Landing Gear Chafe Material

[Bobdog]

I'm wondering what others are using for the anti chafe material on thier landing gear fairings. The rubber "U" channel in the A/C Spruce catalog looks like it might work.

Bob

[KTW]

Re: Landing Gear Chafe Material

You can glue thin felt under fairing.Felt and lot of old type materials can be bought at MSC.com industrial supply.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Landing Gear Chafe Material

Are you talking about the U shaped rubber around the edges of the sheet metal fairings? It also goes around the fairings between the wing and fuselage to keep the edges of the metal from cutting the fabric and is used in several other spots. If so, I have seen it in the catalogs but is is REALLY pricey! I saw it used on metal desks where the computer wires went through and can't believe the companies that made those cheap desks paid that kind of price for that rubber. I have looked high and low for who actually makes the rubber extrusions but no luck so far. To do the wings takes about 4 pieces over 10' long and the gear fairings take over 6' each as I remember. It was also on some of the access covers in the tail and along the aft edge of the glare shield to cover the edge of that.
Let me know if anyone knows where to get a roll of the stuff for less than the national debt.
Hank

[Robert Lees]

Re: Landing Gear Chafe Material

The original rubber pieces on the original gear fairings were a "bulb" section (i.e. similar to a solid letter "P") about 6 inches long, and only went around the forward upper curved edge of the fairing where it might chafe the boot cowl, and they were riveted on with those pesky steel rivets that I have grown to hate.

I wish I still had my originals...I could post a photo.

On my rebuild, I glued on some standard U-channel rubber over this chafe-prone area, and used self-adhesive foam strip where these fairings rub against the gear leg fabric.

Photo to follow this weekend (I'm away from home at the moment).

Rob

[Mark Julicher]

Re: Landing Gear Chafe Material

I drilled a series of 3/32 holes along the fairing and laced on a U shaped rubber channel. Works good lasts a long time.