Tip: Permanently installing AOA drain pin

For those of you that have installed an AFS AOA system in your plane you have probably noticed how difficult it is to locate the AOA drain with the pin provided with the kit after everything is closed up and if you haven't noticed you will. I have come up with a very simple solution to this problem that won't take any more than an hour to complete and you will use materials you already have in your shop.

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This is all you need: The pin that came with the AOA,small piece of tubing used for the ports and I used the Delrin blocks that are used for the door pins(I'm using the aluminum ones) but anything that is similar will work.

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I prosealed 2 pieces together to make them wider.

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Cut pin to length that will work for aircraft. I cut mine to 6 3/8 for the RV10, I cut it about an 1/8" short of the hole in the skin for a little bit of play. Keep both pieces.

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I slid a piece of tubing over pin, this will prevent pin from falling out. You could use a locking collar for this also but the tubing will be fine. The measurment in the picture is wrong:eek, I set it for 16/32nds.

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If you primed skin scuff off primer to prepare to proseal Delrin to skin.

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Drill a #30 hole through the Delrin block at a slight angle so that the pin will be aimed at the drain while the block will be flush with the skin.

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Place pin and block into drain and place proseal on skin. Line up block with hole using the other piece of pin and tape block to to the skin until cured. Don't forget to scuff the Delrin also for a good bond.

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Use other piece of pin to keep hole lined up.

After block has cured the pin will remain in wing and the small part of the pin with the loop on it will be used to drain any water that has accumulated in the top hole by just putting in the wing skin hole and pressing. Make sure you leave some movement in the pin to account for any expansion or contraction of the wing skins.

I use another one of the delrin blocks AFS provides, sanded it to the contour of the bottom skin and then used some tubing from Home Depot. The tubing ensures the drain pin lines up and the added benefit is that any water that may drain stays inside of the tube and exists the drain hole where the pin entered.

I like the tubing idea Mark.

sstellarv10 said:

I like the tubing idea Mark.

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Several good ideas! I may have to add before I put the wing tips back on.

Bob

Has anyone ever really discovered any water in there ?

B Cunningham said:

Has anyone ever really discovered any water in there ?

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Nope, never.

Flying w/ AOA for 5yrs. Mostly hangared, but flown through and sat on the ramp during many rain storms

Another idea



This is what I did. Works great. No aiming, just extends the drain valve down to right on top of the hole. Plus the extension provides a bit of a "sump" to hold water if you forget to check it. My plane is usually in a hangar, but when it's parked outside and rained on, I check the AOA drain for water. Nada so far after 320 hours.

Great Ideas!

Thanks for posting these, I will surely use one of them for my AOA system. I was also wondering if anyone actually found water in their port. It sounds like it is pretty rare.