REFLECTOR: Door locks

[velocityxl]

While i agree that the extra lock is a good idea I will also like to add my doors do not fly open i flight if left unlocked.

The reson i asked about the extra lock is that my door latch is so stiff it can be difficult to lift the safty latch and then rotate the
Door handle so i was thinking of doing with out the safty latch but i guess i will keep it intackt




Sent from Ron's Samsung tablet 

-------- Original message --------
From: "Richard J. Gentil" <richard at naples-air-center.com> 
Date: 04/21/2013  8:28 AM  (GMT-06:00) 
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <reflector at tvbf.org> 
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Door locks 
 
Hi Dick,

I am thinking I want to add a down spring on my locking mechanism as an added safety feature. It would be a five minute job to attach a small spring that could really pay off if anyone were to forget or accidentally bump lock/unlock and set it in flight to the unlock position. 

Then I just need to see how to operate it when the door is open and you are going to close. Might mean holding in the pin in the unlock position fighting the spring for moving the handle from open to closed too unless I make a aluminum tab to keep the lock pin from going to the lock position till the handle is in the closed position.

I hope that was not too hard to follow. 

Richard

Sent from my iPhone 5

On Apr 21, 2013, at 9:08 AM, Dennis King <kitfox94 at comcast.net> wrote:

I agree with all the recommendations so far to use the interlock on the passenger door.  On my most recent test flight, the air was bumpy and my pilot door latch worked loose far enough to trip my warning light a couple of times.  The passenger door stayed latched because it has the lock.  The over-center springs supplied with my kit (1996) are very weak, so they don't hold the handle forward very well.  I have installed stiffer springs that provide a little more than 10 lbs of preload in the latched position...haven't been able to test them in the air yet, but hopefully will soon.  I don't know if the factory has changed the springs since my kit was shipped, but if not you might want to consider replacing them.  I believe this was mentioned in one of the old Velocity Views newsletters.  I believe they also suggested using an interlock system on the pilot door similar to the passenger side, but I'm still thinking about that.  I'm not sure I would remember the extra step required to open the door in an emergency situation.  In any event, make sure you have a door latch warning light that's easy to see, and activate it with one of the locking pins rather than the latching handle, so the light will be on if the passenger latches the door without it being fully closed.


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