Group buy for quarter turn fastners

[kboyd59]

I would like to thank everyone for the interest shown in the cowling fastener group buy. I talked to Jeremy of Milspeck today and he advised he had contacted Doug Reeves with the info and Doug has posted the info in the Group buy/discounts forum and on the front page of the VAF website, please check these two locations for further information and updates on how the group buy is progressinhg.

Ken
RV9A
(57KB)reserved

[Thatchman]

O.K., it looks like we are on track. I am assuming most of you are familiar with our previous group buys and how they worked but, If there are any questions, just let me know. Anyone wanting to take advantage of the group buy discounts, please contact me so we can get the list together and start shipping ASAP. DR is posting updates in the group buy forum and I will keep him informed of our progress. Thanks!

Best regards,
Jeremy Summers
MilSpec Products, Inc.
T 352-735-0065
F 352-735-0504
E milspecprod@earthlink.net
www.milspecproducts.com

[RVbySDI]

Are these fasteners the same as the Skybolt CLoc adjustable fasteners? If so, are they similar to the Skybolt light duty or the heavy duty? Also, do they provide an RV kit with the appropriate amount for the cowl, etc? I am trying to analyze my cowling needs but do not know much about these systems. Any help on understanding this is appreciated.

[Thatchman]

Steve,

These are very similar to the Skybolt heavy duty parts but MilSpec manufactures them in house to our own specs. They have the same adjustability feature which makes the fitting process easy. The model specific kits for RVs can be found here www.milspecproducts.com/KITPLANES.htm along with additional info and pics. If you need anything else just let me know.

Best,
Jeremy

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

I'm still trying to figure out which way to go on this. Are folks happy with how these work. Are there horror stories -- or not -- with the Van's attachment method. Do I want the firewall "only" (whatever exactly that is), just the side, or the whole deal?

What are the pros and cons of all the options?

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by Bob Collins

I'm still trying to figure out which way to go on this. Are folks happy with how these work. Are there horror stories -- or not -- with the Van's attachment method. Do I want the firewall "only" (whatever exactly that is), just the side, or the whole deal?

What are the pros and cons of all the options?

I'm with Bob. I liked the cowl removal on my Cherokee (Screws and nutplates) so these would be really nice. On the other hand, the hinge leaves a really clean look.

[WSBuilder]

Has anyone compared the ease and speed between the hinge/pin versus qtr turn? I think anything that promotes a frequent inspection up front would make me lean toward that.

[Pilottonny]

I am interested in the camlocks around the firewall (and stick with the Vans design along the cowling split, to avoid the buckling and have a cleaner look)
How many will I need for my RV9 around the firewall?

Regards, PilotTonny

[Thatchman]

Tonny,

Granted the hinge system does give you a cleaner look, as there is little to no visible attachment point between the upper and lower cowls. However, the buckling issue has been addressed in the newer generation SJ and Vans cowls because they have added a reinforcement (doubler) strip along the cowling edge. This stiffens the cowl much like many production Cessna, Beech, Mooney etc. cowls that have a similar aluminum structure along the edges for the same reason. SJ also uses a cored composite lay up that increases the rigidity of the cowl more than their earlier versions. In addition the kits MilSpec offers assume 3.5? spacing between fasteners which is a little tighter than kits offered in the past that had 4? spacing. Some people like the looks and ease of the quarter turns, some like the hinge better. It?s a personal preference really. For cowls that are not reinforced, you can use a simple fiberglass cloth and resin lay up adjacent to the edge of the top and bottom cowls along the horizontal sides to add stiffness without increasing the thickness at the fastener line. This can even be added after the aircraft has been flown if a buckling issue does arise. The firewall area can actually use wider spacing (4?) if desired, because the receptacle mount strip attached to the fuselage adds significant support. The RV9 kits we offer contain 30 set ups for just the firewall. If you want more or less, we can make arrangements to alter the count to suit whatever you may want. The cost would adjust accordingly and the same discount would apply.

Keep the questions coming, I like to stay sharp and it makes our kits better in the long run!

Best,
Jeremy
MilSpec

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

So primarily we're talking a -1-- cosmetic appearance or -2- ease of getting the cowl off and on ?

Are those primarily the two main things to consider before deciding whether to drop the dough?

It sounds like hinges win #1 . I assume this kit wins #2. But by how much?