| Author | Message | ||
     Tom R. Hutchison New member Username: Tomhutch Post Number: 134 Registered: 01-2003 |
Today I saw a posting on the Lancair Mailing list from John Barret who manufactors carbon fiber piano hinges. Apparently some Lancair builders are using his "carbinge" to attach wingtips and cowlings, rather than the standard screw/nutplate method. He has some pictures of a Lancair wingtip with this mounting in progess at: http://www.carbinge.com/wingtips.htm Has anyone tried attaching their wing tips using hinges? Tom | ||
| Jerry Sjostrand New member Username: Jerry Post Number: 32 Registered: 08-1999 |
Tom and builders; One builder simply bonded the wing tips on and used an access hole on the bottom for servicing the lights and wiring. Another used a "mortise and tenon" arrangement top and bottom and 4 screws to retain the tip. The graphite hinge is expensive!!!  | ||
| Jim Oyler New member Username: Midniteoyl Post Number: 54 Registered: 07-2003 |
Would also think you would need to add at least a couple of rivets front and back to stave off peeling - just as in the cowl hinge installation. | ||
| wayne Unregistered guest |
wish I had thought of it. You could do like I did, bond the tips on,sand to shape then cut them off again and install alum piano hinge to the inside along the cut line. I bonded /rivited a2"x 040 alum strip with nut plates and carbon tube/sleeve at the front and back, see pic in gallery. I didn't like the fiberglass flange/joggle set up. Either way you are in for alot of work to get something to look good. The hinge would get rid of some screws, and fiberglass will always buckle in between them as it ages. You could slide the pin in from the rear next to the aileron. Could be neat. | ||
| Tom R. Hutchison New member Username: Tomhutch Post Number: 135 Registered: 01-2003 |
I like your idea of bonding on, fixing the poor fit and then cutting off again. I searched through your gallery pics but couldn't find any pictures of wing tip installation. Jerry's right, that carbhinge is expensive at $30/foot. I might try using regular aluminum hinge with rivets. The carbinge keepers that John Barret has are pretty cool for securing the hinge pin. | ||
| Tom R. Hutchison New member Username: Tomhutch Post Number: 137 Registered: 01-2003 |
I decided awhile ago I wanted my wing tip nav/strobe lights imbedded in the corner of the wing tips. I have been working on this off and on over the past year. You can see the results so far at: www.express-builder.com/gallery/album10 Its been a LOT of work and very time consuming process to create the molds for the lens and the corner inserts for the light mounts. If someone else is interested in doing this on their own Wheeler or series 2000 wing tips, I can sell you the lens for a lot less than I ended up paying. I can also make the corner insert parts. The new wings on the latest EAC models have a different shape so this mod won't work for them.  Contact me if you are interested. Tom | ||
| Phil & Margie Hodge New member Username: N410mp Post Number: 12 Registered: 01-2000 |
Tom - It looks like you've cut off the flat spot molded into the wingtip that was intended for mounting the recognition lights. Are you planning to glass over that hole to match the rest of the wingtip? Mounting the lights in the corner, which looks much cleaner and prettier than sticking them on the end, will block them from the rear. My understanding is that you will need to have a rear facing light also. Where do you plan to put that? Is there room for a strobe in addition to the red/green light in your corner mount? | ||
| Tom R. Hutchison New member Username: Tomhutch Post Number: 138 Registered: 01-2003 |
Yes, I will reform and glass over the cut off standoffs on the wing tips. The angle of the corner is designed to allow 120 degree coverage on the sides. I will also have a tail light/strobe on the tail to "cover my rear". Yes my Whelen combination nav/strobe lights will fit into the corner as designed. Tom | ||
| Phil & Margie Hodge New member Username: N410mp Post Number: 13 Registered: 01-2000 |
So where do you plan to put the tail light? On the rudder will affect the balance of the fin, plus require a wire. I can't find any place else on my CT for one. | ||
| Tom R. Hutchison New member Username: Tomhutch Post Number: 139 Registered: 01-2003 |
On the Series 2000 rudder at the top is a mount molded for a tail light. When I built the tail we installed a plastic conduit for wiring. However, Larry told me awhile ago that they had me put in too small of tube for the standard Whelen tail/strobe shielded wire. Haven't tackled that problem yet. Tom | ||
| Jerry Sjostrand New member Username: Jerry Post Number: 33 Registered: 08-1999 |
Hey Tom; Simple to run the wire (Whelen wire) up the aft shear web of the vertical stabilizer starting at the bottom where a wire is easy to start. You can run it inside a plastic tube if you prefer. Then a small round 6 pin connector (male and female) that are at Radio Shack for connecting mouse or key board. Fishing a wire into the rudder should not be a problem if a tube was not provided. I have used these connectors on 3 airplanes. I then use a shrink tube to make them bullet proof. It's nice to have somehting to offer once in a while.  | ||
| Tom R. Hutchison New member Username: Tomhutch Post Number: 140 Registered: 01-2003 |
Great idea. You always have an elegant solution. Tom | ||
| Jim Oyler New member Username: Midniteoyl Post Number: 56 Registered: 07-2003 |
Connector is called PS/2 - round DIN. | ||
| wayne Unregistered guest |
Or you can run the wire out through the rudder spar, down the LE, out and into the fuse tail cone where you can put that plug. Or if it's just a 2 wire light, leave slack, snip and butt splice when you need to remove the rudder,6" slack will give you about 20 removals. Did I mention I have the cheapest Express flying??  | ||
| Carter A. Smith New member Username: Carter_smith Post Number: 10 Registered: 07-2004 |
Tom, About a year ago you posted pictures and a description of the Wing tip lenses you made to house the Nav lights in the corner of the wing tip. At the time you said that you could make/sell the lenses and corner insert parts. I am at that point on my series 2000 wings and would like to do just what you did. Is it still possible to get those? I would be very appreciative for any help. Thanks, Carter |