RV-10 DOOR Separation need to know!

[rv6ejguy]

Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright

It wouldn't surprise me to see someone come out with a front hinged door modification. Sure, a front hinged door would still pop open (slightly) if not latched, but would only open a few inches and probably wouldn't depart the aircraft.

Is there some advantage offered by the top hinged door that I'm missing?

Might keep some rain off you when entering the aircraft and are nice when taxiing in hot weather. The RV10 is not alone with door problems. I had a test flight in a brand new Cirrus last year and the demo pilot had to try about 8 times to close the door correctly. Also last year, a friend test flying a Glassair came whizzing by me with the door fully open for an emergency landing while I held short. Quite a sight but a very strong door design as it stayed on the plane with minor damage. This one happened in cruise and he had to land very hot as the aircraft was very scary at low speeds. Scared the stuffing out of him initially but he has survived a lot worse in his test flying and water bombing career.

[Geico266]

Originally Posted by willpeacock

Inclosing doors would often seem necessary to reach back and pull the aft point while simultaneously turning lock handle.

Can you elaborate more? What is the "aft point"? Did the handle always click in place? Do you think the pin just broke? It either broke, bent, or it was not in the hole for take off.

[andrejv]

Hi Will

Thank heavens you are safe - I hope it does not take a death to recognise and fix this failing in the RV10.

I too have had a door open (on take off). I was luckier than you as my door remained attached!! You can see my posts at

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=26526

Even when I was building the plane I realised that the RV10 doors were potential trouble - silly me, I should have followed my instincts and modified them at the outset.

I believe that the doors bend outwards far more along the lower horizontal edge than we realise (as a result of aerodynamic forces). I say this because when I am on the ground the safety latch can be easily lifted up over the Z striker plate on the fuselage but in flight, IT IS UNDER SUCH PRESSURE THAT I CANNOT BUDGE IT!!! The large outward aerodynamic forces bend the door and they are then taken up by the safety latch.

Note too that the door pins have a chamfer on the forward surface to aide door closing. If the doors were to flex outwards sufficiently, and if there was sufficient movement forward of the lower edge of the door (the fit of the actual door in the fuselage door space) it would be possible for the rear pin to ride up the chamfer, pushing the lower edge of the door forward; the rear pin pops out of the fiberglass housing, the teflon gives way and the rear pin is no longer secure. In only a second or two, the door flies open.....with the terrible results that we both have experienced!

Without being dramatic, IMHO, all RV10's should be fitted with safety latches ASAP!! As I am sure you will now appreciate, I will not fly in a 10 without latches. My passenger (at the time) will NEVER fly in a light aircraft again!!

Hope your repairs go well

Best wishes

Andre

[Geico266]

Andre, where did you get the componets for your latches? Are you going to make kits? I'll take two!

[airtime]

Another RV-10 landed safely today (4-5-08) minus the pilot side door. Damage was minimal in comparison to pictures on this thread. Pilot thought door was latched. Door came open during climb out. Pilot was holding door closed briefly but let go to "fly the airplane". Door started wobbleing and was gone.

I don't know if warning lights were installed.

Slight scratch on horizontal going by, certainly lucky all things considered.

For me, when the door comes open that usually means JUMP.

Rob Herndon 223RH RV6

[andrejv]

Originally Posted by Geico266

Andre, where did you get the componets for your latches? Are you going to make kits? I'll take two!

Hi Larry

I made the latches up myself - I spent several weeks playing with designs and ideas; I wanted a system like the safety latch of a cars bonnet - pop a cars bonnet at 100 km per hour and it will not fly open - a simple secondary latch prevents this.

Unfortunately, I just do not have the time nor the resources to make multiple kits up myself; that is why I have posted the pictures on this site so that hopefully someone (it should be Vans) will run with the idea.... Surely someone, somewhere could mass produce something along these lines??

Note the the post after yours Larry - yet another RV10 has lost a door... I really love my RV10 more than anything that I have built before ( I would not swap it for any other 4 seater) but I am so much happier now that I know the doors CANNOT fly open....

There is a proverb that says something like "a donkey will trip over a stone but once, then walk around it; Man will trip over it seven times before learning the lesson..."

Lets hope that seven more doors will not be lost before the lesson is learned!

Cheers

Andre

[Geico266]

There are many cases of RV-10 doors coming off in climb out due to them not being properly latched. When closing the door and compressing the door seal if not done correctly the rear pin will be on the out side of the plane and not in the hole.

This is the first time I have heard of a door speration after climb out let alone 4,500'.

Part of the take off proceedure in my RV-10 is to phyically touch the end of the both rear pins before take off, and I also push on the each door to see if it gives. Then I look at the lights. Since the magnet in near the reed switch (even when the door is not close properly) it may give you a "GO" reading when it is not in the hole. I phyically check the pins before each takeoff.

[Geico266]

Look at the pictures again. If you look closely at the rear pin hole of the Co-Pilot side I think I have found the problem. The pin did not extend though the sturctural part of the canopy. It only protruded into the "plastic". I can see no wear inside the hole! When it gave way the door came off.

Mine measure a minimum of 1.4" fully extended.

[ergie63]

I agree. The beveled portion of the pin does not count for engagement, just alignment.

I would also help the plastic block by mounting it inside an aluminum c-channel or pot urethane in a c-channel.

[Mike S]

Originally Posted by SteinAir

Also curious about the Green Light.

I know Jesse has changed a lot of things, but if the design of the latches has been changed (not saying it has), perhaps that should be re-visited a bit. Same with the green light...wondering what that's all about...

Thanks,
Stein

Stein, I also put in green LEDs instead of the red ones-------and deleted the relays----

I have a "Push to test" button, two green "Door latched" lights, and a very simple wiring set up for this. Straight series wiring, hot lead to switch, through LEDs to reed switches (series), to ground.

Vans uses a setup where the circuit is always hot, the door switched energize a relay to open the NC contacts turning off the red light.

I just didnt like using a constant electrical flow, to turn a light off. Just aint right

In my setup, the door checking takes an active action by me, and is going to be part of my pre start check list.