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Do your legs contact the gear towers?

claycookiemonster

Well Known Member
Planning on the modification to the gear towers. Planning on removing that one web, and plating over the larger oval opening. Do I need to use a smooth head fastener to avoid catching on pant's legs, or are those gear towers out of the way when flying?
 
I am of average size and my legs do not contact the gear towers. I did the mod you are describing attaching the cover plate with 16 AN515-8R8 machine screws. The mod has proved very useful and I would certainly do it again.

Chuck
 
Great. I have found that hex cap screws work well, but they have a sharper profile as compared to a more rounded screw head. Not sure what fastener to use. Number #8 something.
 
Use MS24694 (AN509) screws with nested dimples. The dimples add strength and stiffness, plus the heads will never bother anyone.

BTW, I'm tall and my legs do contact the towers.
 
Just because sometimes I need confirmation: by "nested dimples" you're saying to dimple the underlying layer as well as the cover plate? That way, the dimples themselves hold the plate in position, and I'm not depending solely on the fasteners?

So, platenuts (nutplates?) which play well with dimples too.
 
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