Gidday all,
I flew recently with a fellow who 3 years ago finished building a VariEze.
He told me of a mod approved downunder and widely used in the US of
sheathing all hinge pins with a teflon coating. Why you need a
dispensation/mod approval is because you need to replace the standard hinge
pin with one 1/2 the diameter and of the required strength. Supposedly the
hinges will wear in 3-500 hours of operation, especially if vibration or
minute flutter comes into play. This is because the hinge pin is so much
tougher than the adjacent soft alloy alluminium hinge. I am concerned about
the flange of the hinges that are rivetted to the various controls such as
the stabilator trim tabs. He tells me that not only will the teflon negate
having to ever replace the hinge, but that you do not need to lubricate them
either as they are self lubricating. Evidently it is very hard to get the
sheathed hinge wire into the hinge but once in it won't come out, so much so
that in the US you didn't need any further locking mechanism. That is not to
say my friend didn't do so howeve,r as he used a method I hadn't heard of by
using 2 small split pins located in small holes through the outboard lug end
of each hinge entrapping it internally. I should also add, the flange that
the hinge mated to provided a physical barrier to the falling/working out of
the pin. I'm finding out more about this sheathing and will send it up the
line when I know more. Simply to wet ones appetite!
Does anyone know any more about this??
Regards
Tony Renshaw
Builder No.236
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