Alan Stewart wrote:
>
> ......having an electric screwdriver helps, but it takes an age to get
> to parts of the aircraft that need frequent checking. Specifically,
> I'm talking about the screws on the top cowl of the engine bay, and the ones
> attaching the rear bulkhead cover on the back wall of the baggage area.
>
> Has anyone investigated alternatives ??
>
> How about the screws that tighten and lock with a single, 90 degree turn ?
> Anyone know what they're called & where to get them ? Would any changes
> require PFA approval ?
As a Demned Colonist, I can't speak for (or perhaps against?) the PFA,
but you have at least two alternatives. One is Dzus fasteners
(pronounced "Zeus"), in which a shank with a short 90-degree spiral slot
at the end engages a spring wire running across the hole in the "female"
part. Dzuses have been around for a long time; if you ever get to a
field that has something like a T-6 on it ("Harvard" to you Brits),
you'll find them all over the cowling, access panels, etc.
The more modern alternative is "Cam-Lok" fasteners, in which the
spring-loaded shank of the male part ends in a tiny crosspiece which
engages slots in the female part. These are available in all kinds of
styles, including "structural" ones in which an outer barrel in the male
part engages a bushing in the female; these, while pricey (and not
necessary on Europa) can handle significant structural shear loads.
I don't have an ASS catalog in front of me at the moment, but so far as
I know they stock both kinds.
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