There is in fact a good reason for a long door tang. As the hinge axis is
buried below the surface, the tang end describes an arc which demands a
curved recess which does not start vertically. If it does, as in the
Europa design, then there has to be a gap at the surface to prevent
interference as you move the door towards the vertical. The longer the
tang the smaller the gap, but of course the deeper recess has to be.
Purists may avoid having a gap with any length of tang by casting an
undercut lip on the fuselage recess, but the geometry is quite critical
e.g. it is important that the tang end is rounded (or starts just below
the fuselage surface) or play in the hinge will lose you the lip as you
open the door. So don't cut them shorter unless you are prepared to do
this !
gemin no.83
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