Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Supporting Owners, Builders and Pilots of the Thorp T-18 and its variants.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 4:40 am

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 
Author Message
Andy475
PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 11:29 am 
Jr. Member
Jr. Member

Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 11:52 pm
Posts: 50
So here is my most recent bad idea, send your spears!

I recently read "Speed with Economy" by Kent Paser and keep looking over the Thorp for those small areas to clean up. Laminar Flow Systems manufactures stamped flap hinges (for Piper Cherokees) that mock up nicely on the Thorp. How much return will can we actually get? TBD, I am expecting a few mph at most, they claim 2.5 mph on the Cherokee. I'm working with them now to see if I can come up with a minimally intrusive way to test them and see how they work out. They do a good job of matching the Thorp curves at the very least! More to follow...probably will be a few months in the works with my current work schedule.

Szekely,
Andy

https://laminarflowsystems.com/product/ ... gs-8-pair/


Top
 Profile  
 
fytrplt
PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 11:48 am 
Hero Member
Hero Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:07 pm
Posts: 1140
Images: 2
Location: Lakeland, Florida, USA
$600 for some bits of formed aluminum! I'm coming out of retirement!

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Andy475
PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:02 pm 
Jr. Member
Jr. Member

Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 11:52 pm
Posts: 50
Haha, good point. We don't need 8, and we don't need FAA paperwork which made them significantly cheaper... The owner sent me a rejected set for experimenting.

-Andy


Top
 Profile  
 
fytrplt
PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:03 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:07 pm
Posts: 1140
Images: 2
Location: Lakeland, Florida, USA
Great! Standing by for the report.

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
leewwalton
PostPosted: Sat Dec 21, 2019 10:52 am 
Administrator
Administrator
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:09 pm
Posts: 1705
Images: 107
Location: Houston, TX
I ran the "flap hinge" idea by my dad and Lou Sunderland as a kid over dinner one year at SnF in the '80s. As I recall they both appreciated my optimism but convinced me that the minuscule frontal area of the hinge and the angle by which it apposes the air was not worth the effort. Hate to lean towards bursting anyone's bubble but the air frame itself only goes so fast on so much HP ... if you want to go faster up the CI and or HR. Keep in mind that the red line is 210 regardless ... a lot of us are limited by that.

_________________
Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  

[ Time : 0.164s | 14 Queries | GZIP : On ]