Floor/Flap modification

[Don Patrick]

Folks,

I modified my floors so that they are removable and I'm quite happy with the results. One thing I really dislike is the pain in the butt in installing and removing the flap blocks.

I've seen a website where a builder actually modified his floor so that the area under the flap blocks remains and the rest of the floor can be removed.

I can't find that site now. Anyone know of it?

Cheers,

Don

[scsmith]

Hi,

Sorry, no website or pictures, but I don't think you need one. I made a rectangular piece of aluminum that fit under the bottom of the longeron and extends out about 3/4" on the side and front of the flap mounting block. It is flush-riveted to the longeron in the places where there were already holes for the floor. Then, make a shim of the same thickness as the longeron, in an L shape, surrounding where the flap block would sit. This makes a mounting pad for the floor to rest on. The floor gets a notch to clear around the perimeter of the flap block, and two platenuts (the rivets of which hold the shim in place on the pad) and now you can screw the floor down to those two platenuts.

One more step, to get the flap block in the right position, save the notch piece you cut out of the floor, and install it as a shim under the flap block.

Easy to remove the floor without disturbing the flap drive system at all.

I did exactly the same thing at the place where the rear bearing support for the control tube mounts. you know, the rod bearing that provides the aft pivot for the control tube that the fore and aft sticks mount to -- it is mounted into a piece of channel that spans between the two center floor ribs. it is supposed to mount on the floor. So, same trick as above, make a light-weight shelf to support the floor around the end of the channel, and cut a notch in the floor so it comes out without disturbing the channel.

[edsong]

I just cut out the corners where the flap blocks are and the torque tube channel is. Didn't use shims.

[flywithme623]

Originally Posted by Don Patrick

Folks,

I modified my floors so that they are removable and I'm quite happy with the results. One thing I really dislike is the pain in the butt in installing and removing the flap blocks.

I've seen a website where a builder actually modified his floor so that the area under the flap blocks remains and the rest of the floor can be removed.

I can't find that site now. Anyone know of it?

Cheers,

Don

Hi Don
Here are some pictures of the mod.
I just yesterday finished installing 75 nut plates for my floor boards.
Came out nice. That corners under the flap blocks will be riveted in after I install the flap faring and will no longer need to get into that corner.

[Don Patrick]

Thanks for the information folks.

Much appreciated.

Don