grayforge
Well Known Member
Hi folks,
I've seen the Vans' method of mounting the various plastic air lines in our planes. Seems a bit more work than necessary...
I spent a bit of time experimenting with different types of air line mounting methods.
I used 3 different types of blind rivets to rivet 1/4" nylon loop clamps to a scrap piece of aluminum. These clamps have a temperature range of -40? to +185? F, sourced from McMaster Carr. I also installed a nutplate and attached a clamp via a #8 screw. These all seemed to work well, though the AD-41-ABS blind rivet was a bit short. I also looked at Adel clamps.
I weighed the options. My scale is pretty sensitive, measuring to .005 lbs. or about .08 oz. I weighed batches of 10 connection types for more accuracy. Here are the results. This is the weight for a single mounting assembly (divided the weight of 10 of them by 10).
Blind Rivet + Plastic Clamp: 0.03oz
#8 Screw + Platenut + AN1097 rivets + Plastic Clamp: 0.12oz
#8 Screw + Platenut + AN1097 rivets + Metal & Rubber Clamp: 0.21oz
Quite a difference in weights, though the weight in total isn't that much. However, I'm anal and want to do everything within reason to keep my plane light. Plus, the lightest weight option is the easiest.
So what do people think about using these 1/4" plastic clamps for air lines? Maybe the Vans method is good for mounting them to longerons while blind riveted plastic loop clamps would work well for clamping to bulkheads and ribs?
I've seen the Vans' method of mounting the various plastic air lines in our planes. Seems a bit more work than necessary...
I spent a bit of time experimenting with different types of air line mounting methods.
I used 3 different types of blind rivets to rivet 1/4" nylon loop clamps to a scrap piece of aluminum. These clamps have a temperature range of -40? to +185? F, sourced from McMaster Carr. I also installed a nutplate and attached a clamp via a #8 screw. These all seemed to work well, though the AD-41-ABS blind rivet was a bit short. I also looked at Adel clamps.
I weighed the options. My scale is pretty sensitive, measuring to .005 lbs. or about .08 oz. I weighed batches of 10 connection types for more accuracy. Here are the results. This is the weight for a single mounting assembly (divided the weight of 10 of them by 10).
Blind Rivet + Plastic Clamp: 0.03oz
#8 Screw + Platenut + AN1097 rivets + Plastic Clamp: 0.12oz
#8 Screw + Platenut + AN1097 rivets + Metal & Rubber Clamp: 0.21oz
Quite a difference in weights, though the weight in total isn't that much. However, I'm anal and want to do everything within reason to keep my plane light. Plus, the lightest weight option is the easiest.
So what do people think about using these 1/4" plastic clamps for air lines? Maybe the Vans method is good for mounting them to longerons while blind riveted plastic loop clamps would work well for clamping to bulkheads and ribs?