REFLECTOR:Flying without Cowl Fasteners

[Scott Derrick]

This seams a lot like using screws.

I think just changing to long screws, tightening up the captured nuts 
and verifying the screws torque more often will get me by for awhile.

Using an inner lip where the cowl meets the fuselage sounds like the 
best idea to eliminate the screws.  I think you would still need a 
couple fasteners for rigidity but I could use the fully retractable 
Southcos if it was just a couple.

Scott

richard@riley.net wrote:
> At 08:16 PM 4/21/03 -0600, you wrote:
> 
>> I'm thinking about changing to longer screws and possibly attempting 
>> to replace the nuts in the nut plates.  quite a few of them do not 
>> squeeze the screws very tight.
> 
> 
> You can re-ovalize them with a pair of vice grips once or twice before 
> you replace them, if you are gentle about it.
> 
> 
>> Or figure out a way to use captured 1/4 turn fasteners as it should 
>> have been designed in the first place.
> 
> 
> There is a (very expensive) way to do it.  They make adjustable camlock 
> receptacles - but they are $$$$.  Use them on the inside of the cowl 
> lip.  Use camloc studs that are all the same length and are not captured 
> - you don't put the split washer on the inside.  When you undo them with 
> the 1/4 turn, you remove the grommet and camloc stud from the fuselage 
> lip entirely, and put them in your pocket.  Then pull the cowl.
> 
> If you put one in and DON'T turn it, it will depart the airplane - but 
> so will a regular, "captured" camloc if you don't turn it and lock it 
> down.  
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