REFLECTOR: Missing forward hatch

[Laurence Coen]

Chuck,

I also have a battery tender.  My solution was to install a pair of 
terminals on the nose wheel guides that keep the nose wheel from coming in 
cocked.  They are wired directly to the battery with #6 wire and are easily 
accessed through the gear door opening.  With the #6 wire, you could 
actually use them for a jump-start.

Larry Coen
N136LC
SE/RG Franklin/IVO

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chuck Harbert" <c.harbert at comcast.net>
To: <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2006 11:33 AM
Subject: REFLECTOR: Missing forward hatch


> Yesterday, when I took off, my forward hatch exited the plane just after 
> lift off.  Obviously, this caused me some concern, but it soon became 
> evident that the plane flew fine with a 1 sq. ft. opening in the nose. 
> Fortunately, I had sealed the cabin from the nose, so I didn't have a 100 
> kt wind blowing in. I went around and landed without a problem.
>
> I access my battery from thru this hatch and use a battery tender, so I 
> must not have secured it properly when I reinstalled the hatch. I have a 
> spring loaded latch similar to a door latch that keeps it secure.  I think 
> when I rotated the wind came in thru the front wheel opening (RG) and put 
> pressure on the bottom of the door which blew it open. The small chain 
> that held it broke quickly, and the hatch went over the windshield and 
> didn't hit the prop. I was glad that the chain broke because it would have 
> beat up the front of the plane and possibly come into the windshield or 
> prop in level flight.
>
>>From now on I will have screws fastening it down. I'm passing this along 
>>so
> that you may learn from my experience.
>
> Chuck H
>
>
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