One mod I see a lot of tip up builders doing is the JD air tip up latch. It looks great but what are the pros and cons of the standard Vans latch vs the JD air latch? Can the Vans have a lock like the JD air can?
One mod I see a lot of tip up builders doing is the JD air tip up latch. It looks great but what are the pros and cons of the standard Vans latch vs the JD air latch? Can the Vans have a lock like the JD air can?
What is this mod?
Pros: It looks great. I like having the lock for the cabin. Nothing hanging out to snag on. Beefier than the stock aluminum sheet. Larger catch, so I would assume this is better for safely staying locked.
Cons: Costs more. A bit more work to install.
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I installed the standard Van's latch. I wish I had installed the JD Air latch, one of the few things I wish I had done differently during my build.
My main desire to have the JD Air latch is to have more surface area to push against with my thumb when closing the latch from outside the plane. I also think it looks better.
Remember if you are installing side panels to tell the panel manufacture that you have the JD Air latch. I understand Classic Aero Design knows how to accommodate the JD Air latch. Don't know about any other vendors.