Zip Tips Premiere 2

Hello all,
Long time listener, first time caller (with my 2021 donation PAID). I am getting close to the crating date on my -10 wings and am very much on the fence on whether to have them include the stock wingtips and lenses or to go with Zip Tips Premiere 2s (https://www.aveoengineering.com/ziptips-premiere-2/).

My question is, has anyone added these that can speak to any change in flight characteristics from the stock Van's wingtips? That is quite a curve up to the "winglet" of the Zip Tips 2and I have to imagine it changes the flight characteristics a bit. I'm not an aeronautical engineer enough to even guess if it adds drag or reduces it, or what impact it has to stall speeds and low speed handling characteristics if at all. Can anyone share their actual observations from flying with them on or any info Aveo has provided you?

FWIW, Van's says they have no engineering objection to using them but cannot speak to or speculate on the flight characteristics as they have not tested them (which is what I expected to hear).

Thanks in advance!

I have the zip tips winglet design. I have flown them. I have absolutely no idea how they impact flight performance as I have flown them since first flight. I was really in it for the integrated lights but they do look pretty cool and if I were to do it again I would.

That said, I have a un-mounted set of original vans wing tips sitting in my shop. If you want them and can figure out how to get them to your home you can have them.

I’m not a builder, but I did install them on my RV-8.

In terms of flying qualities, I can’t determine any difference in roll ‘crispness/snappiness’ or rate. Nothing much changed where the aileron interfaces with the tip, so this wasn’t a surprise.

I did notice the airplane needed less nose-up trim, but it is a *very* slight amount. Again, I can’t define it or quantify it to you (or me!).

Overall, I’d like to think better controlling and shaping the wing tip vortices up and out a little, and maybe a little tighter, might lead to a little additional speed or economy/range. MicroKnots, less enroute time, and .04 gph better burn over long periods of time. I have no idea. It certainly isn’t slower and I’m not burning more gas.

So I feel the ZipTips won’t bring you any big changes or surprises. Except when other people see them. *Everyone loves them.* Food tastes better, colors are brighter, etc. Oh, and the LEDs are suuuuuper cool!

Buy them. Install them. Take ‘em for a rip!

karrelsj said:

I have the zip tips winglet design. I have flown them. I have absolutely no idea how they impact flight performance as I have flown them since first flight. I was really in it for the integrated lights but they do look pretty cool and if I were to do it again I would.

That said, I have a un-mounted set of original vans wing tips sitting in my shop. If you want them and can figure out how to get them to your home you can have them.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the info and your offer! I am leaning towards the Zip Tips so I won't have a need for the Van's wingtips.

Scotty G said:

Buy them. Install them. Take ‘em for a rip!

Click to expand...

Sweet. I think I will!

ZipTip Premiere Winglets v3

Hi bought these for my RV-10 and think very highly of them and would buy them again.

I have a bunch of photos I took during their installation, I haven't been that good at keeping my build log up to date online, but I'll try to get that done soon. Overall, it was a pretty simple install using the KAI Section 24 steps for nut plate installation. The entire assembly is only a few pounds, the fiberglass shell is pretty stiff and it all fits snugly into the wing end.

I did have to split and make a minor adjustment and re-epoxy the trailing edge to get the correct rigging alignment to the controls, but that was fairly simple.

The build quality is very good, the lights are VERY bright, and they're all configured including landing, navigation, taxi and recognition, which eliminates the need for any other lights on exterior of the airplane (no need to run a rudder position light).

They cost more, but if you back out the parts you can delete (nearly all of what is listed in section 24 of the drawings), all of the lights you would normally buy separately, and then consider that the lights are already installed and setup (saving hours of work), it's a pretty good deal, IMHO.

Some internal features I liked were that the connections are with a standard CPC connector and comes with an already pinned plug with about a 12" pigtail, and the landing and taxi lights have a nice aiming adjustment accessible through the included access cover.

As for the flight characteristics - I'm not aware of any documented flight data to show "before and after" changes, but they are slightly wider than the stock wingtip, which might improve wing efficiency some small fraction, probably mostly on the "feel good" chart.

One thing I can say with certainty - they do look cool and bring about 168,000 polar candela of light per fixture; that's a lot of light going down the runway.

Good info. Thanks Ron!