It can then be fit and bonded to the gear leg as desired. The resulting part is very light and incredibly rigid. You will then find out if you had used enough seperator on the tire tube before you inserted it into the resin soaked cloth tube. After the resin hardens then deflate the tire tube. Too much air pressure causes the tire tube to explode. I then inflated the inner tube with enough air pressure to force the resin cloth in all directions. I then placed the wet resin cloth and inflator on top of the wet trailing edge resin, placed a seperator layer of plastic on top of the wet cloth, then I placed the metal tube on top of everything and clamped it in place. I then mixed some epoxy resin with West 407 low density fairing filler and placed it into the depths of the V mold which had previously been lined with a plastic seperator sheet. I then inserted the inflator-dowel assembly into the center of the carbon cloth tube which I had preimpregnated with wet Epoxy resin. I then glued each end together and folded it back onto itself and taped it down to the dowel tightly to prevent any air from leaking out. I then placed a wooden dowel inside the center of the bike tube. I then took a bicycle tire tube and cut it to the desired length. First I took pieces of plate steel and welded them into a V shape that the tube would fit into. What I came up with is called a closed mold technique. I have used wood for fairings in the past but decided to try something different to learn a new technique. Better climb, better glide (anyone else doing dead stick ridge soaring? I do all the time). streamline tubing laying around like I did, rip it in half with a skinny wheel and fair the cabane also, I used sailplane gap seal tape to make sure it stays in place. Total cost for me was maybe 10 bucks, just some fabric scraps, had the paint, etc. Inspecting for cracks is still possible, weight is neglible.
I will and have ripped my belly fabric and tail feathers on brush while not having any damage to date on the a frame fabric, and if I do I'll patch it. JB WELD or Gorilla glue it into place, then cover the gear leg and paint to match. Just go to any lumber yard and get some 2 1/4" door casing, glue two pieces together, run it through a table saw so that it now cups the aft A frame leg by cutting a v groove in it.
You guys are kidding right? I can't believe that in 2013 whether or not it is worth fairing the gear is even open to discussion! No engineering degree or computer flow program needed, it's not rocket science.