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Re: Europa-List: Re: mid-door latch - YERLY

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Re: mid-door latch - YERLY
From: Bud Yerly <budyerly@msn.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2013 13:27:25
Alan,
I see no one answered your email as yet.  Ref Chapter 34 and 35 of the 
build manual:
Test data:
The door flex at 130 Kts and 3.8 Gs is estimated at 1/4 inch total or 
about 1/8 inch from each side max ( I really could only see the front 
bolt door movement) measured without door seals during my LSA testing of 
the Vortex Generators.  Non scientific really.  I just removed the seals 
and put a piece of tape on the door and marked the canopy line on the 
door and observed for movement in flight.

My test also allowed for a non glued in cover over the latch handle, and 
a basic door without the thick wide door option assuring me that if the 
door flexed, I would see it.  The VGs allow a significantly higher AOA 
so I had to look at another Vs as well as a new Vman or manuevering 
speed to make sure there were no surprises anywhere in the airframe up 
to Vne and there were none...

Door guide distances to check for:
The shoot bolt install is in your build manual and on line of course.  
When built properly the distance from tip to tip of the shoot bolts when 
in the unlatched position is supposed to be 952mm, but see below as I 
seem to have a bit more tinkering to do.  The practical minimum distance 
for the un-tapered portion of the shoot bolt when installed into the 
door frame guide is 3/8 to 1/2 inch penetration.  If it is not, rebuild 
them.

Install / repair techniques:
I personally install the shoot bolts and rods to give me 1/2 inch (12.5 
mm) out of the door shoot bolt guide as a minimum, and the tip of the 
bolt is flush with my guide in the door when retracted.  This bit of 
extra fitting keeps the door from wanting to bow out a bit and assures 
me of a solid latch even with someone or thing pushing or sucking 
outward on the door.

Keep in mind that during install of the guides in the fuselage, they are 
to be nearly a contact fit between the door guide and fuselage guide of 
no more slop than 1-2 mm total ( I use a 1/32 inch thick washer as a 
placement spacer when fitting the fuselage guides to assure a tight but 
acceptable closing fit).  Since the shoot guide in the aircraft should 
have at least 3/8 or 10mm of bolt resting inside it when latched, to 
check it, use the butt end of your vernier caliper or similar, stuck in 
the rear of the bolt to measure your shoot bolt installed distance into 
the guide, accounting for the taper of the bolt head of course.  If 
yours does not meet the specs, order a new set of door rods and make it 
right.  A technique is to make small adjustments to the rod in the 
construction (before drilling the bolt,  to get the bolt extension 
distance right yet allow for full retraction... Then trim and round the 
rod end for proper movement of the tapered bolt.  Some rebating of the 
door itself may be necessary to get the guide to stay in alignment.  If 
you end up a bit long on the bolt, a bit of file work on the bolt tip is 
OK but cleanup of debris is essential.

The prudent builder/craftsman measures twice, fits it many times, then 
drills once to install the guide to the rod for a perfect fit.  Polish 
up the shoot bolts, assure your pins do not protrude and drag in the 
guide, then install the door guides carefully so as to keep the door 
shoot bolt perfectly straight on extension as per the manual.  Done 
properly, the doors close easily, and latch with very little force even 
with the door seals installed.

Regards,
Bud Yerly
Tech Support.  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Alan Carter<mailto:alancarteresq@onetel.net> 
  To: europa-list@matronics.com<mailto:europa-list@matronics.com> 
  Sent: Friday, March 15, 2013 4:27 PM
  Subject: Europa-List: Re: mid-door latch - YERLY


<alancarteresq@onetel.net<mailto:alancarteresq@onetel.net>>

  Hi All.
  I have the inner door handle guarded by a plate, and I have painted 
the closed shadow of the door handle in Red on the outside,
  I have greased the shoe bolts where they enter the frame, this made a 
world of difference in taking the strain off the door handle, they close 
feather light now, but also open feather light.
  However with the doors properly closed, how far should the shoe bolt 
go into the frame,bearing in mind there is a gap between door and frame, 
and what are the chances of the actual door flexing under airflow so the 
bolts could spring out you only need one to spring . 
  Are they any tel tell signs that could point to this happening, the 
possibilities  in turbulence or a dive to VNE.

  Alan


  Read this topic online here:


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