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Flap switch with handle

Ivan Kristensen

Ivan Kristensen

Well Known Member
I am looking for a SPDT momentary on/off in the middle flap switch with a flap handle attached to it. Does anyone know where I can find such a thing?
 
You can check with Aerotronics. The switch they used in my panel may be the same as the GCA one linked in the other thread; I can't tell from the description at GCA. Mine is normal up, momentary down (which I like). I remember talking to them about the flap switch and they mentioned that one thing they see with a lot of 'roll-yer-own' switches is that nothing prevents the 'flap' part of the switch from rotating if it is made from a normal toggle switch.
 
I bought one of the expensive flap switches

from Pacific Coast Avionics. Very heavy duty switch body, but the flap handle part isn't particularly high tech. They threaded the toggle lever, and attached a small aluminum flap handle with a set screw. Not sure how to thread the brass handle without messing up the switch internals, but the flap handle part would be pretty easy to make.
 
Microswitch 2TL28 series . . . .

. . . . has a toggle lever that is threaded 8-32 and comes with Delrin handle that is approximately 5/8" wide by 7/8" long that screws on to the lever and is then locked in place by a 3-48 socket head set screw. This switch is available as a momentary both ways (like the Van's switch) (2TL28-7) or momentary one way and ON the other (2TL28-5) as well as other configurations. If you didn't like their handle, you could make your own and thread it 8-32. The Microswitch brand switches have levers that pivot on a shaft rather than a ball so the lever doesn't rotate.

I have a 2TL28-7 on order from onlinecomponents.com. It had a 6-week lead time and wasn't cheap ($60.65 + shipping) but it's less than some of the alternatives.

Here's a link to the engineering drawing/spec sheet for these:

http://sccatalog.honeywell.com/pdbdownload/images/2tl28.series.chart.1.pdf


P.S. Well, I just checked the onlinecomponents web site and they are now saying the 2TL28-7 is $89.30 :eek:. It will be interesting to see how much I end up paying for this thing when it finally ships! :rolleyes:
 
I spent countless hours thinking about this and looking at the 1 or 2 commercially available solutions that I could find.

I had already installed a high quality Honeywell TL switch, so I really wanted a "distinctive switch lever" that would give me tactile feedback. Not finding any thing I liked, I installed this switch cover http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/switchcovers.php as a temporary solution.

After 90+ hours of flying, I find no need for any thing fancier, so the $8.50 cover is my permanent solution.
 
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