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New Door Hinge ?

I installed these hinge reinforcements on N720JH. Although the use of nutplates on the underside of the canopy seemed like a good idea, it was very difficult to get everything to line up and remain in place. Those nutplates came loose more than once after being bonded to the canopy. After coming back from the paint shop I had to remove the doors because he had mixed up the hinges. With everything oriented correctly, I could not get all the bolts to start into the nutplates. So, I gave up and removed them. I still used the square reinforcement plates on the top side under the bolt heads, but just used conventional nuts and fender washers instead of the nutplates at the hinge attachment to the canopy. I think these reinforcements are a reasonably idea, look fine, but I gave up on making the nutplates on the canopy work.
 
The hinge itself is what will break

I lost a door to a C-130 prop blast while fueling on the ramp. The door lifted and the hinges snapped like toothpicks. Both the door and the canopy top fiberglass were left in perfect condition.

Luckily the door did a flip over the top of the canopy as it departed the airplane and landed in the grass. A couple of new hinges sent overnight from Van's and I flew the plane home. I also instated new proceedures that unless the plane was in the hangar, the doors are shut and locked unless I'm getting in or out.

My point - you can reinforce the door and canopy glass all you want, but that is not what will fail.

Carl
 
Interesting observation, Carl.

I am at this point RIGHT NOW in my door construction (last chance to do any hinge mods before door and cabin top close-out/dry micro) and I appreciate the field report. I will happily leave things per plans in this area.

Those reinforcement plates must be made of unobtanium. Too spendy for this guy.
 
I lost a door to a C-130 prop blast while fueling on the ramp. The door lifted and the hinges snapped like toothpicks. Both the door and the canopy top fiberglass were left in perfect condition.

Luckily the door did a flip over the top of the canopy as it departed the airplane and landed in the grass. A couple of new hinges sent overnight from Van's and I flew the plane home. I also instated new proceedures that unless the plane was in the hangar, the doors are shut and locked unless I'm getting in or out.

My point - you can reinforce the door and canopy glass all you want, but that is not what will fail.

Carl


Carl,

Were you using this hinge mod when you had your door issue?
 
I lost a door to a C-130 prop blast while fueling on the ramp....

...My point - you can reinforce the door and canopy glass all you want, but that is not what will fail.

<SNIP>

Wondering if there is any mod to strengthen the inherent weak areas of the doors?

Anything that can be done to retrofit a completed door assembly to mitigate this weakness?
 
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It would seem...

It would seem to be a perceived weakness as there is not much you could do if the door opened in flight or a C-130 blasted you...under normal circumstances, the design would seem to be adequate for the task.

That said, I used a doubler plate on my doors...no, I didn't spend the $495 for the kit...
 
It would seem to be a perceived weakness as there is not much you could do if the door opened in flight or a C-130 blasted you...under normal circumstances, the design would seem to be adequate for the task.

That said, I used a doubler plate on my doors...no, I didn't spend the $495 for the kit...
I realize the quoted encounter with C-130 prop-wash is an egregious example but nearly every RV-10 owner I spoke with at SNF regarded the doors as a weak point and lamented the inability to taxi with a door unlatched for fear of damage, or worse.
 
Door

I think that in order to allow taxiing with the doors open and no concern for structural damage, a significant amount of modification to the whole door structure would be required.

Would be nice, though...
 
I realize the quoted encounter with C-130 prop-wash is an egregious example but nearly every RV-10 owner I spoke with at SNF regarded the doors as a weak point and lamented the inability to taxi with a door unlatched for fear of damage, or worse.

The vans aircraft RV 10 demonstrators are regularly taxied with the doors unlatched and partially opened for ventilation but we do not taxi with them fully opened.
 
Taxiing with doors open

I have been holding the door about 6” open by hand since I bought my -10. I cannot imagine leaving them closed. Am I just lucky?
 
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