Hank Nixon installed wingtip wheels on my ASW 24 last winter when we refinished the wings. They're almost identical to the tip wheels on the 201 Libelles; i.e., small wheels half buried in the tips. UH made a mold for the sockets that get recessed in the wingtips so I would check with him. However I believe the 27 wing thickness is somewhat less than the 24, and the available depth within the tip was one of the constraints we had to work with.

They work very well on landing (and takeoff, I suspect, though I haven't dropped a tip this year) and when moving the ship around on the ground. They're exactly what I wanted when I posted here last winter about this idea.

When we eyeballed the faired-in wheels with the original rubber tip skids, it appeared that the wheels were no less aerodynamic, considering profile and cross-sectional area. The other type of tip wheel that is completely enclosed in a fairing that sits on top of the wing skin wouldn't be quite as slick, although I suspect the impact on performance would be minimal.

Chip Bearden