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  #1  
Old 09-07-2012, 12:28 PM
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brian brian is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Cornish, NH
Posts: 391
Default oil door flag or spring?

I've found that my oil door is easy to forget to fasten. By its nature, it lays closed when not latched, so it's easy to miss that it hasn't been latched.

I've thought about making some sort of spring-loaded flag that pops up and/or holds the door open when it's not latched. But it seems to me that surely someone else has already observed this problem and come up with a fix for it.

Has someone already done this? Is there a product on the market for it? Any suggestions for something that will cause the oil door to remain up, or a flag to pop out, when the door isn't latched?

thanks,
brian
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Brian Meyette, Cornish, NH
1995 RV-6A - N16RK (Ralph Koger) SOLD
RV-7A - incomplete, supercharged Subaru STi - N432MM - SOLD
2001 Quad City Challenger II LW - N28RT SOLD

www.meyette.us/RV-7Ahome.htm
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  #2  
Old 09-07-2012, 12:53 PM
Bavafa Bavafa is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,351
Default

Mine is spring by the use of the hidden hinge which incorporate a spring in that hinge. It is a very simple set up and can be done with any type hinge. It is so obvious that if I forget to close it, I should not be going flying.
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Mehrdad
N825SM RV7A - IO360M1B - SOLD
N825MS RV14A - IO390 - Flying
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  #3  
Old 09-07-2012, 01:00 PM
alpinelakespilot2000 alpinelakespilot2000 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,646
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bavafa View Post
Mine is spring by the use of the hidden hinge which incorporate a spring in that hinge. It is a very simple set up and can be done with any type hinge. It is so obvious that if I forget to close it, I should not be going flying.
Anyone have a picture of what these springs look like and where I can get one?
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Ellensburg WA
RV-9 Flying, 0-320, Catto

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  #4  
Old 09-07-2012, 01:25 PM
rwhittier rwhittier is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Glendale, AZ
Posts: 256
Default Avery Tool has them

See here

Quote:
Originally Posted by alpinelakespilot2000 View Post
Anyone have a picture of what these springs look like and where I can get one?
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Roger Whittier
RV7A Quick Build, Tip Up
N1MY Reserved - Canopy finished - Wings mated, Engine hung, electrical 95%

Last edited by rwhittier : 09-07-2012 at 02:34 PM.
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  #5  
Old 09-07-2012, 02:07 PM
Bavafa Bavafa is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,351
Default

Or you can simply buy the torsion springs (McMaster has them) that fits your installation. I know they were selling extra spring with the hidden hinge but I can't remember who/where one can buy the exact part.
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Mehrdad
N825SM RV7A - IO360M1B - SOLD
N825MS RV14A - IO390 - Flying
Dues paid
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  #6  
Old 09-07-2012, 02:13 PM
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ccsmith51 ccsmith51 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 1,077
Default

I have a Hartwell latch on the oil door of my RV-4:



One of my pre-taxi scans is left gas cap, oil door, right gas cap. It is very obvious from the cockpit if the door is not latched.
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Maule M5-180C (Sold)
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Last edited by ccsmith51 : 09-07-2012 at 02:30 PM.
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  #7  
Old 09-07-2012, 02:35 PM
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Omega232Devils Omega232Devils is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Catawba, NC
Posts: 318
Default Another idea

Brian,
I was looking at the oil door hidden hinge and or adding a spring to my current setup, in the mean time, I built this:



Simple little wood block with a #2 phillips bit in the bottom to open the door. A slit is cut in the wood block to keep the door open in windy conditions. And of course it is painted bright orange so that I can see it!!

Dan
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RV-6A - N426JM - 180hp / C.S. / dual PMags
NC26 - Long Island Airpark, NC
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  #8  
Old 09-07-2012, 02:52 PM
rich rich is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Posts: 180
Default

MATERIALS:
1 ADELL CLAMP
EYLET FROM UNUSED HINGE
HINGE PIN
NUT AND BOLT.
Crimp section of hinge pin to eylet and bolt to adell clamp.
Folds down out of the way.
http://s1158.photobucket.com/albums/p606/rudolph49/
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Rich Rudolph
VAF#007
RV6A 2000 HRS.
Fort Worth,Tx.
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  #9  
Old 09-07-2012, 03:21 PM
johnfurey johnfurey is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 233
Default

Steal one of the many plastic hair clips that your wife-daughter-girl friend might have lying around and take the spring out of it. Works great and if you keep your mouth shut it won't cost you anything.
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John Furey, RV7. Ohio
Life's Short...Fly Often!
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  #10  
Old 09-07-2012, 05:48 PM
N427EF N427EF is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,516
Default clothes pin spring

Some great ideas here.
The torsion spring off of a clothes pin works.
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RV-8 finished (sold)
RV-10 Flyer 600 plus hours
Running on E10 mogas
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