[Don Jones]

I have been working to come up with something for the hinge pins on my tip up for a while now. With the center stack radios the jettison assy had to go bye-bye and I really hated the idea of the old bolt and nut thing. So the other night I was standing there pondering the problem, when snap, the other brain cell kicked in. It's so simple it's stupid! Here is what I came up with. Took the van's supplied pins, tig welded them to a couple of pieces of angle, slotted the sub panel for the retaining screw, riveted on a couple of nut plates and some umhv tape on the back of the sub panel and it was done. You can remove the retaining screw and install a long an3 bolt to help disengage the pin and no crawling under the panel to put on a nut! I guess I will find out how well it works when I dig the canopy back out in a few months.

 

[sprucemoose]

A very practical, if somewhat beefy solution. The only thing that jumps out at me is that it might be easier to grab ahold of it for insertion and removal if the flange of the angle were on the bottom rather than the top. It is a little awkward to reach under the panel in order to do this.

 

[gasman]

Great idea........ let's improve on it.

Rivet the nut plate vertical but add another to the left of it based on the picture. And install a allen bolt with about three nuts threaded down to the head to make a extended shaft to slide the pin out from the panel side.

The other nutplate is used to lock the slider in place with another screw when the pin is slid into position. It will be secure against the far side of the slot.....

 

[Don Jones]

Beefy, yes

A very practical, if somewhat beefy solution. The only thing that jumps out at me is that it might be easier to grab ahold of it for insertion and removal if the flange of the angle were on the bottom rather than the top. It is a little awkward to reach under the panel in order to do this.

Yes it is a little beefy, I used what I had. It is still lighter than all that **** for the jettison mechanism. No need to remove and insert it. The sub panel is slotted so the pins can be disengaged by simply loosening the screw and sliding it inward.

 

[Don Jones]

Not enough room

Answered in quote

Great idea........ let's improve on it.

Rivet the nut plate vertical but add another to the left of it based on the picture. And install a allen bolt with about three nuts threaded down to the head to make a extended shaft to slide the pin out from the panel side. There isn't enough clearance to the canopy frame when closed to leave a permanantly installed handle of sorts. That is why I simply remove the screw and install a long bolt for leverage to slide the pin out.

The other nutplate is used to lock the slider in place with another screw when the pin is slid into position. It will be secure against the far side of the slot.....I actually considered the 2 screw thing, but it is overkill now!

 

[kentb]

Great idea Don.

I did mine close to your solution. Because I needed space on the subpanel and didn't know how to weld this is what I did.

I used the pin and the rod as per the plans, but inserted them from the outboard side. I then secured the handle (rod) with an adel clamp into a plate nut attached to the rib.

I had hope that after riveting the forward top skin that I would never have to remove the canopy again. As it turned out I had the canopy off and on at least four times. I don't have access holes in the forward skin, which would have made this attachment system every easy to use.

You need to just get used to being on your back under the panel, as there are all kinds of work that will happen down there.

Kent

 

[GrayHawk]

I have been working to come up with something for the hinge pins on my tip up for a while now. With the center stack radios the jettison assy had to go bye-bye and I really hated the idea of the old bolt and nut thing. So the other night I was standing there pondering the problem, when snap, the other brain cell kicked in. It's so simple it's stupid! Here is what I came up with. Took the van's supplied pins, tig welded them to a couple of pieces of angle, slotted the sub panel for the retaining screw, riveted on a couple of nut plates and some umhv tape on the back of the sub panel and it was done. You can remove the retaining screw and install a long an3 bolt to help disengage the pin and no crawling under the panel to put on a nut! I guess I will find out how well it works when I dig the canopy back out in a few months.

What material are the pins made out of? If aluminum this implies AC/DC TIG system?

GH

 

[Don Jones]

What material are the pins made out of? If aluminum this implies AC/DC TIG system?

GH

The pin is steel as is the angle I welded it to. I used my tig machine to weld it, but it could be done with a torch or a mig welder easy enough.

By the way, this works terrific!

 

[WenEng]

What a good idea.....

You don't need two nutplates. What I see missing is a positive lock when the pin is slid in place. I would have the nutplate positioned against the opposite side of the slot when the pin is engaged. I would then have an AN3 "lightening" hole where your existing nutplate hole is and I could insert a Phillips screwdriver in it and slide the pin assembly open after I had removed the nutplate screw. Thanks for sharing...

 

[Don Jones]

You don't need two nutplates. What I see missing is a positive lock when the pin is slid in place. I would have the nutplate positioned against the opposite side of the slot when the pin is engaged. I would then have an AN3 "lightening" hole where your existing nutplate hole is and I could insert a Phillips screwdriver in it and slide the pin assembly open after I had removed the nutplate screw. Thanks for sharing...

Actually it is really easy like it is. Remove screw that locks the assembly in place, install long an3 bolt for a lever of sorts and slide the pin. The screw hole in the panel is slotted so the pin can't come completely out. It slides back just enough to remove the canopy.

 

[David Paule]

What sort of safety device is there to prevent this angle from sliding inboard along the slot under vibration?

If I understand it right, you've only got friction holding the pin in right now. What you could do, and there's probably other ways to do it, is install a second plate nut outboard of the first, have the holes for it be round, and use an AN3 there. For removal, you'd simply remove that one tool then proceed as you would now.

Another approach would be to have a hole drilled in the end of the pin welded to your angle, and use an AN416 safety pin. But you'd need access to the end of the pin for that.

Dave

 

[Don Jones]

What sort of safety device is there to prevent this angle from sliding inboard along the slot under vibration?

If I understand it right, you've only got friction holding the pin in right now. What you could do, and there's probably other ways to do it, is install a second plate nut outboard of the first, have the holes for it be round, and use an AN3 there. For removal, you'd simply remove that one tool then proceed as you would now.

Another approach would be to have a hole drilled in the end of the pin welded to your angle, and use an AN416 safety pin. But you'd need access to the end of the pin for that.

Dave

There is a screw through the sub panel that you tighten up and prevents the assembly from sliding. This is NOT going to move. You guys are overthinking this.

 

[TX7A]

Question for Don Jones

Don,

I've liked your idea for the sliding hinge pin since I saw it. I will probably do this mod as well. Now that you are flying, how is the mechanism holding-up. Noticed any issues yet?

Thanks,
Sam

 

[rzbill]

An alternate method

As Don said, the radio installation makes a big difference in how you do this. His idea is pretty darn good.

If your radio installation allows and you wish to do a handle and single actuation point, there is room (1/2") for an actuating handle between the bulkhead and the canopy rib. It's all made with butchered parts from Vans std release system.

The guts behind the curtain are on this link (the images are too big and would ruin this thread display).

Link to the fabrication entry on my web page

 

[kinger]

Don,

I've liked your idea for the sliding hinge pin since I saw it. I will probably do this mod as well. Now that you are flying, how is the mechanism holding-up. Noticed any issues yet?

Thanks,
Sam

Sam,

I R&D (ripped-off and duplicated) this mod from Don as well. I have 125hrs and just shy of a year in-service. I have experienced no issues, additionally if I were to build again I would incorporate this same mod.

-King

 

[gasman]

No need to weld. You can just rivet or bolt the pin to a piece of aluminum angle. To secure the slot, just tap the angle for the handle (bolt) to screw into. at the other end of the slot, install the nutplate for the locking screw.

 

[Don Jones]

Don,

I've liked your idea for the sliding hinge pin since I saw it. I will probably do this mod as well. Now that you are flying, how is the mechanism holding-up. Noticed any issues yet?

Thanks,
Sam

No issues what so ever. I would definately do it again. Sure was easy to put the canopy on during final assembly. Works slick!!

 

[TX7A]

Thanks, Don & James. It's a go for me!
Gasman, thanks for the no-weld idea as well.

Sam