If anyone needs landing gear aft fairings ...

[bradp]

I'm not sure how these vary from year to year, but my fairings were pretty thrashed before I got new pucks on last year. Don was nice enough to fabricate some for me, but the pattern seems to vary perhaps, and those weren't a good fit.

I'm happy to give away the ones that Don made for me to anyone who can use them (he has an 82 231).

I'm also going to create a mold for my aft LG door fairings for a 1977 J model, if anyone would like to "use" them or have them "used" to make new ones in the near future. For any new ones I think I'm going to incorporate a couple of reinforcing layers of carbon in the high stress corners where stuff seems to kick up from the wheel.

Repair progress for the mold pattern - fun stuff.

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[DonMuncy]

If anyone needs help in building (a) mold(s) to make one/some, let me know. I have had to replace one on each side, but no more since then. Maybe I've just been lucky since then.

[Yetti]

Hmmm   Could those go on an F .... have vacuum bagging and roll of carbon fiber cloth.

[bradp]

Lots and lots of sanding, but they are now structurally sound. I need to wet sand and polish, but they should be ready for mold making tomorrow. A fun basement project when it's 15F outside.

Edit: wife was not happy when the basement smelled of rattle can. Child will be very happy when she gets to keep all the leftover plasticine clay.


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[DonMuncy]

They look good.

[carusoam]

Plastic surgeons...?   

The work just came out that nicely.

Just guessing,

-a-

[bradp]

I thought we had to close the Mansfield thread :-)


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[Guest]

With Don building nice parts like that I'll never sell the pair of new Mooney one's I have in stock, and they won't fit my brand P.

Clarence

[jrwilson]

I have an 84 231 and could use new ones... 

[bradp]

Finishing up the mold.  Note to others.  Don't open a can of tooling gel coat in your house.  Wife will be very angry. Close up quick and be banished to the garage.   

After lots of sanding the molds are ready for some touch up of imperfections, more sanding, and a final layer of tooling coat.   

The mold making process wreaked havoc with my paint job on the originals  - so sanding those down and starting that process from the  beginning.  

[bradp]

Thing is Andrew - this stuff isn't hard at all. Just takes a lot of YouTube time, some persistence and willingness to mess up.

Thank you for your complement, though. Given you're a design expert it's quite meaningful.

Goal with all this is to get the skills necessary to do what yooper has done. Utimately I'd love to spend my retirement building an Evo or something similar. For now I'll turn out a fairing or two.

Next project is build a carbon fiber bike frame.

Then a CB version of a sidewinder tug.

Then turn out a cowling with aerodynamic improvements without the Lopresti airbox, labor or price tag. Followed by a carbon fiber spinner.

Then a simple boat hull.

Then I think I'll develop the skills necessary to build a kit plane :-) ... but you gotta start somewhere.

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[bradp]

Last coat of tooling gelcoat went on when the temps rose enough to give me some hope that a 2% catalyst would get it to cure.  This is because there is so much toluene as the solvent that all must be done outdoors / garage with good ventilation and a respirator.  Nasty stuff. 

Next step is to sand and polish again, then it will be ready for part making. 

 

[jetdriven]

Just spray the original parts with PVA, then make the mold from epoxy and fiberglass cloth.  I did it that was for the carbon lower gear doors 

[bradp]

Hi Byron. Picture wth the black goopy stuff are the molds that were made from the originals (which were waxed and sprayed with PVA, as you suggested). This method gives me some long lasting molds in case anyone else wants a run for some parts.

 

 

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[jetdriven]

Yep that's what I did. Wet sanded the molds and used bondo to fix the minor imperfections, then waxed and PVA the molds for the carbon gear doors 

[MisfitSELF]

I have an '84 201, with cracked aft fairing (seems to be common).  Any chance these would fit my bird?  When are you opening your factory and how much are you going to charge?  (-;

[bradp]

I've now got a couple of requests for these things.  Check your PM's.  I had to put my little project on hold while we sold our house, but now can get back to it. 

[hoeflich]

Hi bradp,

do you still offer pairs of LG door fairings to buy? I have a  1979 J model based in  Europe.

Cheers

Wulf

[carusoam]

@bradp still awake?   ^^^^

 

Stand by, Wulf, he was just here a minute ago...

Hoeflich has a question for you...

The world wide power of MS at work... 

Best regards,

-a-

[bradp]

Yup.  Toddler decided she didn’t want her diaper on and then nature called.  

Finishing some refurbished Molds v2 (getting a bad can of gelcoat ends the party Real quick).  

Will update when I’m ready for another round. 

[Austintatious]

I would LOVE a set of CF ones for a 231.... I also need the smaller gear doors to complete everything.  I have a feeling not having these fairings is costing me like 8 knots.

[larrynimmo]

I also would like to get a set of carbon fiber fairings....

[Austintatious]

reviving old thread... still looking for a set of these!

[PT20J]

16 minutes ago, Austintatious said:

reviving old thread... still looking for a set of these!

Maybe Clarence @M20Doc still has some.

 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Austintatious said:

reviving old thread... still looking for a set of these!

I’ll look tomorrow