Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Has anyone ever put winglets on a thorp? Curious to see what it would look like.

My understanding is that winglets work best on high aspect ratio wings. The Thorp has decidedly low aspect ratio wings. I supect you would destroy the crisp controls while accomplishing nothing in return. Certainly the view from the driver's seat would be compromised.

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

As would the view from the ground

Looks like you ran into the back of a Long easy......

Holy smokes! Those are huge! I wasn't thinking of have tri-tails.... Just small but thanks for the picture

Now that I took a closer look at the photo, I see it's been photoshopped ... Good effort though

I've been wanting to to experiment with this - I'm the type who gets a wild hair idea and my brain runs with it in overdrive for awhile, then poops out and it dies. Bob is correct - the low aspect ratio does not lend itself to an improvement in performance/decrease in drag of the wing - most aircraft with winglets have high aspect ratio and swept or tapered wings - gliders have high aspect ration wings and benefit, as well as airliners that report in the neighborhood of 1% fuel savings because of the effect of winglets - a big deal to them - I have also thought that a small (1/2 inch to 1 inch high) wing fence at the tip/wing juncture might help with the airflow around the tip. Spanky and I have had a beer conversation on this and his recommendation (if I recall correctly) is that if you build one, build a "pivot" into it with some incremental relative wind set points, attach some streamers and experiment.

I was planning on building a winglet during last winter's maintenance, but as usual, I start with 10 ideas and end up implementing only 2 or 3. When I finish the ejection seat, you'll know I'm completely done with the plane.

Looks like 3 rudder / stab combo's.

Less the ac registration.

Un-good.

Last Day in the RCAF 33 years and change.

_________________
Victor J Thompson
C-GIRQ
In memory of Dad

Welcome to the next phase of your life Victor. Good on ya! Eh!

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Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

Thanks Bob.

Nice seeing you at Sun and Fun even if for just a short time. Bird looks great up close.

Start the process to Building a Hanger at Smithsfalls Ontario ( south west of Ottawa) 1st priority,...

Then re-assemble C-GIRQ,....

_________________
Victor J Thompson
C-GIRQ
In memory of Dad

Welcome to the afterlife. It ain't so bad. Thanks for your service!

Thanks James.

Have time now to finish my projects.

No winglets for me.

_________________
Victor J Thompson
C-GIRQ
In memory of Dad

33 years and some change...you got me beat ! You will look back on all the good times and look foward to all the new challenges ahead !

RB

Rich: 33 and 8 months, when my accumilated leave runs out. They say you know when it is time to leave and that was 2 years ago.

I applied to a couple of contractor / public servant jobs here in Canada related to RCAF ( aircraft life cycle maintenance manager) however current government is going in the right direction in my mind that is to make government smaller.

That being said this limits military personnel oppertunity to roll over into the civil servants, I may be a casuility of this, with no regrets.

Always more good times than bad, looking fwd to supporting my friends that still carry the torch.
Lots of change in the air force these days some much better, some things are going the wrong way, all in all leaner more capable, better equiped air force.

Retirement will allow time to re-assembling my 2 planes, one Thorp and one Corbin Baby Ace.

Cheers.

_________________
Victor J Thompson
C-GIRQ
In memory of Dad

Ok, not winglets, but how about micro VGs? Might have missed it if it was discussed in another thread, but what thoughts are out there regarding these for the Thorp?