droop wingtips for Cessna 150s
Rod Farlee
>We are getting some new wingtips for our C-150... noticed the Hoerhner
>(spelling?) performance enhancing fiberglass wingtips for not much more
>than other wingtips... that Texas Aeroplastics is selling for around $350.
>Anyone out there ever try these on a Cessna?
Hoerner tips do not droop!
Ace Demers' "Super Tips" are available from Madras Air Service, (503) 475-
2360. They are big droop tips, and curve out and down almost a foot.
Demers has STCs for most Beech, Cessna, Piper and Stinson models.
Two friends of mine have Ace Demer's droop wingtips on their Cessna 150s.
One is a CFI and uses his for primary training from a 1600' long turf strip.
Both say they get 5 mph lower stall speed and softer, more gentle stalls and
landings. But they also say they get 5 mph lower cruise speed.
Hoerner's tip design is available in fiberglass from Met-Co-Aire, (714) 870-
4610. They have STCs for most Cessna and Piper singles and Bonanzas. He
developed this at NACA during WWII using wing tunnel tests. The design is
optimized for minimum induced drag and wingtip vortices at high angles of
attack. Reducing the vortex improves aileron control at low speeds. The
tips extend the span and area of the wing only slightly, compared to Demers',
so don't add drag during cruise.
I installed Met-Co-Aire Hoerner wingtips on my Cessna 150 three years ago.
These fiberglass wingtips are much stronger than Cessna's ABS plastic tips,
which had developed cracks. They do improve aileron control at very low
speed (40-48 mph, stall horn on), allowing aileron to raise the wing. This
is helpful during the flare in crosswind landings with crossed controls
(forward slip), allowing one to use lower landing speeds.
There is no noticeable change in flight characteristics during MCA, stall
entries, or spin entries; one uses rudder, not aileron, to control roll
during these maneuvers, anyway. If you hold the airplane in a stall by
holding the nose up with power (2000 rpm, full back yoke, airspeed on the
stop <30 mph IAS, ROC -1500 to -2000 fpm, hold wings level with rudder), the
ailerons still exhibit positive control - right aileron lowers the right wing.
At these extreme angles of attack, with stock Cessna wingtips, the ailerons
can produce zero or negative control - right aileron lowers the left wing -
depending on how deeply stalled you are. So they do improve aileron control
at very high angles of attack, as advertised. But in normal everyday cross-
country flying, the difference is not noticeable.
I think they lower stall speed slightly (2-3 mph), but this is difficult
to quantitate because the airspeed indicator is below the white arc (40 mph),
is bouncing off the stop, and is very inaccurate at high angles of attack
anyway. So this is only a subjective, not an objective, observation.
There is no measurable change in cruise speed.
They also look good. I painted mine with the Cessna logo and curved stripe,
following the design used on new Maules.
The only caveat is that, depending on the model year of your 150, you may
have to buy new wingtip nav lights to fit either style of replacement wing
tip. I found a used set for $60, but new nav lights from Whelen are much
more ($200?). You might want to check this first.
- Rod Farlee, C-150/150hp, r...@sadtler.com