Welcome aboard Boozer! The engineering Mooney pilots like to measure those kind of details, with precision... If you actually try it, expect to run a 3 course method with some math skills, or 4 course method with only minimal math skills required... Then wax on, vs. wax off
ryoder Posted April 4, 2015 Author Report Posted April 4, 2015 We have been joking, Phil. I am not really joking. The old time drag video someone posted earlier shows just how much drag things like a simple wire can produce. Plus the book says to remove before flight.
Mooneymite Posted April 4, 2015 Report Posted April 4, 2015 When I removed my long-wire ADF antenna, I gained over 200 kts. Removing the tie-down rings added another 50 kts. I'm thinking of removing the engine and prop because I think they induce a fair amount of drag. Has anyone else tried this? 4
Marauder Posted April 4, 2015 Report Posted April 4, 2015 When I removed my long-wire ADF antenna, I gained over 200 kts. Removing the tie-down rings added another 50 kts. I'm thinking of removing the engine and prop because I think they induce a fair amount of drag. Has anyone else tried this? I haven't, but it is a good idea. The direction I went was to chop off 15 feet off of each wing. I can easily cruise at 450 knots. Turning is a bit more difficult though. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1
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