Cowl hinge brackets needed

[astjp2]

Re: Cowl hinge brackets needed

Scott, Why did you use so much 2024 instead of 3003? Tim

Thanks
Dogged determination and patience to the point of compulsion as much as craftmanship I think. Lets just say the error pile is as big as the trial pile!

Having said that, I was fortunate enough to have a father that took the time to show how to fix all kinds of things when I was very young, I had a great shop teacher in the UK growing up, and was fortunate enough to work with a true (Italian) sheet metal " magician" in Montreal when I had my FBO in the 1980's.

A lot of the work I'm doing on CF-CLR is new to me, and success really does live in "if at first you don't succeed......"

The hinge brackets worked first time though!

Of course one reason my project is taking so long is because I keep taking on potentially unnecessary fabrication tasks. Case in point, I spent July making new baffles. I could have repaired some of the old ones but....

Here's a sneak peek of my next blog update:

[Scott]

Re: Cowl hinge brackets needed

I guess I have a preference for 2024 as it's what I've worked with mostly. This is because you rarely find softer alloys in later/larger aircraft. 2024 T3 provides the best compromise between strength, durability, work-ability, low weight and corrosion resistance which is why it became the mainstay of most production aircraft from Cessnas to Boeings. I used 6061 for some of the engine baffles and will for the heater shroud because it will need to be welded. I use 2024 0 where moderate to heavy forming is required. It work-hardens and so far I've been happy with the hardness of the parts once completed (not that I'm doing any hardness testing, but just based on finger testing).

To be honest I have been surprised by the soft material used in many locations of the BC12D. Most of it is in none structural areas so the downside is it just ends up looking like cr*p because it dents, scratches and cracks so easily. But things like the aileron ribs surprised me, and in the original configuration the design is simply inadequate imo. Full storey available here: http://c-fclr.blogspot.ca/p/ailerons.html Scroll about halfway down to see the damage to the spars caused by the rib deformation. I reused the original ribs but added a 2024 t3 angle to each one to improve the situation.