But you've said VGs don't do anything for a Cessna. I couldn't disagree more!
On the topic, in a private conversation I asked Jerry Burr about VGs with wing slats and whether VGs provide a benefit. His answer surprised me. He said the VGs don't assist the slats, the slats energize the VGs. I think about that a lot when in discussions about cuffs.
Stewart,
Apparently, you didn't read my earlier comment about VGs on a Cessna wing very carefully. In that comment, I noted that my experience with VGs on a Cessna wing was with a Cessna 170, that had no other modifications to the wings.....no cuff, no RSTOL, just a basic 1952 Cessna airfoil. And, by the way, that airplane weighed 1360 or so, a LOT lighter than any 180 or 185 I've ever met.
And, in fact, I did not say the VGs didn't do anything for that wing. In fact, what I said was that the VGs did mellow out the stall some, and lowered the stall speed a little bit.
There's a whole lot of difference between a 170 and a 180 or 185, while they have the same airfoil, weight is a LOT different, and that plays a significant role in stall speed. Hang a LOT more weight on the same wing, and it's a different game.
I never professed to be knowledgeable about VGs on a 180 or 185, since I've never flown either with VGs installed. I would not put them on a 170 again, for several reasons.....one of which is nearly slashing my wrist on one of the things while fueling from cans on floats......slippery hip boots.
But, if VGs make you happy on your 180, good for you.....that's your experience, not mine.....my experience was strictly with a 170.
When it comes to Sportsman kits, I have flown one Cessna 170 before and after a Sportsman kit was installed, one Cessna 180 before and after, and two Cessna 185s before and after, as well as at least three other 185s already equipped with Sportsman kits. Two of those 185s had the late camber lift wing, all the others had the standard early Cessna leading edge. Every one of those airplanes benefited greatly from the addition of the Sportsman kit. Stall speed was measurably and noticeably slower. My boss, a non pilot, flew with me to Fort Yukon for a meeting right after the kit was installed on our 1985 185 and he commented when we landed that it sure seemed like the plane landed slower......and he wasn't aware that we'd modified the wing. The difference was that noticeable.
And while the stall speed is significantly lowered by the Sportsman kit, the stall characteristics are significantly altered as well. The stall turned into a mushing descent, and performing a rudder stall became a non event....didn't even have to be that quick on the rudders. That 1985 airplane also had a RSTOL kit on it, and RSTOL airplanes can have somewhat "aggressive" stall breaks when you push them to very high alpha. The Sportsman kit changed that airplane's stall characteristics to very mellow. That alone would have made me happy, but that kit really improved the slow speed handling of that airplane in a bunch of ways.
And, fyi, I flew that 185 over 2000 hours before and 1000 to 1500 hours after the Sportsman kit was installed. Much of that was off airport work on wheels, floats and skis. The other airplanes I've flown with the Sportsman kit I didn't fly that much, but the results were consistent and very positive.
But, again, this is simply my experience. Take it for what it's worth.
MTV