What is a good procedure for installing flap hinges?
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hinge install
- Thread starter Danflyboyman
- Start date
wirejock
Well Known Member
Flap hinges
Fat rivets.
Do the flap side first.
Squeeze some rivets so they fit snug in the flap brace and skin. Clamp the flap to the brace and skin. The fat rivets hold the parts together. Align as needed then drill every other hole. Cleko. Remove the fat rivets and drill. Done
Fat rivets.
Do the flap side first.
Squeeze some rivets so they fit snug in the flap brace and skin. Clamp the flap to the brace and skin. The fat rivets hold the parts together. Align as needed then drill every other hole. Cleko. Remove the fat rivets and drill. Done
JeremyL
Well Known Member
I just did this and it works wonderfully!
attaching Flaps
whats a "fat Rivet"?Take the hing apart? Clamp it to the Flap and drill holes?
whats a "fat Rivet"?Take the hing apart? Clamp it to the Flap and drill holes?
wirejock
Well Known Member
Fat rivet
Sort of. Flap side is simple. Clamp, drill and cleko but you want the hinge halves pinned while working so it stays straight. After the flap sides are done...
Count the holes in the flap brace/skin.
Grab 1/2 that many long AN426AD3 rivets. #5 or longer.
Insert clekos in 1/2 the skin/flap brace holes
Use a squeezer to gently squeeze the rivet a little and insert into the open hole so it's flush to the inside surface of the flap brace. The goal is a tight fit. It will be sticking out on the skin side. Each will probably require a unique amount of squeeze so do one at a time. Fill all the open holes. Remove the clekos. Flap brace and skin are aligned and the surface where the flap hinge will be attached is also flat.
Clamp the flap with hinge to the wing. Align per plans. It needs to be a straight extension of the aileron and the gap between should be according to plan. 1/4" I think.
Once you have the flap exactly as you want it, have someone hold a stick on the inside where an open flap brace/skin hole is to be drilled as support. Drill the hinge hole and cleko. Repeat all open holes but repat in a random pattern so a bend or twist isn't created. You should ha e half the holes clekoed. Remove the fat rivets. Repeat the process. Done
I needed a wider hinge on the wing side for edge distance so I bought the wider stuff and swapped the half hinge.
Sort of. Flap side is simple. Clamp, drill and cleko but you want the hinge halves pinned while working so it stays straight. After the flap sides are done...
Count the holes in the flap brace/skin.
Grab 1/2 that many long AN426AD3 rivets. #5 or longer.
Insert clekos in 1/2 the skin/flap brace holes
Use a squeezer to gently squeeze the rivet a little and insert into the open hole so it's flush to the inside surface of the flap brace. The goal is a tight fit. It will be sticking out on the skin side. Each will probably require a unique amount of squeeze so do one at a time. Fill all the open holes. Remove the clekos. Flap brace and skin are aligned and the surface where the flap hinge will be attached is also flat.
Clamp the flap with hinge to the wing. Align per plans. It needs to be a straight extension of the aileron and the gap between should be according to plan. 1/4" I think.
Once you have the flap exactly as you want it, have someone hold a stick on the inside where an open flap brace/skin hole is to be drilled as support. Drill the hinge hole and cleko. Repeat all open holes but repat in a random pattern so a bend or twist isn't created. You should ha e half the holes clekoed. Remove the fat rivets. Repeat the process. Done
I needed a wider hinge on the wing side for edge distance so I bought the wider stuff and swapped the half hinge.
Last edited:
JeremyL
Well Known Member
Just finished my second flap this way… I did sort of a minor modification of this… I only used about 5 or 6 426 3-4 inserted into evenly spaced holes after clecoing then squeezed them just a teeny bit so they were snug and held the skin and brace together … removed the clecos, put the flap on, clamped, aligned and drilled…. Simple pimple! Make sure once done you countersink the brace. The hinge rod was a pinch tight for my liking so I took it out. Chucked it in a drill and ran it through some 220 sand paper. Looks great, swings smoothly and is straight as far as I can tell.
