A question I’ve gotten a lot is what consideration I’ve given to VGs in my design. This is a very valid issue for anyone who has painstakingly placed VGs on their wing for improved performance. Interestingly, in a battle between WingTent and VGs, the WingTent would likely always win. And the VGs would likely be knocked down when the WingTent was drawn over the wing. We don’t want that, obviously.
But given that VGs are installed and distributed on a wing very differently from airplane to airplane, it is almost impossible to factor that into a universal design. So instead of accomodating for VGs in the design of the WingTent, I’ve offered a fairly simple recommendation to VG owners that hopefully eliminates any risk to VGs.
Carry some pipe insulation with you (the round tubes you buy at Home Depot that are grey and come in different sizes). Buy a size that is a half-inch or so taller than your VGs. When setting up the WingTent, set the pipe insulation just aft of the VGs before drawing the WingTent out over the wing. Leave the pipe insulation in place the entire time the WingTent is in place. The insulation will hopefully prevent the WingTent from coming into contact with the VGs.
But this is a yet-untested approach. If anyone has a chance to test this, or has done something similar in the past, please comment and let me know your experience. As with anything on your aircraft that might be impacted by the WingTent, it is up to you, the aircraft owner, to apply due diligence to avoid any damage to the aircraft.