[Lycosaurus]

I've been wondering about what the Airbus (for instance) uses for rivets. Are they AD rivets, or a metric derivation. My thought, early-on in the project, was that it would be nice to have access to some metric rivets that would give us another source for oops type rivets. Would fit in a slightly enlarged hole without going to the next AD increment.

Now, I'm quite far along in the build route to not really benefit from this, but still wondering. Anybody know something about whether the metric rivets exist, and where they can be obtained?

 

[flyeyes]

I'm not sure, but I've definitely seen metric nutplates on Russian airplanes--I watched an friend (A&P) spend hours getting a broken screw out of one. I asked him why he didn't just drill it off and put a new one one. He said "sure, if you'll toss me a metric nutplate from your spares."

I like being able to get spares anywhere.

What I really want is right-hand threaded fasteners for critical joints. That way, since the threads are reversed from normal threads, they will get tighter rather than looser with vibration and I'll never have anything fall off ;-D

 

[osxuser]

I'm not sure, but I've definitely seen metric nutplates on Russian airplanes--I watched an friend (A&P) spend hours getting a broken screw out of one. I asked him why he didn't just drill it off and put a new one one. He said "sure, if you'll toss me a metric nutplate from your spares."

I like being able to get spares anywhere.

What I really want is right-hand threaded fasteners for critical joints. That way, since the threads are reversed from normal threads, they will get tighter rather than looser with vibration and I'll never have anything fall off ;-D

Hmm, I'm not sure that it really works that way...

 

[Ingo Weise]

No metric rivets at airbus

A friend of mine works for airbus in Hamburg, and when he visited my workshop, he new new all the AD rivet designations.
I'm not shure, but maybe there have been metric rivets on german WWII aircrafts. You can find metric srews on french aircrafts (Socata, Robin), Maybe they also use metric rivets.
Everything could be so easy in a world with only metric fastners!

 

[penguin]

Guys,

You gotta realise that the US is not the only country on earth that is into airplanes. For example the British have their own system of rivets using different alloys and 3 styles of manufactured head, but measured in imperial diameters. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that there are metric rivets.

One word of caution, the most common type of British rivet (they are a deep blue in colour) requires heat treatment before setting to soften, otherwise they split. Not so easy in the field. The advantage is they are stronger (so fewer are required) than the AD type rivets.

Pete

 

[osxuser]

Guys,

You gotta realise that the US is not the only country on earth that is into airplanes. For example the British have their own system of rivets using different alloys and 3 styles of manufactured head, but measured in imperial diameters. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that there are metric rivets.

One word of caution, the most common type of British rivet (they are a deep blue in colour) requires heat treatment before setting to soften, otherwise they split. Not so easy in the field. The advantage is they are stronger (so fewer are required) than the AD type rivets.

Pete

That sounds like a very british approach! Obviously the US has the "standard" system, since we produce ~60% of the worlds aerospace products...

 

[Lycosaurus]

Interesting

Well, I must say, I am surprised. I really expected that there would be some common metric rivets out there. I guess there is so much research and hands-on field experience with AD type rivets, that it never really made sense to start over again and develop metric versions.

Interesting.

 

[Pilottonny]

In the early eighties, when I was working for Fokker (Netherlands), we used 2,4 mm, 3,2 mm, 4 mm and 4,8 mm rivets, guess what those convert to? They are actually the same rivets that we use on our RV's.

If they would have been "metric" rivets, I guess they would use 2,5 / 3 / 4 / 5 etc. mm. instead of those weird increments.

Now that we are talking "metric" anyway,...... I was wondering when Vans is going to start distributing "metric" drawings, with real dimensions, for everybody in the world to understand and measure, without having to use a calculator all the time

"Metric" nutplates will have metric thread (M4, M5, etc.) but still use AD rivets (I guess).

Regards, PilotTonny

 

[Norman CYYJ]

If you need some metric rivets take the standard AN rivet and put it in a vise with each end on a jaw. Tighten the vise just a little wee bit a then you will have your self a metric rivet. You will find with practice that you are able to make several sizes from one size of AN rivet.

 

[johnp]

Guys,

For example the British have their own system of rivets using different alloys and 3 styles of manufactured head, but measured in imperial diameters.

Pete

whitworth rivets?