REFLECTOR: Reflector Digest, Vol 61, Issue 2 - Pin Extension Material
Mark Riley
the_rileys1 at verizon.net
Sun Jun 7 06:54:12 CDT 2009
I used sections of the rods for the window miniblinds in my house. They are
light but rigid plastic which happened to be the perfect diameter for the
receiving tubes on the doors. No swelling or sticking.
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Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 11:16 PM
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Subject: Reflector Digest, Vol 61, Issue 21
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Flight control and door opening on lift off (Alex Balic)
2. Re: Unexpected door opening (Rene Dugas)
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 06 Jun 2009 21:41:50 -0500
From: "Alex Balic" <velocity_pilot at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Flight control and door opening on lift off
To: "'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'"
<reflector at tvbf.org>
Message-ID: <66F02DC242C14927949C59A1E0A4BD79 at alex>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
My comments would be to use aluminum/ nylon / or just small (like 6-32)
bolts at the hinges to allow the door to separate if it would come open in
flight- seems that there is little problem to fly sans door, and a big one
to fly with an open door. The pins would keep the door in place just fine if
they are engaged.
_____
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Terry Miles
Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 6:48 PM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: REFLECTOR: Flight control and door opening on lift off
Hi,
I found this in my stuff on door opening.
Any comments?
It sounds like what happened to Al was that he was in high speed and the
door just ripped right off. What if it happens on lift off or shortly
after?
Terry
Door Open in Flight (Always turn into the door)
I had a near fatal encounter with the door opening and not coming off. I
sent in some suggestions to the factory, which should be part of all your
emergency procedures. I have since re-hinged my doors from the front, and
they open quite nicely in flight without creating any problems - although I
can't close them once they are open until I'm back on the ground ;)
Bottom Line: If the door pops all the way open and doesn't tear off,
(which mine didn't, in my case it was the co-pilot door and it swung all the
way up and I couldn't reach it) you will be in an emergency.
1. The aircraft will be moderately directionally unstable - you now have a
dorsal fin of sorts in the middle of the aircraft and the plane wants to
wander around that center - its still quite flyable.
2. The curved door is a spin waiting to happen. As soon as you turn away
from the door, the plane will begin an involuntary roll away from the door,
and drag will increase quickly. You will be in what would be a stall-spin
configuration in a conventional plane. Speed will be dropping like a rock,
as will the plane, and you're best efforts to stop the spin and return to
straight and level will result in a bank exceeding 60 degrees. In my case I
was departing the airport at 200 feet agl. At this altitude, once you
initiate a roll, you will have less than 5 seconds to get it right or meet
your Maker.
3. Don't turn away from an open door in a Velocity. Turn into it, you'll
pin it against the fuselage and stabilize it against the air frame. You'll
have tremendous drag, but its flyable. I have 325 hp and I could maintain
altitude at full power.
4. With all the drag, the plane is going to feel like the gear is hanging
out. In all the noise and confusion, charts flying around, you won't be
able to hear through your headset - remember that the gear isn't down (I
didn't) but don't drop it until you've made the field, because it obviously
will create even more drag.
Hope that helps,
Rodney Brim,
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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 22:00:27 -0500
From: Rene Dugas <dugasd at bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Unexpected door opening
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <reflector at tvbf.org>
Message-ID: <59B9EEFE-E78B-4C91-BC83-4FC435C53318 at bellsouth.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; Format="flowed";
DelSp="yes"
I used aluminum tubing flaired slightly at both ends.
Rene' Dugas
Sent from my iPhone 3G
On Jun 5, 2009, at 10:09 PM, KMis178813 at aol.com wrote:
> How about some left over micro/epoxy in a straw. When cured
> peel off the straw. Almost lighter than air and free if you reuse a
> straw from McDonalds. Talk about E-Z guy's being cheap!!!
> Works great. I did have a wood dowel that did swell in the bore
> and got stuck!
> Ken
>
> In a message dated 6/5/2009 10:06:33 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
velocity_pilot at verizon.net
> writes:
> I have some carbon fiber arrow shaft pieces in there for mine- got
> an arrow on sale at Wal-Mart for $ 2.99- would make about 6 or 8
> tubes I would think. works great- sort of self lubricating, and no
> measurable weight.
>
>
>
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]
> On Behalf Of Scott Baker
> Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 7:00 PM
> To: Jim Agnew; Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Unexpected door opening
>
>
>
> I think the liklihood of four (4) areas of failed fiberglass in the
> receiver areas is slim to none.
>
> Not engaging the pins into the receiver - likely if the door handle
> is not rotated to its fully closed position. Definately a
> possibility if there is no micro switch and warning light to tell
> the pilot that the pins are not fully engaged.
>
> Good point on the possible problem of using wooden dowels as a
> "pin extension". If the dowels were to become stuck in the tube and
> remain in contact with the micro switch, it would cause a false
> "door locked" indication (absence of a door ajar warning); however I
> would hope that we would recognize this situation following start
> and taxi (meaning we want to verify the door ajar warning should be
> ON with the door open).
>
> SB
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Jim Agnew
>
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
>
> Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 5:39 PM
>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Unexpected door opening
>
>
>
> Al,
>
>
>
> There are several failure modes for the door latches. First the
> tubes that accept the latch pins could fail I.E., part from the
> fiberglass. Second the latch pins may not be deep enough into the
> tubes so the stress is on the flat portion and not the tapered part
> that will try to push itself out. Third the latch pin can unscrew
> from the push rod (I know one of mine did even with locktite on the
> threads, I now use RED Locktite on them).
>
>
>
> I have auto locking so closing the latches automatically locks them
> and you must pull up on the door lock before you can move the handle.
>
>
>
> As far as the door warning switches go I only have one in the
> forward center pin location with a nylon mushroom button that
> activates a roller micro switch. I know a lot are in the bottom
> tubes with wood rods that can swell from water and in the perfect
> place to collect dirt that can jam them.
>
>
>
> Just food for thought.
>
>
>
> JIm
>
>
> James F. Agnew
>
> Jim_Agnew_2 at Yahoo.Com
>
> Tampa, FL
>
> Velocity 173 Elite Aircraft Completed & Flying
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Al Gietzen <ALVentures at cox.net>
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Sent: Friday, June 5, 2009 1:48:33 PM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Unexpected door opening
>
> And for those who at the end of your personal deliberations who
> would still opt for the gull wing, would something as simple as a
> deadbolt (weighing only a few ounces) serve as a fail-safe back-up
> to the traditional lock assembly? Thanks for your thoughts.
>
> Robin
>
> Robin;
>
>
>
> My thought is that we essentially have 4 ?deadbolts? in the
> current configuration. We simply need a ?dead sure? way of
> knowing they are in place.
>
>
>
> My further observation is (added to by my experience flying home
> with a temporary door) that net outward forces on the door in flight
> are relatively small ? at least compared to the strength of the four
> latches. I think there is likely some negative (outward) pressure o
> ver much of the door, likely stronger toward the front edge, and som
> e positive (inward) pressure in the area of the strake extension, an
> d its junction.
>
>
>
> I have no idea if there are forces due to small distortion of the
> fuselage during flight that may work to move the latch pins out of
> the tubes, but it is not impossible.
>
>
>
> FWIW,
>
>
>
> Al
>
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