Stewart wing tip on PA-16

[Clipper9]

Hi,

Does anybody have done the modification to a PA-16 and have the opportunity to test it before and after the mod? I have concern about reducing the lovely ailerons responsiveness of the stock PA-16. My goal is to increase the slow flight characteristics to have more room on shorter strip. Plan is to reduce the empty weight also since a will keep the O-235 on it. Did you know what should be the weight of this mod?


Thanks for your help

[PA-16]

I have Ferguson Plane Booster tips and I can push that stick over and roll so fast you have to hang on, it is fun. Can also pitch up 45° and climb like crazy at 55mph IAS when just me and 10 gallons of gas

The best thing about the booster tips is slow flight, I have pitched up and climbed at no airspeed, slowly pitch up and still showing a climb, when you get below 45 the needle just starts flopping around but the vsi is still climbing, just keep your feet working the rudder to keep the wings level. I have never stalled it in a climb, eventually just lowered the nose and speed up, she gives the best rate around 70 IAS , but it will climb at light weight at way way less than that, granted I was still moving forward, the cheap pitot tube was not able to read my actual speed, but I was still climbing at no IAS, this plane is so fun with those wingtips. It does not want to stall easy.

[dgapilot]

I’ve flown TriPacers with droop tips (not sure if it was Demers or Plane Boosters). It did allow a little slower stall speed, but I hated the reduction in visibility. Likewise I hated the look of the droop tips.

You might want to check with Steve Pierce as he now owns the Stewart tip STC. Doesn’t limit visibility like the droop tips, and supposed to provide lower stall speed. Not sure what the weight change might be. You might also look into VGs, less intrusive installation, and also improves slow speed.


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[Steve Pierce]

I spent several days with Dan Stewart a few weekends ago and we discussed his tips. He had a 150 Clipper but did not fly it prior to the rebuild and installation of the Stewart tips. He did say that it would descend at 500 fpm at 70 mph where standard wings are usually 1000 fpm or so. They do increase the wing area and less parasitic drag. Was looking at a Whitman Tailwind and the new Boeing 787 and realize they have the same tips. I too am curious about how they effect the ailerons on a Clipper.

[andya]

Could be time to resurrect your Clipper

[PA-16]

I need to fly a Clipper without the Ferguson tips so I can compare roll with and without them. What I can say is with Ferguson tips a Clipper rolls quick, I dont know if I would want it any quicker, its exciting, get 2300rpm set and shove the stick over youre at 75 degrees of bank FAST, relax the bank pressure and pull back on the stick and you whip around so tight, it is a fun airplane, pulling a couple Gs but within limits. I dont know how accurate the airspeed indicator is, but if I come in at 70 on a 2000 foot strip get ready to float 1500 feet because you wont get it on the ground in a 3 point, maybe wheel landing but I dont do those, I stall it, try to get the tail on first. Im saying this because I amost crashed this when I first got it trying to land on a 2000 foot grass strip coming in at 70. At 60 over the numbers I will float a few hundred feet. Anything over 60 is a go around on that strip, I dont like flying the back side of the power curve, but that is the only way to land this Clipper short, power in and 50 mph, that will get you stopped in the first 500 feet, 60 over the numbers will float trying to 3 point, 50 will get you on the ground in the first 100 feet or so and stopped in 500. But it takes power, and not much flare, 60mph and idle you get a normal flare but float a little. I dont land this on short strips, but Ferguson tips will allow a 50 maybe even 45 mph final, idle power you still wont be coming down more than 500fpm, but you dont have anything left to flare so you have to have power to not hit hard.

[PA-16]

I need to bring my Clipper to Steve and have him make me new gear.. I think I may have put sideload on it once or twice in stiff xwinds landings on pavement, I dont notice any issues but would like to have beefed up thicker landing gear after reading the Clipper gear was not as strong as Pacer gear.

[Steve Pierce]

My slowest, shortest landings were power off, hard slip all the way to the threshold with a quick kick straight an a rotation that just barely kissed the tailwheel first and she was done flying.

[PA-16]

I am not an expert at short landings, I would like to go flying with you in my plane and have you show me how to fly it right. I have scared myself a couple times trying to get it on short fields with more than 60mph and thats just asking for trouble in this Clipper with Ferguson tips. I would like to learn to land on those gravel bars and I think my plane could easily do it, but taking off.. not so sure with that little 115 hp engine.

[Gilbert Pierce]

I routinely land in 600 feet when I need to. I’ve never had a problem with my Clipper floating but I do have stock wing tips. I shoot for 60 to 65 on short final. I’ve found a wide disparity in AIR SPEED indicators in airplanes like the Clipper and Vagabond that have no static system. I even flew a Pacer once that stalled at 70 mph. The owner told me it was a really fast airplane. Really!
Duplicating the location of the TriPacer static port location solved my issue with the A/S.