LOOK MOM, NO WINGLETS

8 years and 2500 hours later. Its time to do some upgrades. My LongEZ is straight plans built with an O-320 engine, and an MT constant speed prop . It has served me well over the years and I've decided to take it down for the winter and do some serious drag reduction.

Aircraft parameters:

   160HP Lycoming O-320
   MT Propeller, 3 bladed constant speed prop
   990 lbs. empty
   CG at 102.5.
   Standard vortilons installed.
   High Performance rudders
   Rontz Canard

On the list of things to do was to cut off the lower winglets. Seems like everyone I talked to said this would increase 2 or 3 knots. I went out and did some baseline measurements to verify any speed changes. Obviously, I can't do this after each change, but I wanted to get some BEFORE / AFTER data points. So with two of the last good flying days here in northern Ohio, I topped off the O2 bottle and took to the skys.

On Saturday, I had 20 gallons of fuel, and proceeded with the step climb, 2,500 to 17,500 ft. The engine controls were placed in their normal "Flight Position", Engine RPM at 2,300, and the throttle FULL. These were NOT touched for the duration of the test. I started at 2,500 and very carefully, held the altitude to within 20 ft. I would then climb to the next test altitude, PLUS 100 ft. I would then start a slight descent to build up the airspeed, and would level off at the test altitude. I maintained each altitude for approximately 10 minutes to allow the speed to stabilize. I then noted all the parameters, airspeed, altitude, Manifold Pressure, Outside Air temp. I then climbed to the next test altitude and repeat the process over again, up to 17,500 ft.

On Sunday, I took a deep breath and put the SawZall blade to the winglet. What took me weeks of painful sanding, filling, painting, and fitting, took precisely 30 seconds to remove. I carefully examined the new short winglets for structural integrity, After I was completely satisfied that this wouldn't come apart. I cranked up the engine and did another full climb series in anticipation of more speed.

AIRSPEED:

So, The bottom line for the first stage of my drag reduction was ZERO gain. The speeds and climbs were identical.

ALTITUDE	SHORT	STANDARD
2500	165	166
4500	156	158
6500	151	151
8500	145	142
10500	138	137
12500	133	133
14500	126	126
16500	120	120
17500	116	118

Anyway, I have real good baseline numbers, I'll post the new numbers next spring when I've completed the modifications.

MANEUVERING:

I performed several low speed, high angle of attack maneuvers. Start pulling the stick back and "Slowly" bleed off the airspeed, until the stick is all the way back. In this High AOA mode, My EZ has always been very docile, with a very gentle pitch rocking motion, and very little yawing (Dutch roll). I can give it gentle rudder or aileron input in an attempt to induce Dutch roll, but it always comes back wings level after 3 to 5 cycles

I performed these same maneuvers with the clipped winglets, and noticed "NO APPRECIABLE DIFFERENCE".

The Mods I plan on doing;

   1) Clean up the winglets and fair them in to the wing. Retrofit flush mount for the rudder actuators.
   2) Re-fair the main landing gear strut to properly line up with the airflow
   3) Add nose gear door and clean up nose gear strut
   4) Clean up and fair rubber nose bumper
   5) relocate the Transponder antenna to to front belly
   6) Replace the clevelands with Groves, overhaul master cylinders w/new o-rings
   7) Install Dynon EFIS
   8) Replace Bendix Mag with E-Mag
   9) Install Small standby battery to provide backup power
   10) Clean up interior to include new seat cushions
   11) Rebuild cowling to clean up lines and reduce drag
   12) Maybe, repaint entire aircraft.
   13) Maybe, replace standard 5x5 tires with the smaller chen tires from Ken Miller.

With that, Its back to work.

Waiter

THE ABOVE LIST HAS CHANGED

This is the official modification list as of 1 May 2007!

   1) Clean up the winglets and fair them in to the wing. Retrofit flush mount for the rudder actuators.
   2) Add Infinity Aerospace main retractable landing gear.
   3) Add nose gear door and clean up nose gear strut
   4) Replaced rubber nose bumper with 1/2 stainless square tube
   5) Relocate the Transponder antenna to the front belly
   6) The wheels and brakes are now Matco,
   7) Install Dynon EFIS and EMS
   8) Replace Bendix Mag with E-Mag
   9) Install Small standby battery to provide backup power
   10) Clean up interior to include new seat cushions
   11) Modify to Downdraft cooling
   12) Repaint exterior of aircraft, F16 Camo scheem. Interior to dark gray.
   13) Remove exterior sump blisters and replace with hell hole sump tank.
   14) Install Strong Pitch Trim system.
   15) Install Electric Landing Brake actuator from Ken Miller
   16) Install Airflow Performance Fuel Injection system.
   17) Install Electric Nose gear from Jacks EZNose Lift
   18) Relocate the Cabin heater (Oil Heat System) to the rear seat thigh support.

Waiters GPS Set Time program.
Waiters Flight Data Recorder.
Flight Data Recorder.
Recording aircraft flight data.
Aircraft Voice recorder.
Garmin GPS.
Garmin GPS Serial data Format.
Recording EFIS data.
Capture Serial data.
Convert Raw Data Files.
Free GPS Software.
Reading GPS data.
Reading Garmin GPS data.
Aircraft EFIS Flight Instruments.
Electronic Flight Instruments.
Aircraft Engine Monitor System.
Garmin G format.
Infinity landing gear LongEZ Plans Built Airplane.
Oil Heat system for Homebuilt airplane.
LongEZ Canard and main Wing.
Dynon instrument panel.
Custom Mouse cursors.
Garmin Serial Data Format.
Easy, Free Computer Time setting by GPS Receiver.
Custom mouse pointers.
Custom airplane mouse pointers.
LongEZ Nose gear doors.
Long-EZ main landing gear doors.
LongEZ grasscutter landing gear door.
Custom LongEZ mouse pointers.
Lycoming engine in LongEZ.
MT Propellor with 6 inch propellor extension.
EZNose Lift retractable nose gear for Long-EZ.
Rutan LongEZ is a plans built aircraft.
High speed homebuilt airplane.
Retractable landing gear for LongEZ.
Custom Airbus mouse cursor pointer.
Custom Velocity mouse cursor pointer.
NMEA 0183 Serial data Format.
Custom Cozy mouse cursor pointer.
Custom Aerocanard airplane mouse cursor pointer.
Custom E-Racer mouse cursor pointer.
Custom Canard airplane mouse cursor pointer.
Custom LongEZ mouse cursor pointer.
Set your Computer clock with this free GPS software.
Custom F15 mouse cursor pointer.
Custom A10 Warthog mouse cursor pointer.
LongEZ Hydraulic pump.
Retractable landing gear for a Long-EZ.
Custom F16 mouse cursor pointer.
Custom F14 mouse cursor pointer.
Custom Boeing 747 mouse cursor pointer.
Custom Boeing 767 mouse cursor pointer.
Custom Boeing 777 mouse cursor pointer.
Custom Boeing 737 mouse cursor pointer.
GPS Time Sync.
Custom Boeing 727 mouse cursor pointer.
Landing gear door rigging.
Custom Boeing 757 mouse cursor pointer.
Custom MD80 mouse cursor pointer.
Custom DC9 mouse cursor pointer.
Setting your computer to a GPS Time.
Custom RV mouse cursor pointer.
Downdraft cooling for LongEZ.
Speed brake installation.
Waiters Flight Data Recorder.
LongEZ Baggage pods installation instructions.
Waiters Custom Airplane mouse cursors.
Free GPS Time Sync Program.
LongEZ Intercom installation.
Major airframe overhaul of plans built EZ.
Weight and balance for a LongEZ.
Weight and Balance spreadsheet download for a Long-EZ.
LongEZ fuel system design.
How To remove the wings from a LongEZ.
How To remove the canard from a LongEZ.
Waiters GPS Time sync program runs on PC.
How To remove the engine from a LongEZ.
Long-EZ Downdraft cooling for a Lycoming O-320.
Long-EZ Wing Removal and installation instructions.
Waiters Retractable Landing Gear Controller.
Landing Light installation in LongEZ.
Install free EFIS software on your PC.
How to Put several longezs in one hangar.
How to install an Infinity Aerospace Retractable landing gear in a Long-EZ.
How to install DownDraft cooling on a Long-EZ.
GPS Time.
Setting you computer clock to GPS time.
How to set your Computer clock to GPS Time.
Using your GPS Receiver to set your computers clock.
Low cost GPS receiver used to syncronize Computer clock to GPS time.
Neat Canopy stay system for an EZ.
Cabin Heat using engine oil as source.
Waiters GPS Time, Syncronize your PCs internal clock with the GPS satellite.
Remote display of EFIS on a PC.
Cabin Oil Heater for a LongEZ.
LongEZ Landing Gear Door.
Rigging a LongEZ Landing Gear door.
Icom Radio in LongEZ.
How to Build a Manometer.
LongEZ Electrical system upgrades.
Grand Rapids EMS.
Custom Windows cursors.
Custom Windows mouse pointers.
LongEZ Cowling for downdraft cooling.
Record holding LongEZ flights.
Using a PLC for a retractable Landing Gear Controller in a LongEZ.
Syncronize your PCs clock to a GPS receiver.
Airspeed vs pressure lookup tables.
How to build a homebuilt airplane.
Video of LongEZ taking off.
Grasscutter landing gear door.
EZ Nose Lift installation.
Landing Gear status indicator.
Shareware software can set your PC clock vie a GPS receiver.
Landing Gear controller computer for LongEZ.
Landing gear doors.
Dynon EMS10 installed in instrument panel of a LongEZ.
Dynon EFIS D10A installed in instrument panel of a LongEZ.
Flight Data Recorder Software.
PlansBuilt LongEZ.
Video of High G turn in a Long EZ.
Strong Pitch Trim system installed in a LongEZ.
Strong Pitch Trim mounted on Left Side of Long-EZ.
Free software sets your PC clock with a GPS receiver.
Video of LongEZ Taking off.
Video of LongEZ Landing.
Video of LongEZ performing a high G turn.
Video of Infinity Landing gear being retracted into a LongEZ.
LongEZ Color White.
Painting your LongEZ.
White LongEZ.
Camoflage LongEZ.
Infinity Landing Gear for LongEZ.
Strong Pitch system.