[phil9diesel]

Are stainless steel nutplates and similar hardware available to upgrade Vans kits for a more salty air environment? Easy sources?

 

[Rick6a]

Are stainless steel nutplates and similar hardware available to upgrade Vans kits for a more salty air environment? Easy sources?

I cannot say for sure. The only nutplates I am aware of are either cadmium plated or treated with a corrosion resistant material and/or a dry lube molybdenum process. I can tell you how we typically installed such nutplates on the F-18 Hornet and it doesn't get more salt water environment than that. The structure the nutplate was to be attached to was always without exception....primed first. Usually, the nutplate was simply installed, but in certain areas you had to coat the bottom of the nutplate with wet proseal prior to attaching it. (In fact, almost all structural parts....from nose to tail, even a humble electrical bracket was to be fay-sealed to its mating part prior to riveting.) At some point, the subassembly was then sent to the paint shop and the entire area...nutplates and all were given an overcoat of paint, usually white. The next time you are at an airshow, peek under the wheel well of a salt water fighter. You will see what I'm talking about. You may even see some painted over sealer oozing out from around some of those nutplates.

 

[terrykohler]

Phil:
Haven't heard of stainless nutplates. Stainless has a much higher coefficient of friction than "normal" steel (Think of drilling thru the firewall). Nutplates normally have a prevailing torque feature built in. This would tend to gall the male fastener and is why stainless locknuts use nylon or fiber. Most nutplates are phos coated for corrosion protection. If you feel you need more, spray in some zinc chromate - just remember to wear a mask. Planning to put your RV on floats?
Terry

 

[phil9diesel]

No floats

Planning to put your RV on floats? Answ nope. Even a 9 or 10 series would have a job and a half carrying floats. Perfect for a champ, Waco, cub, etc. If anyone finds stainless nutplate hardware, please let me know.

 

[GAHco]

Stainless Nutplates

Stainless Nutplates are common.

They are made of A286 Stainless (Aerospace Alloy).

They are typically Silver Plated or Black Moly Coated, and look like, well, silver or black.

It is easy to tell, if they are silver, they are Corrosion Resistant Steel (CRES) if they are black, get the magnet out, they otherwise look and work identical to the steel ones.

The part #'s are very similar MS21047(STEEL) MS21048(CRES)

Price is another story, with all the nutplates being used for the war and and associated contracts we have seen all nutplates double in cost in the last 6 months.

Here is a link to our Tech info pages on Nutplates, if you have any other questions let me know.

www.gen-aircraft-hardware.com/images/pdf/nutplates.pdf

 

[terrykohler]

Tom:
Working from memory here, but I believe A286 is not classified as a stainless but rather as a heat resisting or super strength alloy that achieves properties primarily by high nickel content (along with chromium). What is the cost of these nutplates vs. conventional? Do they have a prevailing torque feature? Where might they be used in general aviation? Interesting.
Thanks,
Terry

 

[GAHco]

Stainless / CRES.

Tom:
Working from memory here, but I believe A286 is not classified as a stainless but rather as a heat resisting or super strength alloy that achieves properties primarily by high nickel content (along with chromium). What is the cost of these nutplates vs. conventional? Do they have a prevailing torque feature? Where might they be used in general aviation? Interesting.
Thanks,
Terry

They are more expensive figure 2 to 3 times the cost for the popular styles/ sizes, much more for the less popular.

They are really worth it for things like muffler shrouds and like applications.

There are actually very many alloys that are loosely called "Stainless Steel"
as a more layman's term.

In Aerospace terms the loose term is CRES or expand that acronym to (C) corrosion (RE) resistant (S) steel. Almost all can be still identified under many AMS numbers that I cant recall while at home, but there are a bunch of them.

The CRES nutplates have the same performance characteristics as the regular ones with the exception of temperature, and of course increased corrosion resistance.

I think the silver plated ones may not be the best against bare aluminum in a coastal or moist environment.

The prints that I have don't give too many hints how to use them, just from my experience in the field.

Materials engineers feel free to add on!