Posted by JamesB on Saturday, May 2, 2009 @ 12:44 PM:
When I purchased my RF5B, the wooden tips of both wings had already been ground down a bit on the bottom. I'm finally going to repair them. After much thought, decided to replace the ground off portion with hardwood. I considered using a high density block of plastic, but maple is good enough, will take paint & if I attach the new piece with screws, they can be sacrificial & just replaced with another piece if needed.
However, I have noticed that the RF-5's have a smooth rounded tip at the end of the wing that matches the shape of the wing. While the RF-5B's have an extended piece of wood that extends down from the wing itself and is somewhat squared off.
Does anyone know, was this variation just used as a skid for the longer wings (which can overpower the nylon gear legs) or is there an actual aerodynamic value to them? (they seem to small to act like winglets)
Any ideas?
