bonding hinge to leg fairing

I've got my "Nose Job". Instead of riveting the hinge to the fairing (the hinge that holds the fairing closed), I'm thinking about just bonding it to the fairing using West Systems Epoxy and the structural filler. Based on my previous experience with that epoxy and filler, I expect this to be strong enough and it saves me running a row of rivets along each side the fairing (risking cracking it). I was thinking I'd drill holes in the hinge to give the adhesive extra grip.
Does anybody think this would not be strong enough to hold that hinge on over the long run?

It'll fail. Guaranteed.

I think the hinge is anodized, which is a difficult thing to reliably bond to, but in any case aluminum is quite problematic for long term bonding.

Dave

Fairing hinge

I was talking to someone the other doing and he was going to use Velcro to close the fairing.

Huh?

Epoxy, VELCRO! Gads. Drill, prep, squeeze, fly... this is not a big effort issue to try to 'save' time with...

New Nose Job Fairing

I have mine in place and with just the clamp on the bottom of the nose gear and the top fairing. This new fairing is so stiff I am wondering if you even need a hinge at all. The back edge is just a trailing edge. Nothing to really pull it apart. Just thinking out loud. Talked to some others that have used velcro as well and they are flying that way.

Closing hinge not necessary!!!!!!

The industrial Velcro type products work very well but I prefer the 3-M brand waterproof double sided sticky tape. Should you for some reason need to remove it, all that is necessary is to run a knife down it and install some more to replace it. We made the part spring closed, very stiff for this reason and they will stay closed on their own with no help. If you have an intersection faring and the clamp at the bottom that is all that is needed. Try it you'll like it!
Thanks, Allan

Avoid Glue

I epoxied and riveted the hinge on my first attempt at making a leg fairing. The glue was a major pain. It stopped the hinge from mating properly and made it difficult, in fact impossible to install the hinge pin. I tried to pick and grind away the interfering glue but ended up scrapping and remaking with rivets only.

Just one data point

Jim Sharkey
RV-6

[email protected] said:

Epoxy, VELCRO! Gads. Drill, prep, squeeze, fly... this is not a big effort issue to try to 'save' time with...

Click to expand...

Please give me your impression so far of the 390 as compared to the 360 if you have that info. Power, vibration, starting load and general opinion. I was looking at the 390 in lieu of a standard 200 hp Lyc. I also have the WW prop on my 9 so will appreciate your thoughts. Regards, Allan

More info please

What is the part number for the 3M tape?

Do you think it would work on Vans main gear fairings as well?

LarryT
Larry Tompkins
N544WB RV-6A purchased flying
W52 Battle Ground WA

PerfTech said:

The industrial Velcro type products work very well but I prefer the 3-M brand waterproof double sided sticky tape. Should you for some reason need to remove it, all that is necessary is to run a knife down it and install some more to replace it. We made the part spring closed, very stiff for this reason and they will stay closed on their own with no help. If you have an intersection faring and the clamp at the bottom that is all that is needed. Try it you'll like it!
Thanks, Allan

Click to expand...

On the advice of more experienced builders, on all my fairings I used soft rivets and epoxy, plus 4oz. cloth over the top of the rivets to prevent them from working. In my case, I used Hysol for all metal to fiberglass bonding. I don't have a lot of hours on mine yet (140) but the folks that recommended this have many hundreds with no problems. Others who didn't do the fiberglass over the rivet heads have sometimes had the rivets work loose. They may not have bonded theirs either, I don't know. I probably overkilled, as is my usual tendency

Having just fitted the new fairing over the Nose Job, I can tell you it IS very stiff and does tend to hold its shape in the closed position. I do agree that with modern adhesives, the clamp at the bottom, the intersection fairing at the top and the Nose Job itself preventing any possible rotation or twisting there are probably less "heavy duty" methods (emphasis on heavy) of securing the trailing edge that would work. I just wanted the fairings to all be held in the same way...probably not completely necessary, but feels right to me.

Jeremy Constant

One option

Phil,

I made a flat piece of fiberglass about 4 layers of glass thick, the length of the hinges. Cut strips of this about 1.25" wide. I (flush) riveted a strip to the outside of each side of the gear leg fairing hinge, the length of the hinge. THEN I "glued" the hinge inside the gear leg fairings. This resulted in no external rivets to finish on the outside of the gear leg fairings.

To "glue" the hinge assembly inside the gear leg fairing:
- Scuff and clean the inside of the gear leg fairing and the glass strips
- Put the fairing so it was horizontal in a workmate with the jaws open about an inch, rear seam down
- Apply flox mixture to the surface of the glass strips
- Put the hinge with flox inside the fairing and place a pipe on the hinge to push the hinge/glass strip assembly into firm contact with the inside of the gear leg fairing

Use caution not to have too much flox as you don't want to glue the hinge closed.

Mine looks good and has been flying for about 190 hours. I learned this technique from a friend who has built 9 Lancairs, and a fiberglass bodied 1950's Ferrari from scratch.

Regards,