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Tip: RV-8 Forward baggage door locking assembly - Safety

jmitchell

Well Known Member
I'm doing a standard build RV-8 but I'm sure the locking assembly for the forward baggage door on other models will be similar.

The design of this door is so elegant I just couldn't detract from it's appearance (even though I'm referring to the mostly invisible internal locking assembly) by using .032 safety wire to secure the lock arm to the latch pins.

Here is an excerpt from my build log entry.

... Instead of duct tape as the manual suggests, I used a couple of light duty adjustable straps to hold the baggage door tight to the fuselage. I wiggled myself inside the front end of the airplane (no small feat) and set all but one of the blind rivets 'freezing' the door in the proper shape. I removed the straps and door then finished pulling the remaining rivets.

For the locking mechanism I decided not to use the .032 safety wire as indicated by the plans but instead installed cotter pins (MS24665-132) in each retaining pin (MS20392-1C11).

I managed this by first inserting the pins through the F-873L-1 lock arm and F873K latch pins then rolling the whole locking assembly 180? in place giving me good access to the underside of the locking assembly. Once I inserted the cotter pins I bent them back onto themselves and trimmed off the ends.

I finished up by rolling the whole lock assembly (there is just enough room to do this) right side up and inserted the lock washer and screw. I used thread locker on the screw and applied some torque seal.

Now instead of seeing the end of the retainer pin with the hole in it and safety wire wrapped around the latch pins you see the clean manufactured end of the pins.

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http://mykitlog.com/users/display_log.php?user=jmitchell&project=299&category=0&log=103736&row=1
 
Well done

Very nice work.

I had the forward baggage door on my RV-8 open twice inflight (because it was not locked). It was a non-event.

It will stay closed until you begin to decelerate (like downwind to base for example) then it will slowly open up. It doesn't change the flight characteristics and it doesn't block your field of vision. And in my cases, nothing flew out.

Startling for a moment is about all.
 
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