REFLECTOR: CANARD ATTACHMENT

[michalk]

Dave Dent wrote:
> I have a XL with a dog house over the canard.  This is a must, I 
> wouldn't have a Velocity without it. This allows access to the two 1/4' 
> bolts easier.
> My bolts are with the heads facing forward.  I have removed my canard at 
> least 10 times. If you mount the bolts the other way I'm sure you would 
> be dropping the nuts and washers at least every other time into the nose 
> gear well when you remove them.  But believe me it makes no 
> difference. In my plane you could be looking for nuts and washers 
> possibly for a good 15 minutes if dropped.   But in most aircraft 
> installations you will always find the bolts facing aft and  outboard to 
> inboard.  That way if the nut was to fall off the bolt would have a 
> tendency to stay in place by its own weight. 
> When installing a bolt remember this.  If the nut would fall off, would 
> the bolt remain in place?  AC 43.13 also instructs this method.
> Dave

At Sun and Fun last year, I saw a Velocity that used captive floating 
nuts for the canard attach bolts.  Or maybe they were simple nut plates? 
  Anyway, the benefit was obvious.  It's trivial to put those bolts in 
if the nut is fixed on the back side.

I wouldn't worry too much about the nut other than to make sure its a 
locking type.  The bolt is in shear, not tension.